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

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.

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.