The setting and view 

No doubt, there are equally good and maybe even better views at beach resorts elsewhere in the world than at Tsara Komba. What makes this one so special? It’s a multilayered cake. There’s a pretty sandy beach, beautiful vegetation behind, the cleanest of water in several shades of blue, other islands within view, an absolutely azure blue sky, smoky hills in the background, and almost always some pretty clouds just to enhance your photos even more. And the views don’t just pop at sunset and sunrise. All throughout our stay I would catch myself on one of the pathways, do a double take and immediately whip out the iPhone for yet another opportunity to tap on Raw, change the horizontal view to widescreen 16:4 and compose yet another pretty shot. They never stopped happening. 

A bonus was the passing parade across the beach – mostly villagers walking from one village to another. As well as intermittent boat traffic in the bay, running the gamut from sizeable yachts to dhows big and small, motor boats, kayaks and right down to the tiniest of outriggers. All you need to add color and atmosphere to your Tsara Komba photos is a little creativity and patience.  

The beach and ocean 

Tsara Komba has a small but perfect beach which makes for a near flawless beach experience in the winter months, from about May through August and possibly a couple of months beyond, due to the prevailing winds being at their most favorable then. On all five days there we had practically no wind until later in the day. The absolute best part of the day was the early mornings from around 8 am to a couple of hours or so after lunch. Gorgeous sunlight and balmy temperatures, flat out perfect for sunbathing and wading into the ocean. Not surprisingly, the three or so elevated sunbathing platforms right in front of the lodge were almost invariably taken by 9. So as much as you’d like to linger over breakfast (more coffee, another pain au chocolat?), don’t dawdle too much as you’re going to have to settle for a spot under one of the raffia covered ‘umbrella’ structures right on the edge of the beach. Not that there’s anything wrong with that – the views are no less pretty. The seating is comfortable and it’s a short walk from there right into the water. Just not as private as the platforms, and not elevated.   

The food

Everyone except the most die hard ‘meat and potatoes’ eater would swoon over the food at Tsara Komba. From breakfast to lunch to dinner, to a private romantic seaside dinner the day before we left, everything was flawlessly executed. We never did get to meet chef Tina Hary but we will never forget – and hope to have another chance to enjoy – his delectable panna cotta with a berry topping. Not to mention the array of fresh seafood dishes, culminating with a king prawn dish which we enjoyed on our last night at Tsara Komba. 

Adding to the romance of the dining experience, there are no grubby printed or – perish the thought – laminated menus at Tsara Komba. And you don’t have to awkwardly point your smartphone at another QR Code either. It’s all done quite elegantly in the form of a large menu blackboard which is carted around from table to table with all of the choices for the specific meal, beautifully handwritten and ready for scrutiny. You may need a little help with the French, but the waitstaff are patient and keen to assist. Some of the lunch menu items are carried over into the dinner menu which seems odd the first day or two but you’ll get used to it. There are always some new and equally exciting other options for the subsequent meal. 

Activities 

Activities at Tsara Komba start and end with swimming in the ocean off the beach right in front of the lodge. It is on the edge of a totally protected bay with no real waves to speak of. You can wade in as deep as you like without worrying about currents or riptides. Best of all: unlike many of the Kenya, Zanzibar and Mozambique beach resorts, it is possible to swim in the ocean here irrespective of the level of the tide and without having to wade half a mile to reach deeper water. One note of caution: there are some nasty-looking long-spined black sea urchins around so be careful where you step. Fortunately the water clarity is good enough to spot them before you step on them.  

Hike up Nosy Komba island 

It was 3 pm on a fairly hot day when our guide pointed up towards the peak of Nosy Komba island. “That’s where we’re headed, but not to worry, it will be ‘mora mora’ all the way. Mora mora, pole pole (in Malagasy and Swahili respectively) means slowly slowly. Which was just as well as this two hour hilly hike turned out to be more than moderately hard. I was expecting to see more in the way of local birds but that did not happen. It turned out that beyond the mature trees, much of the indigenous vegetation had been replaced with vanilla plantations, coffee plants, pepper vines, chocolate plants (cacao trees), jackfruit, and pineapple plants. The walk was quite steep up and rather challenging down, with lots of stepping onto and off rocks and other obstacles. 

On the way back we walked through a village which had grown substantially since the Covid pandemic, with migrants from the mainland moving into the area for job opportunities. It was another good chance for close up views of the daily routine in a small coastal village. We observed inhabitants preparing dinner, enjoyed some interaction with a few children and checked out a couple of rudimentary grocery stores. 

At the conclusion of the hike our Tsara Komba guide showed us his accommodation and a portion of the staff village. He also managed to coax a few beautiful black lemurs out of a very tall tree, with some judiciously dispensed bananas. The smaller males were rather reticent but I nonetheless managed several good captures. 

