LEAVE PREPARED
Nosy Be is the best-known tourist island of the archipelago off the north-west coast of Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world located on the south-west coast of the African continent.
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Of volcanic origin, Nosy Be in the Malagasy language means "Big Island", but is also known as "Nosy Manitra" or "Perfume Island".
It is surrounded by an archipelago of other smaller islands that you will discover during your stay and, among these, the best known are: Nosy Komba (island of lemurs), Nosy Sakatia, Nosy Tanikely, Nosy Iranja (one of the most beautiful islands in the world ) and many others..
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The first colonizers of Madagascar were the Arabs, it took them 14 days to get there and at that time the months were counted using the phases of the moon, hence the meaning of its name, "Half Moon".
The island was born from a detachment from the African coast which occurred about 160 million years ago, this allowed the development of a natural habitat for thousands of endemic species, such as the lemur and the baobab.
How to get to Nosy Be?
EUROPE
From Italy:
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Milano – Nosy Be
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Roma – Nosy Be
Weekly direct flights with Neos or with a stopover in Addis Abeba (Etiopia) wirh Ethiopian Airlines
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From France:
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Parigi/Marseille – Milano and coincidences with Milano – Nosy Be
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Parigi/Marseille – Antananarivo and coincidences with Antananarivo – Nosy Be
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Parigi/Marseille – La Reunion and coincidences with La Reunion – Nosy Be
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​Parigi/Marseille – La Reunion and coincidences with La Reunion – Nosy Be
Neos www.neosair.com
AirFrance www.airfrance.com
Corsair www.corsair.fr
Air Madagascar www.airmadagascar.com
XL Airways www.xl.com
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From England:
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Voli Londra – Milano and coincidences with Milano – Nosy Be
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Voli settimanali Londra – Johannesburg and coincidences with Nosy Be
Neos www.neosair.com
South African Airways www.flysaa.com
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From Germany:
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Voli Francoforte – Milano and coincidences with Milano – Nosy Be
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Voli settimanali Francoforte-Johannesburg and coincidences with Nosy Be
South African Airways www.flysaa.com
Neos www.neosair.com
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AMERICA
From United States:
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Voli diretti New York/Atlanta – Johannesburg and coincidences with Nosy Be
Delta www.delta.com
South African Airways www.flysaa.com
From Brazil:
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Volo diretto San Paolo – Johannesburg cand coincidences with Nosy Be
South African Airways www.flysaa.com
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AFRICA
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Volo diretto Antananarivo – Nosy Be
Air Madagascar www.airmadagascar.com
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INDIAN OCEAN AND ASIA
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Voli diretti Guangzhou – Antananarivo and coincidences with Antananarivo – Nosy Be
Air Madagascar www.airmadagascar.com
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Voli diretti Pechino/Hong Kong – Johannesburg and coincidences with Johannesburg – Nosy Be
South African Airways www.flysaa.com
Air China www.airchina.com
Cathay Pacific www.cathaypacific.com
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Voli diretti Shanghai/Pechino/Hong Kong – Mauritius
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coincidences with Mauritius – Saint-Denis (La Reunion)
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coincidences with Saint-Denis (La Reunion) – Nosy Be
Air Mauritius www.airmauritius.com
Air Austral www.air-austral.com
What to pack?
Waterproof/K-way (excellent for sea tours/excursions)
Trekking/Tennis shoes (Tour/land excursions)
Beach slippers
Sun hat (don't forget!!)
Sunglasses
Swimming suit
Mosquito repellent
Sun cream (the sun is very strong, high protection creams that do not pollute the ocean are recommended)
Short wetsuit/Lycra shirt for snorkeling activities
Souvenirs
Nosy Be and Madagascar offer many artisanal products that can be purchased in the markets
or at the stalls.
For some materials (wood, stones...) certifications are required for export, issued by the trader.
