Ankazoberavina is a tiny island paradise covered in dense tropical forest located a 1 hour speedboat trip from Nosy Be – here you can snorkel on pristine coral reefs, watch turtles lay their eggs on the sandy beach, and get a glimpse of the unique local wildlife for which Madagascar is so famous - including lemurs, chameleons and extremely rare Madagascan Fish Eagles – and which call this island home. Ankazoberavina (meaning in Malagasy the island of “big leaves”) is definitely not your standard luxury island resort holiday – instead it will appeal to travellers who really want to get away from the bright lights and crowds and enjoy a much simpler “back to nature” experience in pristine natural surroundings. In fact, when we visited the island it immediately reminded us in so many ways of another of our favourite eco- lodges, the famous Chumbe Island located off the coast of Zanzibar (only Ankazoberavina is a lot more reasonably priced!)

As you arrive by boat, you’ll have to look carefully to see the lodge’s 8 wooden bungalows peeping out from the covering fringe of the trees lining the sandy beach. The lodge lies at the foot of a hillside covered in luxuriant tropical forest with gorgeous Traveller’s Palms (the national symbol of Madagascar) prominent. This is not one of those air-brushed islands so beloved of glossy travel brochures that looks as though it has been raked, buffed and polished to within an inch of its life – instead the beach here is fringed with black volcanic rock formations and the sand littered with shells, pieces of coral and the odd footprints of fellow guests whilst simple coral pathways wind through the otherwise untouched forest. We enjoyed some great swimming here in the crystal clear water in front of the bungalows, but reef shoes are a must on account of the rocky bottom. If very low tides make the beach in front of the lodge unswimmable, the lodge can take guests by boat to nearby Antsoha island which boasts a superb white coral sand beach and where they’ll enjoy sensational swimming in the warm turquoise waters!

Whilst most guests will come here to Ankazoberavina to enjoy the peace, quiet and pristine beauty of the natural surroundings and will no doubt do their fair share of simply chilling out, that doesn’t mean however that there’s nothing to do here. The snorkelling around the island is especially good, particularly off the “black beaches” on the other side of the island where there are fantastic coral formations and prolific fish life – in fact one of our best memories of our trip was sitting at anchor here with our boat literally surrounded by clouds of colourful tropical fish! You may even be lucky enough to swim along with one of the many turtles that have flourished in the protected waters around the island! Ankazoberavina also has its own dive centre and the lodge’s friendly manager Max is a qualified dive instructor so keen scuba divers will no doubt be in their element here with some great dive sites in the surrounding area.

The lodge also has kayaks in which you can paddle yourself around the island or perhaps explore the mangrove inlet at high tide. Heading away from the protected waters around the island, there is excellent deep sea fishing where you can try to hook up to the wide range of game fish that the seas around Nosy Be are so famous for, perhaps a yellowfin tuna or mighty GT! There are also a range of fantastic excursions available from Ankazoberavina where you’ll head off by boat for the day accompanied by a delicious picnic lunch prepared by the chef – chief amongst these must be the trip to Nosy Tanikely and Nosy Komba (outstanding snorkelling and swimming with turtles at the former, shopping for crafts at a local market and lemur encounters at the latter); then there’s a fantastic trip to Nosy Iranja with its Gustav Eiffel designed lighthouse and the spectacular sand bar that appears at low tide connecting the 2 islands that together make up Nosy Iranja (this perhaps qualifies as THE most beautiful place we’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing!)

Back on Ankazoberavina after all of this busy-ness and activity, you can relax in the hammock on the deck of your bungalow and doze off to the sound of the waves lapping on the beach (the Standard Bungalows also boast a small upstairs mezzanine floor perfect for kids to sleep) It’s all very eco-conscious – for example there are no lights outside the bungalows as these could disorientate the turtles who regularly make their way up the sandy beach to lay their clutches of eggs; instead guests are given torches to light the path back to their rooms after dinner. Our choice would definitely be to pay the extra and opt for one of the Superior Bangalows which are newer, more spacious, light and airy and which also have nicer bathrooms versus the Standards. Or for something really different (and are brave and don't suffer from vertigo!!) then there's also a unique Treehouse Bungalow built on a platform in the heights of one of the trees overlooking the main beach!

Otherwise you can head off to enjoy a relaxing massage in the small massage hut overlooking the beach, or simply chill out on the large rosewood deck that surrounds the lodge’s bar/restaurant and library area – this lies in the welcome shade of some gorgeous badannier trees and is a great place to while away the hours with a good book! Later in the day, take your drink up the hill and enjoy a sundowner on the lookout deck perched at the top where you can gaze out upon the spectacular sunsets. After making your way down (keeping an eye out on the way for the resident lemurs) you’ll no doubt be ready for another tasty dinner (all of your meals are included at Ankazoberavina by the way) Obviously wonderfully fresh seafood is par for the course, but as you can imagine with the Italian ownership and clientele, you can also expect some delicious Italian influenced cuisine!