Summary
Welcome to Miavana
Welcome to Miavana, a resort on the little-known Indian Ocean island of Nosy Ankao, off the coast of Madagascar.
Arrival and First Impressions
Three minutes. That’s all it took to spot my first chameleon after landing on Nosy Ankao, a palm-tufted island just off the coast of northern Madagascar. I was giddy with excitement, but the striped lizard, about the size of a coke can, didn’t flinch. He threw me a look with his lens-like eye and carried on with his slow, jerky walk across the concrete path.
Along with the ylang ylang–scented cold towel and giant coconut I received after disembarking the helicopter that picked me up from Nosy Be airport, I couldn’t have asked for a better welcome to Miavana. One of the most illustrious island resorts in the Indian Ocean, Miavana opened in 2017. It’s backed by French-Mauritian financier Thierry Dalais, who also invested in the equally fabled North Island resort in the Seychelles. It’s a high-flyer hideaway for the elite; a discrete and ultra-private retreat where you could have the likes of Martha Stewart or Tom Cruise as your neighbor and not even know.
Luxurious Accommodation
In my career as a travel journalist, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit some of the dreamiest resorts globally, but even before my arrival at Miavana, I knew I was in for a unique experience. Nosy Ankao, the resort’s coral-fringed island base, which it shares with a small village of thatch-roofed huts and a dozen-or-so lemurs, is notoriously hard to reach. That’s part of Miavana’s appeal. After the long flight to Nosy Be, requiring at least one stopover for travelers flying commercially, all guests must cross the northern tip of Madagascar on a one-hour helicopter flight aboard a four-seat Robinson R66 helicopter painted in the resort’s signature turquoise hue.
However, what awaited was well worth the journey: mile after footprint-free mile of sugar-white beach, shared between just 14 accommodations. Miavana calls them “villas,” but that seems like an understatement: with their cavernous living areas, separate lounge rooms, two breezy bathrooms, and an outdoor shower, even the entry-level villas resemble mini-estates. My villa, a two-bedroom retreat, came with a detached fully fitted villa that would have been a top-category stay in many beach resorts; here, it was just the second bedroom.
Regardless of their category, all villas open to sprawling private gardens dotted with multiple sunbeds and Breton-striped bean bags around an ellipse-shaped pool. Their interiors, designed by South African architecture power-couple Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens, deliver a breezy mix of wickerwork, local limestone, and mid-century modern furniture accented with nautical touches such as copper porthole windows and fist-sized seashells.
Therefore, with such a vast amount of private space and more pillow-strewn lounge nooks than I could count, it was dangerously easy to slip into beachy bliss. From the sun chairs on my villa’s deck, I could stare for hours at the turquoise horizon, watching whip-quick birds chase flies in the jungle fringe and geckos basking in the sun. Between dips in my private pool and the gin-clear ocean out front, I’d challenge my Kindle’s batteries reading up on the fascinating history of the African island that laid on the horizon. My butler was just a WhatsApp-message away to deliver fresh pineapple juice, iced lattes, or a full-fledged in-room brunch or dinner with everything from Malagasy vanilla crepes to cheese platters to smoothie bowls topped with local cocoa nibs. I could have easily spent my midweek stay here without leaving my villa at all.
Exploration of Nosy Ankao
I, however, was eager to explore more of the island and its surroundings. As one of the most biodiverse regions globally, Madagascar is home to numerous species of lemurs, reptiles, and plants that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. During a guided jungle walk around the island, I spotted several more chameleons, dozens of geckos, and orchid species that are unique to this part of the country. The underwater landscapes were just as captivating: while snorkeling around a nearby reef, a kaleidoscopic collection of clownfish, parrotfish, and even a lone green turtle slid down below me in a coral forest that has, so far, escaped major bleaching events. If I had a bigger budget, Miavana’s helicopter safaris could take me to other corners of the mainland, where the team can set up picnics in little-visited baobab forests or organize treks to find rare black lemur species with an expert guide.
Dining Experience
Back at the resort, the Piazza, Miavana’s beachfront gathering spot, provided even more reasons to leave my villa. It features the communal pool – a sweeping white number lined with loungers and gauzy curtains billowing in the wind – and a small museum filled with taxidermied insects and bones from now-extinct local animal species (including the Malagasy pygmy hippopotamus and elephant bird eggs). The restaurant, too, is located here, and during my five-day stay, I didn’t see the same dish on the menu twice. One afternoon, I ordered a table-spanning spread of Malagasy curries and grilled fish for lunch and a perfectly cheesy pizza margherita for dinner. On another day, I could choose between short rib ramen, mezze platters, or tandoor-roasted cauliflower, but was told that the chefs were always happy to go off-menu. Blinis and caviar or a perfectly done beef Wellington? I could name it, and they’d prepare it—even if I had specific requests, such as wanting a particular brand of soy sauce on my sushi.
Is It Worth the Cost?
All this, of course, comes at a price. With a room rate starting at about $3,400 per person per night, Miavana’s price tag makes many five-star hotels look like a bargain. It’s among the most expensive resorts globally, but the rate includes plenty of perks: all meals and drinks, top-shelf spirits, and many premium wines. Guests also don’t have to pay extra for scuba dives, boat cruises around the archipelago, or guided island excursions.
Nevertheless, it’s hard to put a price on a place this unique. “What makes Miavana unbeatable is its proximity to some of the Earth’s most precious wildlife,” says Bjorn Behlert, senior travel consultant for Africa at luxury tour operator Scott Dunn, who regularly books clients here. “From the tops of baobab trees to deep in the coral reefs, there are surprises everywhere. Its magnificent biodiversity coupled with a truly unique luxury experience is one of the many reasons guests choose—and often return to—this remote island resort.”
Scott Dunn customizes luxury travel packages, offering a five-night stay at Miavana, including helicopter transfers, all meals, top-shelf spirits and bar drinks, a variety of water activities, boat cruises, fishing trips, spa treatments, and a round-trip business-class flight from New York. It starts at $36,900 per person.
