Ile Sainte MarieIle Sainte Marie is a sleepy island off Madagascar'snortheast coast, ringed by deserted beaches with soft sand and palm trees, traditional fishingvillages, and just a handful of small lodges. Theisland is renowned for its seafood and is the bestplace in Madagascar to eat crab. If you are braveyou can also sample the island tipple - coconutmilk enlivened by a large measure of Pastis.Ile Sainte Marie is about 60 kilometres long andfive kilometres wide and has a colourful history:through the 17th and 18th centuries it was apopular base for the Indian Ocean's pirates. It hasjust one town, Ambodifotatra, with a couple ofcafés, a large church and a busy market.Numerous villages dotted around the island havebamboo huts, fat ducks crossing the road andgeese swimming in rainfilled potholes. Mango,clove, cinammon and breadfruit trees line roadsthat are never far from the beach. If you cyclethrough the villages in the evening, you will smellthe food being cooked, hear music playing fromthe radios, and there is often a group of menplaying boules under a tree in Volihava village.Ile Sainte Marie can be visited from April rightthrough until December, but is particularlyrewarding from July to September when groupsof humpback whales come to breed and calve inthe calm waters of the Indian Ocean. The clovesare harvested in November and the mangos andlitchis come into season in December: only themonths of January to March are marred by thecyclone season. With all these enticing featuresjust a short flight from Antananarivo, it issurprising that this island has remained sothoroughly unspoiled.PRINCESSEBORALODGE, ILESAINTEMARIEPrincesse Bora Lodge is situated in a grove ofpalm trees on the south-west side of the island.The beach has white sand shelving into asheltered lagoon and faces west, ideal forspectacular sunsets. Accommodation is in 20 villaswith decks and hammocks, there is an infinitypool and a dining room serving good French andMalagasy cuisine. The lodge is particularly pretty at night when it is lit by paraffin lanterns.BORAHAVILLAS, ILESAINTEMARIEBoraha Villas is a small lodge located on a hilltopon the east coast of the island. The 13 bungalowshave hammocks and ocean views. The lodge iswell known for its food and the crab is aspeciality. You can eat in the dining room or,better still, on the end of the jetty, surrounded bythe clear turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. www.audleytravel.com/madagascar ?01993 838 585 ?Madagascar123A villa at Princesse Bora LodgeLa Crique Beach, Ile Ste MarieThe jetty at Boraha VillasBoraha Villas

There are two diurnal lemur species, thecommon brown lemur and Coquerel's sifaka,both of which are easily seen. Nocturnal speciesinclude sportive and mouse lemurs. A stay at Anjajavy is as much about the coast asthe forest. Boat trips explore the mysteriousislands of Moramba Bay, where there are sacredbaobab trees and Sakalava tombs tucked high incaves and on ledges in the limestone cliffs.Running the length of the reserve is a series ofsmall coves, each one more beautiful than thelast. Paths lead from one to the other meaningthat you can take a picnic and your snorkellingequipment and spend an afternoon on your own private beach.ANJAJAVYL'HÔTEL, ANJAJAVYPRIVATENATURERESERVEAnjajavy is set in extensive tropical gardens,backed by thick forest and looking out over theturquoise waters of the Mozambique Channel.There are 25 air-conditioned rosewood villas, allof which face the sea and are a step away fromthe beach. Early in the morning, Madagascarlovebirds, red fodys and Madagascar wagtails flitabout the gardens. In the afternoons, groups ofbrown lemurs and Coquerel's sifakas leap throughthe trees to the forest behind. The atmosphere iswarm and relaxed at Anjajavy and it is a perfectplace to lounge by the pool, explore idyllicbeaches and savour the excellent food, especiallythe freshly-baked pastries. There are also plentyof active options, including walks in the forest,village visits, boat trips in the mangroves, sailing,snorkelling, and kayaking. We recommend thatyou stay for at least five days to really explore this remote and idyllic area.Anjajavy Private Nature ReserveWith an idyllically remote location onMadagascar's northwest coast, Anjajavy is reachedonly by air. Flying towards the airstrip you passthick forest that stops abruptly at the sea, shadingwhite sand coves separated by limestoneheadlands. A handful of dhows and pirogues bobin the water and in small clearings you see thethatched huts of the Sakalava fishing villages. The Anjajavy Private Nature Reserve covers anarea of 450 hectares and is predominantly drydeciduous forest. There are over 1,800 floralspecies to be found here, most endemic andseveral medicinal. Wildlife is prolific and a walkthrough the forest reveals chameleons, frogs and spore of bush-pigs and the elusive fossa.124Pirogue offshore from AnjajavyThe pool at Anjajavy L'HôtelA rosewood chalet at Anjajavy L'HôtelSifaka