What to do at NOSY BE?

The island of Nosy Be and its surroundings open up great prospects for discovering the nature and populations of Madagascar. Leave in peace with the partners selected by Voyages en terre creative and Manga Soa Lodge.

Many walking tours leave directly from your lodge and allow strolling enthusiasts to visit the surrounding villages and the Lokobé nature reserve, at the pace you want to soak up your walk. The journey through this still secret forest will give you new energy.

ON EARTH

During your trips you will have the opportunity to show your respect in front of the sacred trees of Nosy Be, where some rites are practiced, and the very beautiful waterfalls in the North of the island. Always observe the instructions of your guide to adopt the best attitude in these places and not to offend the natives.

Mont Passot

Named after the captain who signed the French protectorate against Merina domination, this mountain is the highest in Nosy be. From the top of its 329m, you will witness the incomparable blazing of the sky as the sunset floods with tawny, purple and orange glares. According to a sakalava legend (people of western Madagascar), the sun is, with its sister the moon, the rebellious son of the earth and the sky. Hence the eternal dance of these stars who have fun at the rare teasing that are eclipses.

Before darkness falls, you will see Nosy Sakatia, the island of orchids, and contemplate the lakes of Nosy Be formed in ancient craters and populated by crocodiles. They are the seat of many taboos, legends and bans, the "fady". For example, in Sakalava, Tuesday is a bad day and nothing important should be done on that day.

Essential oil distilleries

A visit to the ylang ylang and other essential oil distilleries inside Nosy-Be will introduce you to the transformation process of many European fragrances. You will thus see the wealth of endemic plants of Madagascar and the virtues, sometimes still unsuspected, of many plants and roots.

Other unusual discoveries await the curious tourist: a cocoa plantation in Ambanja on Madagascar, the craft village of Nosy Komba teeming with embroidery and sculptures, the recycling workshop in the North of Nosy Be, etc.

head in the stars

Whoever has never been to Nosy be ignores the sumptuousness of its starry skies.

Eager to make you participate in this magical spectacle and to let you know the constellations, Manga Soa Lodge occasionally organizes guided sky observation sessions.

ON SEA

Nosy-Be is surrounded by a chain of paradisiacal islets opening the prospect of beautiful excursions, according to the waves and the sea breeze. The pontoon of the Manga Soa Lodge, a safe and majestic advance in the Mozambique Channel, is a privileged starting point for your adventures.

Humpback whale and whale shark

The humpback whale is a tireless traveler, which alternates between the fishy waters of the poles, where it feeds mainly on krill (small shrimps), and the tropical waters where it comes to breed, especially in the Mozambique Channel.

It thus travels more than 12,000 kilometers per year. The humpback whale is the most curious, playful and expressive of cetaceans, which makes it the star of Whale watching activity in the world.

Taking advantage of a calm and shallow sea, as well as a radiant sun, the mother / calf couples bask in the bay which separates Madagascar from Nosy Be, while the groups of males are found at the limit of the continental shelf for indulge in the famous fights, jumps and strikes of caudal or pectoral muscles. The humpback whale is also known for its song, the most powerful in the animal world, produced only by males in tropical zones.

Sea turtles

Five species of turtle are found in the seas around Madagascar, the green turtle or Atlantic turtle (Chelonia mydas), the hawksbill turtle or caret (Eretmochelys imbricata), the loggerhead (Caretta caretta), the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), and the olive or the mongrel turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)). Greens, nested and loggerheads are the common species generally found in Madagascan waters. Species range from vulnerable to critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Turtle species - States by IUCN

Chelonia mydas

Green / White Tortoise

Threatened

Eretmochelys imbricata

Hawksbill / Hawksbill

Critically endangered

Caretta caretta

Loggerhead turtle

Threatened

Lepidochelys olivacea

Olive Ridley Turtle

Vulnerable

Dermochelys coriacea

Leatherback Turtle

Critically endangered

Nosy tanykely

Classified marine national park and located 20 min from the South of Nosy-Be, Nosy TanyKely (small land in Malagasy) is a dream place for picnics and idleness on the beach. With a mask and a snorkel, you will be like a fish in this open-air aquarium, with splendid seabed magnified by corals of all colors and you will be charmed by the diversity of aquatic species: sea turtles, dolphins players, slightly shy emperor fish, schools of parrot fish, etc.

Bottle divers will be able to observe blue stripes with white tips, barracudas, trevallies and hopefully the harmless "guitar shark".

On land, you will reach the lighthouse by the large stone staircase and you will observe some species of lemurs and fruit-eating bats. Still steps to climb, a little arduous, but the spectacle is awe-inspiring. Lovers of beautiful pictures will never cease to immortalize the striking marriage of white sand and shades of blue of the sea…

Nosy komba

Nosy Komba, lemur island or Ambarovato (surrounded by rocks) is the closest tourist island to Nosy-Be. During an hour-long ride, you will reach the top of the island, 622m and meet beautiful specimens of macaco lemurs, snakes and butterflies. A visit to the village of Tam-Tam will introduce you to the manufacture of outrigger canoes, among the most famous in northern Madagascar, built according to an unchanging rite for centuries.

In the south of the island, in and around the village of Anjiabe, magnificent beaches are suitable for swimming and offer you peace and serenity.

Nosy Iranja

Very famous in Madagascar and Nosy Be, the turtle island, Nosy Iranja, is 27 miles from Nosy-Be. They are in fact two islands linked together by a thin and long fringe of white sand; like mother and child uniting at each low tide by this thin umbilical cord. Above its sandy and shallow bottoms, the water is surprisingly clear. So much natural beauty moves even the most jaded of exoticism and tropical islands.

The spectacle of the large Malagasy turtles that come to lay on the beaches at night has made the reputation of Nosy Iranja. The sinuous traces of their passage are visible by day. The clear blue sky sometimes becomes the scene of an aerial ballet of majestic white birds, after their synchronized flight from the tip of the long tongue of white sand. A single emotion runs through you at this precise moment: let time stand still and make this moment of intense happiness eternal, that paradise is like nothing else!

And many others...

Other excursions await you around Nosy Be: to the Mitsio archipelago , the Baie des Russes, Kalakajoro ....

Mythical names, evocative of the fascinating history of Nosy Be and his little sisters.

Scuba diving

If the activity induces a lot of relaxation, we do not play around with security. As for respecting the coral reef as well as marine specimens and their natural habitat, it is a MUST! A psychotherapist is part of the team and helps those who want to do a diving baptism to overcome their inhibitions and take full advantage of this initiation.