Constance Tsarabanjina

a rare private island resort in Madagascar

Constance Tsarabanjina is located in the Nosy Be area to the northwest of Madagascar.

The lodge is situated on a beautiful little island, a long way north of Nosy Be. It measures just 600 metres by 200 metres, with some beautiful white-sand beaches.

The property is centred on a two storey main building at the back of the main beach, with a bar on the ground floor and dining area above.

There is also a small massage facility and (rather surprisingly) a tennis court.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Constance Tsarabanjina is in a total of 25 substantial suites, which are divided into 13 on North Beach and 12 on South Beach.

All of the suites have air-conditioning and private verandahs above the beach. They can also accommodate an extra bed for a child.

Activities

Constance Tsarabanjina provides access to the following range of activities …

• Island nature walks
• Marine safari
• Snorkelling
• Diving
• Catamaran sailing
• Beach picnics
• Kayaking
• Cultural visits

Nosy Be is the most popular beach location in Madagascar, initially because it is such a beautiful and diverse area, but latterly because it has an international airport. It therefore tends to feature in a high proportion of trips.

The usual stay duration is 3-7 nights.

Seasonality

The best time of year to visit the Nosy Be area is generally considered to be during the May-Oct cool dry season.

The May-Oct period represents a cool dry winter season, when daytime temperatures may reach 22C/72F, whilst nighttime temperatures manage to drop to around 18C/64F (which is still a little bit on the warm side given the high humidities). The relatively infrequent rainfall tends to come in the form of occasional showers, with the prevailing conditions being hot and sunny.

The Nov-Apr period represents a warm wet summer season, when daytime temperatures may reach 28C/82F, whilst nighttime temperatures struggle to get below 22C/72F, which can be quite uncomfortable in the potentially very high humidities. Rainfall can be extremely heavy and persistent, possibly exceeding 500mm/20″ per month during Jan-Feb.

Getting there

If you are not planning to visit other parts of Madagascar, then you can arrive on the direct charter flights from Europe or on the scheduled air service from Johannesburg (notably when connecting from the safari areas) into the main airport on Nosy Be.

If you are planning to visit other parts of Madagascar beyond this northern corner, then most likely you will enter and exit the country via the capital Antananarivo, connecting north by air from there, directly to the main airport on Nosy Be.

From the main airport on Nosy Be it is a motorboat transfer of around 20 minutes to the lodge.

If your trip around Madagascar includes visiting the Montagne d’Ambre and Ankarana and conservation areas on the mainland nearby, then you will most likely fly from Antananarivo to Diego Suarez, travelling down overland to arrive at the harbour at Ankify.

From Ankify it is a 60 minute motorboat ride out to the island (often through some quite rough seas, this is an open water crossing).

the island is home to an international airport