Voaara

In the 17th and 18th centuries, pirates plundering the Indian Ocean dominated the narrow tropical isle of Sainte-Marie, off Madagascar’s northeast coast, with more than a thousand buccaneers at a time calling this real-life Neverland home. The 31-mile-long island, also known as Nosy Boraha, is much sleepier today, with a population of 30,000 and just one town, Ambodifotatra. Tourism hasn’t reached Madagascar the same way it has the Maldives or Seychelles—despite nearly 90% of its flora and fauna not being found anywhere else on the planet. “Since Madagascar is [largely] untouched, it’s a new destination for a lot of people,” says Philippe Kjellgren, founder and owner of the new luxury resort, Voaara Madagascar, on Sainte-Marie’s northwestern coast, where you can spot humpback whales migrating from June to September. Voaara’s seven beachfront bungalows and three-bedroom villa marry local touches with Malagasy architecture from the capital of Antananarivo, trading traditional shingles in pointed roofs for thatched palm. Collected driftwood doubles as porch columns, and decor such as lamp shades and rugs are designed from locally sourced raffia. The community-led resort project—which has hired about 90% local staff—is completely solar-powered, replants trees, and supports area schools and clinics. “The people here have a good sense of service but not a lot of opportunity, ” says Kjellgren. “These small things will make a massive impact on the island.”