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In order to protect the habitat and biodiversity, it is FORBIDDEN TO EXPORT:
sand
shells
animal and plant species
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Health and vaccinations
No vaccine is mandatory for Madagascar, however we recommend that you consult your doctor to consider some basic or booster vaccines (whooping cough, yellow fever, tetanus, diphtheria, polio, rabies, typhoid and hepatitis).
Although there are hospitals, clinics and pharmacies throughout the island, it is good to:
follow hygiene-sanitary and behavioral measures (such as drinking only water in sealed bottles, using repellents against mosquitoes and fleas)
bring a first aid kit (gauze, plasters, disinfectant, thermometer, vitamins, food supplements, antibiotics, antihistamines, aspirin or paracetamol, anti-diarrheal medicines...)
take out medical health insurance that includes coverage of medical expenses, transfers to other countries (South Africa or La Rèunion) and repatriation.
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Climate and time zone
In Nosy Be the tourist season begins towards the end of March and ends in December.
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DRY SEASON
From the end of March to May the climate is very dry, due to the end of the rainy season.
The ocean temperature is warm with the presence of Plankton which makes the visibility of the water not the best and leaving a very slight tingling sensation on the skin.
For this reason we always recommend bringing a short wetsuit or lycra shirt for snorkeling activities.
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From June onwards visibility will improve!
In the month of August (Malagasy winter) the climate will become cooler, which is why we suggest bringing something to cover yourself such as a jacket, sweatshirts and sweaters for the evening.
The water temperature will be cold and this will allow the arrival of the HUMPBACK WHALES, a long-awaited moment on the island of Nosy Be.
August is definitely the central month to come to Nosy Be, the island fills up with tourists and plane tickets go up in price, but it is the perfect month for those who have the desire to meet whales!
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HUMID SEASON
From October to December the climate becomes more humid and plankton returns, but this guarantees the presence of the largest fish in the world: the WHALE SHARK.
You will have the chance to live another magical experience not to be missed, swimming with him!
The rainy season starts around January, it doesn't rain every day, but the weather becomes unpredictable and you risk spending more time in the hotel than on excursions or around the island.
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The Tour on the Great Earth (Madagascar) is advisable to do it in the months from May to September, since in the months of November, December and January if it starts to rain it will be difficult to travel on the roads.
The climate is a little different than the island of Nosy Be, which is why we always recommend bringing long trousers and sweatshirts.
In fact, you will find it a little cool in the north of Madagascar as it is almost always windy, especially in the city of Diego Suarez.
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Madagascar is located at GMT +3.
The island has a jetlag of:
+1h of Southern Africa
+1h in summer/+2h in winter in Western EU (for countries that adopt summer time)
+1h of Réunion and Mauritius
-4h of Thailand
-5h of Singapore and Hong Kong
Ariary: the currency of Madagscar
The official currency of Madagascar is the Ariary,
entered into circulation in January 2005
instead of the Malagasy Franco.
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1€ = 4800 Ariary (variable)
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Banknotes of 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500, 200 and 100 Ariary are in circulation.
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Credit/debit cards may not work,
excluding the Visa circuit, but only in hotels and luxury shops.
Therefore, we recommend bringing banknotes that you can change into Ariary at the airport, at the bank, at ATMs in the city or even at your hotel.
Before your arrival on the island, we suggest asking your accommodation if it is possible to make electronic payments, with which circuits and if the service is available
of currency exchange.
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Visa
To enter Madagascar, and therefore also Nosy Be, a valid passport is required
and that it is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date
of entry into the country.
The visa is issued at the airport upon arrival and has different fees based on the length of stay on the island.
For a stay of less than 30 days the cost is 115,000 Ariary (approximately €35 at the current exchange rate, variable) to be paid in cash upon arrival at the airport (Euro/Ariary )
Telephone and Internet
To call from Italy to Madagascar dial the code +261 and the telephone number
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To call from Madagascar to Italy dial the code +39 and the telephone number
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Wifi is present in many facilities on the island, but it is also possible to purchase a local SIM with the Orange or Telma operators (provide link) to have
always have an Internet connection.