A windless day in the Maldives island chain.

The Indian Ocean has established itself as an alternative to the Caribbean for charters between November and April, with bareboats and crewed yachts alike taking advantage of full-service marina developments. For yacht charters that include fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving in particular, the Indian Ocean’s archipelagos are fast becoming a favorite thanks to their clear waters, unblemished beaches, and lively reefs.

Yacht charter in the Indian Ocean occurs primarily in the Maldives and Seychelles. Each is an isolated island group—you would not charter from one to the other—and each offers an array of developed and undeveloped locations to explore.

The Seychelles is best known for the towering rock formations along its beaches, which regularly rank among the Top 10 in the world no matter which magazine or website is publishing the list. Nature lovers enjoy the onshore turtle preserves as much as the underwater schools of fish, and plenty of harbors remain as nature created them, without a hint of manmade light to mar the starry skies.

The Maldives can be as civilized or as raw as you like, with high-end hotels consuming some atolls and sand sweeping clear across others. As with the Seychelles, underwater life is vibrant in the Maldives. Some divers claim the waters are the absolute clearest on Earth.