Le Paradisier

a decent staging post for more remote lodges to the north

Le Paradisier is located around 20 km north of the town of Tulear on the southwest coast of Madagascar.

This is a simple and relaxed little ‘hotel de charme’, with a main building constructed in the traditional style using the honey-coloured local stone.

The lodge is centred on a large main building, with lounge, bar and dining areas, leading out to a large swimming pool.

It contains an airy restaurant, leading out to terraces and a swimming pool.

The hotel operates completely on solar power.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Le Paradisier is in a total of twenty rooms, with thick walls (for temperature control), large windows, wooden flooring and thatched roofs. All rooms are equipped with a fan, but no air-conditioning.

The rooms are designed to each accommodate two guests, with a larger Suite for four guests.

Activities

Le Paradisier provides access to the following range of activities …

• Spiny forests
• Conservation projects
• Village visits

The southwest coast of Madagascar, centred on the city of Tulear, is a stark and beautiful place, arguably our favourite part of the coastline of this vast island, which is really saying something. However, it remains relatively little-visited, mainly because it does not offer the same level of wildlife interactions of other areas.

The usual stay duration is 4-7 nights.

Seasonality

Tulear is nicknamed The City of the Sun because its climate is so relentlessly sunny and dry. However there is a strong prevailing wind from the south, known locally as the tsio katimo.

The best time to visit is generally considered to be the Apr-Nov dry season, when there is likely to be virtually no rain. The average daytime temperatures reach 21C/70F, with the average nighttime temperatures being around 14C/57F.

Contrary to popular opinion, the converse Dec-Mar season does usually bring some significant rainfall, averaging around 65mm/3″ per month. The average daytime temperatures are slightly higher at 27C/81F, with the average nighttime temperatures only dropping to 22C/72F, which could be a little uncomfortable.

Getting there

This remote southwest coast has traditionally been reached via the very long drive down the RN7 highway from the capital, a journey which normally takes about a week once you’ve stopped off at a few interesting places along the way.

Most people then send their guide home, spend 3-6 nights on the beach and then fly back to the capital.

However, now that there are (at long last) some genuinely decent and interesting places to stay down here, the concept of flying down and back may be worth considering, especially if you don’t fancy that long drive.

As well as flights from the capital Antananarivo, there are sometimes connections from Fort Dauphin (in the southeast corner) and Morondava (further up this west coast).

Le Paradisier is a road transfer of around 30 minutes from Tulear Airport.

usually accessed by air from the capital