In Afar’s Which Stay Wins? series, we put standout hotels head-to-head, comparing what each does best to help you decide which is right for your next trip.
The Seychelles and the Maldives are both the stuff of honeymoon daydreams: swaying palms, gin-clear water, and beaches as soft as talcum powder. I’ve made half a dozen trips to the Maldives and several to the Seychelles—sometimes alone, sometimes with my family in tow. Both deliver on the toes-in-the-sand fantasy, but in very different ways.
The difference starts with geography. In the Maldives, most resorts occupy their own small coral island, so you tend to stay put—and in my case, rotate happily among villa pool, breakfast buffet, and beach. The Seychelles mixes remote coral islands with larger granite ones, where jungle-cloaked mountains, giant tortoises, and Creole culture make it easy to explore beyond your resort, or even hop between islands.
To make the comparison fair, I focused on two resorts from the same brand. In the Maldives, I stayed at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru (from $1,735 per night), the only resort on its palm-fringed island in the Baa Atoll, with overwater villas and turquoise lagoons. In the Seychelles, I checked in at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island (from $1,230 per night), in the country’s remote western reaches. The resort occupies the island’s southern tip, but guests have the run of the entire 1,000-acre island—including its nine-plus miles of beaches. Those differences inform almost every comparison below.
The quick verdict
My pick: The Seychelles, for travelers like me who want adventure alongside their beach time.
Choose the Seychelles if you’d rather explore: cycling to empty beaches, meeting giant tortoises, and venturing into mountains and Creole culture.
Choose the Maldives if you want overwater villas, world-class snorkeling and diving, and an easy, do-nothing escape—especially with kids.
Here’s how the two stack up, category by category.
Getting to the Maldives vs. the Seychelles
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru is reached by a scenic seaplane flight from Malé, offering an aerial view of the country’s coral atolls along the way.
Courtesy of Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
From the United States, both destinations take nearly a full day of flying, which is why many visitors combine the Maldives with South or Southeast Asia and the Seychelles with an African safari. Both Four Seasons resorts also require a final 30- to 40-minute flight.
Seychelles
Mahé, the Seychelles’ main international airport, has direct flights to just 18 destinations, and Desroches is served by only one or two flights a day. My late morning arrival in Mahé meant spending the night there before catching the 35-minute flight to Desroches the next morning. Other resorts beyond the main islands can be even trickier to reach, sometimes requiring a domestic flight followed by a boat transfer.
Maldives
The Maldives is the easier of the two to reach. Malé, the main gateway, has direct flights to 66 destinations, and frequent seaplane departures make the connection to Landaa Giraavaru relatively straightforward. After my long-haul flight, the Four Seasons lounge at the seaplane terminal was a welcome perk: I could freshen up, change, and have a coffee and pastry before boarding.
Advantage: Maldives. Frequent seaplane connections make Landaa Giraavaru easier to reach than Desroches, especially for families with young children.
When to go to the Seychelles vs. the Maldives
Both destinations are warm year-round, but seasons affect everything from swimming conditions to which restaurants are open.
Seychelles
The calmest months are April and October, when the winds shift between seasons; the northwest monsoon, from November to March, is the hottest and wettest stretch. From May to September, southeast trade winds bring cooler, drier, breezier days, and they can wash seaweed onto exposed beaches. During my September visit, great rafts of seagrass made some beaches unsuitable for swimming. That’s also the low season, when some Desroches restaurants don’t open daily.
Maldives
The driest, sunniest months are January through March, with December and April as transition months; the southwest monsoon brings more rain and clouds from mid-May through November. My most recent visit fell in the wetter season, and the weather was too dreary to snorkel.
The upside of the wet season: It’s peak time for manta rays in Hanifaru Bay, roughly June to November, with the biggest gatherings from late June to October, and rates are often lower.
Advantage: Tie. Each destination has its sweet spot. Plan the Maldives for the dry season (or the wet season for mantas), and the Seychelles for the calm transition months of April and October.
The scenery
At Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island, tropical grounds and a secluded island setting invite guests to explore beyond their villas.
Courtesy of Four Seasons Seychelles at Desroches Island
Seychelles
The Seychelles steal the show. Arriving at Mahé Airport, you’re surrounded by jungle-cloaked peaks that look like they’re straight out of Jurassic Park. Even the wildlife feels prehistoric: Giant Aldabra tortoises, which can live for more than a century and grow as large as a wine barrel, roam many of the islands.
