Les Tipaniers Lodge

Location: Les Tipaniers Lodge is located about 34 km to the north of Ambodifotatra, the capital of Sainte Marie Island, which is on the east of mainland Madagascar. The lodge is surrounded by a tropical paradise of 6 ha between the primary forest and a huge cove bordered by a turquoise sea along of one of the most beautiful sandy beach of Sainte Marie island, Nosy Boraha. The island is 60 km long and 5 km wide.

How to get here: You can take a short 50-min flight from Antananarivo to Sainte Marie (SMS) or, alternatively, you can take a long 7-hour bus ride to Tamatave and then continue to Mahambo for another 3 hours, where you can take a ferry the next morning. The ferry takes around 3,5 hours. Once landed, take a 2-hour road transfer to the north, along the only road on the island, passing beautiful tropical scenery. 

Structure: Les Tipaniers Lodge has eight elegant and intimate bungalows  placed under coconut trees in the middle of a garden, overlooking one of the most beautiful white sand beaches of the island. The sea-facing restaurant serves fresh seafood and aromatic apertizers. From June to August you can see the passing whales form the terrace.

Why staying here: The quality of a dream beach holiday here is truly underrated. Sainte Marie is lush, wild and tropical. There is no mass tourism here. The amazing beaches are off the beaten track, in the north-west of the island, next to the Les Tipaniers Lodge. In the south-west of Sainte Marie you cannot swim in the sea because of sea urchins! Some hotels have a peer that leads you further away from the beach to avoid them.