SEYCHELLES

These 115 islands are sprinkled within the clement Indian Ocean, 1,600km (1,000 miles) from the shores of East Africa. This tropical archipelago promises blissful, uninterrupted calm amid pristine nature. A bounty of white-sand, palm-fringed beaches awaits, alongside ancient forests and botanical gardens. You needn’t stay put on your chosen island, either; regular boat rides sail between the three main islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, as well as to more remote, uninhabited islands.

The archipelago was first permanently settled by French sailors, who named it after 18th-century politician Jean Moreau de Séchelles. It was later claimed by the British, who renamed its one true city after their queen, Victoria. Today, the Seychelles is an independent nation as well as a byword for paradise, popular as both a stand-alone destination and as an extension of a holiday to East Africa.