Desroches is flat by comparison, but no less beautiful. More than nine miles of palm-fringed beaches ring its coast, while coconut groves and thick vegetation shelter some 150 free-roaming tortoises. Aside from the resort, a staff village, and a scattering of private villas, much of the 1,000 acres remains undeveloped. I could spend hours on its sandy trails and jungle paths without encountering another guest.
Maldives
Landaa Giraavaru also has an island to itself, but it’s tiny compared with Desroches: You can circle it on a bicycle (every guest gets one) in about five minutes. As at many Maldivian resorts, other properties are visible in the distance, which—and I’m being nitpicky here—slightly spoils the Robinson Crusoe fantasy.
Advantage: Seychelles. Giant tortoises, dramatic mountain scenery on the main islands, and room to roam on Desroches are hard to beat.
The beaches
At Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island, secluded stretches of sand offer the chance to enjoy the Indian Ocean with barely another soul in sight.
Courtesy of Four Seasons Seychelles at Desroches Island
Both resorts deliver postcard-perfect beaches, but the experience is very different: At Landaa Giraavaru, the beach is steps from your villa; at Desroches, the best beaches are a bike ride away.
Seychelles
Some parts of the shoreline at Desroches resort are rocky and not ideal for swimming. But because guests can roam the island, there’s far more space to find a secluded stretch of sand. Only one beach, palm-shaded Madame Zabre, has a bar and the resort’s pop-up food truck; a handful of others have self-service kiosks stocked with towels, beach toys, and cold water.
My favorites were Aquarium Beach, where I found calm, glass-clear water and footprint-free sand in the early morning, and Reef End Beach, farther east, where even fewer guests ventured. One caveat: Seagrass can wash ashore in the windier months (see When to go), so ask staff which beaches are best on any given day.
Maldives
Landaa Giraavaru’s two main beaches are broader, more manicured, and better appointed, with loungers and refreshments never far away—and many villas sit directly on swimmable spots. At low tide, a shimmering white sandbank emerges from the lagoon, whose shallow, sandy bottom gives the water its signature turquoise hue. With fewer beaches to spread out on, though, you’re more likely to share the sand.
Advantage: Seychelles. If you prize having a beach to yourself like I do, then Desroches wins. If you want to walk from your villa straight into calm, swimmable waters, Landaa Giraavaru does.
The rooms and facilities
At Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, beachfront pools offer another way to enjoy the island’s turquoise waters without leaving the resort.
Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
Seychelles
Desroches’ 71 bungalows and villas are surrounded by sprawling, tropical gardens that offer ample privacy. I stayed in a sunset view pool villa, which, like all rooms, mixed Seychellois touches such as wicker baskets and palm tree-printed textiles with blonde timber and driftwood details. Because the shoreline by my villa was rocky (see The beaches), I was glad every villa has a private pool—especially after a few sweaty hours cycling the sandy trails.
I also loved the small balcony, where I watched the waves roll in over my morning brew, or while sipping one of the fresh coconuts that had been waiting in an ice-filled bucket when I arrived.
Beyond the villas, the resort has two beachfront pools, including one reserved for adults, a gym with state-of-the-art equipment, and a tennis court. The spa specializes in herbal poultice treatments, after-sun recovery facials, and massages with ylang-ylang, potato extract, and shea butter. The African Wood massage left my limbs slack and my skin baby-soft.
At Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island, private villas offer a luxurious home base for exploring the island’s beaches, tropical landscapes, and wildlife.
Courtesy of Four Seasons Seychelles at Desroches Island
Maldives
Landaa Giraavaru’s beach villas are more spacious, starting at 850 square feet indoors, and sit directly along a swimmable stretch of sand. From my beach villa, I could practically roll out of bed and into the cool lagoon each morning.
The signature overwater villas start at close to 1,000 square feet and let you plunge straight into the bath-warm water, where rays, juvenile sharks, and colorful fish swim below.
All 103 villas are clad in nautical blues and whites, many with private pools and generous outdoor space, accented by artwork made from recycled fishing rope. Shared facilities are more extensive, too: three pools (including an Olympic-size pool cantilevered over the lagoon and a children’s pool with slides and waterfalls), a padel court, and a recently renovated kids club.
AyurMa, the overwater spa and wellness center, is far more ambitious than its Seychellois counterpart: Ayurvedic doctors offer high-tech health screenings and a rotating roster of visiting wellness experts comes through. After a lengthy consultation, I left with an actionable list of health suggestions to try at home.
