Indian Ocean and India

The island's official language is English, but you'll hear Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu and other tongues.

There's diving too, and from the prehistoric rainforest of Praslin's National Park to the 70 beaches of Mahé, all is beauty and calm.

The most famous coral reefs in the world are found here. All kinds of colourful, tropical marine life can be viewed simply by putting on some snorkel gear and swimming into the lagoons.

There's a wealth of wildlife on the island. Meet the elephants in the national parks and at the elephant sanctuary, and go birdwatching in the rainforest of Sinharaja.

Although part of India, Goa remains quite distinct, as it is small enough to be explored in a way that other Indian states are not.

The eastern side of the island is dominated by the dramatic Piton de la Fournaise, one of the worlds most active volcanoes, while in the north youve got the bustling capital Saint Denis where...

Although youre unlikely to have paparazzi hounding you everywhere you go, like Wills, the idyllic tropical shores of Rodrigues still offer visitors a rare escape from the outside world.