“If happiness is the goal, and it should be, then adventures should be a priority”
-Richard Branson
NOSY BE TRIP REPORT
Nosy Be is a large island just off the East Coast of mainland Madagascar. It is the perfect mix of endemic and unique wildlife, insanely wonderful marine life with some insanely good food, good cocktails and beautiful beaches. It is one of the best mixes of R&R a wildlife enthusiast could ever find! I went to Nosy Be with my brother after a long and busy season in South Luangwa, I knew if I went somewhere for wildlife I wouldn’t rest but I didn’t want to go anywhere without it! With endemic species of Lemur, Chameleons, snakes and birds as well as some epic snorkelling this was the perfect place for a cheap Daiquiri, fresh seafood, relaxing beaches but also insane wildlife.
We went for 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year, it was shockingly affordable and getting around was easy. Although there were some language barriers, a mix of French learned at school, lots of gesticulating and some basic English spoken throughout meant we mostly were able to find exactly what we wanted! We spent time between the islands of Nosy Sakatia, Nosy Be and Nosy Komba with visits to Nosy Iranja famous for its long sand bar and endemic chameleons. Each place had something slightly different to offer and we went to Lokombe National Park twice because it really was that good!
Nosy Sakatia, which translates to the island of cat lovers, is a little slice of paradise. With no cars and excellent marine life as well as the famous endemic black lemurs. We stayed at Sakatia lodge which I would highly recommend! Every morning, we were woken to the resident troop of lemurs bouncing off the roof of the cabin before they parked up in the mango tree out front for the day. At sundown we would follow them as they made their way back to the forest! An incredible way to spend a day. Here we were able to swim with colourful fish and huge groups of turtles just a 5-minute swim off the beach from the lodge. We even saw dolphins, but I would love to go back for the whale sharks! We went for little hikes round the island and really enjoyed the hospitality of the lodge here. Run by a South African, English is freely spoken by the staff and there was an incredible community of travellers some of whom have come out to see me in Zambia.
On the way to our next destination we visited Nosy Iranja, it is made up of 2 islands connected by a sandbar, it is stunning however it can be busy, I’d recommend staying the night here so you have access to the sandbar in sunrise/set all to yourself! Can’t think of anything nicer than an island relatively to yourself under the stars watching the sunrise over a beautiful white sandy beach!
Nosy Be was a colourful island with lots to see and do from walking a few of the islands trails to exploring the national park which was a real treat. We were lucky enough to see the Madagascar ground boa, all 3 types of lemur, lots of chameleons including the smallest and some of Madagascar’s birds! We were also lucky enough to see a ground boa very close to a lemur which I’m told they hunt and eat!
The people here were friendly, welcoming and incredibly hospitable. The food was vibrant, flavourful fresh and delicious and the wildlife excelled it was the perfect mix of relaxation whilst getting to see some really exciting species! I cannot wait to go back to explore the mainland soon. Did you know Madagascar has 107 species of lemur…
