Maldives vs Seychelles? The best destination for beaches, snorkelling & more

Hey guys, in this post, I wanted to compare two amazing tropical destinations: the Maldives vs Seychelles. Which one is better? Which one should you pick? This and more you will find out in this post about the detailed comparison between Seychelles and the Maldives.

While many people think that these two locations are pretty similar, I can assure you that they are not. The Maldives is a paradise for relaxing and snorkelling – there are no nature parks and most probably, you will be stuck on a tiny island of your resort with occasional snorkelling/diving etc tours. Seychelles is all about driving around and exploring the most beautiful beaches, islands and finding the best hidden gems.

We visited both the Maldives and Seychelles in 2018, the Maldives in May and Seychelles in December, so all our memories are recent. I hope you find this post useful and it will help you decide, where to go on holiday, the Maldives or Seychelles!

I thought that it would make sense to compare the Maldives vs Seychelles in a couple of categories, e.g. best beach holiday, best adventure holiday, best destination to go with kids etc. Without further ado, let’s get started.

Maldives or Seychelles: which one is the best for beaches, honeymoon, snorkelling, holidays with kids & more?

Seychelles vs the Maldives for beaches and swimming in general

If the main goal of your future holiday is swimming and you’re looking for the location with the best possible beaches, then you should probably pick the Maldives. The best beach I visited in my life was the beach of Anantara Veli in the Maldives. We stayed in an overwater villa with direct access to the ocean and this experience was incredible.

There were, however, beach villas at our resort and there were very nice. There was a long sandy beach with very easy access to the sea. Our hotel, Anantara Veli, also had a coral reef (an artificial one, but still, it was crowded by fishes), so snorkelling was great. We will talk about snorkelling in Seychelles vs Maldives in the next paragraph.

As far as I know, Seychelles doesn’t have any overwater villas, so you need to enter the ocean via beaches. While beaches in Seychelles are stunning (beaches in Seychelles are the most beautiful ones I have ever seen, even after visiting 84+ countries), they aren’t always great for swimming. Depending on the season, either side of the islands in Seychelles gets very strong waves making it impossible to swim. When I was in Seychelles in December, it was the right side of all the islands (Praslin, Mahe, La Digue) that was not suitable for swimming.

Some of the beaches in Seychelles don’t have an easy entrance – it’s rocky and quite painful, so I regretted not bringing special shoes for swimming like these.

WINNER: For me, the winner in this category is the Maldives.

Seychelles vs Maldives for snorkelling

If snorkelling is what you’re interested in, then I would pick the Maldives over Seychelles again. However, you need to choose your resort carefully and read different message boards about snorkelling in a particular hotel. As I already mentioned, we stayed in Anantara Veli and it was a stunning coral reef with incredible fishes!

Our hotel provided snorkelling equipment free of charge, however, I didn’t find it very comfortable and convenient in usage, so for the trip to Seychelles, we actually bought these snorkelling masks and they were the best purchase ever!

I tried snorkelling in Seychelles as well, however, I have only seen a few fishes (maybe 2 or 3 types) and in order to have a proper snorkelling experience in Seychelles, you need to take one of the tours that will bring you to a small island with a coral reef. We didn’t have a chance to take this tour, however, I’ve read the reviews and people still said that snorkelling in the Maldives was a bit more impressive.

WINNER: Seychelles vs Maldives for snorkelling – pick the Maldives

Maldives vs Seychelles for honeymoon

If you’re picking your honeymoon destination and aren’t certain what is better, Maldives or Seychelles for the honeymoon, first of all, congratulations! I’m not an expert in this matter, as we had our honeymoon in Mexico. It was in Riviera Maya and Cancun (and it was a rather short, 8-day honeymoon). However, I met many honeymooning couples on both islands and I also know what would be important for me on a honeymoon.

I would again pick the Maldives over Seychelles for a honeymoon because the Maldives gives you a sense of privacy, intimacy and ultimate relaxation. I won’t stop repeating it, but staying in an overwater villa in the Maldives was one of the best travel experiences I ever had. If it sounds like a perfect honeymoon for you as well, go for it! Also, if you’re wondering, when is the best time to go to the Maldives, read my post here.

If you’re an active couple and you like exploring new places and driving around, from the beach to the beach, you can pick Seychelles for honeymoon. Also, Seychelles can be quite affordable if you book accommodation in advance and either buy food in local takeaways and cafes or cook in your apartment. There are, of course, luxurious secluded hotels in Seychelles as well, however, they are more expensive than resorts in the Maldives. Secondly, for me, Seychelles is all about exploration and not sitting in a hotel, while the Maldives is all about staying in a resort (read my post about how to pick a resort in the Maldives) and relaxing in your own villa.

WINNER: Maldives vs Seychelles for honeymoon – I would say the Maldives

Seychelles vs the Maldives for a budget holiday

If your resources are limited, however, you still want to enjoy an amazing tropical holiday, I would suggest choosing Seychelles. You can read my post about how we have done Seychelles without breaking a bank. (We only spent £2500 for two people for a week during Christmas, however, it could be done way cheaper, especially NOT during Christmas). As I mentioned, Seychelles is all about exploration, nature and beautiful secluded beaches. And, of course, you can still do all of it while being on a budget.

I also have another post about Seychelles on a budget – the best tips on saving money in Seychelles, while still enjoying the holiday a lot.

You can also do the Maldives on a budget if you book a guesthouse on a relatively big island and take a half board or full board option. However, even on a relatively big island, there wouldn’t be much to do except for fishing, snorkelling and sunbathing. If your main goal is just swimming and staying on the beach, you will be fine. Otherwise, you might get a bit bored.

WINNER: Seychelles vs the Maldives for a budget holiday – Seychelles

Seychelles vs Maldives for sightseeing and active holidays

I wouldn’t elaborate much on this category, as I already described the type of holiday you can expect in both the Maldives and Seychelles. In the Maldives, you will be swimming and snorkelling pretty much all the time. In Seychelles, you will be driving around, hopping on ferries between islands, exploring different Nature Parks, hiking, trying local food and even cycling (besides swimming and snorkelling).

Winner: Seychelles

Maldives or Seychelles with kids

If you’re picking between Maldives or Seychelles with kids, that depends on your style of holidays. Both destinations are great if you want a holiday with kids, however, I would recommend the Maldives for families with smaller kids. Seychelles I would recommend for families with older kids, who would appreciate active holidays.

WINNER: Maldives or Seychelles with kids: what is better? 50/50 – depends on the age of your kids

Check the prices for holidays in Seychelles and the Maldives here >>>

I hope that after reading this post, you have a bit more clarity on the differences between the Maldives and Seychelles. If you enjoyed this post, you can always share it on Social Media or leave a comment below. Should you have any questions about Maldives or Seychelles, don’t hesitate to ask! You can always find me on Instagram @lizatripsget or Youtube @tripsget.