Independent in Mahajanga from AU$80

"Limited hotel choice in this region, but suggest you avoid staying here. We had booked into a "superior room with garden view" and were instead given a room in the dingiest darkest corner of the property overlooking a rusty iron fence in what felt like a dorm-room complex far from the pool and restaurant (after complaining we were given a much better room). The restaurant staff were useless and could barely serve dinner and breakfast or understand instructions. The food was below average and some of the worst we've had on this trip. The toilets next to the restaurant weren't cleaned regularly and always had full bins with used toilet paper and most of the time were out of paper. We'd booked for 3 nights but could only stay for 2, and although staff at reception confirmed that we'd only be charged for 2 nights they failed to inform the payments team, so we were charged for the full 3 nights, and they didnt seem to care. The manager swans around at dinner making small talk with guests but doesn't seem to actually manage anything, or train staff, or maintain high standards. Our guide told us that the manager had hit one of the drivers for daring to provide a bottle of water to their guest, because the hotel wanted to charge extra for the water, so now none of the guides and drivers want to stay here. They were rude to our guide and driver and didn't provide them with accommodation, which is against usual practice for hotels in Madagascar. "

"Clean;!quiet: staff friendly but need improvement to serve fresh food"

"Nice location "

"The resort and the surrounding area represent entire Madagascar on a smaller scale. You see lemurs, chameleons, baobabs, a small village, beaches, a small tsingy... "