Things to do in Nosy Be
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Nosy Be
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season: calm seas, lower humidity, every boat running and offshore visibility commonly 20 to 30 metres.
Best diving and snorkelling visibility as rains end and the sea settles.
Humpback whales in the Mozambique Channel, occasionally into early October.
Whale shark season, with the heart from late September to November and late September to October the best wildlife window.
Smart money shoulders: May, June, September and October, plus early November, avoid the fullest boats and highest prices.
Peak periods in July and August and at Christmas and New Year: best weather, highest prices and the Tanikely cap binding.
Wet and cyclone season peaking January to February, with boat cancellations likely January to March but the greenest island and lowest prices.
What's on
- Donia Festival May, about a week, dates shift yearly
Big music and cultural festival centred on Hell-Ville and the beaches. Book four to six weeks ahead.
- Somaroho Festival Usually August
The other major Malagasy music gathering on the island. Verify the dates for the year.
- Santabary Late April to early May
First rice harvest thanksgiving with music, dance and feasting.
- Madajazzcar October
Jazz festival mainly in Antananarivo, worth pairing if the route includes the capital.
Best things to do in Nosy Be
Nosy Tanikely Marine National Park
Protected marine park where you snorkel off the beach over coral gardens with turtles almost guaranteed.
Nosy Iranja
Two islands joined by a white sandbar at low tide, with lagoon snorkelling and a fishing village lunch.
Lokobe National Park
Last primary forest on the island, reached by pirogue, with black lemurs, chameleons and dense birdlife.
Nosy Komba
Roadless volcanic island with habituated black lemurs, forest walks and a village craft economy.
Nosy Sakatia
Quiet roadless island where green turtles graze seagrass off the beach, ideal for nervous swimmers.
Mont Passot
Volcanic summit with boardwalk views over sacred crater lakes, best as an hour before sunset ritual.
Hell-Ville
The working port capital for markets, vanilla and spices, colonial buildings and everyday local eating.
Lemuria Land
Private park with lemurs, chameleons and a ylang ylang distillery, flat and easy for small children.
Where to stay in Nosy Be
Madirokely
first trip, all-round base
Calmer bay next to Ambatoloaka with swimming, hotels, restaurants and boat desks within a short walk.
Ambatoloaka
nightlife and logistics
The social hub for boats, dive shops, bars and restaurants, packed into a few beachfront blocks.
Ambondrona and Ambaro
couples and quiet but connected stays
Quieter sunset facing bays north of the hub, with a short tuk tuk ride back for evenings out.
Andilana
pure beach and full-service resorts
The finest beach on the island with big resorts, pools and kids clubs, at the cost of isolation.
Nosy Sakatia
switching off and diving
Roadless island lodge stay with turtles off the beach, early nights and every trip arranged by boat.
Nosy Komba
switching off and lemurs
Roadless island of forest and lemurs with small shore lodges, house reefs and total quiet.
Think twice about
- Central Ambatoloaka bar blocks
Late night bar noise and a long documented sex tourism scene make this a poor base for families, romantic trips or light sleepers.
- Remote northern or eastern lodges as a sole first-trip base
Transfers run 70 minutes or more, taxis to the hub are costly, and every headline excursion becomes a project on a short trip.
Best restaurants in Nosy Be
Le Papillon
Handsome veranda restaurant in the capital serving crab pasta, grilled fish and roast beef in tuna sauce.
The Pily Pily Restaurant
Resort terrace over Andilana bay for grilled fish, lobster and zebu fillet, best booked for sunset dinner.
Alta Marea
Beachfront fine casual seafood at the Nosy Be Hotel, with inventive local fish cookery and a good wine list.
Karibo
The smartest kitchen on the strip, known for fish stuffed ravioli and snapper in combava sauce.
LE BATUMOCH
Big breezy French seafood house on the sand for grilled fish, seafood platters, zebu and sunset drinks.
L'Heure Bleue Restaurant
Terrace restaurant in a garden above the bay serving fresh French seafood, calmer than the strip.
Chez Angeline
Garden restaurant loved for Malagasy European cooking, pizza and music nights that fill with locals.
Chez Tantine
Unpretentious local canteen for generous Malagasy plates of grilled fish, zebu brochettes and coconut curry.
Outdoor things to do in Nosy Be
Whale Shark Safari
Specialist early boats swim small groups alongside feeding whale sharks in the late September to November season.
Humpback Whale Watching
Boat based watching of migrating humpbacks from July to September, at regulated distance in the channel.
