Sing along as you read this post…
If you, like me, are uncertain about where Madagascar actually is, I hope this visual reminder will help.
The guest house that we stayed at was on the northern tip of the island… a fact that I again knew nothing about.
For some reason, I thought we were in the south (This was not so much a Travel & Things destination for work, but a gift from my wife for our 17th wedding anniversary, hence me doing NO research on the destination).
The staff at passport control, both on arrival and departure spoke little or no English. Very difficult to understand what they were requesting as I had NO idea what they were saying.
As a passive/aggressive technique, I took to speaking in Afrikaans, which did not seem to phase them at all!
The local paperwork was illegible, with the departure forms only being in Malagasy, which did not help.
Why I bothered to fill any of it it out I have no idea as it was never requested and ended up in a rubbish bin.
That being said, the locals that we interacted with were most helpful, even despite the language barrier.
Top Tip #1:I was asked by certain staff, both on arrival and departure if I had a ‘gift’ for them.
My response was I am retired and do you have a gift for me…
This was met with a smile and nothing more was requested.
There was a moment at the airport when a fellow in a uniform asked me a question. I responded with a dismissive wave of my hand, thinking that he was trying to offer me a taxi (and I had already found our driver).
The more dismissive I became, the more insistent he was, until he pointed to a badge on his shirt that read ‘DOENE’.
That I knew meant customs as the word is almost identical in Afrikaans.
We both laughed, and I opened a case. He scratched around, smiled and my wife and I were able to leave the building.
As I was walking out, I noticed he was having a similar interaction with another passenger. We both chuckled as the new recipient of his attention realized that he was a customs official.
No harm, no foul and we all came away with a story to tell.
The airport in Nosy Be was a short drive from the harbour and from there the guesthouse was a 10-15 minute boat ride.
Luckily the weather held and our various excursions that involved boat rides did NOT end up like episodes of Deadliest Catch.
This was the view when we stepped into the bath-warm water to wade to the shore near the guesthouse.
There are no jetties along this stretch of Nosey Komba, however, the boats can get close enough so that the water is not much more than ankle deep.
Top Tip #2: Wear water-resistant shoes, that will dry quickly. I had two pairs, one an open sandal, the other a closed shoe and I could wear one while the other dried.
A welcoming drink that was not so welcome…why? I hear you ask.
Because before I drank it I wandered off to take pictures and forgot about it.
In the meantime, the staff assumed that I did not want it and took it away. It only dawned on me later that day when downloading images, I was going to ask for another, but I forgot!
That being said, I did get to sample a different mocktail every evening before dinner…and they were all delicious.
This was our accommodation, the Ylang-Ylang Room…also known as the Honeymoon Suite as it is separate from the main building.
The interior and in the background the bathroom which had a basin, toilet and shower.
There was a private deck in front of the room where every morning at 07h00 coffee was delivered.
It meant that I would get up early, do a couple of hours of writing and then the coffee would arrive and I could take a break and read until breakfast at either 08h00 or 09h00 depending on the activities we had planned.
“Our” path which led from our room to the main house and the pool.
Seeing it was only my wife and me at mealtime, Marcine the owner would join us for dinner at a smaller table that is out of shot.
This larger table is used when the guesthouse is full.
One of the many butterfly species we saw during our stay.
Out of the darkness…
While having dinner on our first night the staff came in to tell us that they had found this snake behind the kitchen.
Needless to say, cameras were grabbed and we descended, almost paparazzi-like, to capture our first island wildlife interaction.
This is a Nosy Komba ground boa (Sanzinia volontany) is a non-venomous snake species endemic to Madagascar, primarily inhabiting the island’s western regions. It was previously considered a subspecies of the Madagascar tree boa (Sanzinia madagascariensis) but has since been recognized as a distinct species.
This snake is a distinctive and integral component of Madagascar’s unique biodiversity, playing a vital role in the island’s ecosystems.
Looking back at our guesthouse as we walked along the beach to the nearby local village called Ampangorinana.
On most mornings, the fishing fleet was out early to get a catch on board.
No health and safety rules seem to apply to the locals and how these vessels float is a maritime engineering marvel.
I am in awe of those who have to use them to make a living or to get from one island to another.
Some of the fisher folk used nets, while others relied on these traps to catch whatever species they were looking for.
In amongst all the wooden shops and houses in the village of Ampangorinana, near the guesthouse,I found this building.
I assume that it will eventually house shops that will stock wares for the tourists to buy.
The village has a Lemur sanctuary close by, hence the influx of tourists.
The clothing and tableware on sale are all brightly coloured, with not a neutral tone in sight.
The village of Ampangorinana, which is where we spend most of our tourist money is close to the guesthouse and unlike other African markets that I have been in, there is not much haggling that occurs. Prices are fixed and it seems that all the stalls sell at that same retail figure which means that walking from stall to stall will tire you out but will not get you a better deal.
Rather look for something unique that catches your attention and buy that.
My wife bought a green table runner because it was the only one in that colour that we had seen.
The locals work hard at their craft and should therefore be compensated accordingly.
Breakfast of champions?
Depends on the sport being played I suppose.
Aside from fruit and cereal, there was always a hot breakfast on offer where we stayed.
The local currency is called the Ariary, which may sound strange to international guests, but the South African Rand must cause similar confusion.
Many of the stores will take either this or Euro, and then it is up to you to do the conversion
Top Tip #3: Make certain that your phone has a conversion app so that you can do quick calculations. And ALWAYS check what currency is being quoted.
A bird species that is familiar to South Africans.
A Fork-tailed Drongo.
Black Lemur female.
Females are dominant, and family bonds are very strong.
Madagascar is a land of contradictions, one of those being the fact that only the male Black Lemur IS black.
They eat fruit, leaves, seeds, flowers, nectar, and invertebrates. They are social and live in groups of 4 – 15 individuals.
Nosy Komba is known as the island of lemurs as they are a protected species here. You can get up close and personal with the local Macao (Black) Lemur at Lemur Park in the village of Ampangorinana
What island life is all about?
At the one reserve we visited they have several tortoise and turtle species in breeding programs that seem to be doing very well.
Malagasy giant chameleon
They belong to the genus Furcifer whose member species are mostly endemic to Madagascar
The word Furcifer means rascal, scoundrel, or rogue.
Because of where the guesthouse was situated, sunrise and sunset almost occurred in the same spot!
Because of the tree line and the shape of the bay where we stayed, the sunrises and sunsets were almost impossible to shoot.
This is where we stayed.
To find out more about the guesthouse and what it offers, click on the logo above.
Travel is the proud winner of this prestigious award from the digital British lifestyle magazine Luxlife. The award is in the category Best Travel & Experiences Blog 2024 – South Africa.
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“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?”
Edgar Bergen
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