Best Cruise Ship Activities In Nosy Be

Lemur Paradise

This activity is perfect to meet Madagascar’s furry inhabitants: the lemurs. This small reserve is located in the middle of a sea of the oldest Madagascar Ylang Ylang flower plantations, in the southwest of the island. They were planted by the SPPM, a perfume company which started in 1889 and is the world’s biggest producer of Ylang-Ylang, the main ingredient for Chanel’s famous perfume. This tour takes place in one of the last primary rainforests in all of Nosy Be. In here you will meet a large variety of lemurs, such as black lemurs, ringtail lemurs, sifakas, brown lemurs, indris, crowned sifakas, mouse lemurs, red-bellied lemurs as well as turtles and many colorful birds, all in a unique green oasis. This tour takes half a day, so it’s perfect for people who come to Nosy Be by cruise ship and would like to take a mini safari in Madagascar.

Nosy Komba and Nosy Tanikely

Nosy Komba is one of the most popular destinations in Nosy Be and is perfect for a day tour. The name means Lemur Island in Malagasy and there are indeed many lemurs present on Nosy Komba. The island is perfect for lazing on the beach, swimming, snorkeling and you can even hike for several hours if you want to and go on top of the island to get one of the best views in the Indian Ocean! Oh, and did we already mention the turtles? Yep, we have that covered too!

On the same day out, you can also see Nosy Tanikely, a protected marine reserve which is often combined with Nosy Komba. Enjoy the white sand beaches with beautiful clear blue water with coral reefs full with colorful fish and even turtles. Even here we can find lemurs, but also chameleons and colorful lizards. Today will be an unforgettable day full of beautiful memories. This tour from Nosy Be can easily be done within 7 – 8 hours, so it’s ideal as a shorex tour for cruise ship visitors coming to Nosy Be. 

Nosy Iranja

Nosy Iranja is Nosy Be’s flagship because of its unique form and there really isn’t anything like it. Many cruise ship travelers combine Madagascar with Seychelles and Mauritius seeing the most beautiful beaches in the world and Nosy Iranja definitely is one of the best beaches you can see on your cruise in the Indian Ocean. It is a hard choice between seeing lemurs at Nosy Komba or seeing the beach at Nosy Iranja of course, but if you’re going for pure beauty; think pristine white postcard perfect beaches with turquoise water, then choose Nosy Iranja for your shorex activity at Nosy Be.

Nosy Iranja consists of two beautiful islands which are connected by a white sand strip nearly two kilometers long. Walking from one side to another is one of the most beautiful experiences in all of Madagascar. From the top of the island you can take the perfect picture of this wonderful paradise. 

Lemur Safari At Lokobe National Park

Lokobe is a national park in Nosy Be and named after Mont Lokobe, which is an extinct volcano. Lokobe park is located in the south-east of Nosy Be and is perfect for a half day tour for anyone coming to Nosy Be on a cruise ship looking for a day activity. Lokobe is known for its black lemurs, but there are also mouse lemurs and sportive lemurs. There are also birds, boas, chameleons like the panther chameleons, lizards and more. Lokobe National Park has a wide variety of plants and flowers and is a true bonanza of colors and smells all in one of the last remaining primary rainforests in Nosy Be.

1. SNORKELING SEAS OF SAKATIA, TSARABANJINA, & MITSIO ARCHIPELAGOS

(THIS IS FOR GROUPS OF 30 MINIMUM ONLY, 60 MAXIMUM) – On request (all other tours can run anytime)

This trip takes all day and visits and snorkels at Madagascar’s 3 best dive and snorkel sites

What to see? What to do?

• Visit to Nosy Sakatia to swim with giant sea turtles
• Visit Nosy Tsarabanjina to swim in the most turquoise excellent island exclusive for us
• Picnic Beach Lunch, snorkel and view the giant fruit bats and sheer strange geologic formations at Nosy Mitsio
• Relax in Andilana beach with its few kilometers of white sand beach – swimming and sunbathing or a little massage in the shade of the coconut trees

Transport: Speedboat with roof and outboard motors

What to bring?
Sunscreen – mosquito repellent – ​​Sun hat – Sunglasses – swimsuit – towel – snorkel gear (or we give)

2. NOSY IRANJA and ANTSOHA

Depart from your ship and board a boat before setting sail for the tiny island of Nosy Antsoha, a private reserve island where five species of endemic lemurs live. Here, these small, endangered prosimians are familiar with humans and will welcome you with playful interactions. Afterward, sail to the tropical paradise of Nosy Iranja, one of the world’s most beautiful islands, two islands connected by 1.2 Km sand bar that is walkable at low tide but completely submerged when the sea rises. You will visit Nosy Iranja for a fresh seafood lunch in the village. Then, walk along the beach to an old lighthouse with panoramic views. You can also swim and sunbathe, and look for sea turtles who often nest here, laying eggs in the sand. Later, head back to the port and your ship.

