Nosy Be

Why Nosy Be works

Nosy Be earns its nickname, the Perfumed Isle, from the ylang-ylang, vanilla and cacao plantations that carpet its interior, their scent drifting down to a coastline of turquoise bays and white-sand beaches unlike anything on mainland Madagascar. Andilana and Ambatoloaka are the main beach bases, with dive centres running trips to nearby coral reefs and, further out, the pristine and rarely crowded Nosy Tanikely marine reserve, where sea turtles and reef sharks are near-guaranteed sightings. Traditional wooden pirogues with outrigger floats, largely unchanged in design for centuries, are still the main fishing vessels and can be chartered for sunset sails along the coast. Inland, the Lokobe Strict Nature Reserve, accessible only by dugout canoe through mangroves, protects one of the last patches of the island's primary rainforest and is the most reliable place to see the endemic black lemur, alongside panther chameleons and boa constrictors found only in Madagascar. Day trips fan out to smaller neighbouring islands -- Nosy Komba for its semi-wild lemur park and Nosy Iranja for a sandbar that connects two islets at low tide. Nosy Be's plantations and beaches pair naturally with the Avenue of the Baobabs on the mainland for a two-centre Madagascar itinerary.

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