Miavana by Time + Tide: 5 Things I Loved

Some hotels are memorable. Others make you wonder if you’re living in a dream.

Miavana by Time + Tide is one of them.

Located on Nosy Ankao, the largest of five islands in a remote archipelago off the northeastern coast of Madagascar, Miavana by Time + Tide is accessible only by helicopter.

With just 14 villas, personal butlers, and a powdery-sand beach, it’s a setting that feels delightfully off the beaten path yet somehow elevates barefoot luxury to a level I have never experienced.

I visited in August, during the dry season, and the trip was organized through Ciao Bambino and their partner Exeter Safari Company, both luxury travel specialist that create custom-designed journeys.

They organized the entire trip, from upfront planning and payment to flights, to the overnight hotel in Johannesburg, helicopter transfers, and on-the-ground adventures. I can’t recommend them enough. It was seamless, and when traveling to remote parts of the world, that’s exactly what you want.

I’ve stayed at my fair share of extraordinary hotels over the years, but Miavana by Time + Tide is in a category of its own. What a privilege it was to experience this extraordinary place and hospitality.

Here are five things I loved most (but the list goes on):

1. The Villas Are Basically Private Beachfront Homes

Photos courtesy of Oliver Fly Photography/ @Miavana_ @TimeandTideAfrica

Forget the traditional hotel room. Miavana’s 14 villas are enormous, with giant bedrooms, full kitchens, soaring ceilings, and walls of glass that open onto private pool decks just steps from the sand.

There’s plenty of space to spread out, making it a great option for families. And the design strikes that tricky balance between grand and relaxed, and it does both seamlessly.

Everything about Miavana by Time + Tide feels luxurious without being too precious to touch or sit on.

Bathrooms have rain showers, cushy towels and robes are yours to linger around in. Forgot something, no problem. Just call the butler.

 You can wander barefoot from your bedroom to the pool, linger over coffee and breakfast watching different birds visit, or spend an entire afternoon doing absolutely nothing but napping in the sun or shade.

When you’re ready for bed, doors are shut, mosquito nets are put around your bed and the air-conditioning is turned on.

Let’s just say it was really hard to come home. Where is my lemongrass face towel?

2. The Helicopters & Adventures

Getting around the resort is easy thanks to dedicated battery-powered buggies for each villa. But getting off the resort is where Miavana by Time + Tide shines.

Two helicopters (one four-seater and one six-seater) are not simply for airport transfers. They’re also part of the experience.

Flights to the mainland take you over baobab forests, remote thatched-roof villages, empty coastlines, octopus fishermen, and wandering zebu herds. From above, Madagascar is an extraordinary patchwork of landscapes, and the aerial perspective is almost as memorable as the adventures themselves.

Having split from mainland Africa roughly 160 million years ago, Madagascar evolved an extraordinary collection of plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. Approximately 90% of its native plant and animal species are endemic, including its famous lemurs.  

A highlight is heading to the mainland for guided lemur treks. Seeing these remarkable animals in their natural habitat reminds you that Madagascar offers something entirely different from a traditional African safari. You’ll also get to see colorful chameleons and the peculiar baobab trees.

3. The Luxury of Having an Island Practically to Yourself

With only 14 villas, Miavana has a sense of privacy that’s increasingly difficult to find, even among the world’s most exclusive resorts.

Nosy Ankao is all white sand and wide-open horizons. You can walk along the beach without seeing another guest, meander through jungle paths, jump on a wakeboard or tube, and get pulled around a turquoise bay, go deep sea fishing and snorkeling, and even hop on an ATV ride to an abandoned lighthouse or local village, all without a line or a crowd.

The luxury of being so far removed from the mainland is that there’s no traffic and the schedules are yours to make.

4. The Service With A Smile

Personal butlers cater to just about every whim, from arranging spa treatments and activities to taking care of daily laundry.

Clothes disappear and return freshly washed, folded, and delivered in a wicker basket. Plans come together without fuss, and the entire experience feels remarkably effortless.

What impressed me wasn’t simply the level of service, but how personal it felt. At a property this small, the staff can get to know guests and their preferences.

And their smiling faces waving at us as we took off each day, and the lemongrass washcloths on our return were the icing on the cake.

5. The Food (+ Drinks) Are Ridiculously Good

For a resort on a remote island off Madagascar, the culinary possibilities are astonishing. Fresh fish, lobster the size of my forearm, perfectly cooked steaks, burgers, and biltong (Southern Africa’s version of beef jerky), and fresh salads  were all part of the experience.

Breakfasts were equally generous, with platters of fresh tropical fruit, homemade vanilla yogurt, and enough choices to keep you lingering at the table long after your morning coffee.

Dining options at Miavana include the Piazza Restaurant and Lounge, the casual, toes-in-the-sand Silvio’s, and the beachside Crab Shack, where fresh seafood takes center stage.

In-villa dining is also available, and I took full advantage, having breakfast delivered each morning and enjoying it in my robe overlooking the beach. Bliss!

Drinks were never an afterthought, either. The in-villa bars were generously stocked, Champagne included, and if it wasn’t there, all we had to do was ask and …poof, it was there.

📸Lead photo by Dylane Cabano

More Hotel Reviews

• COMO Le Beauvallon, France
• The Inn Above Tide, Sausalito
• The Prince Akatoki, London
• Jay Hotel, San Francisco

💡 Have a hotel you think belongs on One Trip Wonder? I’m always interested in discovering places with a strong sense of place, a good story, or something that makes them worth traveling for. If you’d like to collaborate on a future hotel review, please get in touch.