Scuba Diving
Reef diving from coral gardens for beginners to deeper offshore sites, with strong rated local centres.
Liveaboard Catamaran Sailing
Multi day catamaran cruises to the Mitsio and Radama islands for empty reefs and uninhabited anchorages.
Lokobe National Park
The active format of Lokobe: paddle a pirogue through mangroves then walk primary forest for three to four hours.
Quad Biking
Guided quad circuit linking the sacred waterfall, sacred tree, Hell-Ville markets and Mont Passot views.
Ambaro Ranch
Guided horse rides through inland country and along the Ambaro shore, with late afternoon sunset departures.
Sport Fishing
Channel trolling charters for trevally, tuna, barracuda and kingfish, tackle included, half or full day.
Best hotels in Nosy Be
Constance Tsarabanjina
Private island of 25 all inclusive villas with diving and sailing from the beach, a honeymoon splurge.
Time + Tide Miavana
Ultra luxury helicopter access island lodge priced in the thousands per night, a destination in itself.
Royal Beach Hotel & Spa
Largest well reviewed hotel on Madirokely beach with pool, spa and restaurants in a walk everywhere spot.
L'Heure Bleue
Bungalows in a lush garden above the bay with two pools and a calmer feel than the big beach hotels.
Hôtel Clair de Lune
Garden bungalows with a pool a short walk from the beach and strip, set back enough to sleep well.
Palm Beach Resort & Spa
Polished sunset facing resort with spa and pool, 15 minutes from the hub instead of an hour away.
Vanila Hotel & Spa
Reliable mid range resort facing Nosy Sakatia with two pools, spa and a well run restaurant.
Eden Lodge
Eco luxury tents in a protected reserve, boat access only and solar powered, happily marooned by design.
Is Nosy Be expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | MGA 320,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | MGA 650,000 a person |
| Splurge | MGA 1,950,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Nosy Tanikely Marine National Park: a few days ahead
- Whale Shark Safari: weeks ahead
- Humpback Whale Watching: weeks ahead
- Liveaboard Catamaran Sailing: weeks ahead
- Ambaro Ranch: a few days ahead
- The Pily Pily Restaurant: a few days ahead
- Alta Marea: a few days ahead
- Chez Angeline: a few days ahead
- Tanikely is reservation only since 1 August 2025 and capped at about 300 visitors a day. Book through an operator days ahead in season.
- Whale shark and humpback boats are small and the reputable ones fill. Book before flying or on day one.
- Donia week in May pushes beach rooms up 30 to 60 percent. Book four to six weeks ahead, and book Andilana and island lodges early for July, August and holidays.
- Reserve Pily Pily and Alta Marea one to two days ahead in season. Leave slack around flights via Antananarivo.
Is Nosy Be safe?
- Keep cash, jewellery and phones discreet, dress modestly in towns, and take a taxi or tuk tuk after dark instead of walking.
- Do not walk the beach between villages at night. Lit busy strips differ from unlit beaches and empty roads.
- Keep clear of the Ambatoloaka sex tourism scene entirely. Exploitation of minors is a serious crime in Madagascar.
- Madagascar is a malaria area. Seek clinician advice, use repellent, drink sealed or filtered water, and insure diving, boats and evacuation.
- Drink branded sealed alcohol only. Unlabelled refilled bottle spirits are a methanol risk and sealed Dzama rum is the safe local drink.
Nosy Be travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Lemuria Land sold as the lemur experience: a pleasant introduction, while Lokobe and Komba are the real encounters.
- Beach tout boats at half price can mean no park reservation, poor lifejackets and weak spotters. Book operators with reviews.
- Mont Passot as a premium sunset tour: it is a taxi fare and an hour, lovely and priced accordingly.
- Unpriced lobster is charged per weight. Confirm the total in numbers before anything is cooked.
- Beach priced vanilla and ylang ylang oil costs markedly less in the Hell-Ville market.
Getting around Nosy Be: public transport and more
- No useful public transport. Use tuk tuks for west coast hops, taxis for Hell-Ville and the airport, and boats for the islands.
- Agree every fare before boarding and carry small ariary notes. Airport runs by hotel can cost far more than a local taxi.
- Distances lie: about 30 minutes airport to hub, 60 to Andilana, 70 plus to remote lodges, slower after rain.
- Bring euros cash as backstop. Cards work mainly at larger hotels and ATMs concentrate in Hell-Ville and the hub.
Who Nosy Be suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Nosy Be your trip
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