Anakao Ocean Lodge

gorgeous beaches and great diving

Anakao Ocean Lodge is located in the Tulear area of the southwest coast of Madagascar.

The lodge is set at the back of a broad sandy beach, beyond the southern edge of the village of Anakao.

It is centred on a large circular main building under thatch, containing lounge, bar and dining areas.

There is also a small spa.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Anakao Ocean Lodge is in around 25 detached bungalows.

Hot desalinated water is available all day and electricity is provided by a generator 0530-1500hrs and 1730-2300hrs. Although the rooms have been designed to make the most of the natural ventilation provided by the usually reliable winds, there is also air-conditioning (although without power at night).

These rooms come in three specifications …

Standard Bungalows are able to accommodate up to three adults in one large bed and one small bed.

Family bungalows are built on two levels and able to accommodate two adults and two children, with the latter being up on a mezzanine floor.

Suite Madagascar is much larger and is able to accommodate two adults and two children or three adults in two bedrooms (the second being a converted living room).

Activities

Anakao Ocean Lodge provides access to the following range of activities …

• Motorboat safari
• Diving
• Snorkelling
• Kayaking
• Cultural visits
• Vehicle safari

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).

With no direct road connection between Tulear and Anakao, the usual way to travel between the two locations is by means of a motorboat transfer of around 1-2 hours. Due to the potential for challenging sea conditions on this route, the latest departure from Tulear is 1000 hrs.

It is possible to charter a motorboat to do this journey later in the day, but the prices are very high and the sea conditions are likely to be challenging, so we try to avoid that.

Alternatively, if you are driving down the RN7, then it may be possible to turn south around 80 km before reaching Tulear and do the 200 km dirt road drive south and around to Anakao, which is tough, but may enable you to stop in at the Beza Mahafaly Reserve (home to diurnal ring-tailed lemurs, Verreaux’s sifakas and nocturnal white-footed sportive lemurs and reddish-gray mouse lemurs) and would mean you have your own transport on hand for other excursions once you get there.

usually accessed by air from the capital