Nosy Be Island Madagascar
Madagascar

23 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

MSC Cruises (4 Cruises)

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (15 Cruises)

Viking Ocean Cruises (4 Cruises)


Frequently Asked Questions

At Hell-Ville, by ship's tender: Nosy Be is an anchorage, not an alongside berth. Landings on the neighbouring islets are often wet, on beaches with no jetty. Closed sandals, a dry bag and sunscreen will make the day considerably easier.
Because the ylang-ylang scents the air out to sea: many passengers notice it from the deck before the coast even comes into view. It is not a brochure line. Plantations of ylang-ylang, vanilla, coffee and cocoa cover the hills around Hell-Ville.
The name comes from a French admiral, de Hell, and there is nothing infernal about the place. Avenues lined with weathered colonial buildings, yellow tuk-tuks, zebu carts and a covered market piled with spices, fruit, vanilla and dried fish. An hour's wander covers the centre.
One outing, not three. Either Lokobe reserve for lemurs in primary forest, or Nosy Komba for lemurs and crafts, or Nosy Tanikely for snorkelling, or Mount Passot and its crater lakes. Each takes up most of the day once transport is counted.
It is the last large remnant of primary forest on Nosy Be. You paddle in before walking among black lemurs, whose males are ebony and females russet, chameleons and boas coiled on their branches. It is the most genuinely forest-bound outing on the island.
At Nosy Komba, nicknamed the lemur island. The village of Ampangorina welcomes visitors among stalls of embroidered tablecloths and a clearing where the macacos leap from shoulder to shoulder. It is spectacular and much photographed, but less wild than Lokobe: choose according to what you are after.
At Nosy Tanikely, a tiny marine reserve whose clear water shelters turtles, coral and shoals of colourful fish. It is one of the best snorkelling sites in the region. Bring closed sandals: the landing is on the beach, with no jetty.
It is the highest point of Nosy Be, a little over 300 metres, whose viewpoint overlooks a ring of dark crater lakes that local tradition surrounds with taboos and legends. The road up crosses plantations, rice fields and hamlets, and is worth the trip in itself. Several distilleries open their doors along the way.
Ylang-ylang essence and vanilla pods. The distilleries on the Mount Passot road show the stills turning the yellow flowers into an essence sought by the great perfumers, and the Hell-Ville market sells vanilla by weight. Keep small change for the market artisans.
The Malagasy ariary, in small denominations, obtained by changing a few dollars in Hell-Ville. Bargaining is done unhurriedly and the smile always precedes the transaction. Agree the tuk-tuk fare before getting in. Malagasy is the country's language, and French is widely spoken.