More Than The Catch.
Every excursion is fully guided — pick the kind of island day you want.
Dive and snorkel among vibrant coral reefs around the island. Scuba diving runs from April to November.
Explore remote islands and sandbars around Nosy Be, including Nosy Iranja, and feed lemurs on Nosy Komba.
Traditional music, local cuisine, freshly caught seafood and authentic Malagasy dishes — and an island with a vibrant nightlife.
Feeding lemurs, spotting chameleons and dolphins, humpback whales in August and September and whale sharks in October and November.
Not every guest on Nosy Be comes for the fishing. The island rewards divers, adventurers and anyone drawn to its culture just as much as it offers an angler.
Whether as part of a Madagascar fishing holiday or a trip built entirely around it, diving, snorkelling, island hopping and local culture sit alongside everything Nosy Be offers — plan the timing with our travel tips.
Nosy Be, Madagascar
Turn the pages for what Nosy Be offers once the rods are packed away.
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The reefs here sit shallow and close in, so a mask and fins is all it takes to be over coral within minutes of leaving the beach.
For those who want to go deeper, a short certification course runs on the island for first-time divers.
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Nosy Be is surrounded by smaller islands and sandbars that appear and disappear with the tide.
Days out on the water are as much about where you stop as what you catch.
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Nosy Be’s markets, language and mix of Malagasy, French and Italian influence make for a genuinely local experience.
The welcome here is the part guests remember.
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Mont Passot is the high point of the island, looking down over a chain of volcanic crater lakes and out across the water to the smaller islands.
It is the classic sunset spot on Nosy Be, and an easy afternoon excursion between days on the boat.
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Nosy Be’s waters are warm and clear year-round, with vibrant coral reefs, dramatic drop-offs and abundant marine life — reef sharks, manta rays and schools of tropical fish are a regular sight. Shallow reefs make for easy, rewarding snorkelling, while dive centres on the island offer guided trips and certification courses for those wanting to go deeper.
A short scuba certification course typically takes around five days of your holiday, so it’s worth planning for if it’s your first time diving.
Inland, guided quad bike rides and horse riding trails wind through forests, vanilla and ylang-ylang plantations and coastal tracks — a completely different side of the island to the one seen from a boat.
A hike up Mont Passot rewards you with panoramic views over Nosy Be’s volcanic crater lakes, widely regarded as one of the island’s best sunset spots.
Nosy Be’s people are warm, welcoming and proud of their heritage. Malagasy is the primary language, with French widely spoken and a small Italian expat community adding its own flavour to the island’s cafes and restaurants — together creating a genuinely cosmopolitan island atmosphere.
Local markets are vibrant hubs of craft, music and conversation, and villages welcome visitors warmly, often sharing traditions through drumming, dance and storytelling.
The same reefs, sandbars and sunsets make Nosy Be an easy choice for couples — for a honeymoon, a week away or the wedding itself.
Reefs, islands, lemurs, plantations, culture and a proper night out — arranged around whatever else you are doing on Nosy Be.
Every experience on this page can be booked as a guided excursion. Here are six to start with; the full list and seasons are on our Nosy Be page.
Reefs, islands, lemurs, plantations and a proper night out — arranged around whatever else you are doing.
Rough dates and who is coming is enough to start. No lengthy booking form, no card details.
If the days you have will not cover it, we say so up front and adjust rather than take the booking and disappoint you.
Nothing sold off a shelf. Priced against your dates, group and interests — in USD, Euro or ZAR.
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A villa and its pool on Nosy Be.
No — shallow reefs make for easy, rewarding snorkelling with no experience needed. For scuba diving, a short certification course (around five days) is available for first-timers.
Guided quad bike rides and horse riding trails through forests and plantations, and a hike up Mont Passot for views over Nosy Be's volcanic crater lakes.
Yes — Nosy Be's markets, language and cosmopolitan Malagasy, French and Italian influences make for a genuinely local experience alongside your holiday.
Yes — they fit naturally alongside a land-based or live-aboard fishing holiday, or can be booked as a standalone trip.
Humpback whales pass Nosy Be in August and September, and whale sharks in October and November.
Tours run from 1 April to mid-January. There are no tours from mid-January to the end of March, the cyclone and rainy season.
Come and discover the wild beauty, culture, adventure and hospitality of Africa — and create stories you will tell for years to come.
Start Planning“Live life to the fullest; tomorrow may never come.”
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