Nosy Be is Madagascar’s most popular island tourist destination, located off Madagascar’s northwestern coast, this small island is blessed with exquisite sand beaches, glittering volcanic lakes and diverse flora and fauna. Nosy Be has remained refreshingly unspoilt and free of rampant development, with low-key beach bungalows outnumbering the glitzy commercial resorts.
Most visitors relax on idyllic beaches, go swimming or snorkeling in the calm azure waters and enjoy seafood feasts at oceanfront restaurants, but if you enjoy sightseeing, it’s worth paying a visit to the bazaar in Hell-ville to pick up samples of fragrant spices as Nosy Be is nicknamed ‘The Perfume Island’. Don’t miss the lush rainforests of the Lobeke Nature Reserve as well as the coral reefs skirting the coast offer phenomenal scuba diving opportunities, while a peppering of surrounding islets make for enchanting day trips.
Highlights of the Tour
Nosy Be
Nosy Be, the largest island of the Nosy Be Archipelago, is surrounded by several nearby islands which include Nosy Komba, Nosy Tanikely, Nosy Sakatia and Nosy Mitsio. It is known as the Perfume Island as the air is scented with the ylang-ylang and vanilla that grows there. The island offers excellent fishing and diving opportunities as well as a natural lemur reserve and a resort-style atmosphere. Here the pace of life is as slow and drawn out as the island’s magnificent sunsets.
Nosy Komba
Dotting the ocean just off the northwest coast of Madagascar, Nosy Komba is a spectacularly scenic volcanic island sandwiched between Nosy Be Island and the mainland. This popular tourist destination is known for its remarkably beautiful landscapes featuring a rugged coastline covered in forested hills meeting the crystalline waters and interrupted by magnificent white-sand beach beaches hidden in picturesque coves.
Ampangorinana
Visitors can look forward to an array of activities including visiting the friendly black lemurs at the Black Lemur Sanctuary, discovering a host of fishing villages scattered along the shoreline and exploring the dusty streets of Ampangorinana, the main village.
Here visitors can browse the market stalls for beautifully embroidered goods, intricate wood carvings and woven baskets. Other highlights of your Nosy Komba beach holiday include bird watching, whale spotting, diving, and snorkelling.
