Located on the island of Sainte-Marie (also known as Nosy Boraha by locals) off the northeast coast of Madagascar, Voaara is a new barefoot luxury resort, slated to open in September. Consisting of tropical-style bungalows and villas, it introduces a community-led concept to the region. Voaara is the first property from owner Philippe Kjellgren, founder of PK’s List and Kiwi Collection.
Set to launch initially with just eight bungalows and one three-bedroom villa—a renovation of the existing resort on the site—this development will eventually offer 45 keys in total, through a phased launch. Kjellgren worked with South African-Chilean architect Luis F. Mira to design spaces adorned with local materials and reclaimed wood, along with infinity pools.
Voaara will offer a total of five dining outlets, two of which are due to open this August. Plans also call for a spa debut later in the year. Well-located for those looking to book multi-destination travel, Voaara is make a great stop for travelers who are also looking for adventure on nearby Reunion Island, a safari in Kenya or to explore the Madagascan jungle and more.
One of only a few luxury hotel offerings in Madagascar, Voaara will be the first to be housed on the island of Sainte-Marie. Once a pirate base, Sainte-Marie is still home to a pirates’ cemetery, which has graves marked with a skull and crossbones, said to house the bodies of pirate legends William Kidd, Robert Culliford, Olivier Levasseur and Henry Every. Alongside miles of white-sand beaches, Sainte-Marie is renowned as one of the best spots in the world to view the humpback whale migration, which takes place between June and October each year. The island’s quiet bays and shallow warm waters make an ideal setting for pods of humpbacks to raise their calves before annual migration to colder waters. This year, 500 humpbacks were recorded with many coming to the waters by the hotel as their safe haven at night.
Voaara plans to hire at least 80 percent local staff to not only support the local community, but to ensure local tradition and culture is celebrated throughout. In line with this outlook and approach, Kjellgren and his wife place a large focus on giving back; they support local schools and causes with a portion of the profits from the hotel to ensure people can explore this region for years to come.
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