Nosy Be - Madagascar - page 609

TheislandsarelistedbelowintheordertheyareencounteredheadingawayfromNosyBe.
It is possible to get as far as Nosy Iranja for a day trip (1½ hours each way) but visiting the
Radamas requires a multi-day cruise.
NOSY ANKAZOBERAVINA True to its name ( m eaning 'island with big-leaved trees')
this 14ha paradise, 26km from Nosy Be, has plenty of large trees. The forest is home to
flying foxes, chameleons and a few lemurs, and there are mangroves and a beautiful palm-
linedbeachonthenorthernside.Theareaisamarinereserveandturtlescometotheisland
to lay their eggs.
Eco-Lodge Ankazoberavina ( m 032 04 802 80/032 04 496 94; e ulyssex-
[e-mail] ; www.ankazoberavina.it ; €€€€€ ), which owns the whole island, has
eight simple but comfortable en-suite bungalows, each designed to accommodate a family
of four. Accommodation is on a full-board basis. Closed January-March.
NOSY KIVINJY (SUGARLOAF ROCK) This is a great dome-shaped basalt boulder
with 'organ-pipe' formations on one side. Not recommended for diving or anchorage.
There are strong northeast-flowing currents around the islet.
NOSY IRANJA Nosy Iranja, 50km southwest of Nosy Be, is actually a pair of small is-
lands connected by a 1.25km sandbar (walkable at low tide). When I visited in the mid
1990s it was a beautiful peaceful place inhabited by fisherfolk, and an important breeding
reserve for both hawksbill and green turtles. Then the luxury hotel was built amid consid-
erable controversy. It has been owned since 2006 by Legacy Hotels of South Africa who
seem to be taking their conservation responsibilities seriously. Nevertheless, whether the
hotel - whose 29 bungalows encircle the whole southern island - can co-exist harmoni-
ously with the turtles in the long term remains to be seen. The northern island is home to a
charming old lighthouse designed by Gustave Eiffel.
The luxury resort of Nosy Iranja Lodge ( 86 616 90 or [phone]; m 032 07
341 31/032 41 628 12; f 22 480 81; e [e-mail] ; www.iranjalodge.co.za ;
)hasdoubleandfamilybungalowswithen-suitefacilitiesandprivateterraces.Activities
onofferincludewater-skiing,parasailing,windsurfing,diving(PADI),snorkelling,pedalos
and kayaks, as well as the possibility of manta ray-, dolphin- and whale-watching.
RADAMA ISLANDS The Radama Islands, which lie 90km to the southwest of Nosy Be
(and thus are only really accessible by yacht) compete with the Mitsios for the best diving
sites in Madagascar. They are set in a breathtaking coastline of bays backed by high moun-
tains. Most of these high sandstone islands are steep-sided above and below the water and
covered with scrub, grass and trees. Sharp eroded rock formations, however, render the re-
maining forest rather difficult to explore.