Voaara Madagascar in Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar

I’d simply been scooped up from the airstrip of Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar, when a pirate ship halted site visitors. A ship switch alongside the coast would have been a speedier strategy to arrive at Voaara Madagascar. Nonetheless, I hoped to get a glimpse of native life earlier than hunkering down on the island’s distant northern shore—however nothing might have ready me for the spectacle on the streets of Ambodifotatra. Dozens of eye-patched locals waving cranium and cross-bone flags paraded previous our Jeep as galleon-shaped floats adopted. Le Pageant des Pirates is an annual celebration of Sainte-Marie’s swashbuckling previous and we’d pushed straight into the center of the festivities.

Within the seventeenth and 18th centuries, Sainte-Marie was a well-liked base for pirates who plundered the Indian Ocean, my driver defined as we made our well beyond the cemetery the place Captain Kidd lies buried. However because the 2024 opening of Voaara, the island is quietly forging a brand new id as a laidback escape for vacationers trying to find the subsequent Seychelles or Mauritius. Because the street twisted additional north, we left behind the bars and eating places and drove via sleepy villages. An extended stretch of empty, palm and ylang-ylang-fringed coast finally deposited us in entrance of an indication that learn, “Final Cease Earlier than Paradise.”

Philippe Kjellgren, Voaara’s founder and proprietor, welcomed me with a freshly shucked coconut and instructed me to kick off my sneakers. “That is barefoot luxurious,” he mentioned with a wink.

Kjellgren then led me down a sandy path to my room, a bungalow steps from the seashore. The solar was simply beginning to set, and he inspired me to take a dip within the sea. Floating within the heat, tranquil waters, I regarded again to see a lone fisherman strolling together with his day’s catch alongside the shore.

After a rinse within the out of doors bathe, I adopted the glow of twinkling white lights and the gentle beat of home music alongside the sand to Franco’s, Voaara’s seashore bar. Named after the resident barman, Franco combined up his signature piña colada for me, made with recent pineapple juice, coconut milk, and native rum. Dinner was a non-public, toes-in-the-sand affair beneath the celebrities that includes ceviche, gazpacho with Iberico ham, fried rice, and cauliflower with mojo verde sauce.

The resort fronts a picturesque curve of pearly white sand, however you’ll be able to proceed in both route alongside the jungle-hugged shores for greater than an hour—the property encompasses round 100 acres of land. I relished my morning ritual at Voaara: a stroll at daybreak so I might catch the sky’s first blush, then a paddleboard session whereas the waters had been nonetheless glassy sufficient to identify colourful coral, fish, and the occasional turtle.

Kjellegren, a cofounder of the Kiwi Assortment (a web based luxurious lodge reserving platform), drew on his favourite touches from some 2,000 lodges he’s visited throughout his profession to create Voaara’s whimsical experiences. “It’s not for everybody,” he mentioned.

Nevertheless it was definitely for me. That is what it is like to remain at Voaara Madagascar.

The Rooms

The time period “barefoot luxurious” will get tossed round lots, however Voaara strips it again to its true essence. The final word Robinson Crusoe-esque retreat, there are simply seven bungalows and a three-bedroom villa, which is nestled on a patch of grass only a few steps from the seashore; it additionally has a non-public pool. Pure supplies, comparable to poured concrete flooring, thatched roofs, and driftwood beams sourced from close by seashores, completely complement the tropical setting. Interiors characteristic locally-made customized wooden furnishings and funky raffia lights. All the lodging have solar beds on the seashore, and you may order room service to be able to take pleasure in breakfast in your patio or on the seashore.

As for facilities, you’ll be able to count on Marshall Bluetooth audio system, Nespresso espresso machines, big prints by Madagascan photographer Pierrot Males, and Dyson Supersonic hair dryers (although I most well-liked to let the ocean breeze dry my locks). And in case you like the trendy seashore luggage and hats which might be in every bungalow, you should purchase one from the well-curated reward store. Loos are open to the weather with rainfall showers and double granite basins, and a few items even have soaking tubs shaded by lush foliage.

For those who’re touring with kids, go for one of many two-bedroom bungalows or the villa, which gives additional room. Nonetheless, whichever choice you select to remain in, you’ll be lulled asleep by a soundtrack of palm fronds rustling within the breeze and the light rumble of waves lapping the seashore.

