Antsiranana, Nosy Be & the North

Gateway to the Three Bays, Ankarana’s tsingy and the islands of Nosy Be.

Destination

Antsiranana, also known as Diego Suarez, is the northernmost city of Madagascar. A colourful, lively melting pot set on the world’s second-largest bay. It is a place that truly captures your heart.

It is the perfect base and starting point for excursions to the undiscovered Three Bays, the Emerald Sea, the Red Tsingy, the razor-sharp Tsingy of Ankarana, the Amber Mountain, and of course, the Nosy Be archipelago.

Good to know: thanks to Nosy Be’s international airport, this region is easily accessible from Europe: as the starting point of a journey or as a relaxing ending by the sea.

Travel over land has also improved a lot in recent years. While the drive between Antsiranana and Ankify used to take two days, the renewed RN6 now brings you to the port in about four hours. From there, boats leave for Nosy Be.

From our office in Antsiranana, we also coordinate expeditions to the remote national parks of Sahamalaza and Marojejy.

Highlights

Day 1

Antsiranana, Nosy Be and the North

Day 2

Antsiranana

Antsiranana, also known as Diego Suarez, is a colourful port city on one of the largest natural bays in the world. This relaxed melting pot of cultures in the north of Madagascar is the gateway to pristine bays, cloud forests, spectacular tsingy landscapes, and the tropical Nosy Be archipelago.

Day 3

Three Bays

These three undiscovered bays in the Indian Ocean are absolute must-sees. Sakalava Bay is an international hotspot for kitesurfers. This is where a beautiful hike starts to the two other bays: Dunes Bay and Pigeons Bay. Rugged rocks, a wild ocean, and a desolate bay with emerald green water follow one another. Along the way, you will enjoy spectacular views, a swim in the lovely water, and a fresh seafood barbecue.

Day 4

Emerald Sea

From Ramena Beach, your travellers board a sailing boat onto the Indian Ocean. In the Emerald Sea, they will discover a unique emerald green lagoon. A beautiful contrast with the deep dark blue sea around it.

Day 5

Amber Mountain National Park

From Antsiranana, we travel south via the RN6 to Amber Mountain National Park: the oldest park in Madagascar. This volcanic mountain range is covered by a dense cloud forest, where moss-covered trees, ferns, and colourful mushrooms create an almost fairytale-like atmosphere. A unique landscape with splashing waterfalls, crater lakes, and a notable diversity of wildlife: many lemurs, chameleons, and bird species. With charming lodges nearby.

Day 6

Red Tsingy

On the trip further south, we stop at the Red Tsingy. This phenomenon is not a grey limestone formation like the real Tsingy of Ankarana or Bemaraha. It is a sandstone formation that happens to be pointy too. A beautiful red natural phenomenon caused by deforestation and erosion.

Day 7

Tsingy of Ankarana

Ankarana National Park features an impressive landschape of tsingy: rugged limestone pinnacle rocks with spectacular suspension bridges. An extra advantage is the easy accessibility via the RN6. Also, unlike the Tsingy of Bemaraha, the park is accessible all year round.

Day 8

Nosy Be

On the way to Ankify, the gateway to Nosy Be, we descend into a tropical agricultural landscape of banana plantations and ylang-ylang fields, the most fragrant flower in the world. A fun fact: unlike most cocoa-producing countries, Madagascar makes delicious chocolate from its own cocoa plantations.

From Ankify, we cross over to the main island of Nosy Be, where water and land activities follow one another: sailing, snorkeling, diving at sea, a quad bike trip, or a bicycle tour to the ylang-ylang plantations on land. Nearby is Nosy Iranja, voted one of the most beautiful islands in the world. For those who want to enjoy nature even more, a dugout canoe takes you to the Lokobe Reserve, where black lemurs, Madagascar boas, and chameleons play the leading roles.