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 solution 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 may 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 Festival des Pirates is an annual celebration of Sainte-Marie’s swashbuckling previous and we’d pushed straight into the guts 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 for the reason that 2024 opening of Voaara, the island is quietly forging a brand new id as a laidback escape for vacationers trying to find the following Seychelles or Mauritius. Because the highway twisted additional north, we left behind the bars and eating places and drove by means of sleepy villages. A protracted 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 seaside. 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 appeared again to see a lone fisherman strolling along 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 delicate beat of home music alongside the sand to Franco’s, Voaara’s seaside bar. Named after the resident barman, Franco blended 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 below 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 possibly can 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 may 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 (an internet luxurious resort reserving platform), drew on his favourite touches from some 2,000 accommodations he’s visited throughout his profession to create Voaara’s whimsical experiences. “It’s not for everybody,” he mentioned.

However 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 quite a bit, however Voaara strips it again to its true essence. The last word Robinson Crusoe-esque retreat, there are simply seven bungalows and a three-bedroom villa, which is nestled on a patch of grass just some steps from the seaside; it additionally has a non-public pool. Pure supplies, akin 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. The entire lodging have solar beds on the seaside, and you may order room service with the intention to get pleasure from breakfast in your patio or on the seaside.

As for facilities, you possibly can count on Marshall Bluetooth audio system, Nespresso espresso machines, enormous 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 fashionable seaside luggage and hats which can be in every bungalow, you should buy one from the well-curated reward store. Bogs are open to the weather with rainfall showers and double granite basins, and a few items even have soaking tubs shaded by lush foliage.

Should you’re touring with kids, go for one of many two-bedroom bungalows or the villa, which offers additional room. Nevertheless, whichever possibility you select to remain in, you’ll be lulled asleep by a soundtrack of palm fronds rustling within the breeze and the mild rumble of waves lapping the seaside.

Meals and Drink

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

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 substances (assume big trevally served with XO sauce). Reservations-only Le Grill has only a handful of tables on the seaside 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, friends collect at Franco’s—his piña colada is famous. Along with the principle eating venues, the resort additionally hosts sushi dinners on the Fowl’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 possibly can take any meal out of your bungalow, or the workers can prepare an oceanfront meal round a fireplace pit.

Actions and Facilities

Don’t be fooled by Voaara’s fly-and-flop picture. Sure, one may simply spend a day studying a e-book beneath the shade of a palm tree right here, however the resort encourages friends 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. At some point throughout my journey, I joined Layne to spearfish, and we caught a large mackerel that was later was a sashimi lunch. And if you wish to learn to hold ten, in-house prosurfer Willow Hardy can educate you the fundamentals of browsing or foiling. Should you’re extra skilled, she will be able to take you to a «secret» break that is a 45-minute boat trip 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 irrespective of the way you select to spend your time, days right here usually 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 seaside at present function non permanent therapy rooms. As an alternative of an in depth menu, friends make a easy selection between a Swedish or stress-free 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 stress that my muscle tissue wanted. Plans are within the works to construct an expansive spa complicated, full with a lap pool, steam room, sauna, and gymnasium. Finally, there’ll even be a «spa safari,» which is able to present cellular therapies across the property.

Household-friendly Choices

At first look, one would possibly assume Voaara is a romantic, adults-only retreat. However youngsters 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 are usually not ADA-compliant. Moreover, friends with mobility points would possibly discover the delicate, sandy paths that join the property difficult to navigate.

As for sustainability, Kjellgren rigorously thought-about group and environmental impression when establishing Voaara. The property runs on solar energy and was constructed primarily utilizing native supplies, akin to driftwood sourced from close by seashores. A small kitchen backyard and huge nursery provides substances for the eating places, and also you usually see the chef shopping for fish from native fishermen proper on the seaside.

Location

Madagascar is simpler to succeed in than one may think. The capital, Antananarivo, is linked to main cities akin to Paris, Dubai, Istanbul, and Johannesburg by way of direct flights by means of Ivato Worldwide Airport (TNR).

Île Sainte-Marie is a one-hour flight from Antananarivo. You might take a Madagascar Airways flight or you can splurge on one in every of Voaara’s charters, which runs thrice per week. After you arrive in Sainte-Marie, you will must take a 90-minute automobile trip or an hour-long boat journey alongside the coast to succeed in Voaara. For the most effective of each worlds, I counsel arriving by way of automobile so you possibly can take within the native village life after which return by boat.

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

The best way to Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

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