Madagascar,Lodge,Beach,Nosy Komba,Lemurs,Fishing,Diving

An exquisite lodge on the bougainvillea covered slopes of Nosy Komba a tiny island off the Northwest tip of Madagascar.

T

he tiny island of Nosy Komba (meaning ‘Lemur Island’) is only five kilometres across and lies next to Nosy Be, an hour’s flight from Antananarivo on mainland Madagascar. Tsara Komba is set on a steep hillside of bougainvillea, papaya and flame trees and the thatched bungalows perch above a beautiful beach and the glittering Indian Ocean beyond. Twenty minutes will carry you by speedboat from Hell City Airport on Nosy Be to the lodge and the utter tranquillity that the three bungalows afford to the lucky few.

Decks of polished timber under makuti thatch provide superb vistas from restaurant, bar and bungalows and to the call of the black lemur (accompanied by tree frog), hummingbirds flit around the place indicating that nature has completely embraced the lodge’s presence. The owners, Guy and Christian are discretion itself and, never intrusive, keep a watchful eye on all the details giving the impression that one is an honoured guest at a select houseparty.

When the two frenchmen moved their families here from Paris, they embarked upon a marathon four years of bureaucratic wranglings and logistical improbabilities which have left their unique mark of character on the lodge - as in a rite of passage - which other easier projects lack. The restaurant is superb, combining the best of Madagascan with French cuisine - fish with vanilla, pineapple carpaccio with rum liqueur and smoked swordfish - and as a lodge in which to relax and reflect on one’s Madagascan safari, Tsara Komba fits the bill perfectly.

Days are filled with snorkelling, scuba diving and island hopping, armed with picnics. Island walks are fascinating or one can visit the market, plantations or the perfume distillery. Enormous baobabs are home to the lemurs and in this magical paradise, where part of the charm exists in being caught off-guard every now and then, and there really is no shortage of thing to do - only, don’t sing whilst eating; it is illegal in Malagasy law!