Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Nosy Iranja is a popular sailing day trip from Nosy Be (Ar130,000; check tour operators
in Nosy Be,
Click here
)
; the excursion generally includes snorkelling, swimming and a
good lunch on board the boat.
Hôtel Nosy Iranja
( 033 37 111 50;
www.iranjalodge.co.za
; bungalows full board
€400; ), on Nosy Iranja Be, has chic bungalows with decks, hammocks and loungers.
Inside, a four-poster bed and a wood-and-stone bathroom await. An array of excursions can
be arranged. There's a three-night minimum stay (book in advance). Transfer is from Nosy
Be or Ankify.
EDEN LODGE, MAINLAND PARADISE
On a remote peninsula of the mainland only accessible by boat,
Eden Lodge
(
034 86 931 19;
www.edenlodge.net
; Anjanojano; d full board €460; ) is
everyone's desert island fantasy.
Designed to minimise its impact on the environment, the lodge effortlessly
blends with the surroundings: lemurs roam the garden, birds nest in the baobabs
at the back of the dining hut and resident green turtles lay their eggs on the
beach in front of the tents. Seeing these marine giants labour over their nests or
witnessing the eggs hatching is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The eight luxury tents, inspired by East Africa's famous tented camps, are
equipped with beautiful mahogany beds, colourful fabrics, and, wait for it,
private massage cabins. Meals are served in the atmospheric communal thatched
dining room-lounge (complete with fairy lights in the evenings); the menu
changes daily and makes the best of the hotel's vegetable garden and the abund-
ant seafood.
There is plenty to do around the lodge: snorkelling off the beach is a must,
sailing, canoeing and windsurfing (with or without a guide). The resident guide
can also take you on walks around the peninsula and of course, the lodge can or-
ganise excursions to Nosy Be and other islands. Sociable types shouldn't miss
the opportunity of a game of soccer with local villagers on the bumpy pitch, or
try a game of
pétanque
: a word of warning, the locals are
very
good!
The lodge is powered by solar energy and the staff only use organic cleaning
products. Transfer to Eden Lodge (40 minutes) is by boat from Nosy Be or Ank-
ify.
