Paradise for less: the Seychelles, the Maldives, Mauritius and Goa for under £1000

You don’t need to save for a lifetime to afford a week in tropical sunshine. With lateral thinking, you can reach paradise for half the price by exploiting the low points in seasonal tariffs, using airline flight promotions, swapping mega-resorts for guesthouses and, if necessary, dropping the tour operator and building your own break. Just watch out for prices that look too good to be true — sometimes the best deals coincide with the most apocalyptic period of the monsoon season.

Unless stated, prices are based on two people sharing and include flights

Mauritius £969
The Inclusive Tour, or IT, fare is the holy grail for bargain-hunters. Available from the likes of Trailfinders and Flight Centre, it’s a bargain-basement air ticket that can only be…