Reference map
Indian Ocean Islands Map
A hand-drawn reference map of the Indian Ocean islands and the safari heartlands they pair with: Zanzibar, the Seychelles, Mauritius and the Mozambique coast, with Madagascar anchoring the channel, and the Masai Mara, Serengeti, Okavango Delta, Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands on the mainland. The dotted routes trace our most-planned bush-and-beach combinations. Drawn for our Indian Ocean Islands guide. You are welcome to use this map on your own website with a credit and link back to safari.com.
Free to use on your website with a credit and link back to safari.com. Download hi-res version .
Islands on the map
- Zanzibar, Tanzania
- Seychelles
- Mauritius
- Mozambique's archipelagos: Bazaruto & Benguerra Island
- Madagascar
Safari regions they pair with
- Masai Mara, Kenya
- Serengeti, Tanzania
- Okavango Delta & Chobe, Botswana
- Kruger National Park & the Sabi Sands, South Africa
Read more
Bush and beach: the four pairings
The dotted lines on the map trace the combinations we plan most often. Each pairs an island with the safari that balances it, so the adrenaline of the bush dissolves into the stillness of the sea rather than into an airport.
Zanzibar and the Serengeti
The classic East African pairing. Spice farms, Stone Town and dhow sails sit a short flight from the mainland, so the Serengeti's Great Migration and the beach fit comfortably inside a ten-night trip.
The Seychelles and the Masai Mara
Direct flights from Nairobi reach Mahé in about three hours. Granite coves, giant tortoises and the car-free lanes of La Digue make the Seychelles the most secluded finish to a Masai Mara safari, and the islands are malaria-free.
Mauritius and the Kruger
Southern Africa's island partner, about four hours' direct flight from Johannesburg. Polished estates, championship golf and calm lagoons follow close-range Big Five viewing in the Kruger and the Sabi Sands. Like the Seychelles, Mauritius is malaria-free, which makes the pairing popular with families.
Mozambique and the Okavango
For seasoned travellers: the wild dunes and protected reefs of the Bazaruto Archipelago, with dugongs and migrating whale sharks, paired with the mokoro channels of the Okavango Delta and the elephant herds of Chobe.
When to go
Two climate systems meet on this map. The mainland runs on seasonal rainfall and the migration cycle, while the islands answer to maritime currents and trade winds. June to October is the reliable overlap: dry-season game viewing across the mainland with cool, dry weather on Zanzibar and Mauritius. The Seychelles is a year-round destination, calmest in the April to May and October to November trade-wind lulls, and it sits outside the cyclone belt that brushes Mauritius and Madagascar from January to March. Our safari specialists plan around both systems at once.
Get the guide
This map opens our Indian Ocean Islands guide, which covers each island and its safari pairing in detail, with seasonal planning and packing notes. Request your complimentary copy, or use the form below.
Brochure
Indian Ocean Islands Guide
Four ready-made bush-and-beach journeys, each pairing a safari with the island that balances it. Safari first, sea to finish.
Plan a trip
Speak to a safari specialist.
We can build a tailor-made itinerary across any of the regions on this map, at the same rates as booking direct, with a single named safari specialist from first enquiry to the day you come home.
