"Our stay was extremely disappointing due to serious hygiene, food safety & service issues. We felt completely at the mercy of the staff rather than cared for as guests.
We repeatedly found insects in our food—ants, gnats, mosquitoes & beetle like bugs across multiple meals. I have a plethora of photo/video evidence. After sending dishes back the issue continued & staff denied responsibility. We eventually ate in the kitchen to inspect food immediately & still found insects in several dishes + ants crawling in the sugar containers.
The hygiene situation extended beyond food, with cockroaches, centipedes, ants & mosquitoes present in our room throughout the stay.
Service was consistently disorganized, with basic requests taking 40–90 minutes or being misunderstood entirely even though my husband is fluent in Malagasy, he lived on the main land for 3 years. We were told 3 dishes would be refunded due to contamination but were still charged. Our final bill also showed clear overcharges compared to our own records.
Access to the property was deceiving, it takes 1.5 hours to get to town. They didn’t mention the road is damaged. So you’re trapped unless you pay them for a long motorboat + tuk-tuk journey with a strict 5:30pm curfew that limits your day. Otherwise you’re stranded or have to pay to row a canoe in the dark for 45min.
I am currently pregnant & became seriously ill during this trip, testing positive for both E. coli & Giardia after a week of vomiting & diarrhea."
"
We had a fantastic stay at the Veronika. The staff make this resort incredibly special. Everyone was so friendly & kind it felt like home for the 6 nights we were there. Our room was kept very clean by the lovely cleaning ladies, the whole place was immaculate. We enjoyed the food, the flexibility to have pizza/snacks if we didn’t want a full meal was great and the Pizzas/pastas were delicious! The views from the pool and our balcony were breathtaking. We watched some stunning sunsets, and thunderstorms cocktail in hand. They also arranged our trips out & our guide Romrik (?) who came with us each time was fantastic! We really enjoyed his company such a lovely guy, so knowledgeable and kind. Also can’t forget to mention to resident Lemurs, Lori & Dori we miss them so much. We would love to return to the Veronika one day! "
"Staff were super friendly and gave us welcome drinks when we arrived. Food was really nice and they had a large selection of cocktails and mocktails. Only issue was sometimes they would make the cocktails ridiculously strong and the pillows were too hard/large for my liking"
"a terrible experience,no hot water no air-conditioning 78 steps to the reception,then another 15 steps to our room I will never go there again and will not recommend it sorry
"
"Pleasant rooftop restaurant and helpful staff. Room was spacious and clean. Was surprised to learn that A/C was only available at an additional cost of 25000 Ariary (about $5 USD), and there was no fan in the room to make the heat bearable without A/C. The room had two beds in separate sleeping spaces, but the A/C was not powerful enough to cool anything other than the bed next to it. There was an electrical panel just outside the louvered door by the bed, and some circuit on the panel beeped incessantly. It would not have been possible to sleep without earplugs. Shower was spacious and provided multiple showerhead options, but there was nowhere to hang a towel in or near the shower room. Nor was there anywhere to set a bar of soap or bottle of shampoo. The space could be made more functional with the addition of a small shelf, two wall hooks, and an A/C unit in the second sleeping room."
"Absolutely incredible experience! It’s so clean and the rooms are stunning with the best view. The dinner was delicious and so was the breakfast! And there are no words for how wonderful the staff are. There English is amazing! The classes are definitely working and they went out of their way to ensure you had an amazing time and had everything you needed. As a solo female traveler this is one of the best places I have stayed! "
If you're flying into Ambanja (IVA), you might take some time to enjoy the sights in town. When you want to settle in and find a place to stay, check out some of the hotels and other accommodations that Expedia offers in the area.
What's the best hotel to stay near Ambanja (IVA)?
Manja Kely Lodge is one of the top choices for your stay based on our traveler data, and this hotel offers a restaurant and an outdoor pool. You'll find it 14.4 mi (23.3 km) from Ambanja (IVA). Other good options in the area include Veronika Resort Nosy Komba and Hôtel de rêve Nosy Komba.