Mandrare and Manafiafy

Madagascar is a huge country and many holidays here involve large amounts of travelling. This one is different. It focuses on just 2 properties both in the far south of the country, reached by flight from the capital, making the best use of your precious time. You have 4 nights in each place, plenty of time to unpack your bags, settle in and fully appreciate your surroundings.

The camp and lodge are far more than places to stay. Each has been carefully designed to provide creature comforts, delicious cuisine and the highest levels of service, all the more impressive given their remote locations. Their contrasting settings, one inland and the other on the coast make them an excellent combination, enabling you to experience different environments and communities.

At Mandrare River Camp you take walks in the distinctive spiny forest, among plants that have evolved not only to withstand but to thrive in the arid climate that prevails for much of the year. Animals, too, have adapted to the conditions, ringtailed lemurs and Verreaux's sifaka among them. Come sunset you are poured refreshing sundowner drinks, served by the river or among the massive baobab trees, a prelude to your 3-course dinner.

Manafiafy Lodge faces a beautiful bay on the Indian Ocean, has stretches of mangroves and is flanked by rainforest, all of which you get to explore with your local guide. Wildlife is profuse: 5 species of lemur, over 80 bird species, numerous geckos, chameleons, flying fox bats and, offshore, humpback whales (late June to mid-November). At the camp, you dine on fresh oysters, mussels and lobster, prepared in full view in the open kitchen.

Both properties have strong links with their respective local communities, which adds an intriguing human aspect to your holiday. In Mandrare you meet the Antandroy, a nomadic tribe with a culture rich in ceremony and ancestor worship, and at Manafiafy you visit the Antanosy village with its traditional wooden houses and fishing pirogues.

This special holiday is a winning combination of nature, culture and rustic luxury, and gives you a real insight into the richness of Madagascar.