If you want to enjoy a quick, unique holiday during the upcoming ‘National Day’ break (November 22-25), consider visiting these two island nations – Maldives and Seychelles – which have unlimited avenues for fun and leisure

Maldives – the sunny side of life

The Republic of Maldives is a group of atolls (each atoll is a cluster of islands) in the Indian Ocean, to the south of India’s Lakshadweep Islands and about 417 miles (671 km) southwest of Sri Lanka, appearing in the form of a chain of shells. Its 1,190 coral islets stretch over an area of 35,200 sq miles (90,000 sq km), none of which rise more than six feet above sea level.

Maldives, with its deep blue seas, turquoise reefs, white sandy beaches and palm trees, is just a three-and-a-half hour flight away from Muscat and so arriving at this destination doesn’t really leave you exhausted, besides the time zone in Maldives is just one hour ahead of Oman. There are daily flights via Doha/UAE to Male, the main island where the international airport is located.

You don’t need to secure a visa to visit Maldives, free 30-day visit visas are stamped on your passport on arrival (which can be extended up to 90 days). As you walk out of the airport itself, you see blue lagoons welcoming you to a time of your life. Once out of the airport, you would notice the numerous counters representing the various resorts waiting to usher you to a waiting speed boat or to board a seaplane for a quick, picturesque transfer to the island of your choice.

The country follows the ‘one-island, one resort’ policy, so every resort is set on a different island, with comfortable accommodation private beaches, facilities for water sports, varied avenues for dining, spas, etc. But the highlight on every island is the extremely courteous, friendly and hospitable populace of Maldives, whether resort staff or locals.

One good choice could be the Sun Siyam Resorts on Medhafushi Island of Noonu Atoll which has different resorts to suit varied budgets – You have options like Sun Siyam Ohluveli, Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, Siyam World, which offers luxurious accommodation in beach villas/water villas and ample opportunity for leisure activities, including diving, water sports, excursions, fishing trips, etc besides evening revelry on the beach. Dining options with international cuisines are ample while one can also relax with modern spa treatments as well as customised dinners/stays in absolute privacy. Siyam World also has the first Water Park in Maldives.

Honeymoon or family vacation

Maldives is considered a honeymooners paradise and if you have not planned your honeymoon yet, I suggest, you put Maldives on the top of your list of favourites. Most honeymooners from around the world come to Maldives for, indeed, a great time of their lives. All resorts offer special Honeymoon packages while some even have the option of booking an island (or rather islet) all to oneself, with service staff waiting at your beck and call at a nearby jetty. It all depends on how romantic you want to make your honeymoon.

For families in Oman, residents or expatriates, who have already visited popular destinations in the Far East or Europe, Maldives, is cut away from all these. All resorts offer family accommodation as well as avenues for recreation for the full family. A typical resort has its own private beach, own house reef which itself is a coral garden and natural aquarium and the shallow water enclosed by each reef is a large natural swimming pool.

Accommodation can be in beach villas or water villas built on stilts in the sea and equipped with air-conditioning, telephones, televisions sets and other amenities, with spas, restaurants, souvenir shops, sports centres and diving/snorkeling instruction schools.

There are numerous ways of having fun in the ocean or on the island and if you love water sports, then this trip offers you a wide variety of options. You can go for a sail through the atolls, which Maldivians call a safari, visit a fishing village, for early morning /night fishing or island hopping excursions for shopping, etc.

Under the water in the Maldives, lies a veritable world of wonder, a superb coral garden filled with rich flora and fauna. Snorkeling is the simplest way to take a look at this amazing world. You need to know how to swim, have a good mask, a snorkel tube and an optional pair of fins which are provided at all resorts. For a more fulfilling experience, you would need to take up a dive and whether you are a novice or an experienced diver, a dive in this part of the world is an unparalleled experience.

Seychelles – Islands of joy

Seychelles is an island republic in the western Indian Ocean, comprising about 115 islands, with lush tropical vegetation, beautiful beaches, and a wide variety of marine life. There are three main islands in the Seychelles – Mahe, Praslin, and La Digue, all three of which offer wonderful beach experiences with a wide range of activities.

The flight duration between Muscat and Seychelles is just about five hours but indirect flights via Dubai or Doha might take around 7-8 hours. The capital, Victoria, is situated on the island of Mahe where the international airport it located. Just about a 10-minute flight north from Mahe lies Praslin, the Seychelles’ second largest island which is less busy than Mahe. La Digue lies a 15-minute ferry away from Praslin. In fact, a regular inland ferry service connects all three islands.

Praslin is famed for its Valle de Mai reserve which is, home to the ubiquitous Coco De Mer (a uniquely shaped huge nut) which gives to folklore suggesting that it was the original site for the Biblical ‘Garden of Eden’. Now a world heritage site, it is surrounded by a bunch of stunningly untouched beaches, wherein the sea is abode to the most beautiful coral reefs on earth.

While Mahe and Praslin are better known, and certainly more accessible, La Digue, the fourth largest island in the Seychelles, is something else altogether. Reachable by ferry from Mahe, or by privately chartered boat, it contains dirt roads but several luxury lodges. Its forests and the Veuve National Park there is home to the last wild Black Paradise Flycatchers, which is not found anywhere else, and other birds.

The climate of Seychelles is tropical oceanic, with little temperature variation during the year. Daily temperatures range between 20-30º C making it suitable for a visit all through the year.

Of the roughly 200 plant species found in Seychelles, some 80 are unique to the islands, including screw pines, several varieties of jellyfish trees, latanier palms, the bois rouge, the bois de fer, Wright’s gardenia, and the most famous, the Coco de mer. Wildlife includes a remarkably diverse array of marine life, including more than 900 identified species of fish, green sea turtles, and giant tortoises which can be viewed in Praslin.

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