Editor’s letter IND IAN OC E AN COL L E C T ION 20 2 6
A friend of mine recently returned from her honeymoon in the Maldives and, by all accounts, it was the once-in-a-lifetime fantasy you’d expect: cocktails on powder-white sand, lazy afternoons by the infi nity pool, a night on a private beach beneath an impossibly starry sky. But when I asked about her favourite moment, it wasn’t the overwater villa or the candlelit dinner, it was a morning aboard a traditional dhow with two of the resort’s boat crew, sharing sweet tea and stories as the sun slipped behind the atoll. That’s the memory that has her poring over fl ights, working out when she can return. It’s easy to see why so many Indian Ocean destinations are sold as once-in-
a-lifetime escapes — the sort of places you tick off for a honeymoon and never revisit. But venture beyond the postcard views and spend time with locals, and, like my friend, you’ll soon be planning your next trip. That’s the spirit behind this collection. Turn to page 16 to descend beneath
the Maldives’ waves with marine biologists using AI to map coral, or to page 28 to see how the archipelago’s wellness scene is trading treatment menus for something wilder. On Zanzibar’s east coast, we spend time with women farming seaweed by hand (page 22), and on page 34, follow the ancient spice routes that once made the Indian Ocean the most valuable stretch of water on Earth. Then we go further still, to islands you may never have heard of — exploring
the reef breaks of Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands, the wildlife-rich shores of Comoros and the castaway calm of Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago (page 6). Because the deeper you look, the more there is to discover. And fi nally, there’s our roundup of the best hotels and experiences, brought to you by our advertising partners, to help plan your next escape (page 38).
Charlot te Charlotte Wigram-Evans, editor NATGEOTR AVE LU K
National Geographic Traveller — The Collection team Editor: Charlotte Wigram-Evans Deputy Editor: Sacha Scoging Art Director: Becky Redman Deputy Art Director: Lauren Atkinson-Smith Senior Art Editor: Lauren Gamp Art Editors: Kelly Markwell, Dean Reynolds Lead Digital Designer: Tully D’Souza Senior Picture Editor: Ben Rowe Associate Picture Editor: Aisha Nazar Chief Sub-Editor: Olivia McLearon Senior Sub-Editors: Hannah Doherty, Victoria Smith Sub-Editors: Lucy Coward, Rory Goulding, Chris Horton, Ben Murray Director of Sales: Danny Pegg Heads of Campaigns: James Bendien, Lorna Goodings, Matthew Rickard Production Manager: Daniel Gregory Production Controller: Vinny Bains
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