Snorkeling on Nosy Tanikely

If there is one activity which we think all Tsara Komba guests should sign up for, it is snorkeling in the coral reefs just off the tiny island of Nosy Tanikely. 

After a boat ride of about 25 minutes from the lodge, we walked onto the small beach at Nosy Tanikely which lies within sight of the main island of Nosy Be. For the first half hour or so, we scouted out the island – which is part of a marine national park – starting with taking a look at a mildly interesting natural history photo display. From there we took a path to a nearby lighthouse, one of several historical ones to be found all over Madagascar. We couldn’t resist making our way up to the top of the  lighthouse while pondering the reason for the sign advising that only ten persons were allowed in the lighthouse simultaneously. Somehow I think the suspiciously rusty steps, dating back to 1908, have something to do with it. From the top, there are excellent views in practically every direction.

Two more reasons to visit Nosy Tanikely? It has a couple of species of introduced lemurs (we saw some of them high up in a tree) and there is a large colony of Madagascar giant fruit bats (flying foxes) in a tree not far from the shoreline. In the binoculars we could make out their shapes hanging upside down, like large dark avocados.     

And then there is the snorkeling. In my life I had only experienced a few really entertaining snorkeling experiences, in the Cayman Islands decades ago and more recently in the Kona area of Hawaii. 

The moment I stuck my face under the water at Tanikely, I realized that the snorkeling there was going to be special. And was it ever. Suddenly all around me was the most incredibly beautiful underwater ‘rock garden’ with a dazzling array of intricate, even stunning coral forms and patterns. From shelves that looked like giant flat mushrooms to tabletops to overgrown heads of cauliflower. 

And literally everywhere the most jaw-dropping variety of fish one could ever imagine in a natural setting. There were huge schools of tiny fish which seemed to emit the most beautiful flashes of blue light as the sun reflected off their constantly moving, constantly shifting forms.  

In other spots there were tightly packed schools of slender, substantially bigger fish to be seen, all seemingly moving as one as they instinctively maneuvered to evade the danger which my lumpy form no doubt represented. 

Mostly though, the experience was one of constantly focusing and refocusing on different fish, from the most dainty angelfish to powerful looking specimens which kept a discreet distance. 

There were a few misses or maybe also-rans in the activity list. To be clear this reflects my personal, subjective impressions of the activities. Other visitors may experience these in a totally different – hopefully more enjoyable – way. Also, this is not the conclusive list of Tsara Komba activities and outings. There are several more such as a day outing to Nosy Iranja (a renowned snorkeling area), discovering the botanical garden, scuba diving, snorkeling (sometimes with whale sharks in season), visiting Lokobe National Park, other fascinating island visits and more.  

Local fishing outing

We went out with a couple of local fishermen one morning to try our luck with hand lines from a boat, fishing over a shallow reef about a kilometer out from the shoreline. It was largely a waste of time with the tiny fish mostly stealing the bait. I tried unsuccessfully a few times before quitting, when it became apparent that there were no good-sized fish around. Kathy brought in quite a few as did the Tsara Komba gardener, who is a keen amateur angler. 

Sundowner cruise to the mangroves

A sundowner cruise to a nearby mangrove forest did not quite live up to its ‘romantic’ billing. Indian Ocean mangrove forests are by their very nature not the most exciting of habitats. Mostly just green. With just one or two species of trees and lots of leaves. So watching the regular green turn to vivid green in the late afternoon sun while sipping on a rum based cocktail (Kathy) or a Diet Pepsi (me) was not the most scintillating activity. I’d say skip it. If Tsara Komba wanted to improve the sundowner activity they can start with the snacks. We were hoping for something a bit more varied and exciting than some plain canned black olives. To be sure, It was mildly entertaining and – yes – romantic, watching the sun actually set on the slow boat ride back to the lodge. Just the two of us in the back of a boat, the golden light giving us back a few long-lost years. 

Boat excursion around Nosy Komba

A last minute decision to do a boat ride around Nosy Komba island was interesting but not quite what we had in mind. I had envisaged a private boat outing with some opportunities to take impromptu, informal photos of village life and coastal scenes. Instead our skipper pretty much went full speed to the main village on Nosy Komba. Which I’m afraid is quite commercial with a lengthy walkway lined with vendors, terminating at the entrance to  a lemur park. Where the local guide asked if we each wanted to hold a banana or piece of a banana which would have netted us a lemur on the shoulder. Of course, we demurred. Instead, I took a few pictures of two groups of black lemurs being lured quite close to us, the reward being pieces of said bananas. It was not our cup of tea. All in all I suppose feeding the lemurs for the benefit of gawking tourists is not the worst of sins. It’s just not what we travel to countries like Madagascar for. 

