Croisière 4 jours Nosy Be

We meet at 6.30 am in our premises on Madirokely beach for an early breakfast. Then we embark on a dhow or a Sakalava pirogue, sailing toward an only-accessible-by-sea land. After a 2hour quiet navigation, we reach the small Ankazoberavina Island for a stopover. We will swim, snorkel; discover a wild yet friendly and colorful amazing subaquatic word. A short crossing and we reach Anjiabe; a 2 miles beach with extraordinary low tides, lined by a semi-abandoned coconut plantation. It is a good bivouac spot. After an aperitif -“l’apero” in French- it’s time for a nice seafood lunch followed by siesta, swimming… or for the most courageous, a walk to meet and observe the numerous bird species, mostly endemic to Madagascar Then, again l’apero for sunset followed by dinner and… then sweet dreams…

After an early breakfast we sail four about 3 hours along a stunningly lush coast. On the way, we snorkel on a very different spot than previously. Then, on sail or engine, we keep going to reach Ambatofotsy. This village, stretching along a golden-sanded beach, is a highly important place to the Sakalava royal traditions. We are in the middle of the bush, and local people are very sweet. The village is charming and the surroundings offer a splendid view. We wander in a universe where the pinks and green emphasize with grace an immensity we can guess…far beyond eyesight. The diurnal Lemur often comes around by the end of afternoon. Nocturnal specie sometimes comes to steal playfully the palm wine, leaking from coconut flowers, just above our head.

We have an early start for a 2 hours sailing. The snorkeling stopover of the day is a magical spot where coral is shaped as large lace tables. We carry on, by sail or engine (depending of the wind) to reach or bivouac; an amazing and unexpected scenery, a kind of “Malagasy fjord”. Calm as a lake, surrounded by small orange-toned sand beaches and villages with not a single tin-roof house at all…just the traditional and graceful leaves. This inlet, is leading to a labyrinth of mangroves to end-up as a river at the feet of a primary forest hill. We set our camp next to a village. Then, depending on the tide, we follow this inlet, or walk to discover that magical place, once a shelter for past time lost sailors. If the tide allows it, we explore in the afternoon, the vast mangrove network or we stroll in the heart of strange glens; kingdom of pandanus and other vegetal oddities. In the light of the declining day we contemplate the heavy dhows and schooners coming slowly to anchor in the calm of this unreal bay, their sails filled by the last solar wind blows. And again, it is time for apèro followed by a under-night-stars dinner. Good night, lulled by the distant sounds of the village, and those closer, of the nearby forest.

As usual we have an early departure for a new day full of surprises. Diving along the way to cool off and perhaps grab some gourmet treats. We as well take this opportunity to see what we missed on the way over. We spend an hour or two; depending on our wishes or the tide in the bay sheltering the beautiful village of Marotony (“many personal sacred trees” in Sakalava language) We eat by an island above marvelous underwater scenery, to print even deeply in our memory, the magnificent colors of the subaquatic world. Around 2pm, we put on the sails, to cover the last 16 miles. Tasty hours … the rustling of water on the float, the song of the bow … between sky and sea, half bird and half boat, driven by the ever changing sunset’s golden rays…We reach Nosy Be around 17:00.