Madagascar, Île Sainte Marie
SLEEPOVER: PRINCESS BORA LODGE
Luxury meets Robinson Crusoe simplicity
DEANNA MACDONALD
The Globe and Mail
December 12, 2007
If Robinson Crusoe designed a luxury hotel, the Princess Bora Lodge would be it. With 20 thatch-roofed villas scattered throughout a palm tree grove overlooking a cerulean lagoon, this eco-hotel is a mix of pure luxury and elegant simplicity. It offers all the indulgences and mod cons you would expect from a first-rate hotel while respecting and making the most of its amazing natural environment.
LOCATION Off the northeast coast of Madagascar, Île Sainte Marie (called Nosy Boraha in Malagasy) is about as romantically remote as you can get. Just 60 kilometres long and six kilometres wide, the island was once the Indian Ocean's pirate hideaway - the shipwreck of the infamous Captain Kidd was recently found just offshore. Covered with lush vegetation, encircled by white sand beaches and a year-round temperature ranging from 20 to 30 degrees, Île Ste-Marie fits easily into the "tropical paradise" category. The Princess Bora Lodge is on the west coast, one kilometre from the island's tiny airport, where hotel guests are greeted by a traditional cart pulled by two hump-backed zebu. A Range Rover is also available for the short ride.
DESIGN Owned by François-Xavier Mayer whose family has been on Île Ste-Marie since 1825, the lodge is designed as an eco-resort reflecting the island's culture. The 60-plus staff are mostly local and all buildings are inspired by traditional Malagasy architecture, using local stone and wood, all executed with a bit of French flare. The decor is an inventive update of Malagasy arts and crafts - from traditional pirogues transformed into light fixtures to sculptures of sea sirens dotting the grounds. The design blends simplicity - there are no radios or TVs - and sigh-inducing luxury, such as handmade ylang-ylang soaps and canopied rosewood beds overlooking the sea. The overall effect is a pleasing blend of understated style and sense of place.
AMBIENCE Low-key. Tropical. Paradise. Three words that sum up the Princess Bora Lodge's ambience. It is a bit of an anti-resort resort. The friendly staff is always there to make you a fresh ginger juice or plan an excursion around the island, but there is a pleasant feeling of being left to your own devices. The focus is on soaking in, at your own languorous pace, all the natural beauty the island has to offer. The villas are set out like little individual oasis with private verandas overlooking the ocean facing the setting sun. There is plenty to do, but many guests seem happy to spend much of their time just hanging out in their own little corner of the beach or on a lounger on the long wooden pontoon jutting out over the lagoon.
CLIENTELE Most guests are European, particularly from French-speaking countries (as a former French colony, Madagascar's second language is French). Given its low-key, romantic atmosphere, it is popular with couples and while many guests happily chat by the pool or over pre-dinner drinks, most eventually wander off for a candlelit meal or beach stroll à deux.
ROOMS All accommodations are next to the beach, surrounded by tropical trees and range from the cozy charm of the "Comfort Villas" to the full-on luxury of the "Executive Beach Villas." The former are inspired by the island's traditional round huts and feature hanging beds inside and inviting hammocks outside. The glass-fronted "Executive Beach Villas" have canopied beds looking out to sea, polished stone sinks and huge sunken bathtubs that would make Cleopatra sigh.
SERVICE Attentive and friendly. Guests are greeted with a welcome cocktail and a chatty explanation (which I heard in English, French, German and Italian) of all the activities and excursions available. These include whale-watching and massages on your villa veranda. Staff can always be found to help figure out a nice bike or kayak route or simply where to find the bar. French is the primary language of most staff, but many also have good English and are eager to practise it. Add a word or two in Malagasy and you will receive huge smiles.
FOOD AND DRINK With a French appreciation of good food and a plethora of local ingredients including fresh vanilla, langoustines and papayas, you can expect to eat well. Which was the case, except for dinner. The day starts with a delicious breakfast of fresh breads and croissants from the hotel's wood-fired oven, served in the open-air dining room. The lunch menu mixes local and international dishes - everything from oven-baked pizzas to Malagasy specialties such as romazava, zebu and fresh greens served over rice. However, dinner is a set menu with several choices and, after the exceptionally high quality of other meals, was surprisingly disappointing. Beautiful fresh ingredients were often lost under heavy old-fashioned sauces. As well, the careful preparation obvious in other meals was less evident at dinner - more than once I was served a lukewarm meal. Luckily the wine list is extensive, including local Madagascar wines.
THINGS TO DO Nap on the beach, swing in your hammock, read by the pool. Or if you are feeling energetic, there are numerous activities in water, on land and even in the sky. Kayaks, snorkelling equipment and bikes are available at any time (at no extra cost) and, in season, whale-watching excursions are included in the price of the room. The lodge is involved in the study and protection of humpback whales, which mate off Île Ste-Marie from June to September. The hotel organizes diving courses and expeditions to surrounding coral reefs to see exotic marine life and maybe even a pirate wreck. There are also motorcycle and four-wheel-drive excursions around the island that pass through villages of bamboo and palm huts. Also available are sightseeing flights above fields of vanilla, cloves and cinnamon in a small Cessna.
******
Hotel Vitals
TOP DRAW
A unique eco-resort that perfectly balances local culture, global style and natural luxury.
NEEDS WORK
Dinner. While breakfast and lunch were great, the evening meal was disappointing
ADDRESS
BP 13, 515 Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar; 261 (20) 570-4003; http://www.princessebora.com.
ROOMS AND RATES
From $148 to $208 a night a person, including breakfast and dinner.
