Miavana

Located on Nosy Ankao, an unspoiled island off the northeast coast of Madagascar, Miavana is a new ultra luxurious lodge. There are fourteen one, two and three bedroom villas strung along the western side of the island, stepping right onto the powder-soft sand and enjoying spectacular Indian Ocean sunsets. This is not simply an exquisite beach lodge on an untouched island, it offers all the adventures you'd expect on a safari, with wildlife, activities and adventures galore - something which truly sets it apart as a destination.

The island itself is surrounded by a pristine reef offering superb snorkeling and diving opportunities as well as turtle, whale and dolphin watching, fly-fishing, deep-sea fishing beyond the reef, helicopter flips and more. Of course, if you simply want to relax and enjoy the wild beauty of the island, you can stroll along the beach, lounge under a palm tree watching the world go by, or enjoy a bit of pampering with an in-villa spa treatment.

The villas are vast, with the smallest measuring more than 400m sq, each with indoor and outdoor living space and a deck to the front that steps straight onto the sand. The main lodge features a sweeping white rock wall which shields the indoor areas from the elements. Here you'll find a french garden, wine cellar dining areas, a "chamber of curiosities" filled with weird and wonderful items found on the island, from canon balls to lemur skeletons. To the front is a beautiful outdoor dining and bar area with swimming pool, set on the sand and surrounded by lush green vegetation.

Accessed by helicopter from Diego Suarez in the north of Madagascar, it is also possible to enjoy forest walks and lemur treks on the mainland as day trips. Owned by Time + Tide who operate the award-winning Chinzombo in Zambia's South Luangwa, we are confident that they will create a truly beautiful environment and offer the very best guiding possible. Miavana is not only an exciting development for Madagascar but the Indian Ocean as a whole.

Scuba diving, snorkeling right from the beach, fly-fishing, deep-sea fishing, turtle, whale and dolphin watching, helicopter flips and adventures on the mainland including lemur treks and forest walks. For those looking for a more sedate stay, there is a world-class spa offering an array of treatments.

Any time of year is fine for a visit and unlike other parts of northern Madagascar which often experience heavy rainfall and cyclones from January to March, these months are a good time of year to be on Miavana for fishing and the waters are clear for snorkeling. You can expect a bit of a breeze and the rainfall is usually overnight. If traveling around Madagascar, in general, the best time to travel to most areas is April and October/November with warm days and less chance of rainfall. The coolest time to travel anywhere is during the dry season (May to October). Average maximum temperatures average around 30°C in coastal areas (higher in summer).