Northern Madagascar
Relais du Masoala
Relis du Masoala is a comfortable hotel close to the beach on the edge of the Masoala’s main town of Maroanstsetra. The hotel is considered to be the best in town, with 15 spacious bungalows set in seven hectares of coconut groves on the Bay of Antongil.
Built out of local baobao timber and falafa palm leaves, each spacious, well-appointed bungalow contains large comfortable beds with mosquito nets and private bathrooms with hot water.
Meals are prepared using fresh produce from the lodge’s own farm, and they can accommodate vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diets.
The main building has a front desk a communal lounge with TV and free Wi-Fi and bar area. There is also a small swimming pool and lush gardens with seating area.
Facilities
Private bathrooms with hot water, 24-hour electricity, mosquito nets, restaurant, swimming pool, lounge and TV area.
Local Wildlife
Highlights in the Masoala National Park include the red-ruffed lemur, white-fronted brown lemur, greater hedgehog tenrec, brown-tailed mongoose, day geckos, leaf tailed geckos, panther chameleons, helmet vanga and the recently rediscovered Madagascar serpent eagle.
Optional Activities
Whale-watching boat trips to see migrating humpback whales (between July and September), trekking, excursions into the surrounding forest and to Nosy Mangabe, kayaking, cycling and table tennis.
Alan Godwin
Area Specialist
Aye aye have been spotted in the Farakaraina forest, not far from the hotel, and excursions there can be arranged. The hotel has a sister establishment, Le Petit Relais, situated on the Masoala peninsula near the National Park’s entrance and the Tampolo Marine Reserver.
If you have any questions regarding our Madagascar tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
It was lovely to meet Helen face-to-face and to devise the ideal trip with her – her enthusiasm for Madagascar certainly confirmed us in our choice of destination. Enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides, seemed genuinely interested in their work and in interacting with tourists. Invaluable in spotting wildlife and discussing uses of local medicinal plants. [Our escort guide] was a delightful companion on our journey in Madagascar and very solicitous of our welfare. We were thrilled by the wildlife. Without the keen insight and knowledge of our guides we would certainly have failed to spot the giraffe-necked weevil and stick insects. The night walks were very productive – several mouse lemurs. The first sight of indris was an especial thrill as was the sight of a sleeping mouse lemur in broad daylight. Perhaps the most rewarding experience occurred when the lemurs came to us – six ring-tailed lemurs in Isalo, sifakas on the balcony in Anjajavy, flocks of grey-headed lovebirds on the lawn at breakfast. An excellent tour which gave us a good insight into the wildlife and potential conservation issues in Madagascar. We had opportunities to visit local communities. We were most impressed by the efficiency in ensuring a trouble-free and very enjoyable time in Madagascar. Our tour leader and driver were delightful and very hard working. We shall certainly look forward to booking a further tour with you.