Choosing an island to stay on in the Maldives is not straight-forward as they are not all made equal. Some are accessed by speedboat, others by seaplane. Some islands have a spectacular, easily-accessible house reef whilst for others you'll need to hop on a speedboat to swim with turtles, rays & reef sharks. Some islands have a wide sandy beach whereas others are not so blessed. And the focus on sustainability is not consistent either; fortunately, a few islands are now focusing on their environmental impact - no mean feat in the Maldives where produce has to be flown in, waste management practices are generally poor, and solar energy panels are far & few between. 

This said, the two COMO resorts that we stayed at this week - Cocoa Island and Maalifushi - offer an abundance of reasons. First off, the staff are brilliant; attentive, genuine & very personal. Second, the focus on wellness is evident not only in the daily yoga, pilates, state-of-the-art gym and sublime spa treatments, but also in the COMO SHAMBHALA menu which offers tasty, lighter meals in addition to a wonderfully-diverse a la carte. Furthermore, the beaches - particularly at Cocoa Island - are amongst the best in the Maldives; wide expanses and fine sand that extends through to the restaurants for relaxed feet-in-sand dining. Likewise for the house reef at both resorts; a breath-taking display of marine life directly accessible from your private deck, and Marine Biologists on site too who are busy tracking whale-shark movements in the area and offering daily guided snorkel & dive trips. And finally, we were thrilled to see an immaculate, organic kitchen garden at Maalifushi; herbs & vegetables grown locally with no fertilisers or pesticides. 

Accommodation is either over-water or beach-front. Ask us about our favourite suites & villas; we’d love to share our top tips with you.

Long-haul family travel has historically been reserved for the Summer and Easter holidays, and occasionally Christmas. With many schools now introducing a two-week October half-term, our wanderlust families should be rubbing their hands with glee…

Why? Well, firstly, October means lower hotel prices & airfares. It also means quieter beaches and, as long as you choose your destination well, a wonderful hit of sunshine just as the nights are drawing in and temperatures are beginning to drop at home. Worried about splurging on an Autumn 2020 holiday before Christmas? Don’t be. We are able to hold flights and accommodation for you now, secure your holiday, and your pennies won’t part from you until Summer 2020.

Over the coming days, we’ll be sharing our favourite October destinations and hotels with you. Stay tuned & ping us an email if you’d like prices.

First up is the Maldives; notoriously expensive at Christmas, and peak monsoon season during our summer months, October marks the end of the rainy season. Como Maalifushi is a spectacular 60-minute seaplane flight from Malé; for a truly remote setting with a wondrous house reef and uninterrupted horizons, you couldn’t ask for better. The activities on offer are equally as impressive; daily yoga, kayaking, paddle-boarding, night-snorkelling, and splash-net dolphin-spotting cruises (where you sit in the net of a dhoni and get dragged through the ocean!). Maalifushi is also one of the few Maldivian resorts to have a TropicSurf Guide at the resort who will escort you to three secluded surf swells on different atolls. For younger guests, Play by COMO offers 4-12 year olds a creative choice of high-energy and quieter activities to suit all characters. Their ‘Family Getaway’ offer for October half-term includes complimentary half board upgrade for adults, and complimentary full board upgrade for children below 12 years of age. Up to two children in the family will also receive complimentary return seaplane transfers; so quite a saving.

Our daughter is a social animal and so her definition of a “good holiday,” is “I made a friend, and have a new penpal!" With this in mind, we started to look at European resorts with a kids’ club for our summer holiday. There are some truly excellent ones out that there that would have ticked all of our demanding boxes, but the price tags were hard to justify for a room with four of us bundled in together.  Our usual camping week in the Pyrenees would have afforded us more space & privacy!

So we looked further afield this year to the Indian Ocean and found direct flights – tick, kids clubs – tick, pristine beaches – tick, reliably good weather without it being 40+ degrees – tick, less expensive than Europe - tick, new destination & experiences - tick, tick. Booked.

So, what’s the verdict? The kids have loved feeding giant tortoises, taking a 12-seater plane to get to a remote island, spotting turtles on snorkelling trips, our nine-year-old has got her PADI seal certificate, a conservationist has shown us how sustainable tourism works in practice, and how important it is to protect an island’s indigenous species. And between my husband and I, we’ve slotted in six dives, a spa treatment, morning yoga, our first game of squash in 10 years and finished three books…so definitely feels like we’ve had a holiday. And, one of the key elements of a holiday for me, the food, has been divine. In particular, the farm-to-table experience at Denis Island – one of the most remote places I’ve visited – is an inspiration, and wonderful for the children to experience too.

Our advice? Book ahead to ensure a good fare on your flights, choose your resort carefully as not all kids clubs are made equal, and split your time between at least two islands. If you do this, the Seychelles can work brilliantly for your Easter or summer family vacation. 

Take Note | The Seychelles sits 4-11 degrees south of the Equator, and as such enjoys a tropical climate. Expect the odd tropical storm at all times of year.