Hotel Review: Manafiafy Beach and Rainforest Lodge, Madagascar.

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Overview

When staying at the Constance Hotels property (Lemuria in the Seychelles) and I spotted Constance Tsarabanjina in Madagascar, I knew that we had to visit this country. To be honest I didn’t know that much about Madagascar (not having seen the cartoon films, not that they are necessarily representative as you might imagine of what Madagascar is like). You can find my full Madagascar itinerary here and also the reviews of both Mandrare and Tsarabanjina.

I had to do my research to find out what else we wanted to do and see when there, how to get there etc. Quite quickly I realised that as well as an inevitable couple of stops in the capital, Antananarivo, we really wanted to visit some of the remoter parts of the island - spotting the obvious quality of the two Madagascar Classic Collection properties and finding out that we could fly by their private jet (rather than the notoriously unreliable Air Madagascar) all of a sudden made our choice pretty obvious; and we were certainly not disappointed.

Hotel website: https://www.madaclassic.com/

Would I stay here again?   Yes, I would recommend Manafiafy to anyone but I probably tend to think that something as unique and special as this is more likely to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I would go back for the food, the massage and the location in a heartbeat; but I think when we visit Madagascar again we would try other locations too. If MCC ever gets a third property, count me in!

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Location

As we were also guests as M&M Classic’s sister property at Ifotaka first (you can read the full review of Mandrare River Camp here, we flew by private charter from the airstrip at Ifotaka to Fort Dauphin, the flight took less than 30 minutes.  We were met by our guide for our stay, and were transferred by Land Rover to the lodge which took over three hours.  Although it was a long journey (there was a landing strip adjacent to the lodge but this was disbanded some years ago due to safety concerns because of the soft sand base) it was an interesting journey and we saw some amazing landscapes.  We were well supplied with water and were able to stop every so often to stretch our legs.  The journey was absolutely worth it, but it’s not for the faint hearted and we were so glad to arrive at the camp, to be met by our hosts James and Tilly, in time for lunch which had been set up for us on the amazing beach.

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Accommodation

There were only five luxury bungalows in total (four doubles and one family villa), spread out from the main lodge along the beach, all discreetly tucked along the edge of the forest. Ours had a private wooden terrace looking down onto the private beach, and came with a hammock and sun loungers. There was a super king-sized and a separate single bed, windows on the front and sides giving a fully immersive rainforest/beach experience. There was also a full en-suite with hot fresh water, a walk-in shower, 24h solar electric, 220V sockets, comfortable indoor seating areas, mosquito nets and a room safe. Considering the beach and rainforest environment, it was spotlessly clean and extremely well maintained throughout our stay. It was a very short walk along decent-lite paths to get to and from the main lodge, and we were supplied with torches too.

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Food & Drink

The food here was just exceptional - great choice for a vegetarian including lots of fresh vegetables and local produce, and all dietary requirements taken into account. It was very informal with no particular set times for meals - when we were there, only one other couple was staying there. We’d actually met them on the flight from Antananarivo to Mandrare River Camp, but we stayed an extra night there so caught up with them in Manafiafy - this was actually better meaning that we got to fly on our own from Ifotaka to Fort Dauphin, then back from Fort Dauphin to Antananarivo. 

Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all included as part of the rate; as were any snacks or drinks (alcoholic included) throughout the day. Everything was made fresh on site, in an incredibly spotless kitchen that you could see into, including fresh breads at every meal. Everything was just delicious - sometimes we would eat together (guests and the camp hosts), but it was also good to have a private meal for just the two of us. James and Tiggy seemed to get the balance just right of being involved but also allowing for private time too, which we particularly liked.

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Facilities & Service

This was such a different experience to the other camp at Mandrare, but still lots of interesting things to do and see - plus, if you just wanted to relax, all I need to say is THE BEACH - wow! We did a combination of land and sea activities, all included within the rates other than massage which was extra. A short walk across the rocky headland, there was an open-air pavilion for massage (a couple can use at the same time) - this must be one of the best massages I’ve ever had; two of the house-keeping ladies were our therapists.

We did a coastal trip with the other guests one day for an island walk, finishing up with drinks on the beach before getting the boat back to the lodge for lunch; another day we did an early morning mangrove motor boat trip, albeit it turned out to be a very rainy start to the day, but all waterproofs were provided. We also went to visit a nearby Fisherman’s Village which was a good experience - as with other places in Madagascar there were so many friendly, inquisitive children who just loved getting their pictures taken and seeing themselves on our phone and camera screens. Not to mention daytime and nighttime wildlife walks, spotting lemurs, chameleons and insects. There was also a whale-watching tower an easy walk from the main lodge - one afternoon we took ourselves a walk there and the views were just exceptional.

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ThePrivateTraveller’s top tips (any areas for improvement?):

• Location - stunning, but the road journey to get there and back was an experience in itself. Would be amazing (like Mandrare River Camp) if Madagascar Classic could get the private airstrip back in action to be able to receive their private jet again.

ThePrivateTraveller’s absolute highlights:

• Location - stunning to be so far away from it all yet with such luxurious facilities and such incredible food.

• Our hosts - James and Tiggy were so welcoming and friendly.

• There was a local wood craftsman who normally lived on site - we visited his workshop, a short walk from the main lodge, buying a few pieces but we also liked another carving displayed in the lodge itself. The craftsman was happy to make us a bespoke version before we left, he met us at the airport to give it just before we left.

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Useful website links:

• Hotels

  • Constance Hotels & Resorts https://www.constancehotels.com/en/

  • Mandrare River Camp https://www.madaclassic.com/mandrare

  • Constance Lemuria Praslin Seychelles https://www.constancehotels.com/en/hotels-resorts/seychelles/lemuria/

  • Constance Tsarabanjina Madagascar https://www.constancehotels.com/en/hotels-resorts/madagascar/tsarabanjina/

  • Manga Soa Lodge http://www.manga-soa-lodge.com/

  • Michaelangelo Hotel Johannesburg https://www.legacyhotels.co.za/hotels/michelangelo-hotel

  • Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa https://www.saxon.co.za/

  • Leading Hotels of the World https://www.lhw.com

  • TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com

• Airlines

  • Air Madagascar https://www.airmadagascar.com/en

  • British Airways https://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_gb/

  • South African Airways Airlink https://www.flyairlink.com/

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