In the years since we started Barefoot Breaks, we’ve been lucky enough to visit some spectacularly beautiful islands – but if there was one in particular that we would have to pick as our personal favourite, it would have to be the tiny island of Ile aux Nattes off the north-eastern coast of Madagascar. In fact, showing that we put our money where our mouth is, it’s the island where we choose to enjoy our annual family holiday every December!

The reasons for this favourite status are pretty easy to find to be honest. Of course, there are stunning white coral sand beaches fringed with lush palm trees and tropical forest; the warm and crystal-clear waters are perfect for swimming whilst an easy swim straight from the beach brings you to the fringing coral reef where you can enjoy happy hours of decent snorkelling. But those are found on loads of other islands too, so what elevates Ile aux Nattes above the rest?

What it really comes down to is the unmatched and very special charm of the place. There’s just enough development in the form of a few small beach lodges and beach bars/restaurants scattered around the island to keep intrepid tourists happy, without the island having come even close to being spoiled by the impacts of mass tourism. There are no roads and hence no cars, just sandy paths along which the villagers stroll or ride their bicycles – instead the main form of transport that you’ll see is the timeless sight of wooden dugout canoes or “pirogues” being poled silently around the island. There’s also no electricity, with lodges relying instead on generators and solar panels for power. The friendly and welcoming local islanders just add to the extremely relaxed and charming ambience that prevails.

The accommodation options on Ile aux Nattes are similarly relaxed and unassuming. The most luxurious option on the island has to be the 2 gorgeous Bijoux Villas – however, these are really best suited to a family or group of friends as they each boast 4 bedrooms en-suite. If you’re looking for something a bit simpler though, then Sambatra Beach Lodge is our choice as the best lodge option on the island.

Sambatra is the dream-become-reality of Vincent, a young and very welcoming and friendly South African guy, who moved over to build and run a lodge and live his tropical island dream. The result of his labours is a real delight! The 6 simple bungalows of Sambatra enjoy a stunning location literally a couple of steps from the soft white sands and crystal-clear waters of one of the best swimming beaches by far on the island’s west coast (along most of the rest of this stretch of coast, the water is too shallow and there’s also seaweed, making swimming tricky) The beach at Sambatra however is truly gorgeous, and with the bungalows nestled beneath a truly picturesque grove of palm trees, you truly do feel as though you’ve been lucky enough to stumble upon an unspoiled tropical paradise!

Whilst the 6 bungalows are certainly comfortable and neat, don’t get the wrong impression that they offer luxury or designer décor-magazine style touches (and at the very reasonable price you shouldn’t expect them to) and things like air-conditioning aren’t on offer either (remember the island has no electricity, just generators) Solidly constructed with loads of quite attractive raw cement surfaces on show, they also boast interesting features like shutters which open right down to floor level, offering welcoming breezes (if giving up some privacy when open) The bathrooms are similarly simple but clean with nice walk-in showers (with hot water – not always the case at other lodges on the island) Another quite unusual feature is that the very comfortable mattresses have been dropped into a solid cement base.

A stay at Sambatra is really not so much about the rooms though and more about the whole ambience of the place. Vincent, the young and infectiously enthusiastic owner, has created a really relaxed and chilled vibe at the lodge that will be especially welcomed by younger travellers. Meals are usually eaten at a communal table in the sand floored dining area, giving guests plenty of opportunity to socialise and chat about their travels and experiences. Perhaps our favourite spot though has to be the beach bar (it is literally right on the sand at the top of the beach) where the friendly barman Jackson will be happy to mix you an island cocktail whilst you chill out to music (or if you literally need to cool off, you can take the plunge into the clear waters literally 10 metres away!) Add in a family of lemurs that visit the lodge regularly, bonfires on the beach under the sensational night skies, easy snorkelling on the reef straight off the lodge’s beach, the chance to go on whale watching excursions (in the winter months) or a boat-trip to enjoy a picnic on the pristine sandbanks of Ilot Sables – a stay at Sambatra will offer up a wealth of truly unforgettable island memories!