Seychelles

The Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands scattered across the western Indian Ocean, and its inner islands are unlike anywhere else - ancient granite outcrops worn into smooth sculptural boulders that frame impossibly clear, shallow water. Mahé, the main island, holds the tiny capital Victoria, lush jungle trails and beaches like Beau Vallon; Praslin is home to the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO palm forest where the famous coco de mer grows; and sleepy La Digue, where ox-carts and bicycles still outnumber cars, has Anse Source d'Argent - routinely voted the most beautiful beach in the world. This is a destination for slow days and rare nature: giant Aldabra tortoises roam freely, the snorkelling and diving over coral and granite is superb, and protected reserves like Curieuse and Cousin shelter birdlife found nowhere else. It is a premium, low-key luxury escape - more barefoot-elegant than party island - and ideal for honeymooners and divers who want the islands largely to themselves.