About Arabia & The Indian Ocean
The iconic hotel style and excitement of Dubai & Sharjah, the well-planned opulence of Abu Dhabi, and the traditional quality of Oman.
The incredible luxurious escapism of the Maldives, the resort-quality of Mauritius, and the scenic contrasts of the Seychelles Islands. The culture and wildlife opportunities of Sri Lanka combined with a few days of beach relaxation.
Click below for a list of our hotels.
Abu Dhabi | Dubai & Sharjah | Maldives | Mauritius | Oman | Qatar | Ras Al Khaimah | Seychelles | Sri Lanka
Facts About Arabia and the Indian Ocean
Abu Dhabi
The UAE’s capital is famous for its luxury lifestyle, modern skyline, and cultural icons like the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It’s also a leader in sustainability with projects like Masdar City.
Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and is built across 200 natural islands, creating a unique archipelago cityscape with stunning waterfront developments.
Abu Dhabi’s name translates to “Father of the Gazelle”, originating from a legend about a young antelope leading hunters to fresh water, where they established the city.
Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City is one of the world’s most sustainable urban developments, designed to be zero-carbon and zero-waste, utilising renewable energy sources and innovative architectural designs.
Dubai & Sharjah
Dubai is globally recognised for its ultramodern architecture, luxury shopping, and vibrant nightlife. Sharjah is a cultural hub and UNESCO World Book Capital.
Despite Dubai’s modern appearance, pearl diving was its main industry until the 1930s, with almost 25% of the population working in this traditional profession before oil was discovered.
Roughly 85% of Dubai’s population is foreign. Maybe it’s because you pay no income tax in Dubai?
Dubai’s Metro system is the world’s longest fully automated metro network, spanning 75 kilometres with driverless trains that have carried over 1.5 billion passengers since opening.
Maldives
This Indian Ocean paradise is renowned for its luxury resorts, pristine beaches, and vibrant coral reefs, ideal for diving and honeymooners alike.
The Maldives is one of the safest travel destinations on the planet—the island resorts, specifically, since they are largely isolated.
The Maldives consists of 1,192 coral islands (about 200 inhabited) grouped in 26 atolls arranged in a north-to-south direction spread over the Indian Ocean for roughly 35,000 square miles.
Not only is the Maldives South Asia’s smallest country, but it is also the smallest Muslim country of any in the entire world.
Mauritius
Known for its stunning lagoons and beaches, Mauritius also offers rich cultural diversity and world-class fusion cuisine.
Mauritius is surrounded by the world’s third-largest coral reef, creating a natural barrier that results in calm, crystal-clear lagoons perfect for snorkeling and water activities.
Home to the now-extinct dodo bird, which became a symbol of extinction after disappearing in the late 17th century due to human activity and introduced species.
Mauritius has one of the world’s most complex and delicious fusion cuisines, blending Indian, Chinese, Creole, French, and African culinary traditions due to its diverse colonial history.
Oman
Oman is known for its unspoiled natural beauty, ancient forts, and rich cultural heritage, offering a quieter, more authentic Gulf experience.
Oman is also one of the oldest human-inhabited places on the planet. It is estimated that humans have been living in the country for at least 106,000 years.
Oman has a 91.1% literacy rate.
Oman is a country where crime is also almost nonexistent.
The oldest living tree known to be planted by man is in Sri Lanka. Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura has been tended continuously for over 2,000 years. It was grown from a cutting brought from Bodh Gaya in India, the tree under which Buddha is said to have found enlightenment.
Qatar
This wealthy Gulf nation is known for futuristic architecture, world-class museums, and its role as a global hub for air travel and international events.
Despite being one of the world’s hottest countries, Qatar has created an open-air air-conditioned marketplace called Souq Waqif, using innovative cooling technology to maintain comfortable temperatures in traditional settings.
Qatar’s Al Zubarah Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site, representing one of the best-preserved examples of an 18th-century Persian Gulf merchant town and Qatar’s connection to global trading networks.
Ras Al Khaimah
An adventure and nature destination, this emirate is famed for Jebel Jais—the UAE’s tallest mountain—and its diverse landscapes.
Ras Al Khaimah is the only emirate in the UAE that features all landscapes: mountains, beaches, desert, and mangroves, offering visitors an incredibly diverse natural experience in a relatively small area.
Unlike its neighbors, Ras Al Khaimah’s economy was traditionally based on agriculture rather than pearling or fishing, thanks to the fertile plains created by runoff water from the Hajar Mountains.
The emirate has over 7,000 years of human settlement history, with archaeological sites dating back to the Bronze Age, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited areas in the region.
Seychelles
A tropical paradise with dramatic granite boulders, powdery white beaches, and rare wildlife like giant tortoises and black parrots.
Seychelles’ Anse Source d’Argent beach on La Digue Island is one of the most photographed beaches in the world, featuring distinctive granite boulders that create a dramatic landscape against white sand and turquoise water.
The islands are home to the Aldabra giant tortoise, which can live over 150 years, with some specimens on Curieuse Island believed to be over 200 years old.
Sri Lanka
Known as the “Teardrop of India”, Sri Lanka boasts lush landscapes, historic temples, and a legacy of tea and spice production.
Lipton Tea was founded in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is the world’s fourth largest tea producer (after China, India and Kenya) and third largest exporter.
Cinnamon originates from Sri Lanka and was discovered by the Egyptians as early as 2000 BC. Most of the world’s cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka (80-90%).
"There's no such thing as the best hotel, just the right one..."
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CHIC Locations Terms and Booking Conditions PDF
All price guides are Per Person Sharing Double Room (Entry level), based on travel between May and/or June when prices are generally at their lowest and include promotional offers. Supplements will probably apply at other times, particularly mid-summer in the Med, and for rooms and/or transfers arranged for single travellers.
For example, the Caribbean and Indian Ocean prices for winter can be approximately double the May - June level and about 50% more in Asia. For the Mediterranean & Canary Islands, Caribbean, Arabia and the Indian Ocean (except Sri Lanka) price guides generally include airfare and transfers.
*For Sri Lanka and Far East we show a per-person, per-night hotel guide, excluding air fare, as arrangements tend to be individually tailored multi-centre itineraries.
Please refer to Travel Advice on our home page or look at www.fco.gov.uk as the Foreign Office may have issued specific destination information on safety and terrorism.
All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong.
Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk.
Some of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. This website will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each holiday and travel service offered before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected.