Rent Ankao Luxury Private Island

Ankao Private Island breaks the mould and blends modern, clean lines, with natural stone and palm to recreate the idea of barefoot luxury. The 14 Villas all have beach and ocean frontage, looking out over the mountains of Madagascar’s mainland in the distance. The one, two and three-bedroomed Villas have their own kitchen, lounge, private pool, cooled sleeping areas and a separate study which can be turned into a children’s bedroom.
The central area of Ankao Private Island is like a village piazza with a rooftop bar, indoor/outdoor private dining/lounge spaces including in the round stone wine cellar, a beach pizzeria, Cabinet de Curiosities (a treasure museum), large 25m infinity pool looking out at the ocean and Madagascan mainland beyond and shop. Island Wifi will be available in the Villas for a work space like no other.
Ankao is the largest of five islands in an archipelago off the north eastern coast of Madagascar. We are developing Ankao Private Island with our signature focus on preserving the history of the area, best in class guiding, retaining an outstanding team and offering outstanding accommodation.
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and approximately 90% of its extraordinary plant and wildlife are found nowhere else on earth; the foremost being the Lemur. Our piece of this heaven is the Nosy Ankao archipelago, found on the north eastern coast of Madagascar and accessed by a short helicopter ride from Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) which is the nearest international airport, in an azure bay, high on the northern tip of Madagascar. The islands are generously served with the fresh and warm Indian Ocean currents and protected by the reefs which surround them. The largest of the four islands, Nosy Ankao, is 3.5kms from the mainland with gorgeous views of the ocean as well as the picturesque foothills and mountains of the north eastern Madagascan mainland.
Taking guests on a guided tour of our backyard both on the island ,spotting up to four different species of turtles laying eggs or hatching, snorkelling straight off the beach at the front of your villa or take a short boat ride to the mainland and find endemic lemur species. Our guides have grown up in Madagascar with the local folklore and legends as well as learning about the different marine and land based animals endemic to Madagascar. We want to share these stories and this knowledge with our guests.
Accommodation
14 villas each with ocean & beach views
25 mts back from the beach
25 mts between each villa
8 x single villas = 450 sq mts
4 x 2 bed villas = 700 sq mts
2 x 3 bed villas = 865 sq mts

Activities
‘Blue safaris’, land safari guided ethos, with best in class guides for all activities
Scuba diving (including wreck diving on 120ft wreck in 4mts)
Whale watching, snorkelling, turtles
Kite surfing, fly fishing, deep sea fishing
Sailing, walking, running trails, swimming at low & high tide
Sleep outs & picnics on smaller neighbouring island of Manampaho with 1km beach
Wildlife
2 endemic species of Lemur on mainland, 10 mins by helicopter
Perrier Sifaka = black & noisy
Tattersall’s Sifaka = brown & relaxed
Crowned Lemur planned to be introduced on to Nosy Ankao
Turtles: 50 turtle nesting sites found on Nosy Ankao. Species are: Olive Ridley, Green, Hawksbill, Loggerhead. Hatchlings all year as different species hatch at different times
90,000 Terns nest on neighbouring Manampaho island between May – mid Jul
Seasons
Late Oct – Apr peak months. Some rain overnight Nov – Mar
Jan – Mar possible cyclone months (last cyclone was in 1985). Generally further south of Nosy Ankao
May – Oct is ‘winter’. Temperatures in mid-high 20’s with a persistent SE wind. The villas & main area are protected. Very good for kite surfing
Turtles hatch all year
Terns nest May – mid Jul
Humpback Whales Jul – Oct, breaching, tail slapping, calving in front of villas
Community
Working closely with local community to protect & sustain the area’s resources
School built for local community on Nosy Ankao
Access
4 x weekly scheduled 1 hr 15 min flts from Antananarivo to nearest airport, Diego Suarez
20 min helicopter flt from Diego Suarez (Antsiranana) to Nosy Ankao
40 min helicopter flt from Nosy Be airport
Activities:
- scuba diving, snorkelling from your Villa
- turtle, whale and dolphin watching
- lemur trekking, forest walks, fly and deep sea fishing
- jet skis, helicopter flips and to relax, a world class spa
Fishing:
The potential for the fishing at Ankao Private Island is endless but, a lot of it relies on the lodge’s offering. Potentials are:
Fly-fishing,  popping and spinning for GTs, barracuda and other trevally species on foot and on the flats (no boats required, guide advised – can also be done by accessing various areas of the island by boat or quad)

In-shore fly-fishing, popping and spinning for GTs, barracuda, other trevally species, and several other in-shore species. (Boat, guide, skipper required).
Off-shore fly-fishing popping and spinning for GTs, barracuda, tuna, trevally species, and several other off-shore species. (Specialised boat 24ft+ with GPS & sonar, guide and skipper required).
Blue water –  fly-fishing and trawling for marlin, sailfish and possibly swordfish. (Specialised boat 30ft+ with GPS, outriggers & sonar, guide and skipper required).