Transport:  Speed boat

What to bring?
Sunscreen – mosquito repellent – ​​Sun hat – Sunglasses – bathing suit and towel – mask, snorkel, beach shoe and/or flipper

3. NOSY KOMBA: Lemur Island / NOSY TANIKELY: Small Island

From the pier, board a boat for Nosy Komba, a tranquil isle which is devoid of automobiles, roads and electricity. Here, a white-sand beach is dotted with black volcanic outcrops and tropical forests where a protected population of friendly lemurs live. Then, sail to Nosy Tanikely, an Indian Ocean marine park, one of the best snorkeling sites in the area, a national park and marine reserve sheltering an array of coral, multicolored fish, turtles and more. You can sunbathe on the beach or slip into turquoise waters for a swim or snorkel. Following a delicious lunch, keep watch for lemurs and chameleons as you take a stroll to an early 20th-century lighthouse offering stunning panoramic views. Afterward, sail back to your awaiting ship.

Transport:  Speed boat

What to bring?
Sunscreen – mosquito repellent – ​​Sun hat – Sunglasses – beach shoes

4. LOKOBE (forest reserve)

Travel to the fishing village of Ambatozavavy, where you will meet your guide and board a pirogue, a traditional wooden dugout canoe. Navigate your way through a mangrove forest to the village of Ampasipohy, where you will begin your exploration of Lokobe National Park, home to Nosy Be’s only old-growth rainforest. This reserve is an untouched expanse of rare and ancient endemic trees that shelter more than 370 species of wildlife and many types of rare and medicinal plants. Walk through this protected landscape and keep watch for several species of primate, including the black lemur, alongside extraordinary color-changing panther chameleons and a variety of tropical birds. Following your walk, enjoy lunch before traveling back to your awaiting ship.

What to bring?
Sunscreen – mosquito repellent – ​​Sun hat – Sunglasses – bathing suit and towel – beach shoes

5. WALKING TOURS IN HELL-VILLE

Travel with your knowledgeable guide to the vibrant port of Andoany, formerly and commonly called Hell-Ville after the French Admiral Anne Chrétien Louis de Hell who was governor here for several years during the mid-19th century. You will walk along the town’s bustling high street, stopping along the way for a taste of local rum. Visit several markets, each an important center of daily life for locals who come to talk, shop and sell their wares. You will have an opportunity to interact with some of them as you browse. Discover regional fruits, vegetables and spices alongside handmade essential oils from locally grown ylang-ylang trees and vanilla plants. Then, enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant before walking back to the port and your awaiting ship.

6. EDEN LOGDE VISIT :

At the pier, meet your guide, board your boat and sail to the seaside village of Ampohagna, located in the protected area of Ankivonjy. This protected network of islands shelters a diverse array of wildlife and provides an important nesting ground for sea turtles on its beaches. It is also home to the Sakalava people, one of Madagascar’s smallest ethnic groups. Here, you will spend the day at the world’s first fully solar-powered resort, the Eden Lodge. Situated along Baobab Beach, the area is surrounded by ancient and endemic baobab trees. Following a delicious lunch at the lodge, enjoy free time to unwind on the sand. Keep watch for local wildlife, such as lemurs or black parrots, or head into the water for a swim or snorkel before returning to your ship.

7. MARODOKA / LEMURIA LAND

Travel to Lemuria Land, a private wildlife reserve and ylang-ylang tree plantation where essential oils for perfume are distilled. Visit its population of free-roaming lemurs and other endemic Madagascan wildlife, such as color-changing chameleons, some of which you can feed, if you choose to. Then drive to Nosy Be’s first village, the vibrant and multicultural Marodoka, which still retains remnants of colonial architecture and an ancient mosque among its inhabitants’ traditional, thatch-roofed wooden houses. Immerse yourself in their daily lives as you travel to the city center for lunch before visiting the sacred tree, an animist place of worship for the Sakalava ethnic group. After, you will have free time for shopping nearby before returning to your ship.

8. SNAPSHOTS

This is a short tour introducing Madagascar and the history of the region, departing from the Port of Andoany, passing by the Old Port to see the traces of terminals inherited from the Arabs who ran human trafficking and slavery.

Then we continue to reach the sacred trees at Mahatsinjo, in the southwest of the island. The site is sacred, a place of worship for the Sakalava people, and also home to lemurs, among the cutest little animals emblematic of and endemic to Madagascar.

The tour then continues to the Bazar des Arts for seeing and shopping Malagasy handicrafts, followed by the covered market Bazar Be (great Bazaar, like “Nosy Be” is the great island,) open all day, where you can buy legendary flavor products such as, of course and above all – Madagascar vanilla.

SNAPSHOT PLAN