Madagascar – not your typical Indian Ocean island!
It’s certainly possible to enjoy a luxury beach resort vacation in Madagascar but this time around, we asked Nadia to explore the more unexpected aspects of this incredible destination. During her adventure, she stayed at two remarkable tented camps, and discovered the Madagascar that relatively few visitors get to see.
From the bustling, fascinating capital city, Antananarivo (affectionately known as “Tana”), where she stayed at the beautifully cozy Radisson BLU Waterfront hotel and discovered the joys of making her own chocolates using locally grown spices, Nadia embarked by charter plane to her first destination. Mandrare River Camp, near Ifotaka in the far south of Madagascar.
Immerse yourself in Madagascar
Mandrare River Camp offers you the chance to experience many different sides to Madagascar, from wildly beautiful scenery to local village life with weekly market and life and the plantations of spiky sisal that dominate agriculture in this much drier region of the island.
The setting offers wonderful photographic opportunities and we’ve been enjoying Nadia’s images ever since she returned. Venturing out from the semi-luxury camp, she discovered iconic baobab trees, distinctive Zebu cattle, panoramic river views and breathtaking sunsets.
Then there was the intriguing (and well-named) spiny forest, a jumble of cacti and other inhospitable-seeming trees that are nevertheless home to some of Madagascar’s charismatic lemur species. Mandrare River is the place to be if you enjoy some of the most amazing moments that African travel offers, from starry skies to sharing stories around the campfire and learning from the local Antandroy tribe and their close relationship with Nature.
Take a hike
Nadia’s second destination (after a journey that involved a second overnight stay back in Tana, a private charter flight and a road transfer) was the even more dramatic Namoroka Tsingy Camp in the north-east of Madagascar – a place where “on the rocks” is not a style of drink but a way of life. This rustic – but extremely comfortable – camp is set in the midst of the remarkable “tsingy” landscape, which consists of sharp pinnacles of limestone rock separated by narrow crevasses and mysterious caves. The rocks themselves have edges like razors – sturdy hiking shoes or boots are definitely recommended for exploring here, and the camp will provide a hard hat to prevent you bumping your head on overhanging ledges and cave roofs.
Despite being the natural habitat of six different lemur species (including the elusive, nocturnal and rather bizarre aye-aye), this region of Madagascar received surprisingly few visitors. All of which adds to the sense of being an adventurer or an explorer.
Luxurious Adventure
The luxury resorts and beautiful beaches of Nosy Be are not far from Namoroka, meaning it can be easily combined with a more luxurious Madagascar experience. In fact, this could just be the perfect itinerary – it’s impossible to deny the appeal of some world-class beach time, but you wouldn’t want to miss out on Namoroka’s unique experiences like hunting for lemur fossils amidst the serrated limestone outcrops.
After her Madagascar adventure, Nadia recommends a minimum 7 – 10-night trip – and however you want to experience Madagascar, we can draw on our expertise (and her recent experiences) to create a bespoke itinerary that perfectly matches your interests and travel budget.
To experience your very own Madagascar adventures, contact the journey specialists at Private Ocean Islands today.
