Land of Nature Wonders :
North-Nosy Be
Day 1 Johanesbourg or Addis Abiba – Nosy Be
Arrival in Nosy Be, transfer to the hotel. With a perfect climate and fertile and prosperous soil, Nosy be is the ideal place for sugar, pepper and vanilla plantations which are its main exports. The main characteristic of Nosy Be is the heady scent of ylang ylang blossoms giving it the tourist-brochure name of Perfume Island ». Finally because of its nice beaches and the tiny isles around, Nosy be is the ideal place for sunbathing and relaxing. Night in Hotel
Included:
Transfer Airport – Hotel
Ravintsara Wellness BB
Day 2 Nosy Be – Diégo-Suarez (Antsiranana)
Transfer to Hell-Ville the main harbour of Nosy Be Island for 1 hour transfer by speedboat to Ankify where our car is waiting for us to continue Diego, we drive across the coffee, cacao and ylang ylang plantations, we carry on and can have a stop is in the town of Ambilobe to visit the picturesque market of this Muslim city, then we drive along the mountain chain of Tsaratanana, with the highest peak of the island, arrival in Diego; Diego is situated in the north of Madagascar; it is the place where the first European landed on Madagascar. Surrounded by the « Mozambique channel » and the « Indian Ocean » it is a spectacular location with its numerous bays and beautiful beaches. After your check-in, drive up to the Montagne des Français where you can have a view of the whole of Diego with the 3 bays and you can see the endemic Baobab Antseraniensis. Overnight in hotel
Included:
Transfer Hotel – Port Hell-Ville
Transfer speedboat Hell-Ville – Ankify
Transport by private car with driver and fuel
Excursion to Montagne des Français and “ Bays
Allamanda Hotel BB
Day 3 Diégo-Suarez (Antsiranana) – Mahamasina
After breakfast, 1 hour drive to Joffre Ville where you start your 3 to 4 hours visit of the Montagne d’Ambre National Park, accompanied by a local guide. The park located on the mountain of Ambre, consists of a tropical rainforest of 18,200 ha covering a volcanic massif composed mainly of basaltic rocks. This park is rich in wildlife and is home to a lot of endemic fauna and flora. Reptiles are impressive, stump-tailed chameleons, snakes and insect life is particularly rich. Numerous rivers have their source here and flow out in different directions, so the park is a vital water catchment area for the nearby town of Diego Suarez. There are several attractive crater lakes and some spectacular waterfalls. Much of the park is covered with upland moist tropical forest, with numerous giant trees, smaller ferns and several orchid species. After the visit we head on southwards to Mahamasina. On the way stop in Anivorano and take a dirt road for 1-hour drive to the Tsingy Rouge, a strange sculpture resulting from the erosion of a red sandy mountain. Then back to the main road and have 2 hours’ drive to Mahamasina, on the foot of Ankarana National Park. Overnight in hotel
Included:
Transport by private car with driver and fuel
3 Hours guided visit of Amber Mountain National Park
45MN Visit of Red Tsingy
Ankarana Lodge DBB
Day 4 Mahamasina
Morning we hike and explore (2-4hours) the « Tsingy d’Ankarana », where the limestone highland has been sculpted by erosion. It gives the impression of walking on a spiny land and offers us an extraordinary spectacle. The vegetation itself is as unusual as the Tsingy itself. The area consists of 18,225 ha covering a massif of Jurassic limestone rising abruptly from the surrounding savanna-like plain. Dominant canopy trees include Dalbergia and Acasia, various figs, and superb specimens of the baobab Adansonia madagascariensis, and numerous palms. The Tsingy harbours a fascinating assemblage of drought-adapted succulent plants like Pachypodium decaryi, Adenia neohumbertii and so on…Abundant wildlife lives in the forested canyons and during your walk you’ll meet brown lemurs, geckos and non-poisonous snakes. Overnight in hotel
Included:
4 to 5 Hours guided visit of Ankarana National Park
Ankarana Lodge DBB
Day 5 Mahamasina – Nosy Be
After breakfast, drive towards Ankify. Stop in Ambanja for a visit to a cacao and vanilla plantation of Cyrille. Then 1-hour transfer by speedboat to Hell Ville the main town of the island of Nosy be. Transfer by car to your hotel. Check-in and overnight in hotel
Included:
Visit of Cacao and Vanilla plantation
Transport by private car with driver and fuel
Speedboat transfer Ankify – Nosy be Hell-ville
Ravintsara Wellness BB
Day 6 Nosy Be
Day at leisure. Many excursions are possible like Optional excursions:
Mont Passot the highest point of the island where we can have marvellous views of a series of deep-blue crater and sacred lake, said to contain crocodiles which are ancestors of the local people. Nosy Be is the best place for a rest.
By speedboat to Nosy Komba and Tanikely which are 2 isles around Nosy Be. First stop in Nosy Komba, a tiny isle on the south east of Nosy be. Named after the black lemurs or komba which habited the primary forest of the island. Visit the small park run by the village where one can see the maccacco maccacco lemur which is only found in this area. Nosy Komba is also known for the embroidered table cloths made by local women. Then 1-hour boatride to reach Nosy Tanikely, an uninhabited submarine National Park which offers good snorkelling and diving. Fresh Sea-food lunch, then around 03.00pm, sail back to Nosy be
Day excursion to the « LOKOBE Special reserve ». Transfer to the harbour where we take a small boat to reach the reserve. Located on the eastern side of the island of Nosy Be, the reserve of Lokobe is what remains of the rainy tropical forest of the island. There are forty-two species of birds, and black lemurs «maccacco maccacco » which are only found in this area. Thirty-five species of reptiles have been seen, seven of which are chameleons. It is possible to visit the buffer zone on the north-east side of the peninsula where permits are not required. One of the main interests of Lokobe is the village where we can experience the life of local people. Back to the hotel. Stop in town to see the local market.
Ravintsara Wellness BB
Day 7 Nosy Be
Day at leisure. Many excursions
Ravintsara Wellness BB
Day 8 Nosy Be – OUT
Transfer to the airport for the international flight back home
Included:
Transfer Hotel – Airport