Madagascar · Indian Ocean coast & islands
Nosy Be and the island coast.
Nosy Be in the north-west is the country's beach destination, and the smaller islands around it are the better part of it.
Photo David Bruyndonckx / Unsplash
Nosy Be itself is developed by Malagasy standards; Nosy Komba, Nosy Tanikely and the Mitsio and Radama archipelagos are where the diving and the quiet are. Humpback whales pass Île Sainte-Marie on the east coast between roughly July and September.
How do you get to Nosy Be?
Fascene Airport on Nosy Be has domestic flights from Antananarivo and some international connections, so it can be the start or the end of a Madagascar trip. The smaller islands around it are reached by boat.
What wildlife is there around Nosy Be?
On land, black lemurs and the Nosy Be panther chameleon, both seen in the Lokobe reserve and on Nosy Komba. In the water, green and hawksbill turtles, reef fish around the Nosy Tanikely marine reserve, and whale sharks and humpback whales offshore.
Why is Nosy Be called the perfume island?
Because of the ylang-ylang grown there, whose flowers are distilled into an oil used in perfume, alongside vanilla, pepper and other spices. Distilleries and plantations can be visited.
Nosy Be or Île Sainte-Marie?
Nosy Be, in the north-west, has calmer water, more places to stay and the smaller islands around it. Île Sainte-Marie, off the east coast, is a long, quiet island known for its humpback whales and its old pirate cemetery, and is reached by domestic flight or by boat from the mainland.
How long should you spend on Nosy Be?
Four or five nights is usual, as a beach finish after the forests. Staying on one of the outer islands rather than Nosy Be itself makes the stay quieter.
What is there to see in Nosy Be and the island coast?
Sample journeys that stop here
- Private Madagascar photographic tour →Discover Madagascar through the lens on an exclusive private photography tour. From the island's otherworldly baobab landscapes and pristine coastlines to its rare wildlife and vibrant local cultures, every day presents a new opportunity to capture something remarkable.
What does Nosy Be and the island coast pair well with?
- Andasibe and the eastern rainforestAndasibe is the closest rainforest to the capital and the reliable place to see and hear the indri, the largest living lemur.
- The Avenue of the Baobabs and the westThe Avenue of the Baobabs near Morondava is the country's defining image, and the western dry forests hold species found nowhere else.
- The south and the spiny forestIsalo is sandstone canyon country, and the spiny forest beyond it is one of the most alien landscapes in the world.
Planning
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