Meals and Drink

Regardless of being such an intimate keep, Voaara presents a outstanding quantity of selection in terms of eating. Spanish chef Aleixandre Sarrion masterminded the meals and beverage program on the lodge and Malagasy chef Jean Notia Vincent has executed his menus flawlessly. The recent, flavorful dishes are precisely the kind of meals you’d need to eat on the seashore.

Select to dine beneath the hovering, thatched roof of signature restaurant, Le Plage by Sarrion, or on the patio along with your toes within the sand. The all-day menu fuses Mediterranean and Asian flavors, highlighting Malagasy elements (suppose big trevally served with XO sauce). Reservations-only Le Grill has only a handful of tables on the seashore set beside an asado the place fresh-caught seafood is cooked over coconut husks and served with sides recent from the backyard. Don’t skip the lobster.

Because the solar begins to set, visitors collect at Franco’s—his piña colada is famous. Along with the primary eating venues, the lodge additionally hosts sushi dinners on the Chook’s Nest, and you may order wooden oven-fired pizzas served on the out of doors cinema. However, in case you do not feel like heading out, you’ll be able to take any meal out of your bungalow, or the employees can prepare an oceanfront meal round a hearth pit.

Actions and Facilities

Don’t be fooled by Voaara’s fly-and-flop picture. Sure, one might simply spend a day studying a guide beneath the shade of a palm tree right here, however the resort encourages visitors to get out and discover.

Layne, the resident marine biologist and free diver, can take you snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, spearfishing, and even on a whale-watching tour from June to September. Sooner or later throughout my journey, I joined Layne to spearfish, and we caught an enormous mackerel that was later changed into a sashimi lunch. And if you wish to learn to dangle ten, in-house prosurfer Willow Hardy can train you the fundamentals of browsing or foiling. For those who’re extra skilled, she will take you to a “secret” break that is a 45-minute boat journey away.

For those who would favor to remain on land, Voaara has quad bike excursions, hikes, and lemur recognizing day journeys to close by Kong Island. However regardless of the way you select to spend your time, days right here typically finish with massages within the oceanfront spa cabins or by indulging at any of Voaara’s eating venues.

The Spa

Two Indonesian-inspired, open-front thatched cabins on the far finish of the seashore at the moment function non permanent therapy rooms. As a substitute of an in depth menu, visitors make a easy selection between a Swedish or enjoyable therapeutic massage that includes Anoka Botanic oils made proper on Sainte-Marie. Throughout my therapy, the therapeutic massage therapists intuitively utilized simply the correct amount of strain that my muscle mass wanted. Plans are within the works to construct an expansive spa complicated, full with a lap pool, steam room, sauna, and gymnasium. Ultimately, there’ll even be a “spa safari,” which can present cellular therapies across the property.

Household-friendly Choices

At first look, one would possibly suppose Voaara is a romantic, adults-only retreat. However children are welcome, and choices are exceptionally family-friendly. Households can bond over kayak and paddleboard outings, volleyball matches on the sand, in addition to pizza and film nights on the out of doors cinema. The ocean waters are calm and are protected for swimming and snorkeling, too. There are plans to finish an on-site Children Membership by 2025.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Though the lodging at Voaara are at floor stage, they don’t have accessible options and will not be ADA-compliant. Moreover, visitors with mobility points would possibly discover the gentle, sandy paths that join the property difficult to navigate.

As for sustainability, Kjellgren fastidiously thought of neighborhood and environmental influence when developing Voaara. The property runs on solar energy and was constructed primarily utilizing native supplies, comparable to driftwood sourced from close by seashores. A small kitchen backyard and enormous nursery provides elements for the eating places, and also you typically see the chef shopping for fish from native fishermen proper on the seashore.

Location

Madagascar is less complicated to achieve than one may think. The capital, Antananarivo, is linked to main cities comparable to Paris, Dubai, Istanbul, and Johannesburg by way of direct flights via Ivato Worldwide Airport (TNR).

Île Sainte-Marie is a one-hour flight from Antananarivo. You could possibly take a Madagascar Airways flight or you would splurge on one in all Voaara’s charters, which runs 3 times per week. After you arrive in Sainte-Marie, you may have to take a 90-minute automobile journey or an hour-long boat journey alongside the coast to achieve Voaara. For the very best of each worlds, I recommend arriving by way of automobile so you’ll be able to take within the native village life after which return by boat.

Nonetheless, when you’re on the property, you don’t want a automobile. If you wish to get out and discover the remainder of the island, Voaara’s employees can prepare a Jeep and driver.

How you can Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

Voaara Madagascar isn’t part of any lodge loyalty or luxurious journey bank card applications.