In other respects the village was quite entertaining with (as usual) lots of kids around, women working in crafts, others having their hair braided, and quite a few people chewing khat, a natural plant source of methamphetamine. As Malagasy villages go, this one seemed a bit more organized and not as squalid as some we had seen elsewhere. Kathy thought many of the items for sale – such as the crocheted tablecloths- were worth closer scrutiny. 

We were entreated to enter and tour a local museum but by that time our tourist chops had abandoned us and we skipped it. Maybe another time. 

If you want to learn a bit more about getting to Tsara Komba and how to combine it with one or two other spots in Madagascar – or make it an add-on after or before a mainland Africa trip – email Bert at bert@fisheaglesafaris.com. Otherwise, please leave a message with our answering service by calling 1-800-513-5222 literally any time; someone will get back to you.  

Off to the north

Following on our all too brief stay at the superb Anjajavy Le Lodge on the west coast – read more in the blog post on our website – we returned to Tana. We spent the night at the perfectly fine if unremarkable Relais de Plateau hotel. Its two best features? A pretty good restaurant and being less than 10 minutes from Ivato airport. Our ebullient driver Mami drove us back the short distance to the rather dismal domestic terminal. On this day and earlier – on the wild ride to catch the flight to Anjajavy – Mami was a real asset to have around, helping us with luggage and getting us into the right line. Our next stop would be the well known northern Madagascar beach area of Nosy Be.

A night in Nosy Be

The Nosy Be archipelago has long attracted sun seekers, scuba divers and snorkeling enthusiasts from all over, notably France and lately Italy. With weekly flights on Neos Airlines from Milan and Rome, running into visitors from Italy in northern Madagascar is no coincidence. 

From Tana, the flight duration to Nosy Be is a solid nine times shorter than from Milan. Only about one hour in an ATR operated by Cemair (for Madagascar Airlines). Unlike some of our other recent flights, this one was plain sailing with minimal fuss. It definitely helped to have paid extra for business class (for additional luggage)  which provided access to a small airport lounge with some good coffee and a few bizarre breakfast food options. More importantly it resulted in us being waved through, while other passengers had their carry-on luggage weighed.  

It took a good 45 minutes to get from the airport at Nosy Be to our hotel/resort – Ravintsara. To put it charitably, the property is a little past its prime but it has good-sized air conditioned rooms with a comfortable bed, mosquito net, a bath (one of those weird jacuzzi-like ones with jets) and a proper shower. The property has a noticeably lush garden and an exceptionally nice pool. The food was fine, with a more than respectable curried chicken with rice being one of the three options for dinner. The beach? Utterly forgettable, starting with difficult access down some steep, rough stone steps and a notable lack of white sand. There were several young couples relaxing on loungers under a row of palm trees on the edge of the beach. To be sure, some of them seemed to be having fun, but their smiles clearly had more to do with being in each other’s company than with the view, the beach or the setting.  

The following morning we were driven to the port of Nosy Be. Following a hectic boarding process (of the type where you can’t keep track of your luggage) we stepped into a private speed boat transfer to the port of Ankify, on the mainland. And speedy it was, of the ‘hold on to your hat’ variety. From there, we drove – for the better part of the morning – in a northerly direction towards Ankarana National Park, close to which we would spend the following two nights.

Ankarana National Park

Iharana Bush Camp – where we spent just one instead of the two nights we had paid for – was a disappointment on several levels. We can handle rustic, but we’re beyond ‘primitive,’ so a room without proper windows or exterior doors which could be closed, was just not appealing. There was nowhere to sit and a fine layer of white dust coming down on everything was the last straw. Turned out they were sugar cane ashes. The room did have a pretty good shower head but alas, there was an issue with slow drainage. The veranda overlooking the small lake – with a pretty mountain in the background – was a nice spot to while away some time. 

Iharana Bush Camp was too close to a nearby village and too far from Ankara National Park. It takes a solid 45 minutes to get to the main road (from Iharana) along a bone-jarring track and then it’s at least another 45 minutes to get to the park. Clearly the property had been badly impacted by a cyclone earlier in the year. 

There were no issues with the only activity which we had time for, an outing on a small lake, during which we saw quite a few birds. Iharana Bush Camp also has a great view across the lake, with a pretty mountain with visible tsingy formations in the background. The lounge area was furnished and decorated in an interesting and creative manner. The staff members were friendly but not always present. The food was acceptable but nothing special. 

