Rated as the No 1 eco-lodge in Madagascar by the Madagascar department of Environment (June 2008). They were awarded the Green Label trophy by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

This hotel is a beautiful old country house. It and its former stables have been transformed into a small luxurious hotel. The garden, with its pathways, tropical plants and sweet-smelling shrubs, will delight the visitors. At an altitude of 760m above sea level, the climate is both healthy and temperate - a welcome contrast to the heat of Diego and the coast. Since April 2001, the restaurant, Le Fontenay, welcomes amateurs of authentic and refined cuisine, as well as succulent grills on the outdoor barbecue. Le Domaine de Fontenay has 8 luxury rooms and a suite for its discerning guests.

On the immediate outskirts of Joffre-Ville and almost bordering the Amber Mountain, lies the 300 hectare Le Fontenay Nature Park (LFNP). It is a recent private initiative which aims to provide nature and bird lovers with a complementary nature park in the region. The park is part riverine and montaine forest. Forested areas are mixed primary and secondary. There is also degraded forest, interspersed with cultivated and abandoned agriculture. For the time being, the owners are not systematically destroying abandoned agricultural patches, but allowing the forest to re-claim this naturally. Until the proposed re-forestation programme is complete and forest trees are sustaining the fauna, letchis, mangoes, bananas and papayas provide a good food source. Finally, the park also has hilly grasslands and small plateaus. There are several river/stream systems and about 15 waterfalls of varying height (highest about 35m) and intensity of flow. The park has good paths/trails and circuits to suit most abilities. Many of these are on hillsides and ridges which give both panoramic and specific birding views over the existing canopy. This is an excellent park for birding and panorama/aesthetics. There are 7 species of lemur, 12 species of micro-mammals, 35 endemic bird species, 24 species of amphibian  and  the  remarkable  giganteus  species  of   Leaf-tailed  Gecko. The two species of diurnal lemurs common to the region, Sanford 's Brown is seen more often. Crowned Lemurs are more easily seen during the letchi and mango season in Dec/Jan/Feb. Nocturnal species such as the Greater Dwarf, Grey Mouse & Northern Sportive are found all year round with peaks in the summer. Ring-tailed Mongoose is fairly common as is the nocturnal Civet. There are a variety of Tenrecs during the summer. Peak viewing is October through to march. Please be aware that Mid May through to mid August is poor for seeing nocturnal fauna.

The owners are in the process of launching a project to re-forest parts of the park with endemic and other appropriate flora. In this respect, a project memorandum has been compiled for prospective patrons.

---

Excursions offered by Le Domaine de Fontenay.

Amber Mountain – 1 day
Depart from hotel at 8.30 am. The drive takes about ½ hour to the park entrance. After check-in and a brief introduction by a guide (about 15 minutes) the actual excursion begins at the entrance and participants walk until about midday, finishing at the campsite where a picnic lunch/barbeque will have been prepared. From the entrance, you walk to the Grande Cascade/Cascade Antamboka. You then take a track called the Botanical route/La Voie des Milles Arbres. This track eventually rejoins the main park road. You continue to the Petite Cascade/Cascade Antakarana and then finish at the campsite. After lunch (1 to 1.30 pm) you then proceed to the Cascade Sacre. From here you go to the viewing point on the rim of the first Crater Lake, Lac Mahasarika. You then take another track down to the water’s edge and finish up by walking to a pick-up point on the main park road. The afternoon walk takes up to 2½ hours and you return to the hotel by about 5 pm.

Ankaranana East – 1 day.
You depart from the hotel at 7 to 7.30 am. The drive takes about 3½ hrs to the Mahamasina Entrance. The route itself goes through the major rice growing area of the north. Two 10 minute stops are programmed, the first at the Saharenana River bridge, the second at Anivorano North. After check-in and a debriefing at the park entrance, you are then driven some 3 kms into the park to a drop off point. From here you walk to “La perte des deux rivieres” and continue through the park to the main campsite for lunch. This walk can take about 1½ hrs. Lunch is prepared by “Chez Aurelien” and transported from his restaurant to the campsite. After lunch, you visit the Tsingy and caves, walking for about 1½ hrs. You leave Ankarana at about 3 pm, arriving back at the hotel at about 6.30 pm.

Red Tsingy – ½ day.
You depart from hotel at 7 to 7.30 am. The drive takes about 2½ hours, in the same direction as Ankarana but you then turn off east at the village of Antanadrenitelo. After arrival at the Tsingy, you walk down into the river bed to see the Tsingy close up. This takes about 1 hour. Returning to the vehicles, you drive to a nearby view point  to see “The Grand Canyon” and “Death Valley”. You'll return to the hotel at about 1.30 pm.

The Three Bays – 1 day.
You depart from hotel at about 8.30 am. The drive takes about 2½ hours. You travel through Diego and then take the road to Ramena which passes around the bay of Diego. You turn off before Ramena at a village called Ankorikely. The first bay is Sakalava Bay. You walk around there for about a ½ hour. Depending on your choice one can either drive or part walk to the second bay, Bay of the Dunes. Here one can swim and also walk along the beach to the last bay, Bay of the Pigeons. From the Bays, you then drive to the fishing village of Ramena where you have lunch at a restaurant called “5 Trop Pres”. The restaurant is on the beach. Sometime after lunch, you return to the hotel, arriving at about 4.30 pm.

Windsor Castle and Baie du Courrier – 1 day.
You depart from the hotel at about 6 am. The drive takes about 2½ hours to the base of Windsor Castle. You pass by the outskirts of Diego, travelling west around the bay of Diego, past the village of Anamakia and past the salt pans. Progress is extremely slow as the road is in very bad condition. The walk up Windsor Castle takes about 2 hours to the summit and back. From here you drive on to Courrier Bay (about ½ hour) where you will have a picnic lunch. You can swim here. From here the return journey takes about 3 hours.
 
This excursion is only recommended for those with a specific interest in Windsor Castle. It is a tough and tiring day.

Mer d’Emeraude – 1 day
You depart from hotel at about 8 am and drive to the fishing village of Ramena which takes about 2 hours. From there you are taken by a simple boat to one of the small islands at the Mer d’Emeraude. On the way, we stop to do snorkelling and visit a few fishing villages. Arriving at the picnic spot, you can laze on the beach or go swimming and snorkelling. Lunch is a fish barbeque prepared at the picnic spot. At about 3 pm you return by boat to Ramena and then back to the hotel, arriving at about 5 pm.

Diego, French Mountains – 1 day.
You depart from hotel at about 8.30 am. You stop at the entrance and only walk a few hundred metres, remaining in sight of the main road, for safety reasons. You then may continue driving around the bay of Diego. On reaching Diego, you will visit the following places - the main market, the British and French War Cemetaries, La Rue Colbert, Hotel de la Marine, the port area and the road to west side of the bay to Anamakia and Les Salines. These are done partly before lunch and partly after lunch. You will return to the hotel by 5 pm.

Ambolobozokely, L’Ile au Baobabs.
This excursion is subject to a favourable tide on the day. You depart from thehotel at 7 to 7.30 am. The drive takes about 2½ hours (in the same direction as Ankarana but we turn off east at the village of Andrafiabe). Arriving at the hotel, L’Ile aux Baobab, we then take a boat trip across the Bay of Rigny to a false island. Here you walk through thorny scrub forest primarily to look at the boababs and other items of interest. We visit 2 sandy white beaches where you can swim. We return for a grilled fish lunch and then return to Joffreville by about 5 pm.

Related News:

 IT14-A-Madagascar - Nosy Be & Montagne d'Ambre Reserve - 29-04-08 09:25