Page 13 of Madagascar by Audley Travel

pirogue off ile ste marie la crique beach girl on ile sainte-marie ile sainte-marie ile sainte-marie is a sleepy island off madagascar s east coast ringed by deserted beaches with soft sand and palm trees traditional fishing villages and just a handful of small lodges the island is renowned for its seafood and is the best place on madagascar to eat crab if you are brave you can also sample the island tipple ­ coconut milk enlivened by a large measure of pastis ile sainte marie is about 60 kilometres long and 5 kilometres wide and has a colourful history through the 17th and 18th centuries it was a popular base for the indian ocean s pirates there is one town ambodifotatra with a couple of cafés a large church and a busy market numerous villages dotted around the island have bamboo huts fat ducks crossing the road and geese swimming in rainfilled potholes mango clove cinammon and breadfruit trees line the roads that never get far from beaches where pirogues are moored in the shallows if you cycle through the villages in the evening you smell the food being cooked hear music playing from the radios and under a tree in volihava village there is often a group of men playing boules ile sainte marie can be visited from april right through until december but is particularly rewarding from july to september when substantial groups of humpback whales come to breed and calve in the calm waters of the antongil bay the cloves are harvested in november and the mangos and lychees come into season in december only the months of january to march are marred by the cyclone season with all these enticing features just a short flight from tana it is surprising this island has remained so thoroughly unspoiled boraha village ile sainte marie boraha village is a small and friendly lodge located on a hilltop on the east coast of the island the thirteen bungalows have hammocks and ocean views and are well positioned to take advantage of the sea breeze the lodge is well known for its food and the crab is a speciality you can eat in the dining room or better still on the end of the jetty surrounded by the clear turquoise waters of the indian ocean princesse bora lodge princesse bora lodge ile sainte marie transfers to the princesse bora lodge are done by zebu-cart slow and relaxed ­ much like your stay here the lodge is situated in a grove of palm trees on the south-west side of the island the beach has white sand shelving into a sheltered lagoon and faces west ideal for spectacular sunsets accommodation is in fifteen villas with decks and hammocks there is an infinity pool and dining room serving good french and malagasy cuisine it is particularly pretty at night when lit by paraffin lanterns madagascar telephone 01993 838 585 boraha village 13

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