Manafiafy
Manafiafy is a small, intimate and luxurious lodge set amongst the trees overlooking a sheltered beach in south eastern Madagascar. The lodge has a private and peaceful setting, and the cove it sits on has arms at each side which keep the open ocean swell at bay.
Accommodation & Facilities
Manafiafy has just five large bungalows, one of which is family sized, built of local timbers, stone and thatch. Each room has glass windows which can be closed against the offshore winds or left open to give great ventilation. The en-suite rooms are beautifully furnished and come with interesting decorative pieces. The rooms have private sea facing decks with hammocks and sun loungers, a 24 hour solar electricity supply, a safe, and plug sockets.
The family bungalow has two bedrooms – each with its own bathroom. One room is a double with a large king sized bed and the other has three single beds. Each bed has a mosquito net. The rooms are connected by a sitting room. It is possible to add another single bed to the triple room. All of the ‘standard’ bungalows have an extra bed for children and if necessary an additional bed can be added so that these four bungalows can fit a double and up to two single beds for children.
The lodge has a lovely restaurant and bar, along with seating outside for meals and drinks. There is a small massage room, as well as a viewing tower for searching the waves for whales. There is no pool.
Eating & Sleeping
The chefs are very happy to cater for children at times to suit. On arrival parents are asked what their children would prefer and menus are tailored accordingly. Specific dietary requests can be accommodated with prior notice.
Several staff members are trained to care for children. Most often the guides will entertain the children while the parents are away on an activity or simply want to rest. The guides are all first aid trained.
Wildlife & Activities
Activities on offer at Manafiafy include day and night walks in the littoral forest to seek out the five resident species of lemur, boat trips into the local mangroves and river channels, kayaking, beach picnics, snorkelling, sea fishing, visits to local villages, and cultural excursions. Humpback whale watching is also excellent between June and mid-December, and can be arranged and paid for locally.
Specifically for children
• Take the Manafiafy Kids Trail to discover Madagascar’s unbelievable insects, crabs, plants and other creepy crawlies (none of which are dangerous to humans).
• Set up camera traps to discover the rainforest’s weird and wonderful nocturnal creatures.
• Humpback whale and dolphin spotting from the whale tower (mid-June to November).
• Take a trip in a traditional ‘pirogue’ (hand-carved wooden canoe) with local fishermen on the sheltered bay in front of the lodge.
• Learn traditional weaving and beadwork.
• Scavenger hunts in the lodge grounds.
• Smaller children can be looked after by a qualified caregiver who will entertain them with beach games (no swimming) while parents relax or get a massage (let the manager know a few hours in advance).
