The Big Island Of Madagascar

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Nosy Be, which means ‘Big Island’ in the Malagasy language, is situated off the northwest coast of Madagascar and is surrounded by several smaller islands. Located in the Mozambique Channel, eight kilometers from the Madagascar Coast, it is considered the busiest and the most popular tourist resorts in Madagascar taking an hour by air to get from the capital city. During the early colonial period in the seventeenth century, Nosy Be was called Assada and has had a number of other names, one of which is the Nosy Manitra or the scented island.

The island, which has a volcanic origin, is about 120 square miles in area. The volcano although Holocene based has no written records of volcanic eruptions and has been dormant for centuries. Eleven crater lakes are found on the island. Nosy Be is also home to a range of exotic flora and fauna and some rare species of animals too, such as the world’s smallest frog and chameleon. The Lokobe Reserve is a well-preserved Nature Reserve and among the top five reserves in Madagascar and is a good place to explore the island’s natural delights.

Nosy Be is also home to some exotic plants. Plants famous for their perfumes, such as the ylang-ylang are found here on the island. Apart from this you can also find lemon grass, patchouli and vanilla growing on the island. Other places of interest include the Oceanographic museum, Waterfall of Androadroatra and the Sacred Tree of Ampombolava. Also one can visit the nearby town of Hell-Ville, which is the main town in the area, while a 17th century remains of an Indian village is also worth exploring at Nosy Be.

A tropical climate is experienced at Nosy be with the climate being most humid in the months of December, January and February. The Fascene Airport serves the island with flights coming in from Europe while a boat from Ankify can get you to the main town Hell-Ville, now known as Andoany.