Nosy Be, an island situated off the northwest coast of Madagascar in the Mozambique Channel, is a place often described as a piece of jewel in the Indian Ocean. Several smaller islands are located nearby and together they form the beautiful archipelago of Nosy Be. It is without a doubt a must-visit when you travel to Madagascar.

The name Nosy Be literally means "big island" in Malagasy language. It is a precious island where pristine stretches of pure white sand beaches, tropical rainforests and its myriad of rare wildlife come together in a heavenly environment. The island's warm and translucent waters feed one’s eyes with the sight of precious corals, marine turtles and exceptional marine wildlife that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. Nosy Be is home to the second most diverse coral reefs in the world (coral reefs, coral banks, coral islands and protected marine reserves). With catamarans, sailboats and fishermen’s canoes, you can go boating to explore the surroundings of nosy be island or participate in fishing. Extreme sports enthusiasts are spoiled for choice when it comes to water activities. This part of the Indian Ocean is the favorite spot for humpback whales, white sharks and dolphins. Excursions and cruises to discover the seabed and the northern part of Madagascar are ideally arranged for the tourists. Additionally, lush tropical forest and fragrant plantations cover most of the island, harbouring incredibly mixed scents of Ylang Ylang and the sweet captivating fragrance of the best Vanilla in the world.

During our last trip to Nosy Be, we discovered that life over there continues peacefully. On an easy Sunday morning, one wakes up with the natural smell of fire on which tea, coffee and breakfast are being cooked. While cooking, there is music going on in the background with people chanting merrily. It is Sunday and everyone is in a happy and calm mood! Children are playing along the beach with their handmade toys. They are very happy, jumping in and out of the fresh waves of the sea coming towards them, happy with such simple and peaceful life while their moms are busy cooking their meals and watching over them from a distance.

As we travel around Nosy Be, we encountered dense jungles and cross a lot of plantations. One discovers a ton of fruit trees such as almond trees, jackfruit trees, mango trees and papaya trees that are seldom seen in modern cities. The island’s products are mainly ylang ylang used by renowned perfumery houses in Grasse, France, also vanilla, black pepper and cocoa are the exclusive products of the island. The villagers grow fruits, vanilla and coffee to sell on the island. This is one of the ways the villagers are able to provide for their families.