Luxury meets Robinson Crusoe simplicity
DEANNA MACDONALD
The Globe and Mail
December 12, 2007
If Robinson Crusoe designed a luxury hotel, the Princess Bora Lodge would be it. With 20 thatch-roofed villas scattered throughout a palm tree grove overlooking a cerulean lagoon, this eco-hotel is a mix of pure luxury and elegant simplicity. It offers all the indulgences and mod cons you would expect from a first-rate hotel while respecting and making the most of its amazing natural environment.
LOCATION Off the northeast coast of Madagascar, Île Sainte Marie (called Nosy Boraha in Malagasy) is about as romantically remote as you can get. Just 60 kilometres long and six kilometres wide, the island was once the Indian Ocean's pirate hideaway - the shipwreck of the infamous Captain Kidd was recently found just offshore. Covered with lush vegetation, encircled by white sand beaches and a year-round temperature ranging from 20 to 30 degrees, Île Ste-Marie fits easily into the "tropical paradise" category. The Princess Bora Lodge is on the west coast, one kilometre from the island's tiny airport, where hotel guests are greeted by a traditional cart pulled by two hump-backed zebu. A Range Rover is also available for the short ride.
DESIGN Owned by François-Xavier Mayer whose family has been on Île Ste-Marie since 1825, the lodge is designed as an eco-resort reflecting the island's culture. The 60-plus staff are mostly local and all buildings are inspired by traditional Malagasy architecture, using local stone and wood, all executed with a bit of French flare. The decor is an inventive update of Malagasy arts and crafts - from traditional pirogues transformed into light fixtures to sculptures of sea sirens dotting the grounds. The design blends simplicity - there are no radios or TVs - and sigh-inducing luxury, such as handmade ylang-ylang soaps and canopied rosewood beds overlooking the sea. The overall effect is a pleasing blend of understated style and sense of place.
AMBIENCE Low-key. Tropical. Paradise. Three words that sum up the Princess Bora Lodge's ambience. It is a bit of an anti-resort resort. The friendly staff is always there to make you a fresh ginger juice or plan an excursion around the island, but there is a pleasant feeling of being left to your own devices. The focus is on soaking in, at your own languorous pace, all the natural beauty the island has to offer. The villas are set out like little individual oasis with private verandas overlooking the ocean facing the setting sun. There is plenty to do, but many guests seem happy to spend much of their time just hanging out in their own little corner of the beach or on a lounger on the long wooden pontoon jutting out over the lagoon.
CLIENTELE Most guests are European, particularly from French-speaking countries (as a former French colony, Madagascar's second language is French). Given its low-key, romantic atmosphere, it is popular with couples and while many guests happily chat by the pool or over pre-dinner drinks, most eventually wander off for a candlelit meal or beach stroll à deux.
ROOMS All accommodations are next to the beach, surrounded by tropical trees and range from the cozy charm of the "Comfort Villas" to the full-on luxury of the "Executive Beach Villas." The former are inspired by the island's traditional round huts and feature hanging beds inside and inviting hammocks outside. The glass-fronted "Executive Beach Villas" have canopied beds looking out to sea, polished stone sinks and huge sunken bathtubs that would make Cleopatra sigh.
SERVICE Attentive and friendly. Guests are greeted with a welcome cocktail and a chatty explanation (which I heard in English, French, German and Italian) of all the activities and excursions available. These include whale-watching and massages on your villa veranda. Staff can always be found to help figure out a nice bike or kayak route or simply where to find the bar. French is the primary language of most staff, but many also have good English and are eager to practise it. Add a word or two in Malagasy and you will receive huge smiles.
FOOD AND DRINK With a French appreciation of good food and a plethora of local ingredients including fresh vanilla, langoustines and papayas, you can expect to eat well. Which was the case, except for dinner. The day starts with a delicious breakfast of fresh breads and croissants from the hotel's wood-fired oven, served in the open-air dining room. The lunch menu mixes local and international dishes - everything from oven-baked pizzas to Malagasy specialties such as romazava, zebu and fresh greens served over rice. However, dinner is a set menu with several choices and, after the exceptionally high quality of other meals, was surprisingly disappointing. Beautiful fresh ingredients were often lost under heavy old-fashioned sauces. As well, the careful preparation obvious in other meals was less evident at dinner - more than once I was served a lukewarm meal. Luckily the wine list is extensive, including local Madagascar wines.
THINGS TO DO Nap on the beach, swing in your hammock, read by the pool. Or if you are feeling energetic, there are numerous activities in water, on land and even in the sky. Kayaks, snorkelling equipment and bikes are available at any time (at no extra cost) and, in season, whale-watching excursions are included in the price of the room. The lodge is involved in the study and protection of humpback whales, which mate off Île Ste-Marie from June to September. The hotel organizes diving courses and expeditions to surrounding coral reefs to see exotic marine life and maybe even a pirate wreck. There are also motorcycle and four-wheel-drive excursions around the island that pass through villages of bamboo and palm huts. Also available are sightseeing flights above fields of vanilla, cloves and cinnamon in a small Cessna.
******
Hotel Vitals
TOP DRAW
A unique eco-resort that perfectly balances local culture, global style and natural luxury.
NEEDS WORK
Dinner. While breakfast and lunch were great, the evening meal was disappointing
ADDRESS
BP 13, 515 Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar; 261 (20) 570-4003; http://www.princessebora.com.
ROOMS AND RATES
From $148 to $208 a night a person, including breakfast and dinner.
Comments
Post a Comment