Honeymoon
Maldives, Mauritius or Seychelles: which is best for your honeymoon?
All three sit in the Indian Ocean, all three have white sand and warm water, and all three are about ten to twelve hours from London. Yet they are very different places to spend a honeymoon.
Picolo Editorial
Picolo's honeymoon guides contain no affiliate links. Our picks are made independently by our editors.
The Maldives is about the resort and the lagoon. Mauritius is a full island with mountains, food and culture. The Seychelles is granite, jungle and island hopping. This guide helps you choose, with the season, the journey and the kind of trip each one suits.
In short: which island suits you?
The Maldives: for two who want privacy, an overwater villa and the reef right outside. Best from December to April.
Mauritius: for two who want variety, from beaches and golf to hiking and Creole food. Best from May to June and September to early December.
The Seychelles: for two who want dramatic nature and to see more than one island. Best in April and May, and October and November.
From the UK: British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly non-stop to the Maldives, and BA also flies non-stop to the Seychelles. Air Mauritius and BA fly non-stop to Mauritius.
Our first choice: the Maldives, if the honeymoon is mainly about rest and the sea. We have stayed at Jawakara Islands ourselves, and you can read our Jawakara review.
This guide is part of our best honeymoon destinations series. Each island also has its own honeymoon guide: the Maldives, Mauritius and the Seychelles.
The short answer
Choose the Maldives if you want to stay on one small island and hardly leave it. Choose Mauritius if you want to explore by car and have a different day every day. Choose the Seychelles if you want the most striking scenery and are happy to take a ferry or two.
Most romantic setting: the Maldives, with villas over the lagoon.
Most to see and do: Mauritius.
Most dramatic nature: the Seychelles.
Best for a longer trip: Mauritius, where you are less tied to one resort.
Easiest to combine: the Seychelles, with Mahé, Praslin and La Digue linked by ferry.
The Maldives: one island, one resort
Water villas at Jawakara Islands, Lhaviyani Atoll. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
The Maldives is a chain of coral atolls, and most resorts have an island of their own. You arrive in Malé and travel on by speedboat or seaplane, and after that the resort is your whole world. That is the point: the lagoon, the reef and your villa, with nothing to organise.
We stayed at Jawakara Islands in the Lhaviyani Atoll. We had a beach bungalow with its own pool, dived with turtles and dolphins, and took a speedboat of about an hour and a half to the 5.8 Undersea Restaurant on Hurawalhi. Read more in our Jawakara review.
Best time: December to April, the dry season, according to Jacada Travel. See the best time to visit the Maldives.
Getting there from the UK: British Airways flies non-stop from London Heathrow all year, and Virgin Atlantic in winter, in about 10 to 11 hours, according to Blue Bay Travel.
Transfer: a seaplane or speedboat from Malé. Our guide to seaplane or speedboat explains the difference.
Where to stay: see our best hotels in the Maldives, adults-only resorts and the atolls explained.
The trade-off: there is little to do beyond the resort, and food and drink are bought there.
Dreaming of a villa over the water? Our guide to overwater bungalows covers the Maldives and beyond.
Mauritius: a whole island to explore
One&Only Le Saint Géran, Belle Mare. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Mauritius is a volcanic island with green mountains, sugar cane fields and a coast of lagoons protected by a reef. It has a mix of Creole, Indian, French and Chinese culture that you taste in the food. Le Morne Brabant in the south west is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can drive yourselves, on the left as in the UK, and see a new part of the island every day.
Best time: May to June and September to early December, as set out in our guide to the best time to visit Mauritius. January to March is the hot, wet season, with a risk of cyclones, according to Rough Guides.
Getting there from the UK: Air Mauritius flies non-stop from London Heathrow and British Airways from London Gatwick, in about 12 hours, according to the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority.
Where to stay: One&Only Le Saint Géran sits on a peninsula at Belle Mare on the east coast, with three outdoor pools and six restaurants. For something smaller, read our review of Paradise Cove, a boutique hotel with its own beach.