We made it to Ankarana National Park at around 9:00 am. the following morning. A solid two hours later than I would have liked to be there. The park is mostly known for its particularly appealing tsingy rock formations – the so-called ‘tsingy rara’ – and for a mysterious natural sinkhole where three rivers disappear into what is in essence a natural bathtub, draining directly into the Indian Ocean about 12 miles away.

Tsingy is the Malagasy name for the country’s dramatic limestone karst rock formations, appearing like a forest of often razor-sharp shards. In Madagascar, there are three areas of tsingy popular with visitors. The largest is the Tsingy de Bemaraha in the western dry forests of the country. The other good example of tsingy can be found at Ankarana, where we were to see it up close at the terminal point of the forest walk. 

The third area – known as the Red Tsingy – is also in the far north. While it superficially resembles real tsingy due its weird elongated shapes and spiky appearance, the red tsingy is not a limestone formation. It was caused by rain erosion on laterite. The red, or ‘false,’ tsingy is a much more recent phenomenon than ‘real’ tsingy which developed over millions of years. The erosion which exposed the red laterite tsingy-like structures is a modern-day phenomenon, being the result of environmental degradation caused by slash and burn agriculture.

With our energetic guide Simon showing the way, we strolled along a well maintained, easy trail under the dense canopy of the beautiful dry deciduous Ankarana forest. Right off the bat we saw three different kinds of lemurs, namely western gray bamboo lemur, red ruffed lemur and a couple of sleepy looking sportive lemurs which mostly rest up during the day and become active at night. These nocturnal creatures are insectivorous unlike the diurnal lemurs which are mostly plant eaters.  

Unfortunately we did not have time to do a walk onto the tsingy and to cross the nearby hanging bridge. Our advice would be to spend two nights closer to the park than we did and make the most of at least one guided morning visit inside the park.  

We spent the night at Ankarana Lodge, a 3.5 star lodge which is exceptionally well located for visits to Ankarana National Park, being less than five minutes from the gate. Our recommendation is to be there the moment the gate opens as that is when many of the forest dwellers are active: it is nice and cool and the light on the tsingy formations will no doubt be soft and pleasing. There were a few quirky things about Ankarana Lodge including the in-room air conditioning being available only from 8 pm to 10 pm. The excellent food and friendly staff made up for it though. 

Money and credit cards 

More than once we forgot that credit cards are not widely accepted everywhere in Madagascar – this happened at both Iharana Bush Camp and Ankarana Lodge. Not only would they not accept our credit cards: our cash US dollars were no good either. It was Malagasy ariary or Euros and nothing else. Which caused an uncomfortable situation for us when we were literally down to our last few Malagasy ariary and had to borrow some cash from our guide Bruno. It worked out fine in the end but prospective visitors need to keep it in mind. Carry plenty of cash with you, and have some ‘emergency Euros’ in your back pocket. You never know when they may come into play.  

Driving from Ankarana to Diego Suarez   

The drive from Ankarana along the main south-north highway – the RN2 – was yet another microcosm of Madagascar. The vestiges of the beautiful landscapes and forests are still there but they barely shine through among the grim reality of decades of deforestation. What was once virgin forest is now small farms or large sugar cane plantations, and it is impossible to overlook the alien vegetation including the ubiquitous eucalyptus trees.

All along the way, in a seemingly never-ending pattern, we would pass one small village after another with rudimentary small homes, shacks and other structures just meters from the edge of the road. Along this road, it was difficult not to observe the squalor associated with grinding poverty. Clearly, life is hard in rural Madagascar but fortunately we did not see any obvious signs of malnutrition. In fact all the many toddlers and children we observed seemed to be well-fed and healthy. The staple food of Madagascar is rice, and it – together with beans, cassava, corn, peas, spring onions and sweet potatoes – is widely cultivated on the small farms which are found all over the countryside. 

Along the north road, the entrepreneurial spirit was very much in evidence. There were vendors everywhere. Some work from good sized covered structures in side-alley bazaars, their shops brimming with wares ranging from charcoal braziers to fresh produce, rice, beans and other foodstuffs, all the way to colorful garments of every shape and size. Others, mostly solo operators, had just a table and a couple of baskets. With preciously few items for sale. Often just a handful of tomatoes, some onions or bananas or maybe some menakely, the local version of donuts. I tried my best to convince our guide Bruno to let me try the road-side treats but without success. Probably just as well. 

Once or twice along the way, we stopped for photos and despite the language barrier it was easy to quickly establish trust and engender just enough confidence on the part of the locals for a snapshot. In fact, one of the most frustrating parts of the road trip portion of our Madagascar journey was driving past dozens of photo opportunities. So if you are keen on mixing it up with the locals, by all means plan on exploring some of the byways and hidden highlights associated with the human experience. Just be sure to adjust your schedule to provide for some time and where possible, some pre planned stops.  

