Good_Will

In order to create a more comfortable ride from Australia to Europe or the UK we Australians often stop off and take a break in Singapore, Bangkok or Hong Kong. Having done that more than a few times we thought we should look at alternatives. Next year during the southern winter we thought that maybe Mauritius, Seychelles or the Maldives might be a more interesting alternative for a 5-6 days stopover. At that time of year the waters off Mauritius may be a little cool, so should we visit the Maldives or the Seychelles connecting via Colombo ??? The longer journey to and from the Seychelles appears to be a bit of a trade-off. Side by side, the Seychelles appears to have a larger variety of scenery and scope for activities. However the closer Maldives surely must have some good beaches and things to do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as we have never been to that part of the World. Thank you.

Hanuman

Will flight routing be of a major concern for you? From Oz the most logical routing to Europe will be the cities you've mentioned + Dubai and other UAE cities.

I have been to all the countries or islands you've mentioned and if you are looking for other things to do apart from relaxing in your room or villas then definitely the Seychelles. For the Maldives one resort = one little coral island and most of them have nice beaches and the surrounding corals are full of life. The Seychelles and Mauritius are large islands with multiple activities especially land based one and you can dine outside your resort or hotels.

IMO if you're strictly going for the beach or sea then the Maldives. If you want other activities then the Seychelles or Mauritius, did not mention Mauritius much as the water is cooler there and you don't seem to want that.

Logistically to break up a long flight I would explore the area around the Middle East more.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travelers...aches-cTop-g21

Good_Will

Thank you Hanuman. While beaches and snorkelling are of considerable interest, we would not like to be locked into staying at one resort in the Maldives every day. Hopefully it is possible to move around a bit there and try a few beaches and snorkeing spots ? Otherwise I think we should go to the Seychelles. We thought we may take a look at Sri Lanka for a few days as a connection point to Europe and hence the interest in selecting from the two places as an excursion. Sri Lankan Airways is a possibility from Columbo also directly to Europe and the destinations we are considering. From what I have read they seem to be another OK airline, but there are only a few that are possibly better than OK in my experience nowadays.

Good_Will

Thanks LucyStanmore. It is certainly easier to get to and from the Maldives. That said, we don't want to get trapped in a resort on one small island and not be able to venture to many places. We come from a land where there are no private beaches and the coastline is free

rhkkmk

Dubai has wonderful beaches and connections are good

Good_Will

Hi rhkkmk and All
I think we need the beaches without the skyscrapers or maybe we should travel on to the Caribbean after Europe. The Maldives appears as a very convenient stopoff point for us next July whereas Seychelles requires a bit more effort and may go better with a trip to Southern Africa. Mauritius would be our pick at a different time of year when the sea was a little warmer that far souhth.