Madagascar

Madagascar is a country most people have probably heard about due its extraordinarily unique flora and fauna and the rare lemurs which inhabit its shores. Sadly however, we are hearing more and more about the environmental issues concerning deforestation and the extinction of these rare plants and animals and their habitat due mainly to over population. These problems are being met head on with strict rules within National Parks and a number of charities and international aid agencies helping to protect this fragile environment. Madagascar is the 4th largest Island in the world after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo and is about the same size as France. It is hugely diverse with a chain of mountains running down the centre, which previously were covered with dense rain forest, stretching down to and along the east coast. The west is dryer with deciduous trees and open savannah grassland, whereas the south is known as the spiny desert and the entire coastline is dotted with islands and glorious beaches. The flora and fauna is exquisite and scientific teams continue to find new species and even new genera. There are an incredible number of species unique to Madagascar: 80% of the native plants, all of the native mammals, half of the bird species and 90% of the reptiles are found nowhere else in the world. Politically Madagascar is becoming more settled and investment is pouring into the country, particularly within the tourist industry. New hotels are being built and the infrastructure is improving but still has a long way to go if you are looking for a stress free, luxurious holiday but it will hopefully be there soon. So if you are interested in Madagascar be prepared, study a guide book and see if it really is for you.

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The Queens Palace	Antanavarivo

Tsarabanjina Hotel
The one place I can whole-heartedly recommend is a small beach hotel on a private island off the north West Coast of Madagascar, 40 miles from Nosy Be. The island was made famous a few years ago when Joanna Lumley was 'Castaway' for a week on the island and filmed by the BBC. The Tsarabanjina Hotel has been built on a 22-hectare island with lush vegetation and crystal clear water in the Mitsio Archipelago. There are 18 comfortable A-framed chalets situated under the palm trees on 2 beaches either side of the island. The sand is white and the water crystal clear with fantastic snorkelling only yards from the shore, where you can see lovely corals, fish, sea fans and even turtles. The emphasis is on relaxation but for the more active there are plenty of things to do: windsurfing, water skiing, catamaran sailing and volleyball. There are daily trips to islands and snorkelling excursions, excellent scuba diving and deep-sea fishing. The restaurant and bar areas are on yet another beach where you can watch the sunset, have a game of backgammon and the barman mixes a mean cocktail. The food is high quality French cuisine, there is an a la carte menu at dinner with delicious seafood and a large buffet at breakfast and lunch. The house speciality, an exquisite banana or spiced rhum is the perfect way to round off the evening. This is a beautiful beach destination, totally unspoilt and the perfect place for relaxing after a safari in southern Africa.

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bedroom	cottage	the bar

sunset	water skiing	the beach