Tsaranoro is already an absolutely breathtaking destination, with spectacular and picturesque landscapes. But that’s a story for another blog!What I can’t wait to share today is Tsarasoa, an extraordinary lodge in the middle of nowhere. Or, more precisely, right at the foot of Mount Chameleon.You suddenly feel so small in the middle of such an immense natural environment. The surroundings invite you to slow down, sit quietly, admire the scenery and simply reconnect with yourself.And Tsarasoa has quite a few surprises of its own.
Built right into the rock
One of the most fascinating things about Tsarasoa is its architecture. The lodge is literally built into the rocks! In the restaurant and some bungalows, you can actually see natural rock formations inside the rooms.
Each bungalow has its own shape and layout because its architecture follows the size and shape of the rocks around which it is built. No two spaces feel quite the same.
A design inspired by hiking, Madagascar and climbing
The overall design has a lovely adventurous feel to it, bringing together elements of hiking, climbing and Malagasy identity.
Our bungalow had a particularly special feature: a glass roof through which we could look straight up at the sky!
Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture. But if you ever visit Tsarasoa, ask for the SAVIKA bungalow. It’s an experience worth having!
The view: simply spectacular
Whether you’re inside your bungalow or wandering around outside, the views are incredible. Some places are simply better experienced than explained through words or photographs. Tsarasoa is one of them.
Living alongside nature
Nature is everywhere. The lodge has a lovely little farmyard, complete with an egg-shaped shelter, where they raise animals and provide fresh, healthy food.
Meanwhile, lizards, iguanas and all kinds of geckos roam around freely.
And here’s something I never expected to say: this was the first place where I managed to live alongside these little creatures without screaming every few minutes!
They looked so harmless and perfectly at home in their environment that I eventually learned to share the space with them.
A little challenge for food lovers!
Now, let’s talk about something that was a little harder for a family of food lovers like ours: the meals!
Given its remote location, Tsarasoa cannot operate like a conventional restaurant. Instead, meals come with a set menu and usually two possible main-course choices. That’s it! You either eat what’s on offer or you don’t.
We understood the limitations of such a remote location, but felt that each meal was missing a little something.
For example, the soup wasn’t served with bread or cheese, even though they actually make excellent homemade bread! And the bowl was only a quarter full. 🙈
At lunch, they offered a vegetable salad as one of the main-course options. Honestly, I wouldn’t even have thought of serving that as a main course; I would have considered it a starter instead. I would have loved it with some bread and a little hard-boiled egg.
After that particular lunch, I started worrying about how I would possibly survive until dinner! Would I have enough energy? What would dinner be like? Would I make it through the afternoon without starving?
Yes, I was that worried!
But something interesting came out of this experience.
A little lesson about food and our habits
During our stay, the children and I started looking at our plates differently.
We began paying attention to their ingredients, nutrients and calories, and what our bodies could get from each meal.
We realised that even though the portions and nutritional variety weren’t quite what we were used to, we weren’t going to starve or faint. And we certainly weren’t going to die of hunger!
It was a funny but valuable little lesson. We often get so attached to our eating habits and usual portions that we forget how adaptable our bodies can be.
Sometimes, travelling takes us out of our comfort zone in the most unexpected ways. And sometimes, even a simple lunch can teach us something.
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