Bespoke Escapes: Relax and Uncover Nosy Be and Nosy Komba Gems

Nosy Be:

• Relax and swim at Nosy Sakatia Beach: Nosy Sakatia is a small island in the northwest corner of Nosy Be that can be reached by a short boat ride from Ambaro. Here you can see many green turtles feeding right in front of the beach and relax on the white sand beaches.

• Paddle excursions in Nosy Sakatia: Take a paddle ride on the calm, crystal clear waters where you can easily spot and observe turtles from your paddle board. Approaching turtles by paddle allows you to observe them gently. Enjoy a 3-course lunch at a beach restaurant, followed by a short tour around the local village just behind the beach.

• Take equestrian rides at Ambaro Ranch: Take a short 3-hour horse ride with a guide and get great views from the mountaintop. Going into the sea and swimming with the horses is the main highlight. The ride starts from the stud farm, located in a wonderful place, which allows you to enjoy perfect views while horse riding.

• Lokobe Nature Special Reserve: This reserve is a must in order to witness the true beauty of wildlife and its surrounding nature. Take a boat ride from village to village, about 40 minutes in some rough waters. See different wildlife species such as tree-hugging boas, chameleons, geckos and frogs. Of course, the main attraction is the lemurs. Black and Claire's mouse lemurs can be seen on the trees and ground. Book with Nosy Be Adventures for an authentic and environmentally responsible tour operator.

• Private tour in Nosy Be with luxury lunch: Swimming under a waterfall, hidden in a dense tropical jungle, is an extraordinary experience. Here you can enjoy the African folk dance of the RAVINALA Women's Association in Ambanoro. Experience the hustle and bustle of the local market with its many colors and scents. Get a taste of Nosy Be's historical, cultural and gastronomic aspects that will leave you wanting more.

Nosy Komba:

• Full-day jungle trek on Nosy Komba (Lemur Island): Dive into some exotic wildlife and biodiversity. It is a real jungle trek where you see lemurs and chameleons, exotic plants like jackfruit, cocoa, lychee, pepper and coffee bushes and vanilla. While taking a walk to the island peak, you can give bananas to accepting lemurs, sometimes sitting on our shoulders or heads. You'll encounter real jungle villages with friendly indigenous people, pass by various flora and fauna and stop to taste things like the fresh cocoa fruit (the flesh of cocoa), raw sugar cane, jackfruit, soursop, eight kinds of mango in season and other special fruits with no name.

• Tanikely Marine Park and Nosy Komba private guided tour: Visit the lemur sanctuary after a half-hour hike, along with many chameleons, geckos, giant tortoises, snakes and much more. Here, you can see a lot of biodiversity and snorkel in the natural aquarium of the marine reserve. Have lunch in a traditional hut in Tanikely and cool off with beers, coco punch, etc.. Try a tour arranged by Fossa Travel.

Seafood and main food

• Tsy Manin — Resto & Chill Out Bar: The TSY Manin is an amazing place for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just a snack. They have a delicious choice of food such as calamari, tazar and misao, plus a delicious mousse chocolat au zeste citron made to perfection. The open bar area serves up many international liquors, wines and some local Malagasy drinks as well.

• Sambatra Beach: This is a typical beachside restaurant and bar that serves fresh seafood caught straight from the ocean. Here, the best item on the menu I recommend as well from the locals is the Wahoo carpaccio, which tastes amazing as do some other special dishes. They also accommodate vegetarian/vegan diets, which is very rare in Nosy Be. The drinks are also very refreshing and tasty (fruit mocktails).

• Bambou Ambatoloaka: This place serves excellent food that is small, and simple with reasonable prices. You can indulge in dishes like a Thazar ceviche, perfectly seasoned, ultra-fresh and tender. The duck breast with honey and crunchy vegetables, precisely cooked, is mouthwatering. Delicious French toast and a scoop of vanilla ice cream is great to end a meal.

Pastries and sweets

• Parad’Ice Glacier: Nestled on a corner next to a beach shop that sells flip-flops, you can get two homemade cones of chocolate and hazelnut and chili chocolate and Amarena. It is the best ice cream parlor in Nosy Be and delicious! With outdoor tables only, enjoy the weather and ice cream where the local vanilla beans melt in your mouth as you enjoy the vanilla ice cream.

• Les Siciliens: Traditional Sicilian restaurant and food for pizza and pasta. The dessert — especially the sweet, chocolate taste of cannoli Siciliennes — is worth a try. It is nice and soft.

Bars and lounges

• Nandipo: This bar and restaurant is cozy and located in the heart of the neighborhood on Rue Albert I Street. The Wi-Fi works well and the staff is English-speaking, which is rare in Nosy Be. A varied menu, pizza being number one, with a cold beer is the order of the day. Be prepared to wait as service is usually slow. My suggestion is the Calzone or the Carbonara, and the pizza, which has a good mix of mushrooms, herbs, veggies and some seafood. It is enough to feed multiple people and is good value for your money.

• Tsy Manin — Resto & Chill Out Bar: Although mentioned above, it also has a great selection of drinks, and the view of the ocean is soothing as you relax in the afternoon or night and sip on a good cocktail. The atmosphere of the place is amazing, sometimes with live music.