
Nosy Be & the North-West
Madagascar's holiday island: whale sharks, coral reefs, ylang-ylang plantations and the most reliable sunshine in the country.
Read the Nosy Be Guide →Plan your Madagascar trip with the independent 2026 travel guide — Nosy Be beaches, indri lemurs, the Avenue of the Baobabs, best time to visit, visa, flights, costs, operators and hotels, all in one portal.
Hero photos: « Avenue of the Baobabs » — Rod Waddington, CC BY-SA 2.0; « Nosy Iranja » — Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0; « Grand Tsingy » — Heinonlein, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
From the beaches of Nosy Be to the canyons of Isalo and the baobab alley at sunset — region-by-region travel guides with logistics, seasons and costs.

Madagascar's holiday island: whale sharks, coral reefs, ylang-ylang plantations and the most reliable sunshine in the country.
Read the Nosy Be Guide →
One of the world's largest natural bays, wind-carved tsingy, emerald bays and the best kite-surfing in the Indian Ocean.
Explore the North →
Sandstone canyons, natural rock pools and ring-tailed lemurs — Madagascar's most hiked park, in the dramatic south.
Hike Isalo →
The easiest place to meet indri, the largest living lemur, on a three-hour drive from the capital.
Meet the Indri →
The most photographed road in Africa: time your visit for golden hour and learn how to reach Morondava safely.
See the Baobabs →
Humpback whale migration from July to September, pirate history, vanilla plantations and quiet beaches.
Whale Watching Guide →Madagascar rewards good planning: the right local operator saves you money, time and a lot of frustration. Compare before you book.
Local DMC vs international agency vs independent driver-guide: costs, insurance, vehicle quality and how to check if an operator is legitimate.
Compare Operators →Luxury lodges, mid-range hotels, beach bungalows and community camps — the honest picture by region and price band.
Find Your Stay →Deposits, payment methods, cancellation realities, and the warning signs of fake agencies.
Read the Tips →Everything to know before you travel to Madagascar: entry requirements, getting there, budgets and the best season for your trip.
Visa-free 15 days, visa on arrival or single-entry eVisa (60 days max): fees, passport rules, extensions and customs.
Check Visa Rules →Ivato Airport (TNR), airlines, domestic flights to Nosy Be and the south, baggage rules and arrival tips.
See Flight Guide →Hotels and eco-lodges by region, daily budgets, and how to choose a reliable Madagascar tour operator.
Plan Your Stay →Short answers to the questions every traveller asks before booking a Madagascar trip.
April to November is the dry season and the best time to travel to Madagascar. September to November is ideal for baby lemurs, whale sharks and warm seas; July to September is humpback whale season off Sainte-Marie island.
Most visitors need no visa in advance. UK citizens can stay up to 15 days visa-free (10 euro fee on arrival). Longer 30 or 60-day tourist visas are available on arrival or online as a single-entry eVisa (60 days maximum).
Almost all international flights land at Ivato Airport (TNR) in Antananarivo. Nosy Be has limited direct international flights. Domestic flights connect the capital to Nosy Be, Diego Suarez, Morondava and Toliara.
Budget roughly 60–90 EUR per person per day for a shared mid-range guided trip, 120–180 EUR for a private driver-guide with good hotels, and 250 EUR and up for luxury lodges with internal flights.
First-timers usually combine Andasibe-Mantadia (indri lemurs, 3h from Tana), the Avenue of the Baobabs, and either Nosy Be for beaches or Isalo for hiking — see our destinations hub.
A Madagascar trip costs roughly 60–90 EUR per person per day (shared mid-range), 120–180 EUR (private driver-guide, good hotels) and 250 EUR+ (luxury lodges, internal flights). See operators compared and where to stay.
Yes — around 90% of its wildlife is endemic: 100+ lemur species, half the world's chameleons, seven baobab species. Start with Andasibe for indri and endemic species.
Beach-only Nosy Be works independently; national parks and multi-region routes are far better with a DMC or driver-guide. Compare 5 luxury operators with dated review signals.
Send your travel window, budget and interests. We reply within 48 hours with a realistic route, an operator shortlist and accommodation options that fit your plan.
All photographs are reproduced under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licences. Images are illustrative; they do not depict a specific accommodation or tour operator.