Almost everywhere, and more so in the rural areas, there were startlingly large numbers of babies, toddlers and young children to be seen, indicative of one of Madagascar’s other challenges. Largely unchecked population growth. The statistics tell the story.   

Madagascar’s rapid population growth has the country on a path to reach nearly 51 million total population within the next 25 years. An increase of a whopping 70%  over the current 30 million. This is the result of only slowly decreasing fertility rates combined with increases in life expectancy. Further contributing to rapid natural population growth is Madagascar’s exceptionally young demographic profile, with 40% of the total population being under 15 years old. In time, urbanization and education will further decrease the rate of population growth. Until then, many more millions of Malagasy will join the ranks of people living under the poverty line.    

Red Tsingy

On our way from Ankarana to Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) the following day, we took a detour to the so-called red or ‘false’ tsingy formations. My initial reaction to seeing the famous red tsingy was less than enthusiastic. It appeared to have been damaged by a recent cyclone with some of the red cones having fallen over and one or two areas being partially obliterated by shifting mud.  

However, as our guide Bruno and I walked further up the ravine – to which the red tsingy is confined – the views kept getting better. By far the best spot was close to the viewing platform under a tree, quite high up in the ravine. Pretty much surrounding the viewing platform, these strange – practically orange – protrusions lend a surreal atmosphere to the place, turning it into what could easily be mistaken for some long lost corner of Mars. 

The red tsingy are laterite rock formations, uncovered by erosion in a canyon, a process which was accelerated by runoff caused by deforestation. All starting with the ‘slash and burn’ activity when local farmers cut down and burned portions of the forest to create grazing areas for their zebu cattle.  

After the pretty strenuous hike – in bright sunshine – we stopped for lunch at a local family enterprise where local dishes such as wild boar with rice and a starter of crab and avocado salad were served. It was excellent. Just like elsewhere in Madagascar there was no Zero or Diet Coke but I gladly settled for YouZou. A bit like Sprite but not as sweet; you’ll just have to try it for yourself sometime.   

Montagne D’Ambre National Park

Our next stop was the port city of Antsiranana for two things: to get some much needed Madagascar ariary from an ATM and to buy some good quality Madagascar vanilla from a local source. Then it was 45 minutes or so on a truly awful road to our next stop: Nature Lodge, a simple, delightful thatched property with 12 chalets, all with nice if somewhat distant views over the ocean. We liked everything about this property: the setting, good food, great all round hospitality, comfortable, well equipped rooms and close to Montagne D’Ambre National Park. The park, the oldest one of its kind in Madagascar, is known for its gorgeous forest with massive trees, small lakes and several ‘sacred’ waterfalls. The park is home to several interesting bird species as well as a couple of lemur species. For serious birdwatchers we’d recommend two morning outings into the park as forest birding is always challenging and often impacted by wind or other factors. Just be sure to start as early as possible. Our local forest guide Regas was knowledgeable and affable. 

A helicopter flight to Miavana

At the security checkpoint at Diego Suarez’ tiny airport we – and every piece of our luggage – were intensively scrutinized, to the extent of being patted down and checked with a handheld metal detector. The airport bureaucrats once again demonstrated a severe lack of common sense. Once everyone there was convinced that we were not a pair of grey-haired, wild-eyed fanatics intent on creating havoc involving mostly ourselves, we were allowed to board our aircraft. Much to our delight, it was Miavana’s recently acquired Airbus 135, a 7-seat helicopter which got us across to the island resort in the utmost of style and comfort. About as quiet and stable an experience flying in a helicopter as one could imagine. The Airbus helicopter can take up to 6 passengers with one pilot or 5 passengers with 2 pilots. It is a state-of-the-art machine in every way. Along the way en route to Miavana, beyond ‘just’ the gorgeous scenery and various shades of blue ocean, there were several other points of interest to observe and objects to photograph from the air. Most notably, a particularly nice stand of the locally endemic Adansonia perrieri, a highly threatened species of baobab. Kathy also spotted a large sea turtle swimming in the clear ocean water – much to her delight.

Behind the controls of the helicopter was Hein Brittz, Time & Tide’s chief pilot. Hein has been with Miavana from the very beginning, since 2014, and has acquired extensive experience and expertise flying and traveling all over the island and beyond. When not flying, Hein is a keen fly-fisher and he knows where and when several sought-after species like giant trevally can be caught – and released. He knows the waters around the island like the back of his hand. Clearly a natural at any island adventure, Hein makes the perfect guide to this extraordinary place he calls home. We found Hein to be super friendly and enthusiastic and would have liked to have spent more time with him. 

