At a glance
| Compare | Maldives | Seychelles |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | Low coral islands rimmed with white sand | Granite inner islands with hills and boulders; low coral outer islands |
| The stay | A resort on an island of its own | Island hopping by ferry between the main islands |
| On land | The beach, the spa and a sunset cruise | Walks, cycling and nature reserves |
| Under water | House reefs, hundreds of dive sites; mantas all year, and whale sharks all year in South Ari | Reefs on a shallow plateau; many remote outer reefs by liveaboard only |
| Calmest months | Dry season, January to March | April and May, October and November |
| Entry | Tourist visa on arrival, after a free online declaration | No visa, but a paid travel authorisation online before you fly |
| Suits | Romance, rest, diving and snorkelling | Walking, nature and island hopping |
Coral or granite
The Maldives is made of coral: 1,192 low islands across 26 natural atolls, most of them rimmed with white sand. Only 298 km² of the country’s 90,000 km² is dry land, so the sea is never far; even the largest resort island can be walked end to end in under an hour.
The Seychelles’ inner islands are granite, with hills, forest and boulders along the beaches, and its outer islands are low coral. In all, it has more than 100 islands.
How the holiday works
In the Maldives, each resort has an island of its own, and most of the holiday is spent there, with the beach, the lagoon and, at many resorts, the reef a few steps from the villa. Overwater villas stand over the lagoon, and at the luxury end many have a plunge pool of their own. Many resorts sell all-inclusive stays. Getting there is part of the trip, by speedboat, seaplane or domestic flight.
In the Seychelles, the main islands are larger, and many travellers move between them by ferry.
On land
In the Maldives, time on land is time to rest: the beach, the spa, a sunset cruise on a dhoni, the traditional Maldivian boat, or a visit to a local island, where Maldivian life is closest. In the Seychelles, much of the scenery is seen on foot or by bicycle, and large areas are nature reserves.
Under water
If the reef is the point of the trip, the Maldives makes it easy. Many resorts have a house reef a few steps from the beach, hundreds of dive sites lie across its 1,192 islands, mantas live in its waters all year, and whale sharks are seen around South Ari Atoll in every month. The legal limit for recreational diving is 30 metres.
The Seychelles’ inner islands sit on a shallow plateau, and many of its most remote reefs, around the outer islands, can be reached only by liveaboard.
When to go
The Maldives is warm and sunny all year. Its dry season runs from January to March, and the southwest monsoon, the wetter season, from about mid-May to October. In the Seychelles, the calmest months are April and May, and October and November.
Getting in
Visitors to the Maldives are given a tourist visa on arrival, with no visa to apply for beforehand. Every traveller fills in the free Traveller Declaration online within 96 hours before landing. Visas and entry has the details.
The Seychelles needs no visa for many visitors, but a travel authorisation must be applied for, and paid for, online before you travel. Check the rules for your own passport.
Which suits you
- Choose the Maldives for a resort on an island of its own, the reef at your door, overwater villas, and days of very little.
- Choose the Seychelles for walks, nature reserves and moving between islands.