Madagascar's most popular island sits off the northwest coast, surrounded by warm turquoise water and dozens of smaller islands. Nosy Be draws visitors with its coral reefs, white sand beaches, and a relaxed pace that makes the mainland feel far away. The island is roughly three-quarters the size of Singapore, home to about 60,000 people, and serves as the center of what little tourism Madagascar has.
Hell-Ville, the main town and port, has a name that does it no favors but offers a good market, colonial-era architecture, and the practical services you need. Beyond town, the island is lush with ylang-ylang plantations, vanilla orchids, and pepper plants that give the air a heady fragrance.
Small boats make the short crossing to Nosy Komba, the "Lemur Island," where a village sprawls along the northern beach and black lemurs are so habituated to people that they will climb onto your shoulders for bananas. The surrounding jungle is textbook tropical paradise: wild fruit trees everywhere, chameleons sunning on branches, birds in every tree. The nearby island of Nosy Tanikely is a marine reserve with some of the best snorkeling in Madagascar.
The best time to visit is during the dry season from May to October, when the weather is warm and clear. Getting here usually means a short flight from Antananarivo to Fascene Airport, or a boat from Ankify on the mainland.