Princesse Bora Lodge & Spa
Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar
Location
On the old pirate island of Sainte-Marie
Princesse Bora sits on Sainte-Marie, a former pirate island off Madagascar's east coast, along a palm grove and a long white beach.
Transfer
A short flight, then an ox-cart
A short flight to Sainte-Marie, then an ox-cart along the sand — part of the island's gentle character. International flights route via Antananarivo.
Villas
Twenty beachfront villas
Twenty villas in three styles — simple fan-cooled Charme bungalows, air-conditioned octagonal Luxe villas with a mezzanine, and the largest glass-fronted Executive Beach villas.
Best For
Who it suits
Couples and nature travellers drawn by the whales and the quiet — a barefoot, intimate eco-lodge on a pirate island, sold on the wildlife, not the trimmings.
Board Basis
Bed & breakfast or half-board
A bed-and-breakfast or half-board base, with honeymoon packages, around beachside Malagasy, Creole and French dining.
About the Resort
The whale-watching island
Princesse Bora is built around one of the Indian Ocean's great wildlife seasons: from June to October, humpback whales gather off Sainte-Marie, the old pirate island off Madagascar's east coast, and the lodge hosts the CetaMada whale-research base on site — a genuine, rare hero experience. The rest of the year it is a barefoot eco-lodge of twenty villas along a palm-fringed beach, with a 25-metre infinity pool, a Jungle Spa, and diving and kitesurfing off the sand. The villas range from simple, fan-cooled Charme bungalows to air-conditioned octagonal Luxe villas with a mezzanine and glass-fronted Executive Beach villas with stone soaking tubs, so there is a step up in comfort to choose from. Dining is beachside — Malagasy, Creole and French, fresh seafood and an open grill — with a lagoon bar and a wine cellar alongside. Arrival is a short flight to Sainte-Marie, then an ox-cart along the sand, part of the island's gentle, unhurried character. It sells on the whales, the nature and the intimacy.
Accommodation
Villas
Twenty villas in three styles along a palm-fringed beach — simple fan-cooled Charme bungalows, air-conditioned octagonal Luxe villas with a mezzanine for families, and the largest glass-fronted Executive Beach villas with stone soaking tubs and prime beachfront.
Entry
Villa Charme
Sleeps two. 35 m², fan-cooled and beachfront, in a simple barefoot style with a private terrace.
BeachfrontBarefoot style
Family
Villa Luxe
Sleeps two adults and two children. Around 55 m², octagonal and air-conditioned, with a mezzanine and a sea-view terrace.
Air-conditionedMezzanine
Signature
Executive Beach Villa
Sleeps two adults and a child. 90 m², glass-fronted with a stone soaking tub and prime beachfront — the largest villas. Only five.
BeachfrontOnly five
Food & Drink
Beachside dining
Beachside dining — Malagasy, Creole and French cooking with fresh seafood and an open grill — with a lagoon cocktail bar and a wine cellar alongside.
Restaurant
The beachside restaurant
Malagasy, Creole and French cooking with fresh seafood and an open grill.
Bar
Lagoon bar
Cocktails by the water, with a wine cellar alongside.
Wellbeing
Jungle Spa
The Jungle Spa sits among the greenery, with a 25-metre infinity pool by the beach, and diving and kitesurfing off the sand when the season is right.
Jungle Spa
Treatments at the Jungle Spa.
25-metre pool
A 25-metre infinity pool by the beach.
On the water
Diving and kitesurfing off the sand.
Activities & Experiences
Signature Experiences
A barefoot island built around the whales — watch humpbacks in season, arrive by ox-cart, and feel the pirate-island past.
Whale season, June–October
Humpback whales gather off the island from June to October.
A whale-research base
The CetaMada whale-research base is on site.
Arrive by ox-cart
Arrival is by ox-cart along the sand.
Dive and kitesurf
Diving and kitesurfing off the beach.
Pirate-island history
The history of a former pirate island.
Getting There
Location & transfers
By air
Fly to Sainte-Marie
A short flight to Sainte-Marie, then an ox-cart along the sand.
Whale season
June to October
Whale season runs June to October — the time to come for the humpbacks.
Guest Reviews
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
“The most extraordinary place I have ever stayed. Nothing prepares you for the depth of the silence, the beauty of the reef, or the sheer generosity of the experience.”
✓ Verified via feefo
★★★★★
“We’ve stayed here three times now. The house reef has no equal. The stargazing was, genuinely, one of the most moving experiences of my adult life.”
✓ Verified via feefo
★★★★★
“I had stayed at Four Seasons, One&Only and Velaa before visiting Princesse Bora Lodge & Spa. They are all magnificent. But this is different in a way that is hard to articulate.”
✓ Verified via feefo
Good to Know
Good to know
Board basis
- A bed-and-breakfast or half-board base, with honeymoon packages.
Whale season
- Humpback whales gather from June to October — the season to plan around.
Style
- A barefoot, authentic eco-lodge — simpler villas are fan-cooled, with air-conditioned and glass-fronted villas a step up.
Getting there
- International flights to Antananarivo, then a short flight to Sainte-Marie and an ox-cart transfer.
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Dates & party
Date flexibility
Adults
2
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Budget & accommodation
Budget per person (flights + hotel)
£4,500
£500£50,000+
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Flights
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