Nosy Be - Madagascar - page 599

CAMPING CampingispossibleandacceptedaroundNosyBe.Justbesuretoaskpermis-
sion from the locals before pitching your tent, even if you plan to do so in an apparently
public space such as a beach.
WHERE TO EAT Most of the main hotels have good restaurants but there are also
a few independent eateries.
Restaurant d'Ambonara 86 613 67; m 032 02 611 12; e [e-mail] . A
distinctive restaurant situated in an old coffee plantation.
Tsy Manin' Kafé Madirokely; m 032 40 021 40; Wed-Mon eves, Tue closed. Next
to Aviavy hotel.
Alexander Orangea 86 635 19; m 033 14 247 22. Friendly restaurant with excellent
cuisine.
EXCURSIONS
MONTPASSOT Apopularexcursionisthetriptotheisland'shighestpoint,MontPassot.
The road there is rather bad but most hotels can help you find a suitable vehicle and driver.
En route there are good views of a series of deep-blue crater lakes, which are said to con-
tain crocodiles, as well as being the home of the spirits of the Sakalava and Antakarana
princes. Supposedly it is fady to fish there, or to smoke, wear trousers or any garment put
on over the feet, or a hat, while on the lakes' shores. That said, it may be that the tourists
have frightened the spirits away, since my local informant has never heard of these prohib-
itions. It is, in any case, difficult to get down to the water since the crater sides are very
steep.
LOKOBE STRICT RESERVE Nosy Be's only protected area, Lokobe, has been on the
brink of opening up to ecotourism for years but at the time of writing those plans have still
notcometofruition.However,itispossibletovisitthebufferzoneonthenortheasternside
ofthepeninsulawherepermitsarenotrequired.Thetwolittlevillageshere,Ambatozavavy
and Ampasipohy, have embraced tourism with enthusiasm and the whole area now bears
littlesimilaritytotheunspoiltplaceIsodelightedinthreedecadesago.Nevertheless,avis-
it here still offers a glimpse of village life in Nosy Be and is an informative and enjoyable
excursion.
Guided day trips are now commonplace: it takes around an hour by pirogue from Am-
batozavavy toAmpasipohy.During the course ofthe dayyouare served atraditional lunch