The best breaks in the Indian Ocean right now

With well over 1,000 islands to explore, it’s a wonder island hopping didn’t catch on sooner in the Maldives. On this brand new tour, you’ll be diving the best sites in the South Malé Atoll by day, then kicking back with a different bunch of locals every night – the perfect break if you’re listless with all things luxe. Nine-day dive trips start at £1,725 per person based on two sharing, including return flights from the UK, accommodation and transfers. diveworldwide.com

Don’t be fooled by the white sand and crystal coves: Paje beach in Zanzibar is far wilder than it looks. With year-round sun the sapphire sea is always warm – lucky really, because even with expert instruction at Zanzibar Kite Paradise you’ll probably be falling in the drink pretty often. Group lessons from £111, rooms from £220 night. zanzibarkiteparadise.com

The fact that pop-up surf spot pioneer Soul & Surf has decided to set up a permanent base on Sri Lanka’s picturesque south coast means one thing and one thing only – those waves are damn good. When you’re not riding big breakers in the deep blue, you’ll be eased back to fine fettle with massages and yoga. Seven nights based on two sharing from £775. soulandsurf.com

What’s better than staying in a rustic thatched-roof villa on a boardwalk over the Indian Ocean? Loads of turtles, that’s what. The Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu resort has teamed up with marine charity the Olive Ridley Project to help nurture injured sea turtles back to their best – expect tailored snorkel adventures and romantic interiors. Rooms from £440 per night. cocopalm.com

Who needs a private pool when you’re hurtling down the river on a two-man raft? This 15-night expedition with Secret Compass is sure to be full of highs (2,600m ones at Madagascar’s second highest peak, to be precise) and lows (that moment when you wipe out on a steep, slippery forest path). The things we do for fun, eh? £2,799 excluding flights. secretcompass.com

All 36 acres of the supremely elegant Shanti Maurice resort ooze absolute escapism. No, that’s not us – it’s that feeling you get when you finally let yourself relax with this retreat’s brand-new yogic sleep programme, which helps you sit back, get meditative and feel the zzzs… The blissful sleep retreat costs £2,750 for five nights. shantimaurice.com

On the beach, over the water… under the sea – you’ve not seen true luxury until you’ve experienced dining options like the ones at the Maldives’ latest resort, Hurawalhi. Opening 1 December, this cool retreat is one where you don’t have to don a wetsuit, or even enter the water at all, to see the remarkable local sea life. Just don’t let that giant ugly fish put you off your grub. hurawalhi.com

If lush green palms, perpetual summer and dramatic granite outcrops are your thing, Six Senses’ new Zil Pasyon resort on the private island of Félicité is probably right up your star-studded alley. Bask like a Bond villain by your own pool or catch a movie beneath the stars at the resort’s cinema. Rooms from £1,376 per night. sixsenses.com

 Why have one island when you can have them all? On this cool new all-inclusive sailing trip by Moorings you’ll explore secluded coves from the comfort of a skippered five-bed yacht. With a bar stocked with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a personal chef, it’s the perfect place to get some me time (unless you decide to take the in-laws). Seven-night private charter from £15,260 (£1,562pp based on ten sharing). moorings.co.uk

If you like your summer break with a chilli kick, book a trip with Ecowave Travels and make your way to Arugam Bay, the east coast’s hottest surf spot. When you’re not sunning on the sand, you can learn to make Sri Lankan delicacies with locally sourced organic ingredients. It’s sustainable and responsible tourism at its tastiest. And it costs just £13 a head. ecowavetravels.lk