Indian Ocean Cruises
Discover the idyllic islands of the Indian Ocean including the Seychelles, Maldives and Mauritius, and explore the fascinating coastlines of India and Sri Lanka on small ship cruises.
The islands of the Indian Ocean are the perfect getaway destination - no news, no shoes, just palm trees, white sand beaches and a chance to relax and unwind. Superb snorkelling and diving opportunities are endless.
Cruise Collection
Adventure in Madagascar
Special OfferSave up to 25%!
PONANT invites you on an expedition cruise in the Indian Ocean to discover "the island continent" of Madagascar.
Port Louis to Victoria, Mahé
Treasures of South Africa
Special OfferFREE Pre-Cruise or Post-Cruise Land Programme
Discover beautiful beaches, incredible wildlife, fascinating history and natural wonders on this 14 -night cruise through South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique. Includes return flights from the UK, overseas transfers, up to 25 shore excursions and beverages throughout.
Cape Town and back
Seychelles Garden of Eden
Discover the paradise islands of the Seychelles on this relaxing 7-night yacht cruise with plenty of opportunities for swimming and snorkelling.
Mahe and back
Tropical Charms of the Seychelles
Set sail aboard this 8-day cruise through the scenic Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.
Mahé, Seychelles and back
Mumbai to Singapore
Special OfferExclusive Blue Water £200pp discount!
Mangalore, Cochin, Colombo, Galle, Hambantota, Trincomalee, Langkawi Island, Port Klang, Phuket, Mumbai (ex Bombay), Singapore
16-Night Spice Route Voyage
Special OfferUp to $1000 OBC per stateroom on selected sailings!
Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Mumbai (ex Bombay), Goa, Mangalore, Cochin, Colombo, Hambantota, Sabang, Singapore
17-Night Ancient Trade Routes Voyage
Special OfferUp to $1000 OBC per stateroom on selected sailings!
Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Georgetown, Penang, Phuket, Chennai, Colombo, Cochin, Mumbai (ex Bombay)
17-Night India & Sri Lanka Voyage
Special OfferUp to $1000 OBC per stateroom on selected sailings!
Dubai, Al Fujayrah, Muscat, Mumbai (ex Bombay), Goa, Mangalore, Cochin, Colombo, Hambantota, Phuket, Georgetown, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore
20-Night Ancient Trade Routes Voyage
Special OfferUp to $1000 OBC per stateroom on selected sailings!
Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Sabang, Hambantota, Colombo, Cochin, Mumbai (ex Bombay), Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, Dubai
8-Night Arabia Intensive Voyage
Special OfferUp to $1000 OBC per stateroom on selected sailings!
Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island, Manama, Doha, Dubai
South Asia Odyssey
UK - Singapore , Port Klang (Malaysia) , Langkawi Island , Phuket (Thailand) , At Sea , Colombo , Cochin (India) , Mormugao, Goa , Mumbai (ex Bombay) , Mumbai (ex Bombay) - UK , At Sea , Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) , At Sea , Hambantota , Colombo , At Sea
Ancient Cultures of Papua New Guinea
Honiara, Guadalcanal Island, Auki, Malaita Island, Roderick Bay , Gizo, Njari Island, Kiriwina Island, Lusancay Islands, Tufi, Dobu, D'Entrecasteaux Islands, Fergusson Island, D'Entrecasteaux Islands, Alotau, Cairns, Queensland
About Indian Ocean Cruises
This collection of exotic cruises includes the islands of the Maldives, a ribbon of coral atolls in the warm turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. The Maldives are the perfect destination to relax, snorkel, swim, dive and fish under the tropical sun. Enjoy informal BBQs on idyllic sand banks under the stars, watch stunning sunsets with a cocktail in hand and snorkel among colourful marine life.
The beautiful islands of the Seychelles are a stunning mix of perfect beaches, picture postcard villages and exciting flora and fauna.
Mauritius, a volcanic island situated in the Indian Ocean, is lush and beautiful, with lovely mountain ranges, fine beaches, stunning coral reefs and picturesque villages. Madagascar, the ‘perfumed island’ includes the picturesque Nosy Be and Diego Suarez.
The island of Sri Lanka is situated off the southern coast of India. Explore the capital city of Colombo which traces its roots back through Dutch and Portuguese occupations and visit Galle, home to an impressive 17th-century Dutch fort.
Indian Ocean Highlights
Chennai
Chennai, formerly Madras, is India's fourth-largest city and the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. Worth visiting is the tree-line residential area of Mylapore, where you will find the 7th-century Kapaleeshwarar Hindu temple and its heavily decorated tower. Visitors to Chennai usually travel to the neighbouring town of Mahabalipuram to see its magnificent temples, statues and carvings.
