Tien and Paul's Travels: Nosy Be & Antsiranana - Madagascar

It was disappointing to learn that Zanzibar port stop has been canceled. The ship docked at Nosy Be, Madagascar instead.

Nosy Be: A volcanic island off Madagascar's northwestern coast, is famous for its pristine beaches, volcanic lakes and diverse wildlife. We visited Lemuria Land in the city of Andoany, also known as Hellville- where we encountered various species 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.

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.

Market vendors.

Ambatoloaka Beach.

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

The "Balloon" houses.

Old train used to transport sugar canes.

Returning to the ship from Dzamandzar.

Antsiranana: also known as Diego Suarez, is a port city in northern Madagascar situated on Antsiranana Bay- the largest deep-water 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, enjoying beautiful view of the Sugar Loaf Island along the way and stopping to visit the region's 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, known for its distinctive limestone formations, diverse dry deciduous forests and unique baobab species.