On both our chopper flights – from Diego Suarez to Miavana and later from there clear across Northern Madagascar to Nosy Be, I was fortunate to get to occupy the co-pilot seat in front. In both the Airbus and Miavana’s other chopper – the really nice turbine Robinson 66 – this seat has practically unobscured views to the front and below. Using a Nikon 70-200 zoom lens at 1,000th of a second shutter release speed and a focal length of f-8 I managed a few decent exposures despite some pretty hazy conditions. 

A valuable piece of advice from Hein was for confirmed guests to pre-book a couple of helicopter outings – catering to their specific interests – even before arriving at Miavana. By the time guests realize – on the flight from Diego Suarez to Miavana – just how exhilarating and rewarding flight-seeing by helicopter is, it may already be too late to book an outing of their choice, particularly on a stay of just a few days. 

Miavana Resort

Miavana resort is gorgeous and beyond beautiful and impressive with 14 massive villas ranging from one to three bedrooms with as much space as anyone could possibly desire, with views to boot. 

Clearly, Miavana is the ultimate in luxury and self-indulgence, the kind of place where celebrities come to escape the paparazzi. We certainly felt special, being welcomed by Damian Goncalves-Jardine, assistant general manager and whisked off by electric cart for a poolside lunch. 

Our tapas lunch was straight out of a romance novel with swaying palm trees, a cool breeze, and mesmerizing views over the ocean, about as far away as a soft toss of a small coconut. 

Miavana does not do anything half-heartedly as we quickly realized, having ordered two tapas items each, which seemed like a reasonable thing to do. The portions were huge but the freshly prepared shellfish and other items were so delicious, we managed. 

While Kathy enjoyed a massage I checked out the villa, a beautifully designed edifice with literally everything you could want ranging from a king size plus bed, his and her sinks, a huge bathtub, a separate toilet, indoor and outdoor shower, a kitchenette with fridge, coffee maker, a selection of premier wines and beverages and an abundant buffet of snacks. If your favorite wasn’t there, you could request it. 

Each villa has its own electric buggy and bikes to get around the island and to make your way to and from the main building. 

Activities at Miavana

Our short inspection visit to Miavana provided us with a good overall impression of the setting and the beauty of the area. What we didn’t have time for were the many activities which include scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, boating, paddle boarding, kayaking, kiteboarding, island tours, lemur trekking, nature walks, turtle monitoring, birdwatching, tree planting, spending time at the gym, the ‘cabinet de curiosities’ and at the well-stocked boutique. There’s more: spa treatments which cover a range of luxurious massages, facials, body treatments and finishing touches, as well as Ayurvedic treatments and yoga classes.  

Several extraordinary national parks are just a short helicopter flight away from Miavana on the Madagascar mainland. Accompanied by one of their knowledgeable guides, you can explore the region’s rare wildlife, remarkable landscapes and fascinating natural history. Destinations include Daraina (Tattersall’s Camp), Anjahakely (Black Lemur Camp), Ankarana National Park, Tsingy Rouge, Baobab forests and secluded sundowner spots. Or tailor-make your own scenic flight adventure.

Miavana for children

Miavana is the ultimate playground for children, offering activities tailored to each child’s age and interests. Little island explorers can adventure across land and sea, learning about the environment as well as from different members of the team. Enriching, inspiring, and importantly – fun. Some popular kids activities at Miavana include PADI Bubblemaker & Discover Scuba Diving, snorkeling, fishing, watersports, swimming, treasure hunts, chameleon challenge, and scavenger hunts. Beyond those there are opportunities for Malagasy face painting and other cultural experiences, as well as other active pursuits like bike riding, buggy license and guided quad biking. Children can embark on turtle walks, lemur treks, and participate in tree planting. They can play beach volleyball, cricket, soccer, and table tennis. Miavana has lots of outlets for their creativity such as sand castle making, coconut painting, Madagascan animal mask making, beading and other crafts. For the budding chefs there’s pizza making, cookie baking and cupcake decoration.  

Our last few days in Madagascar were spent at Tsara Komba, a small luxury resort hidden away at the base of the east-facing slope of Nosy Komba, the second biggest island in the Nosy Be archipelago. 

Read the blog post about our stay at Tsara Komba here.

Madagascar itineraries

We have developed a couple of new itineraries for Madagascar which will enable visitors to optimize their stay and not waste too much time on the road. The two itineraries are for the eastern montane rainforests (Andasibe-Mantadia area, mostly lemur-focused) and for the north (Montagne D’Ambre, Ankarana Forest and Nosy Komba) where the experience will be a mix of nature exploration and wildlife observation, with forest hiking, lemur observation, snorkeling and ending with several days at a premier beach resort.  