Cochin
The Keralan city of Cochin is well known for the 20-metre long Chinese fishing nets used at Fort Koch and for St Francis church which is the burial place of Vasco da Gama. Just outside Cochin and accessible by taxi or rickshaw is Mattancherry Palace, where the upper floor was once used for the coronation of Cochin's Rajas. The building's walls are decorated with murals illustrating scenes from Hindu mythology. Performances of the local Kathakali dance are regularly held in the town's cultural centre.
Colombo
Colombo is the economic and cultural heart of Sri Lanka, and has been an important trading post for centuries. The port area was settled by Arabs in the 8th century since when many other civilizations have come and gone. The Pettah Market area has some interesting buildings, including the candy-striped Jami-ul Alfar Mosque and the Khan Clock Tower. Many Muslim traders specializing in gold and jewellery sell their wares here.
Goa
Goa is India's best-known beach resort with 100km of scenic, palm-fringed coastline. Anjuna Beach in Panjim, the capital of Goa, was a hippy destination in the 1960s, and has elegant colonial buildings and mansions. Old Goa was a Portuguese colonial territory for five centuries, and there are many 16th-century churches and older Hindu temples in the region. South Goa has waterfalls, paddy fields and fruit plantations.
Male
Male is the principal port of the Maldives, a jumble of skyscrapers, old buildings and markets. Majeedhee Magu is the main road on the island, bordered with shops selling everything from perfume to electronics. The town is surrounded by sea walls and has an artificial beach and a wide variety of restaurants.17th-century Hukuru Mosque is worth a visit for its black coral walls, engraved beams and panels decorated with carved Arabic writings.
Mauritius (Mauritius)
The port for Mauritius is Port Louis, a multi-cultural city with Hindu, Islamic, Christian, Chinese and Creole districts. The city has many shopping opportunities which range from lively street markets to a large shopping area on the seafront with fashionable boutiques. The Natural History Museum exhibits the only-known skeleton of the extinct dodo, and Fort Adelaide offers splendid views of the city. The island has some of the best beaches in the Indian Ocean and a mountainous landscape.
Mayotte
The French overseas territory of Mayotte is an archipelago situated between Mozambique on the African continent and Madagascar, and is one of the Comoros island group. Its white sand beaches attract many French holidaymakers, making this an expensive destination. Sea turtles lay their eggs on the beaches in the south, and in the summer, humpback whales are often seen in the lagoon. The majority of Mayotte's shops and restaurants are in Mamoudzou, which is chiefly a business and commercial centre.
Mormugao
Mormugao is Goa's key port, with an old-world atmosphere and a blend of Portuguese and Indian architecture, used as the backdrop for several Bollywood films. It has golden beaches and the 6th-century Arch of the Viceroys which commemorates Vasco de Gama's arrival in Goa, and the huge St Catherine's Cathedral. Other sights include Mormugao Fort and nearby Varca beach, a stretch of palm-fringed shore with rows of wooden fishing boats and palm-thatched longhouses.
Mumbai (India)
This is the largest port in Western India, noted for its financial centre and Bollywood, the world's largest film production centre. Mumbai's most famous symbols are the Gateway to India, a grand arch, and the nearby Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. British influences can be seen in the stained glass and sculptures of Victoria Rail Terminus, a World Heritage Site. Mumbai is a pleasantly chaotic city packed full of bazaars, roadside stalls, traffic and some of India's best restaurants.
New Mangalore
New Mangalore port is situated in Panambur north of the Gurupura river. Besides the beautiful beach of Tanniru Bhavi, places to visit in Panambur include Nandaneshwara temple. There are many more temples in Mangalore itself, the most famous being Shir Sharavu Mahaganapathy, where devotees gather during religious festivals. Mangalore is considered a scenic city, shaded with coconut palms and crossed by hills and streams.
Nosi Be
Nosy Be island is Madagascar's chief tourist destination, but remains unspoilt, the air rich with the scent of ylang ylang which grows wild here. There are good outdoor restaurants on the sands and the water is crystal clear. Inland are fields of sugarcane and rum distilleries, and visits may be available to the coastal Lokobe Nature Reserve, home to gigantic trees, many bird species, chameleons and lemurs.
Reunion (France Overseas Territories)
Reunion is a French island territory east of Madagascar and south of Mauritius. Its landscape is diverse, with primary forest, serrated peaks, volcanoes and lava fields. The capital of St Denis has a botanical garden, a museum of modern contemporary art with paintings by Picasso and Gauguin and the impressive Notre Dame church. There are two dramatic Pitons ' Le Fournaise and Neiges, which have forested slopes, and two of the island's calderas can be explored on foot.
