Safari to Sainte Luce

the only good lodge is now closed

Set in the southeast corner of Madagascar, the Sainte Luce area is one of the most impressive coastal locations in the country.

The area contains some stunning coastal rainforest, an extensive network of scenic lagoons and mangrove forests and some lovely uninhabited tropical islands.

An unusually wide range of activities included forest walking in search of lemurs, motorboat safari in search of whales, kayaking, beach picnics and village visits.

The area used to contain one very strong accommodation option, the unusually upmarket (by local standards) Manafiafy Lodge, which was the main reason to visit, but which unfortunately closed during 2023.

The best time to visit the Sainte Luce area is generally considered to be May-Oct.

Rainfall is pretty consistent year round, at a relatively low 100mm/4” per month, mostly consisting of short tropical showers between prevailing sunny conditions. There is slightly lesser rain Aug-Oct, but probably not sufficiently different to affect trip planning.

The main issue is temperatures. For most of the year the peak daytime temperatures are around 25C/77F, with nighttime lows around 16C/61F.

However during the Nov-Apr period these temperatures can climb to 30C/86F and 24C/75F respectively. It’s those higher night time temperatures, along with potentially high humidities, that can make the experience a little but less comfortable.

Getting there

The majority of visitors to Sainte Luce stay at Manafiafy Lodge, mostly in combination with sister property Mandrare River Camp.

This is usually done by using their own shared charter flights from Antananarivo to the southeast (on Mondays and Thursdays), first stopping in at Mandrare River Camp for a few nights, then hopping by air down to Fort Dauphin before undertaking the 2-3 hours drive (along some pretty rough roads) to Sainte Luce and Manafiafy Lodge.

If you don’t want to include Mandrare River Camp, then it is possible to use the same flight service from Antananarivo to For Dauphin (on Mondays and Thursdays), where it is usually necessary to overnight before undertaking the 2-3 hours drive (along some pretty rough roads) to Sainte Luce and Manafiafy Lodge.

On the way out flights return from Fort Dauphin to Antananarivo on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Alternatively you can use the regular scheduled services with Air Tsaradia from Antananarivo to Fort Dauphin, before undertaking the 2-3 hours drive (along some pretty rough roads) to Sainte Luce and Manafiafy Lodge.

Where to stay

The only place to stay in this area is the excellent Manafiafy Lodge, which largely defines the place and enjoys complete isolation in what is effectively a private paradise.

accessed by air from the capital to Fort Dauphin