MADAGASCAR

Magical Madagascar: The Ultimate Guide to Nosy Be & Morondava 🏝️✨

Madagascar is an absolutely amazing and unique destination that touched my heart deeply. From the breathtaking beaches and pristine islands to the beautiful locals, rich nature, and incredible wildlife, it was an unforgettable adventure! 🥰

If you are planning your dream trip, here is a complete breakdown of my journey, including accommodation, activities, and contact details for the best local guides.

Arrival and Essential Travel Tips

We arrived via a flight from Mauritius with a layover in Réunion, and our return flight back home was with Emirates via Dubai.

We obtained our visa directly at the airport and paid by credit card.

Taking a taxi from the airport to your hotel is cheaper than booking one in advance, and you can definitely negotiate the price.

There is an ATM at the airport where we withdrew local cash. There is a withdrawal limit, but you can insert your card and withdraw multiple times. You will absolutely need cash for day trips, restaurants, and taxis, while credit cards are generally accepted at the hotels. There are also ATMs available in the town.

For connectivity, I bought an eSIM from Trip.com covering several African countries. It worked perfectly in Mauritius, but in Madagascar, it failed to connect for two days. It might have been a local network issue, so keep that in mind before purchasing.

As a heartwarming tip, I highly recommend buying candies and small surprises to hand out
to the local children. We brought some with us on every single day trip. The kids were overjoyed, and sometimes even young girls and women would ask for them. They live in third-world conditions, and while these sweets won't change their reality, they bring immense joy to their faces.

Staying at Nosy Be

We stayed at the Palm Beach Resort and Spa, which is a lovely beachfront hotel. What I enjoyed most was the vibrant atmosphere created by the entertainment team, who constantly organized fun activities for the guests. Every night features a dinner with a different theme, followed by a live show and dancing. It was so much fun and highly recommended.

We did four incredible day trips with Bonito, a charming local guy who took care of absolutely everything for us at great prices. We had an amazing time and recommend him warmly. You can contact him via WhatsApp or email

+261 32 49 916 35.

Website link 👈🏻

Day Trip to Nosy Iranja

On our first day, we visited Nosy Iranja, where a breathtaking white sandbar connects two small islands. Because of the dramatic tides, the water completely covers the sandbar by the afternoon. The ocean is a stunning, warm turquoise blue. In the morning, Bonito picked us up from the hotel in a tuk-tuk and took us to the beach. From there, travelers are divided into boats for a one-and-a-half-hour ride. We had free time on the island until lunch to swim and take photos. Keep a close eye on your belongings because the tide rises fast. We left our things on the beach, and the water washed over them. After a delicious lunch, we hiked up to the viewpoint to see the iconic sandbar from above, which was absolutely stunning. Afterward, we took the boat and tuk-tuk ride back to the hotel, wrapping up a perfect day.

Exploring Nosy Komba and Nosy Tanikely

The next day we went to Nosy Komba and Nosy Tanikely. Bonito picked us up with a tuk-tuk and we went to the beach to catch a thirty-minute boat ride to Nosy Komba. On the island, we did a guided tour with a local expert and got up close and personal with the wildlife. Adorable lemurs sat on our heads and shoulders to eat bananas, and we also saw snakes and giant tortoises. It was a highly enjoyable tour. Next, we sailed to Nosy Tanikely for snorkeling, where the coral reef is colorful and beautiful. We enjoyed lunch on the island and spent the rest of the afternoon snorkeling before heading back, making it an excellent day.

Quad Bike Adventure

For the quad bike tour, Bonito arrived at our hotel in the morning with the ATV and rode ahead of us on a motorcycle with a driver to guide the way. We drove through local villages, met wonderful locals, and handed out candies to the cute children. We stopped at a sacred waterfall, gorgeous lake viewpoints, and rode through fascinating nature trails. By lunchtime, we reached the stunning Andilana Beach, where there is a beach club. You can sit on chairs under an umbrella for free if you order drinks or to rent sunbeds and eat lunch. Payment by cash. The beach is gorgeous and the water is beautiful. Tides change quickly here too, and the water kept rising, but this time we wisely left our things up on the chairs so they wouldn't get wet. At three o'clock, Bonito picked us up with the quad bike for some thrilling off-road riding where I could speed up and enjoy the ride. We continued to the Mont Passot viewpoint, which offers sweeping, magical views. We grabbed a delicious ice cream at the local café and stayed to watch a breathtaking sunset before driving back to the hotel. It was an amazing day.

Jungle Trekking at Lokobe

Our last trip in the area was to Lokobe. We took a morning tuk-tuk ride to a local village, followed by a thirty-minute ride in a traditional canoe. On the island, a local guide took us on a jungle trek. The guide had an impressive ability to spot camouflaged wildlife from afar. We saw tiny, colorful, unique lizards, snakes, and adorable lemurs jumping around us. It was a fascinating and experiential tour. After a local lunch, we back to the village in the traditional canoe and returned to the hotel.

In the evening, we had our flight, so we went to the airport with a taxi driver that Bonito ordered for us.

Traveling to Morondava

For the second part of our trip, we took domestic flights with Madagascar Airlines to Morondava. Please note that there are no direct flights between Nosy Be and Morondava, so you must fly into the capital city first and catch a connecting flight from there.

There are many taxi drivers at the airport, and you can negotiate the price. It turned out cheaper than a driver I tried to coordinate with in advance.

In Morondava, we stayed at Hotel Palissandre Morondava, which is a charming boutique hotel located right by the beach with excellent service. The stay includes a delicious dinner.

The Avenue of the Baobabs

We took an excursion to the impressive Avenue of the Baobabs with Boris, a super sweet guy who drove us and made several great photo stops along the way before reaching the main avenue. We left the hotel at 15:30 and returned just after sunset. The trip cost 150,000 Ariary, which is approximately thirty Euros, and you can reach Boris on WhatsApp at +261 32 21 755 41.

Walking among these massive, ancient, and majestic Baobab trees is an ethereal experience. We took tons of photos, soaked in the magical atmosphere, and watched an unforgettable sunset.

Heading Back

The next morning, we flew back to the capital with Madagascar Airlines.

We rode to the airport with Harry, a driver we randomly met at the airport when we first arrived. While other drivers wanted forty thousand Ariary, Harry agreed to take us for twenty-five thousand on the way in and thirty thousand on the way back. He also coordinates full tours, and his WhatsApp is +261 34 58 085 04.

Madagascar was truly amazing and unique. The islands, the beaches, the people, the sea, the nature, the animals, and the experiences touched my heart deeply. For more photos, tagged locations, and behind-the-scenes moments from this magical trip, come check out my Instagram. Have an amazing trip to Madagascar! 😁

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