Madagascar Another Planet

The fourth largest island on the planet, Madagascar is among the seventeen countries in the world with the greatest biodiversity. Five out of every 100 species of flora and fauna are found here. Moreover, more than 600 new species are discovered every 10 years.

There are more than 110 varieties of lemurs alone, and of the 200 species of chameleons on the planet, seventy-six are found only in Madagascar. And how many amazing creatures are here! At night, Madagascar aye-ayes are very active, using their third long curved finger to get food deep under the bark. And woalawo, or Madagascar giant hamsters, up to 35 cm long, jump a meter in height!

Cocoa and vanilla, ylang-ylang, papyrus, baobabs and carnivorous plants grow in Madagascar. There are such unique rock formations as tsingy - pointed limestone cliffs. You can see them in the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park and the Ankarana Nature Reserve. There they form labyrinths of canyons, caves and spires. There are also the so-called false Red Tsingy - they are no less impressive, and they are called false because they are based on clay, not limestone. 

Among the lesser-known places among tourists is the Marojeji National Park in northeastern Madagascar. Until 1998, it was a reserve, and only after it was granted park status was it allowed to be visited by everyone. Marojeji was first described by the French botanist Jean-Henri Humbert from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, who studied the nature of Africa and Madagascar. After an expedition to the Marojeji Mountains, he wrote the book “The Miracle of Nature”, calling them the most impressive mountain range on the island. Since 2007, the park has been under the protection of UNESCO, and it is one of the few places on the planet where you can climb from the lush jungle at the foot to the high-mountain tundra, overcoming the difference in altitude from 250 to 2132 m and noticing how dramatically the surrounding landscapes change. The park is home to one of the rarest mammals on the planet - silky sifakas, recognizable by their thick, long white fur.

The presence of small islands off the coast of Madagascar allows you to combine animal watching with a “barefoot” beach holiday in luxury hotels.

Miavana by Time & Tide on the island of Nosy Anko is one of the most exclusive island hotels on the planet. You can get there only by helicopter. Work on the creation of the hotel lasted four years: instead of invasive species, more than 100,000 endemics were planted, restoring the natural flora of the island. A strip of sand stretches along the perimeter of the island, and the lagoon is protected by a house coral reef. On the beach there is a recreation area Piazza, where you can sit until midnight by the fire.

Only natural materials were used in the construction of fourteen beach villas. They have 1-3 bedrooms, private pools, kitchens, and offices that can easily be converted into a children's room. Guests are provided with 24-hour butler services, electric buggies and bicycles. Villas can be rented individually or the entire island can be purchased for a while (maximum number of guests is 32).

The hotel's "Cabinet of Curiosities" contains interesting artifacts: from a dinosaur skeleton and an egg of an elephant bird (a flightless bird that lived in Madagascar in previous centuries) to a message in a bottle found off the coast of the island. Miavana cuisine combines ripe tropical fruits, aromatic spices, exquisite seafood (crab, tuna, Madagascar caviar), mozzarella from zebu milk. You will be surprised how exquisite and diverse it can be! You can undergo restorative spa treatments with Terres d’Afrique, Ayurvedic practices or do yoga anywhere: in the forest with the chirping of birds, on the beach, on the helipad or on the terrace of your own villa. For its guests, Miavana organizes helicopter excursions to national parks, kitesurfing, whale watching from June to October, underwater safaris.

The new Voaara Madagascar on the island of Nosy Boraha returns us to barefoot relaxation, where bars and a beach club are located under the crowns of trees, bungalows are covered with thatched roofs, and you can contemplate the surroundings from the man-made “Nest” - Bird's Nest. This 360-degree panoramic site is a great place to settle in for a romantic dinner, sushi and sake tasting, or stargazing through a telescope. You can even spend the whole night in this cozy “nest”!

The hotel has seven spacious bungalows overlooking the ocean and one luxurious villa. They feature wooden furniture, local textiles and decor, linen beds, and photo landscapes by a local photographer. The variety of culinary trends covers Asian, Mediterranean, and Latin American countries, including asado grill. And for children, they offer freshly made ice cream and pizza straight from the oven.

The island is surrounded by a house reef, and the beach is so long that you can walk along the shore for hours without meeting a single soul. You can ride mountain bikes, watch a movie on a big open-air screen, and watch the sunset over the ocean in a traditional pirogue. Nosy Boraha Island is one of the best places in Madagascar to watch humpback whales: they give birth in these warm waters. In addition, in past centuries it was listed on maps as the “island of pirates”: at the end of the 17th century, Captain James Misson founded the anarchic colony of Libertalia here, and many pirates found refuge on the island, so the holiday here is shrouded in mystery and legend. 

The hotel is great for a family holiday. And the temporary absence of a children's club (its opening is in the plans) does not prevent the little guests from feeling the happiest in the world.