Nosy Be
Madagascar'S Main Beach Resort Island, About 312 Square Kilometres, With White Sand, Ylang Ylang Plantations, A Crater Lake Interior And Boat Trips To Nosy Komba, Nosy Tanikely Marine Park And Nosy Iranja · Hell-Ville, Diana
Nosy Be is Madagascar's main beach island, off the north-west coast and about 312 square kilometres in size. Hell-Ville is the working town, with a lively market, colonial-era buildings and ferry docks. The coast has white sand beaches, though resort sprawl at Andilana and Ambatoloaka means some stretches are crowded and built up. Inland you find ylang-ylang plantations, crater lakes, and Lokobe Reserve with lemurs and chameleons. The real draw is boat trips to Nosy Komba, Nosy Tanikely marine park and Nosy Iranja, plus diving and snorkelling. It is a good place to rest after the mainland. Prices run higher than elsewhere, touts are persistent in Ambatoloaka, and the sea is often warm but not always clear. Expect a mix of lovely small islands and tired, built-up beach strips. Choose your base with care: quieter bays and a good boat operator matter more than a big resort, and the best moments are usually the island trips, not the main beaches.
Island off the north-west coast, reached by ferry from Ankify or by air to Fascene airport; main town Hell-Ville, Hell-Ville, Diana, Madagascar
The island is open all year, but it is a seasonal destination: the dry season, roughly May to October, is busiest, and some restaurants and boat operators close or cut hours in the wet season, roughly January to March, when cyclones can affect the north. Hell-Ville market runs mornings. Getting there: ferries from Ankify (about an hour or two by sea, times vary), or flights into Fascene airport. Book boat trips a day ahead; confirm times locally.