Either of the two itineraries can be extended with excursions to one of these areas:

• Anjajavy Le Lodge on the northwestern coast in dry deciduous forest habitat
• Tsara Komba resort, tucked away in a secluded spot on Nosy Komba island, in the northern Nosy Be Archipelago
• The wild and exciting Masoala Peninsula on the northeastern coast

For recommendations about visiting Madagascar, email Bert at bert@fisheaglesafaris.com or call our Houston office at 1-800 513-5222 any time.

It was quite windy on the day we arrived and we found out that a stiff breeze is very much part of the experience at Anjajavy. We stopped noticing it within just hours, our attention shifting to all the other things which make Anjajavy the special place that it is. Besides being windy, it was dry and sunny, the complete opposite from the rainy, dreary eastern rainforests which we had just come from. The way to the lodge was a dusty but well-maintained track; a drive of about 20 minutes. En route, we drove through patches of open savanna habitat which was oddly reminiscent of mainland Africa. A few zebras and giraffes would not have been out of place in this dry deciduous forest habitat.   

My first impression at Anjajavy was one of space and light, with pretty views over the ocean enhanced by some attractive palm trees and a large pool surrounded by unopened umbrellas, green lawns and tiled walkways. Not a thing was out of place. The main complex is dominated by an extensive indoor/outdoor dining room which encompasses a bar and boutique. Spend a few days there and you will soon find your own favorite spot for the al fresco meals.  

Kathy and I thought the rooms at Anjajavy were just right. Properly air-conditioned, they were by no means huge but perfectly adequate size-wise, with a queen-sized bed with mosquito net, a breakfast area with table and chairs, a small separate bathroom with shower, a separate enclosed toilet with small sink, sliding doors which opened to a deck with chairs and a hammock, and an upstairs room with an additional double bed. The steps up to the upstairs bedroom are scarily steep so buyer beware. It would be ok for the kids but not for grandma. 

As we found out right away, the food was superb. With Anjajavy being an accredited Relais & Chateaux property, I suppose that was to be expected, at least to some degree. Even so, we made the most of the extensive number of choices for all meals,  with a range of local and international dishes – mostly French inspired – on offer. Everything was fresh, with much of the produce and other items sourced locally. 

A word of caution: the walkways between the rooms and the main lodge are uneven with (too) many elevation changes. At night, making your way to and back from the dining area could be a potentially hazardous experience, with inadequate lighting and no rails. So be careful and use a good flashlight.  

A quirky thing about Anjajavy is that it operates on its own ‘island’ time zone which is one hour ahead (later) than regular Madagascar time. So guests have to manually adjust their smartphones and watches. Guests are told about this on arrival. I never did quite figure out why the lodge adopted this practice; it seems to serve the same purpose as daylight savings in the US, which is to move the hours of human activity to make the best use of available daylight. Anjajavy is pronounced just like it is written, but the last ‘y’ letter is silent. So if you say it like ‘an-jah-JAHV’ you will sound just like a local. Or close. 

Activities at Anjajavy

Anjajavy has a beautiful beach with a small and apparently safe demarcated swimming area. Before doing anything else, we spent a little while wading into the cool, crystal clear water of the Indian Ocean. It felt great. Just like at Tsara Komba which we would get to a bit later on our trip, the ocean in front of Anjajavy was swimmable irrespective of the status of the tide. Each of the ocean-view rooms has its own private umbrella and beach loungers, reached by a set of wooden steps down from the elevated rooms. 

Mangrove forest sundowners

That afternoon we tagged along with three other guests on an outing by boat into a large stand of mangroves, which line the river. The mangroves – beyond several other functions which include providing a nursery area for many fish and crustacean species – also protect the area from severe damage during cyclones. On the excursion we saw a few interesting birds including dimorphic egret, Madagascar buzzard, malachite kingfisher, Madagascar bee eaters and – from a long distance away – a colony of flying foxes. 

We crammed a lot into our full day at Anjajavy: an early morning birding outing, checking out the Madagascar giant tortoise rewilding project, and a boating excursion to Moramba Bay. The birding was good, and the fact that I didn’t get quite as many usable bird photos as I had anticipated was totally on me trying to figure out the autofocus on a new mirrorless camera. Maybe not the time and place for it.  

Giant Madagascar tortoise rewilding project

Kathy and I were both fascinated by Anjajavy’s Madagascar giant tortoise project. Since its inception – starting off in 2018 with 12 adult giant tortoises which had been poached and then confiscated by the authorities – the project has grown by leaps and bounds. To date, more than 150 baby tortoises have hatched and are being protected in the tortoise nursery in Anjajavy. They will be returned to the wild once they are ready. The juvenile tortoises are being raised in an environment very similar to the one they will be freed into, so that they develop the foraging skills they will need to survive in the wild. The project aims to have 500 wild giant tortoises in Anjajavy Reserve by 2030 and about 2,000 by 2040. Considering that these enormous animals have been locally extinct in Madagascar for 500 years, this is groundbreaking work. 

