worldaltem: Day 91 Sat April 15, 2023 Nosy Be, Madagascar

Day 91 Sat April 15, 2023 Nosy Be, Madagascar

Nosy Be means Big Island. Most shops accept US $ Main language is Malagasy. French is second. Third language is English, but very few people speak it.

A Glimpse of Nosy Be (NOS-005)

April 15, 2023

Port: Nosy Be

Tour Length: Half-Day (Approximately 4 1/2 hours)

Tour Description

•Drive through Hell-Ville, the island’s colonial capital, named for 19th-century French Admiral Louis de Hell.

•Saw, but did NOT Tour an ylang-ylang distillery, where oil is extracted from these sweet-smelling flowers for the creation of perfumes and lotions.

•Inhale the pleasing aromas produced by abundant crops of fruit, spices and sugar as you traverse the beguiling countryside.

•Did not Marvel at expansive views from Mont Passot, overlooking the glistening twin lakes of Sakatia Island.

We did have a great walking tour that allowed us to see a variety of lemurs, turtles, crocodiles, iguanas, etc. We also stopped at what they called a balloon house. It was shaped like a dome and could stand up to typhoons. There is no wood in the construction so fire is not a risk. We visited several markets. At the end of our very bumpy bus ride, we were at a beach-front resort that served us a drink and snacks. Sadly, we had to reverse our trip and go back the same bumpy road. I was hoping we could continue on a different road.

Acquaint yourself with Nosy Be’s main points of interest on this illuminating overview tour. Take in the sights around enchanting Nosy Be, also referred to as The Perfume Island due to its abundant ylang-ylang trees, whose fragrant flowers contain treasured oils used to produce perfumes and lotions. After a drive through the island’s colonial capital of Hell-Ville, whose forbidding name actually derives from 19th-century French Admiral Louis de Hell, you’ll stop at an ylang-ylang distillery, where you can witness the intricate process of extricating the flowers’ essential oil. (We did not experience this) Continue your coach journey around the island, passing expansive sugar fields and thriving fruit and spice plantations, and breathe in intoxicating scents produced by the bountiful crops. You’ll ascend Mont Passot for breathtaking views of the twin lakes of Sakatia Island and surrounding plantations before wrapping your exploration of captivating Nosy Be. (We did not do this,)

HELPFUL HINTS

•Wear casual, weather-appropriate, light-weight clothing and comfortable walking shoes.

•Bring insect repellant.

•Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

PLEASE NOTE

This tour includes a limited amount of walking, mainly at the guest's discretion during the stops. There will be natural and uneven surfaces to negotiate. Guests should bring along small denominations of euros or U.S. dollars for any purchases they may wish to make. The transportation used is the best available in this destination; however, it may not be up to the same standards found in other parts of the world and may not be air-conditioned

The roads were incredibly bumpy on our journey around Madagascar.

Hell-Ville is the largest city on the Madagascan island of Nosy Be. It is officially called Andoany, but is more commonly known by its previous name. It was named after Anne Chrétien Louis de Hell who was governor of Reunion Island from 1838 to 1841.

Now extinct, the volcano Mont Passot offers an outstanding vantage point on the whole Mozambique channel. 329 m high Astonishingly beautiful with exceptional biodiversity. Eight small crater lakes surround Mont Passot. (Did not do.)

Lemurs are endemic to Madagscar and there were 120 known species at one time. Now there are 30 species. Ring tailed lemurs are the most common. They live in groups numbering up to 30. The ring tailed lemur eat small animals and plants. Females give birth to one infant a year. The silky sifaka is one of the rarest animals on the planet. It is mostly white with a black face. Bamboo Lemur is one the the largest and eats bamboo primarily. It is critically endangered and is brown and black. Indri Lemur is the largest. The females are dominant in groups of 2-6. The Aye Aye Lemur is the most widely distributed. Its teeth grow perpetually and the female gives birth every 2-3 years. It is mostly black with a white/cream colored face. It is quite small, but very loud calling aye aye.