Miavana Time + Tide
Time + Tide Miavana is a magnificent resort on Nosy Ankao, a private tropical island in the north east of Madagascar. Surrounded by sparkling turquoise waters, the island is one of five forming a small archipelago in a protected marine and wildlife area extending to about 15,000 hectares. Children of all ages are welcome with prior arrangements.
Accommodation & Facilities
Time + Tide Miavana has 14 villas with private beachfront positions, each giving guests wonderful views of the ocean and direct access to the beach and the sea. There is a mix of one, two and three bedrooms in the villas, to suit couples or families. The maximum capacity in the three bedroom villa is six adults and two additional children’s beds can be added in the study. The villas are huge, open and beautifully designed with a fresh contemporary style. They all have an en-suite bathroom for each bedroom, a large lounge, a study which can become a children’s bedroom, a private deck with a child friendly pool, and a small kitchen. Every villa has its own electric buggy and beach cruiser bicycles for getting around the island. The Piazza, or Village, at the heart of the resort has a variety of private places to eat including a wine cellar, an Italian style grotto, and a beachfront pizzeria. There is an airy lounge, a rooftop lounge and beachfront bar, a large infinity pool with child friendly sloping steps, a museum of Malagasy curiosities, and a small shop. Both the villa plunge pools and the main infinity pool are great places for kids to swim. There is no lifeguard so parents must closely watch their children at all times.
Eating & Sleeping
The culinary team are happy to provide children’s meals at times to suit and work with any dietary restrictions or preferences that the children may have. Specific dietary requests can be accommodated with prior notice. With advance warning a babysitting service can be provided by one of the female camp staff. If required this should be arranged at the time of booking and costs $30 per hour.
Wildlife & Activities
The marine and terrestrial wildlife at Time + Tide Miavana is prolific. The activities on offer include lemur tracking on the mainland, snorkelling and diving on numerous reefs close the shore or further afield, and boat trips for seasonal whale, dolphin and manta ray watching. Depending on the time of year, guests might see turtles nesting or hatching, tern colonies, or some of the hundreds of endemic bird species on guided walks on the island and the mainland. For the active, this is a good setting for kite surfing, sea kayaking, and paddle boarding. Between October and May, Miavana has good salt water fly fishing on the extensive flats around the archipelago, and fishing from a boat is also best at this time of year. Scenic helicopter flights over the ocean or the mainland can also be arranged.
Specifically for children …
Many of the activities are child friendly. These include:
• Nature walks.
• Scenic helicopter flights.
• Fishing.
• Wildlife focused excursions (visits to the tern colony, watching the sea turtles hatching, etc).
• Snorkelling.
• Visiting the Cabinet des Curiosities (a museum showcasing cultural and natural artefacts located in the main village).
• Guided birdwatching.
• Visiting the historical lighthouse on Nosy Ankao.
Time + Tide Miavana also offer two introductory diving experiences for children:
• PADI Discover Scuba Diving: A closely guided introduction to diving for guests 10 years and over looking to make their first foray into the underwater world. Max depth 12m.
• Bubble Maker: Children 8-9 years old can don full scuba gear and jump in to explore our house reef while very closely supervised by one of our PADI instructors. Max depth of 2m.
Full scuba diving excursions are restricted to those 12 years and over who already have their diving certifications. Some certification courses are available for completion at Time + Tide Miavana, but guests must be over 12 and complete the knowledge portion of the certification prior to arrival on the island. A wide selection of child-sized life jackets, snorkels, flippers, wet suits, etc is available.