The Indian Ocean islands have not been shy about its gastronomy – these seven unique dining experiences are sure to blow your mind. We’ve compiled a list of quirky and fun alternatives to dining out in the Indian Ocean like the Seychelles, Maldives, and Madagascar.
Solo beach picnic (Madagascar)
Manafiafy Beach and Rainforest Lodge offers guests a romantic dinner for two in a remote location close to the lodge. It can be in the mangrove forest or on the sandy beach. It’s only lanterns, moonlight and stars… oh, and amazing cuisine!
Sea to Table (Seychelles)
Looking for a truly amazing dining experience in the Seychelles? Four Seasons Seychelles has an extremely lovely seafood dinner called “Sea to Table”! It’s high-quality seafood dishes that celebrate the island’s culinary flare – and guest can experience everything from fresh fish to octopus caught that very day as well as fruits and herbs straight from the resort’s gardens.
A treehouse breakfast (Seychelles)
Fregate Island has a wonderful treehouse – situated in the oldest banyan tree on the island – where you can enjoy breakfast in the branches. Sit down, take in the views and feast on gourmet delights. You can have coffee in the branches while watching fairy terns feeding their young in the heart of a tropical forest.
Lunch on the Atolls (Seychelles)
From the private Alphonse Island, you can hop onto a boat and twenty minutes later you will have arrived at the atolls of St. Francois or Bijoutier (nicknamed The Flats). The Flats are white and bright and there’s no way to get around layering up and wearing top notch sunglasses.
Walk around and look for turtles or other ocean animals or do some fly fishing. Once you’ve lathered up on sunscreen, you can sit down in the armchair that are placed in the water – and relax with an ice-cold drink and a feast of a buffet (food includes barbecued pulled pork, salads, beef fillets and the famous Alphonse brownies).
Dine in a wine cave (Maldives)
A unique dining experience can be had at the underground wine cellar & chocolate cave at Gili Lankanfushi Maldives. It’s highly recommended for its wine and chocolate pairing. The resort’s cavernous cellar is hidden down a flight of glass stairs, designed around a large piece of driftwood. With more than 400 international wines, a knowledgeable sommelier from the Gili Lankanfushi team will guide you through the tasting.
Glass tower (Maldives)
Six Senses Laamu have an extraordinary wine cellar made of glass inside their island restaurant Altitude – perfect for showing off the ocean views. When you walk upstairs there’s a private dining room for 4 people, so a wine pairing dinner or meat tasting can be arranged. A great place for sun-downers and watching magical sunsets!
Sunken pod dining (Maldives)
Soneva Fushi has a style of dining that’s great for larger groups – make use of their sunken dining! It’s part of the restaurant and allows a big group of multi-generational family to sit outside, under the stars, and from there you can wander to the observatory in between courses. The food comes straight from the organic garden on the island.
Private island picnic (Maldives)
Leave your island for a desert island that you’ll have all to yourself at Soneva Jani. The boat will whisk you away for the ultimate – yet also, sumptuous – dining experience. Your lunch will be served in the island, surrounded by a truly ‘true blue’ lagoon where your chef will prepare the best meal you’ve ever tasted with unbeatable views in utter stillness.