How to Plan the Perfect Family Escape to Miavana
Miavana is more than a destination. It’s an invitation to slow down, play, and reconnect as a family on a private island framed by Madagascar’s wild beauty. From the moment you begin planning with our dedicated Travel Designers, your journey is shaped with care, ensuring every detail feels effortless. Here’s how to reach our island sanctuary and what awaits when you arrive.
Getting There: Your Journey Begins
The magic begins almost immediately. You’ll board one of our helicopters in Nosy Be or Diego Suarez for a scenic transfer to the island. Our helicopters can comfortably seat three or six guests, allowing families to travel together while gazing out at turquoise seas, coral reefs, and untouched beaches. The moment you’re lifted into the air, you’ll feel the outside world slip away.
Top tip: A seamless three and a half hour Airlink flight from Johannesburg to Nosy Be allows you to connect quickly and easily to Nosy Be, Madagascar. Learn more about other options available from other countries.
Your Villa: A Home by the Sea
Whether you’re a family of three or travelling with grandparents and cousins in tow, Miavana’s villas are designed for flexibility and comfort. Choose from one-, two-, or three-bedroom villas, each with a private pool, open-plan lounge, indoor and outdoor dining areas. You could spend your entire stay here, with your dedicated butler bringing delicious meals wherever you may want them, or wander over to the Piazza or Crab Shack for a change of scene, raw and refined. Inside the villas, there’s space for everyone to relax, from spacious indoor-outdoor areas designed with island living in mind to cosy corners perfect for quiet reading or reflection. For children, the private study can be transformed into a cheerful bedroom stocked with toys, books, and all the little comforts you might need. At Miavana, children are warmly welcomed and generously looked after.
Explore To Your Heart’s Content
We recommend a full week to truly surrender to Miavana’s rhythm; aligning perfectly with Airlink’s Sunday-to-Sunday flights and giving you time to try it all, or to simply linger where your heart leads you. Every day is designed entirely around you, with each family member free to follow their own curiosity or join in shared adventures.
For those drawn to the sea, there are endless horizons to explore. Snorkelling over coral gardens alive with colour, casting a line on a fishing trip, paddling a kayak through glassy waters, or drifting on a paddleboard as the sun warms your shoulders. Young divers can make their first bubbles in the pool with our PADI Bubblemaker programme (8+ years), or in the shallows with our PADI Discover Scuba Diver programme (10+ years), while more confident divers can explore deeper wonders with our instructors.
If your spirit pulls you inland, the island reveals a different kind of magic. Follow winding trails with your guide and meet lemurs leaping through the canopy, spot the world’s smallest chameleons, and watch clouds of butterflies rise like petals on the wind. Conservation-minded explorers can join our turtle monitoring team at dawn, plant a sapling, or visit the seasonal nesting sites of the terns on nearby islets.
The Activities Centre is where laughter and adventure combine. Children race off on treasure hunts, join beach cricket matches, or build elaborate sandcastles while teens take on each other at table tennis, pétanque, or beach volleyball. For thrill-seekers, there’s waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, kiteboarding, quad biking, and helicopter excursions to the mainland’s wilder corners. When the mood turns to something gentler, little hands can paint coconuts, decorate cupcakes, or enjoy a kids’ spa treatment – while parents can enjoy theirs.
It’s all About the People
Every family’s time at Miavana is shaped by the people you share it with. From the moment you step onto the island, our team takes the time to get to know each family member; the shy ones, the adventurous ones, the ones who like to wake up early, and the ones who’d rather stay up late. They notice the little things, remember your favourite flavours, and anticipate what will make each day feel special. Babysitting is available whenever you wish, whether it’s to slip away for a romantic dinner under the stars, an early morning dive, or a quiet walk along the beach. From your first day, we’ll create a personalised programme that feels as if it were made just for you, because it is.
Miavana is home to a small, but vibrant island community, and we believe your holiday can be a bridge between worlds, sharing Madagascar’s unique culture and heritage. Every family’s stay helps to protect this extraordinary corner of Madagascar, supporting conservation work that safeguards endangered species and restores fragile ecosystems, while also sustaining the livelihoods of our coastal neighbours, through the programmes of the Time + Tide Foundation. One of the most memorable ways to see this in action is on a guided tour of the island, which includes a stop at the nearby village and school. Here, children often meet local peers, sharing games, laughter, and the universal language of play.
The Gift of Time Together
When the moment comes to leave, your family will wave goodbye to the friends who have become part of your family and lift off over the turquoise shallows towards Nosy Be. Below, the island will grow smaller, but its colours, its light, and its warmth will remain with you. In Malagasy, Miavana means “to bring together,” and that is the island’s truest gift.
Come let us show you…
Book your island retreat with us
