Citroen-taxis to conversing with
staff at the charming and elegant
Hotel Pavillon de L’Emyrne. The
characteristic boutique hotel oozes
charisma, set in a classic colonial
midtown street. The flawless service
matches the setting. Perched on
top of a hill, the views over the
city are glorious. Every evening,
guests can choose from a free
massage or beauty treatment daily.
My suite comes with abundant
space; the bathroom is furnished
with a big tub and outdoor terrace
exquisitely decked for chilled out
evenings with a bottle of wine,
though preferably not Madagascan.
Pavillon de L’Emyrne breakfasts are
intimate and informal, in a pretty
conservatory covered in scented
bougainvillea. Nearby, I find several
excellent restaurants, my favourite
being La Boussole. It is run by
a lady from La Reunion Island
and is clearly her pride and joy,
serving delicious world cuisine in
a sophisticated setting. Across the
road, I visit a tiny boutique shop,
‘Parfum de Madagascar’ selling
select locally-made clothing, jewellery and organic spices, including
heavenly-perfumed vanilla. I find
the people very welcoming and
kind. In fact, after my purchases,
I stop at a nearby café where the
exasperated shopkeeper stumbles
in looking for me. She realised
she had overcharged me by 6,000
Ariary, the equivalent to £1 and
was frantic to return it. Moments
like this echo an entire nation. The
Queen’s Palace and King’s Palace,
latter a Unesco world heritage site,
are richly historic sights in and
around Antananarivo. Chocolatelovers cannot afford to miss ‘La
Chocolatiere’ café and shop, home
to the world-famous Madagascan
Robert chocolate. As I sit simultaneously sipping a hot chocolate,
eating chocolate cake and gorging
chocolate truffles, I couldn’t think of
a sweeter ending to a simply unforgettable Madagascan adventure of
a lifetime.
Why visit now?
Madagascar is a complete one-off.
No other place compares. I reflect
on what it means to take a journey
of a lifetime. Madagascar captivates
all the senses, including the 6th
spiritual sense. It transcends beyond
travel experience to life-changing
voyage. That, to a seasoned traveller,
is priceless.
Anisha Shah is a luxury and emerging destinations travel
journalist. Her background as a BBC TV and radio news
reporter, combined with a longstanding love affair with
travel, sees her first on the scene of new and exciting
travel hot spots, sourcing inspiring stories. Her work
has appeared in The Huffington Post, Yahoo Travel and
Prestige Asia.
Follow Anisha on Twitter: @anishahbbc.
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