Best hotels in Madagascar

Lying 150 kilometres from Antananarivo, Vakona Forest Lodge is a comfortable eco-lodge sitting on a hillside above a lake and surrounded by palms and brilliant bougainvillea. Twenty-eight bungalows are scattered between the trees. Just one kilometre away is Andasibe National Park, its rainforest alive with lemurs, indri (the largest lemur species), birds, insects and other subtropical creatures. If you're looking for high style, Vakona may not fit your idea of a subtropical holiday, but if you're serious about flora and fauna, you'll be more than happy with the accommodation, the meals and the chance to see lemurs, lots of them.

It's a short hop by boat or helicopter from the Madagascar mainland to lovely Nosy Be island and its award-winning Constance Tsarabanjina Lodge. The retreat, although pricey, is worth every cent. The atmosphere is laid-back and barefoot-chic, the bungalows are elegantly comfortable, the food is out of this world. But the prime attraction, of course, is the powdery beach-fringed tropical ocean. After feasting on the freshest of fish and island specialities in the sand-floored restaurant, head to your hammock for a gentle snooze. If beach holidays are your thing, you'll have trouble finding a better spot. See you there!

If you rate rugged adventure above glamour, then Inharana Bush Camp is just the place for you. Reached via a rough dirt road, it lies 16 kilometres from the small town of Ambilobe in Madagascar's remote north, near the Mahahavy River and the Ankarana Reserve. The camp overlooks a clear lake backed by cliffs of unusual limestone formations called tsingies. It's an eco-camp, with a commitment to sustaining the environment. The accommodation is simply comfortable, the staff are friendly and the food is good. And you can get a good massage!

A glamorous yet homely boutique lodge, Sainte Marie Lodge is operated by its charming owners Bertrand and Catherine Dunod, in whose competent care you're ensured a holiday extraordinaire. The lodge reflects its owners' welcome, with its wide frontage and veranda opening to a tropical garden (admire the blood-red blooms and heady frangipani), a pool and the deepest blue ocean imaginable. Whales arrive to breed between July and September, bringing with them tourists keen to witness the spectacle. But the lodge is a special place to visit all year – a balm for your soul.

On the northwest coast of Madagascar, the 750-hectare Anjajavy Reserve is brimming with flora and fauna, including lemurs and a bay filled with extraordinary tsingy coral. Hotel Anjajavy lies on the edge of the reserve, a delightful series of chalets between the lush mangroves and seashore. The 15-year-old hotel has grown to blend perfectly with its natural surrounds and continues to strive for a symbiotic relationship between ecological and social sustainability, and luxury tourism. The hotel can only be reached by charter flight, but if it means you will be having your tea with the lemurs, how could you not?

Colonial romance meets contemporary design here at Maison Gallieni, a boutique hotel perched high on a hill overlooking Madagascar's hectic capital city. Below lies the urban fray, and other, larger hotel competition. Built in 1879 on an old granite quarry, Maison Gallieni was once the headquarters of the country's first bank. Today, the orange-brick structure houses the Consul of Monaco (basically, you're staying in the ambassador's house). While Tana often feels busy and bewildering, Maison Gallieni offers a very different take. We like the building's simple interiors, the four gorgeous bedrooms, the fine-dining cuisine (of course!), and the peace.

The Lac Hotel is a small resort on the shores of Lake Sahambavy in Madagascar’s lush central region. Rustic, thatched bungalows are scattered along the water's edge - simple but comfortable - and the lakeshore setting is lovely. It overlooks the only tea plantation in Madagascar, and is on the railway line which links the north and south. Don’t let this put you off, as the trains go by very infrequently. However, it does have the advantage of providing an alternative means of reaching the hotel, as the roads in this part of the island are notoriously bumpy!

Madagascar is an extraordinarily picturesque country with tropical forests, white sandy beaches, giant baobabs, sandstone canyons. The forth largest island in the world possesses a habitat with truly idiosyncratic biodiversity - ninety percent of its wildlife occurs nowhere else on Earth. Le Relais De La Reine is a comfortable stop-over on your Madagascar adventure. From here it's a short trek to Isalo National Park, where you can see lemurs, reptiles, a dizzying array of birds, and of course its iconic sandstone formations. The giant blanched rock faces (massifs) can be scaled in a harness if you're keen to climb - or simply appreciated from afar. The hotel itself is constructed with the beautiful local stone that makes this mineral-rich region so unique.

Le Domaine de Fontenay is a beautifully preserved colonial-style guest house in Madagascar’s northern region, close to the village of Joffreville. Dating back to 1904, the building has retained many of its original architectural features, and now offers elegant accommodation in eight delightful garden bungalows plus a spacious suite in the main house. Tropical gardens with hidden pathways lead into a private game reserve, home to some unique wildlife species and intriguing birds, with crystal-clear streams and tumbling waterfalls. The overall ambience is one of old-fashioned comfort, with an emphasis on the beauty of this stunning natural region.

Soleil des Tsingy is a simply luxurious lodge in a unique and mesmerising location – the heart of the Tsingy de Bemaraha region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Madagascar’s stunningly diverse west. Perched on a prominent rocky outcrop and surrounded by 20 hectares of private reserve just outside Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, the lodge offers glorious views over the forested lowlands and the Manambolo River. Accommodation is in 17 chic bungalows fanning out from a laid-back central area overlooking the concession. Exploration here is crowd-free, and you're also well placed for forays into the national park.