르레 뒤 키린디(Relais du Kirindy)

This Oasis of peace and quiet is rustic but that's part of its appeal , rooms are quirky but comfortable with room fans to circulate the warm air, I slept very well. The pool is a perfect retreat to cool down after a hot days wildlife spotting. Situated a bumpy ride away from Ave Des Baobab and Kirindy National Park this friendly well operated premises is worth a visit.

The staff was friendly the pool was nice ( the pool deck as well as all wood walkways needed the nails reset as they are standing proud and are a tripping hazard. I had to go to the neighboring cabin to anchor the flapping shutters to get some quiet. It was hot here. The room was basic. No air con and our fan didn’t work. Food was ok except for the dinner after a long power outage. The shrimp smelled off so we abandoned the meal. As an indication of how it went here- we felt like we were the fools when everyone else disappeared to morondova and we were the only ones there. Our guide must have had an arrangement here as our itinerary had us moving to morondava that day.

We had a two hour stop to eat lunch after visiting the NP. Staff were friendly, attentive and our meal was good. Not many food options. Salads were 20,000, entree was 35,000. Have cash. Pool available for a swim after your meal, there are lounge chairs, bar etc. available.

We stayed at Relais du Kirindy for two days during our tour. The stay was in quite stressful situation, because Tsaradia airlines managed to leave behind the luggage of half of the passengers and we arrived with what we had in our scanty hand luggage. The hotel manager (owner?) was as helpful as possible in our quite dire situation and was indeed very kind. The hotel itsef was quite typical for Madagascar, OK to spend the short time we had there, with usual blackouts for Madagascar, but one must know this and come prepared, so it was not a real problem. The only real inconvenience was (especially in our situation) a very weak shower. Good parts 1. It is close enough to Kirindy reserve, not a long drive, we even managed to see visiting fossa at the information centre before the night walk; 2. The hotel has a pool with nice area; 3. The gardent has a large collection of local wood carvers. One point is either good or bad, depending on one‘s acceptance of wildlife: we shared our hut with a significant collection of geckos and a rat.

Although this should be a comfortable place to stay - with a nice setting, a lovely pool and friendly and helpful staff - it was more than disappointing. The food was indifferent and the rooms was not cleaned nor were the beds made up over the two nights we stayed. The shower needed mending - which was promptly done (thank you) but... rodents ate our water bottles which were placed on a window sill. The first time this happened we thought they might have been cracked but the second time there were clear teeth marks and they also had a go at our mosquito repellent - urgh!!! I have to add also that the Kirindy night walk we did was disappointing - the place was noisy and - for Madagascar - crowded. We were due to stay at the Camp Amoureux which looked delightful but was closed for building works - shame!

Log cabins spread out around the site are basic but comfortable. Electricity is turned off at night, you can charge devices in the restaurant area. Bed was comfortable and came with mosquito net, albeit it had not been well cleaned. Each room has a safe. The bathroom is very basic, the water supply in bathroom is minimal, so be prepared not to shower, and to use a bucket for flushing toilet etc. The village behind the hotel can be noisy during the night, but that's local life for you. Staff very friendly, the restaurant and lounge are comfortable. Menu is limited - normally a choice of two starters and two main courses per meal, but the food was reasonably well cooked and you have to be realistic about the standard of food in a remote area. There is a pool. Wifi in the restaurant only, but it was erratic and didn't always work. The hotel is well placed for visits to the forest and for views of the sunset.

On the plus side, the hotel has a pool & the dinner was good - at extra cost, of course. (The breakfast, however, was debatable.) On the minus side though, our room had a bed & 2 beside tables. Nothing else. The mosquito net didn’t close properly & there was no blanket (we were cold during the night & slept badly). There were no tables or chairs or even a waste paper basket in the room and also no chairs on the porch (like the room next door). The bathroom had a toilet with no seat but it did have a family of cockroaches, which was no compensation. The wifi in reception was totally useless (and there’s no telephone coverage in the area). This is a hotel that’s trying to be something and failing miserably. Avoid if possible.

We ended up staying an extra night at Relais due to a local emergency and the staff could not have been more accommodating. Despite not arriving until 930pm they kept the kitchen open to feed us and were very welcoming. There is a nice laid back vibe at Relais and the grounds are beautifully presented. The swimming pool is also a welcome relief from the unbelievable heat. The bungalow style rooms are very spacious and there is a nice outdoor terrace to relax on. Unfortunately my wife was ill during our stay there but the staff were concerned and frequently checked to make sure she was ok. They are a great representation of their country and do their utmost to make guests feel welcome. We would definitely stay here again.

I’ve a 2 nights stay at Relais du Kirindy. A lovely place to stay after visiting l’allée de Baobab and to discover the Kirindy forest or on the way to Tsingy de bemaraha. The bungalow is clean and confortable. The manager (host) is too nice, helpful and friendly. The food is good and you can walk around the hotel for a great sunset. Highly recommended during your trip around Morondava.