Nosy Be & Antsiranana - Madagascar - February 2025

 It was a disappoinment to learn that Zansibar port was canceled. The ship made a stop at Nosy Be, Madagascar instead. 

Nosy Be:  An volcanic island off Madagascar's northwestern coast. Nosy Be has exquisite sandy beaches, volcanic lakes and diverse local wildlife. We went to Lemuria Land in the city of Andoany, allso known as Hellville to explore various types of lemurs, tortoises, boa snakes and chameleons... 

The old ylang-ylang perfume factory in Lemuria Land.

Lemurs.

Makaco lemur - Male is black.

Maka lemur.

Another popular resident: Aldabra giant tortoise.

Chelonoidis.

Dypsis ( Areca palm) has aerial branching above the main trunk. 

Central American Boa 

Bambusa vulgaris, a clumping bamboo species.

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Cananga tree, known as ylang-ylang, a tropical tree with flowers used in the perfume industry. Ylang-ylang is called "Queen of Perfumes".  

After Lemuria Land, we headed out to tour Hellville, visited the beach and the "Balloon houses" in Dzamand.  

Street scene in Hellville.

Tuk tuk station near Hellville market.

Entrance to Hellville city market.

Dried fish stall.

Market vendors.

Ambatoloaka Beach.

Ambatoloaka Beach.

Tuk tuk station near the "balloon" houses in Dzamandzar.

The "Balloon" houses.

Old train used to transport sugar canes.

Heading back to the ship from Dzamandzar.

Antsiranana:  is also known as Diego Suarez, a port city in northern Madagascar. It sits on Antsiranana Bay, the largest deepwater harbor in the Indian Ocean. Offshore, conical Nosy Lonja or Sugar Loaf Island is considered sacred by locals. We spent the day driving along the coastal road to reach Ramena Beach. On the way, we enjoyed the beautiful view of the Sugar Loaf Island and vistied the famous baobab trees.

Taxis lining up in front of the port terminal.

  

"Pain de Sucre" or "Sugar Loaf", a volcanic rock island situated in the heart of Diego-Suarez Bay. It's a prominent natural landmark in the northern part of Madagascar.

Common sign in Madagascar. It means "littering is prohibited here".

French Mountain, a protected area in northern Madagascar. It's known for distinctive limestone, diverse dry deciduos forests and unique baobab species. 

Perrier's baobab trees, the critically endangered species is found only in  

                                                          northern Madagascar.

Watermelon stand by the road.

The village across the fruit stand.

The village cattle.

Ramena (Beach) Village.

Fishing boat at the beach.

The lobster shack on Ramena Beach where we had lunch.

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Our delicious and fresh lunch.

On our way back to Antsiranan Bay, Sugar Loaf island in the background.

Street market of Diego Suarez.

Antsiranana City Hall.

Colonel Joseph Joffre Statue ovelooking the ocean.

Cap Diegp, a military base.

A park near the entrance to the terminal of Diego Suarez harbor.

Another beautiful sunset over the Indian Ocean.

We celebrated a great day in Madagasca with our special "Japanese hibachi" dinner at Teppanyaki Restaurant on board.

Mombasa, Kenya - February 2025

 Mombasa is one of the "exotic" ports on this cruise. We always want to visit Kenya and were glad to make Mombasa our port of call for the day. Mombasa is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It's a second largest city in Kenya after Nairobi and is named "Gateway of East Africa".

There was a nice surprise waiting for us when our ship docked at Port of Mombasa in Kilindini Harbor. We were greeted by the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Davis Chirchir at the dock.

Port of Mombasa welcoming.

Greeted by Mr. Chirchir, Kenya Secretary of Roads and Transport.

Receiving gifts from Kenya's official.

While many cruisers and visitors came to the popular Haller Park to experience  a variety of nature and wildlife, we headed out to Nguuni Nature Sanctuary instead. We hired a private car and driver from the port for the day. Nguuni Sanctuary is located in the Nguu Tatu Hills on Mombasa's Jurassic Coastline. The sanctuary offers a diverse range of Kenyan wildlife and nature walks.

Entrance to Nguuni Nature Sanctuary.

East African Oryx. 

Ostrich.

Great find: an ostrich egg!

With Michelle and Tom, our Texas friends.

Residents in Nguuni Sanctuary.

Leopard turtles.

Some facility/building in the park.

Rocks and geological features from the Jurassic Coastal dated from the jurassic era.

Fossils from the Middle and Upper Jurassic marine life.

After leaving Nguuni Sanctuary, we visited Fort Jesus and the Old Town on the way back to Mombasa Port.

Fort Jesus National Monument, an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fort Jesus.

Fort Jesus.

Mombasa old port from Fort Jesus.

Across the street from Fort Jesus is Old Town Mombasa. 

Old Town Mombasa plaque.

The Old Town is known for its narrow steets, Swahili architecture and historical sites.

Beautiful wood carving door.

Old US Embassy in Old Town.

Carrying wood through Old Town street.

Tomato and potato vendor.

Tulia old town.

Tulia (Backpacker) old town overlooking Tudor Creek.

Tuk tuk station in front of the busy Biashara street.

Mombasa spice market in Old Town.

The spice shop. 

The produce and vegetable stall.

Mombasa tusks, our last stop before Mombasa port. The tusks stand at the entrance to the city to welcome all visitors. They were erected to commemorate Queen Elizabeth's visit to the city.

Sunset over Likoni when the ship set sail.