How were the Indian Ocean routes and Silk routes similar? How were they different?

Both were
similar in that they were seasonal, though the Indian sea voyage was more so than the Silk Road
route. People on the Silk Road often tried to time their trips to take advantage of when the
grass would be greenest on the steppe. The Indian Sea voyage required monsoon winds.

Both routes were partially controlled by Muslims at some pointthis would be the primary
incentive for Europeans to attempt to sail west in order to reach the East. Both trips were
highly dangerous with both natural disasters and robbers being the primary dangers.

Both trade routes could make someone a great deal of money if one returned with enough
silk, gold, and spices. Both trade routes were also known as early as the Roman era as Rome
nearly bankrupted itself bringing in luxury goods from the East as the expense of shipping its
gold abroad.

The primary difference was the mode of transportation. The
initial trade in the Indian Ocean was carried out by traders using dhows, or small ocean-going
vessels. These vessels often had shallow drafts which allowed them to stop in various small
ports or in river deltas in order to refit the ships. Eventually, Portuguese and Spanish sailors
would make the voyage around Africa to get to India using larger ships.

The
Silk Road was mainly traversed by camels, though horses would be instrumental for part of the
trip. These camels were used almost exclusively as pack animals, and the travelers often had to
walk.