Seychelles (Seychelles)
The Seychelles archipelago consists of 115 islands lying north-east of Madagascar. The Inner Islands of Mahe, Praslin and La Digue are the most visited, with the Seychelles capital and port, Victoria situated on Mahe. Mahe is covered with mountains and dense tropical vegetation, including coconut palms, banana plants, mango and breadfruit trees, and has many white sand beaches suitable for swimming and snorkelling. Port Victoria has a National History Museum and Botanical Gardens with an giant tortoise enclosure.
St Denis
St Denis is the capital of Reunion Island, a French territory south of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The island's dramatic and lush scenery is topped with the peaks of two pitons, Le Fournaise and Neiges. Plants unique to the Seychelles thrive in the tropical forest, where the carnivorous Seychelles Pitcher Plant and the jelly fish tree can be found. In St Denis the museum of modern contemporary art holds paintings by Picasso and Gauguin, and the hillside church of Notre Dame has an unusual statue of St Expedit dressed as a Roman soldier.
Tulear
Also known as Toliara, Madagascan Tulear is next to a spectacular string of huge sand dunes backed by savannah, and Tulear Reef which stretches north to Morombe. Close by are the idyllic Ifaty Beach and Isalo National Park. The park has deep canyons and sandstone rock pinnacles, with large populations of birds, reptiles and lemur. In Tulea there are brightly-painted pousse-pousse, or rickshaws, a shell market, restaurants, an excellent arboretum and broad avenues. The sacred banyan tree of Miary on the outskirts of Tulear is worth a visit ' a huge specimen with branches spread across many metres.
Visakhapatnam
Although mainly an industrial city, Visakhapatnam is a popular resort with good sandy beaches, and is situated on India's east coast among the hills of the Eastern Ghats. There is a Ropeway cable car giving long-distance views of the city, shore and hills, and a museum housed in a de-commissioned submarine. Other attractions include the richly-decorated 11th-century temple of Simhachalam on the Hill of the Lion Lord.
Customer Reviews
Seychelles Megayacht Holidays
by L.RossA huge thanks to blue water holidays for organising a great holiday. All round great experience, great itinerary but still flexible in as much as you can still do as you wish throughout the week; I was allowed to go off and explore the islands if I chose not to partake in the organised day trips ?? all the staff were great and couldnt do enough for you; and were pleasant throughout and always smiling - wouldnt hesitate to book with these guys again
Really helpful staff this end too; great communications and no delays in answering my many emails!
Maldives Paradise Cruise Review
by M.SowerbyWe have just returned from an amazing 2 weeks cruising on yasawa princess around the south ari atoll and the south male atoll, stopping off at sandbars and small islands for swimming and snorkelling (or diving if you wanted this). Although, for the price, we expected few frills actually we were pleasantly surprised: Captain Ahmed and his crew could not have done more to make our stay special and enjoyable; from the chef who cooked our eggs each morning, to the bar staff, the room boy, the dhoni crew who helped us on and off the boats (and sorted out the messy bits whilst night fishing) and especially Sophie the tour rep who paced up and down the beaches watching out for the snorkellers safety, making sure we drank enough water, and arranging quizzes, crab racing ( yes, we did return them to the beach we collected them from!) and other entertainment.
Although not guaranteed of course, we saw amazing (Im running out of superlatives!) coral gardens and all the fish on our list wed seen before and were favourites and some that were new to us (I found Nemo!). One evening night fishing we saw flying fish, a turtle, two manta rays, dolphins and a beautiful sunset; my husband caught 3 fish -some caught were eaten at the beach barbecue!
We also met some lovely, fun people, which meant we had a great time; about 30% were repeat bookings, some meeting up with friends made in previous years, which speaks volumes. Guests were mainly British, aged between 50 and 65 but for one of our weeks there were 2 swedish girls (what a great laugh they were) and an Australian couple.
Maldives Paradise Cruise
by Christine.GourleyBrillint holiday on Yasawa Princess...amazing varieties of fish and coral on the reefs around little islands and sandbanks,best we have seen and we have been to Barrier reef and Red Sea.
Nothing was too much trouble for the crew and captain..beach picnics and BBQ`s great fun..very good food...good selection and freshly cooked Action Fish and Chicken.
Not luxury but exactly right for a relaxing holiday swimming snorkelling or diving. Great company of like minded people there to enjoy everything.