The trade-off: the beaches are busier than in the Maldives, and the drives take time.
Read more in our Mauritius travel guide.
The Seychelles: granite, jungle and island hopping
La Digue, the Seychelles. Photo: Christian Cacciamani / Unsplash
The Seychelles is famous for its smooth granite boulders, jungle running down to the beaches and quiet islands. Most visitors combine Mahé with Praslin and La Digue, which are linked by ferry. On Praslin, the Vallée de Mai is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the coco de mer palm.
Best time: April and May, and October and November, the calm months between the two trade winds. June to September is drier but windy, and December to March is hotter and wetter, according to Audley Travel. See the best time to visit the Seychelles.
Getting there from the UK: British Airways flies non-stop from London Heathrow in about 10 hours, according to UK Aviation News. Check the current timetable, because the route has been seasonal.
Where to stay: Four Seasons Resort Seychelles is on the beach on Mahé, with an outdoor pool, an indoor pool and a spa. On Praslin, Raffles Seychelles is a few steps from Anse Takamaka Beach, with four restaurants and a spa.
The trade-off: the winds can bring seaweed and waves to some beaches, so pick the right coast for the season.
Read more in our Seychelles travel guide.
Which month suits which island?
December to April: the Maldives at its best. See honeymoon destinations in December, January and April.
April and May: the Seychelles is calm, and the Maldives still good in April. See honeymoon destinations in May.
June to September: Mauritius is in its dry winter. See honeymoon destinations in September.
October and November: the Seychelles is calm again, and Mauritius is warming up. See honeymoon destinations in October and November.
Our own experience
Jawakara Islands: a bungalow with its own pool in the Lhaviyani Atoll
We stayed at Jawakara Islands and had a beach bungalow with its own pool. We dived with turtles and dolphins, and took the speedboat to the 5.8 Undersea Restaurant on Hurawalhi, about an hour and a half away.
Our verdict
What Picolo chooses: the Maldives for a honeymoon that is all about rest, Mauritius for a longer and more active trip, and the Seychelles for two who want nature and a little adventure.
Why: in the Maldives the lagoon is right outside the villa. Mauritius has the most variety, and the Seychelles the most striking scenery.
The trade-off: the Maldives offers least beyond the resort, Mauritius has busier beaches, and in the Seychelles the season decides which coast is calm.
Planning around your wedding date? Our honeymoon calendar shows where to go in every month of the year.
Frequently asked questions
Which is more romantic, the Maldives or Mauritius?
The Maldives is the classic choice for romance, with villas over the lagoon and very few people around. Mauritius is romantic in a different way, with sunsets over Le Morne, dinners in small restaurants and drives through the mountains. If you want privacy above all, choose the Maldives.
Is the Seychelles better than the Maldives for a honeymoon?
The Seychelles is better if you want to explore, with granite beaches, jungle walks and ferries between islands. The Maldives is better if you want to stay put on one island with the reef outside your villa. Both are about ten hours from London Heathrow non-stop.
Can you combine the Maldives with Mauritius or the Seychelles?
You can, but flights between them are limited, and you may need to connect through another hub. It is often easier to combine the Seychelles islands with each other, or the Maldives with Sri Lanka. See our guide to Sri Lanka honeymoons.
Which is cheapest?
Mauritius usually has the widest range of hotels and prices, and you can eat outside the resort. In the Maldives most meals are taken at the resort, which adds up. For ideas on a smaller budget, see our cheap honeymoon destinations.
Do UK citizens need a visa?
Entry rules differ between the three countries and can change. Check the GOV.UK foreign travel advice for each country before you book.
Sources
Seasons come from Jacada Travel (the Maldives), Rough Guides (Mauritius) and Audley Travel (the Seychelles), together with our own guides. Flight information comes from Blue Bay Travel, UK Aviation News and the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority. Hotel facts come from Hotels.com. Our stay at Jawakara Islands was not sponsored. Entry rules are on GOV.UK foreign travel advice. Last checked: 3 November 2026.
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Picolo Editorial