Advantage: Maldives. It’s a close call, but Landaa Giraavaru has the edge in accommodations, family facilities, and wellness.
The food and drink
Al Bakarat, one of the restaurants at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, serves Levantine cuisine in an open-air setting overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
Seychelles
Four Seasons Desroches has five bars and restaurants, from beachfront pastas and pizzas at La Riva to sushi at Ahi. At Claudine, themed buffet dinners showcase Seychellois Creole specialties such as coconutty octopus curry, spicy chutneys, and pretzel-shaped moutay sweets. The resort’s food truck serves lunch at Madame Zabre beach, and private picnics can be arranged at more secluded spots with advance notice.
The catch: Not every restaurant opens daily, especially in the May-to-September low season. I missed out on steak and drinks at the Lighthouse, said to be the resort’s best sunset spot, because it was closed during my stay.
Maldives
Landaa Giraavaru offers more variety and flexibility, and restaurants are open year round. I loved the overwater Levantine restaurant, Al Bakarat, which doled out excellent mezze, falafel, and Armenian manti dumplings, a welcome break from the typical beach-resort fare. Other options include teppanyaki and pan-Asian dinners at Café Landaa and beachside grilling, and two restaurants serve breakfast.
Advantage: Maldives. With more dining choices and year-round hours, Landaa makes it easier to eat what you want, when you want.
Things to do
From yoga sessions in the Seychelles to overwater villas in the Maldives, the two Four Seasons resorts offer different ways to embrace island life in the Indian Ocean.
Courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island (L); courtesy of Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru (R)
Seychelles
On Desroches, the island itself is the main attraction. One morning, I spent hours cycling its sandy trails, stopping to swim at empty beaches such as Bombay Beach and La Passe Therese and watching Aldabra tortoises amble along the paths.
Another day, I joined the resort’s resident naturalist for a complimentary tour. I learned about the tortoises, including residents named Big Pete, Drilling, and Pancake, and we spotted tropical shearwaters, noddy terns, and nearly a dozen green sea turtles off the island’s northeastern shore.
The resort’s runway doubles as a platform for sunrise yoga and, later in the day, becomes a soccer pitch. For adventures farther afield, on-site operators Blue Safari and Tropicsurf arrange diving, fishing, and surfing excursions.
Beyond Desroches, the Seychelles’ main islands add rugged drama: hiking through misty forests to dramatic granite cliff viewpoints at Morne Seychellois National Park on Mahé, walking beneath the prehistoric canopy of the UNESCO-listed Vallée de Mai on Praslin, and immersing yourself in Creole food and culture—all easy to fold into a stopover in Mahé.
Maldives
In the Maldives, the biggest adventures happen on or beneath the water. Landaa Giraavaru sits within the UNESCO-protected Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve, renowned for its marine life.
The weather was too dreary for snorkeling during my visit (see When to go), but I spent time at the resort’s Marine Discovery Center, where I met rescued turtles in rehabilitation and learned about coral restoration projects on the house reefs. The center also runs a “Manta-on-call” service that alerts guests when manta rays are spotted in nearby Hanifaru Bay, where snorkeling excursions offer close encounters.
Other activities include dolphin-watching or scuba diving (the reefs are generally more colorful and wildlife-filled than in the Seychelles). The water-sports center has everything from hydrofoil boards to water-propelled jet packs.
Advantage: Tie. Desroches is best for land exploration; Landaa Giraavaru excels at marine adventures. The better choice depends on what you want to do beyond the beach.
The verdict
Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island offers secluded beaches, unspoiled natural surroundings, and a rare sense of escape.
Courtesy of Four Seasons Seychelles at Desroches Island
I’m the kind of traveler who struggles to sit still on a beach holiday, so Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches won me over. Its sheer size made it easy to forget I was staying at a luxury resort, and its beaches delivered genuine pinch-me moments. One morning, I had Aquarium Beach entirely to myself, swimming as sea turtles surfaced around me.
Choose the Seychelles if: You like your beach time with a side of exploration, cycling to deserted stretches of sand, meeting giant tortoises, or venturing to the main islands for mountain trails and Creole culture. It’s a better fit for couples who’d rather explore together, and the lower starting rate at Desroches doesn’t hurt.
Choose the Maldives if: You dream of overwater villas, spectacular marine life, and long days of doing (almost) nothing. Landaa Giraavaru, with its dreamy spa and plethora of pools, is hard to beat for honeymooners who want to switch off—and there are ample options to keep the kids busy, too.
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