Speed boat outing to Moramba Bay

Our speed boat trip to the beautiful Moramba Bay area culminated with a sighting of a Madagascar fish eagle, a bird which we had long wanted to add to our life list. It is disheartening to know that there are only about 100 pairs of these very special birds still present in Madagascar. The bay produced several other highlights, not the least of which was seeing four or five stands of beautiful baobabs growing in limestone formations. Moramba Bay is about as photogenic a place as one could find anywhere and we could easily have spent several additional hours there. And would have liked to. Maybe with a picnic lunch somewhere or snorkeling around one of the limestone islets. Next time.  

Afternoon tea with the sifakas

An activity not to be missed is the afternoon tea in a large clearing – also known as the oasis – in Anjajavy’s beautiful garden. Almost every afternoon around 5 to 6 pm ‘island time,’ a small troop of Coquerel’s sifaka adds a dash of verve and excitement to what would be a perfectly fine afternoon tea without them. Jumping seemingly effortlessly and even languidly from one branch or tree to another, they make it easy for visitors to conclude that they had made a wise choice to spend a few days here at the literal end of the world. A bonus? Spotting one or two small groups of common brown lemurs lagging behind the limelight-stealing sifakas. In their own way the brown lemurs are just as interesting.   

Anjajavy – just go!

As I mentioned earlier, Anjajavy can only be reached by scheduled charter flights (and not every day of the week) from Antananarivo; there is a minimum stay requirement and it is not inexpensive, particularly if you figure in the cost of the many optional (pricey) excursions. 

Even so, once you get there – and I urge everyone to do so at the first, best opportunity – you will observe the leaping Coquerel’s sifakas in the garden and think, “I should have done this sooner.”

Anjajavy Le Lodge is Madagascar redux, with lemurs, beaches, baobabs, tsingy rock formations and fascinating culture. All in one place. Beyond that you’ll experience gorgeous sunsets, sublime food and a team of lodge staff and guides delivering an all round resort experience which compares with some of the best in the world, at an affordable price point.

Anjajavy truly has it all. Location, remoteness and an ideal mix of activities. It also felt as if the team there was truly motivated to help guests experience the property and the reserve in the best possible way. Even though we spent only two nights there, we were treated to a romantic dinner in the garden on our last night. It was just perfect, ending with a plaintive song performed by six team members – a lead singer, guitarist and mini drum player and three chorus members. All working together so well, helping us create an indelible memory. In fact, all our experiences at Anjajavy contributed to a unique set of memories.  

First and foremost Anjajavy is a conservation project. Manager Frederic Massoubre was proud to point out that he  employs a large squad of people who have no line function in and around the lodge itself. All their efforts are devoted exclusively to maintaining the habitat and wildlife in the adjoining protected area. 

The negatives? The WiFi is super slow but really this is one place where you should actively try to disconnect and reconnect with nature. There’s every opportunity for it. Also, come prepared with a wide-open wallet as there is a limited range of ‘free’ activities at Anjajavy. Unless of course your idea of a resort stay is to mostly chill by the pool and in the ocean, and enjoy afternoon tea with the sifakas. For active guests, particularly those who like to hike, there are as many as eight or nine different trails to explore, either on self-guided or guided basis. Free water activities include kayaks, windsurfing, catamaran outings and snorkeling.  

Everything else is going to cost you pretty dearly, ranging from 50 Euro per person for a morning birding outing to E125 per person for a half day boating outing to Moramba Bay. Our recommendation is to pre-pay a package of activities, currently about $750 per person for a boat excursion with picnic lunch to Moramba Bay, a vehicle excursion to Antafiamoara village and the giant tortoise project, and three guided land activities: a night walk, a village visit and a bird-watching outing.  

Things which we didn’t get to do include mountain biking, exploring a cave with extinct giant lemur fossils, a village visit and spending time at the pool. If you’re really into physical fitness, I think mountain biking around the reserve could be fun. It’s going to be hard with so much sand about, as will running. Comforting thought: there are no elephants or buffaloes around. Unlike mainland Africa, Madagascar has no scary large hairy mammals lurking behind bushes so go ahead and jog with your favorite tunes in your headphones.  

If you want to learn a bit more about getting to Anjajavy and how to possibly combine it with one or two other spots in Madagascar – or make it an add-on after or before a mainland Africa trip – email Bert at bert@fisheaglesafaris.com.  Otherwise, please leave a message with our answering service by calling 1-800-513-5222 literally any time; someone will get back to you.