Day 64 May 10 – Nosy Be, Madagascar

May 10, 2026

Day 64 Sunday May 10th (56 days left) — Mother’s Day was spent on the island of Nosy Be in the country of Madagascar. We took an Oceania excursion and that will be our plan throughout the ports of Africa. The Oceania excursion was called Highlights of Northwestern Nosy Be. From the description we knew it would be a great deal of driving, but since it was only 4 1/2 hours we figured it would be okay. The first issue was the delay in getting off the ship as the tenders were running 45-60 minutes behind schedule. The excuse given was that it needed to be determined if the Oceania tenders would fit at the dock, although we have learned that in many countries the authorities who board the ship to clear it like to eat breakfast on the ship first before doing any work. It caused our excursion to miss some of the expected stops, but it was all good. The biggest issue was driving 40-45 minutes and then stopping for only 10 minutes to quickly take a photo before heading to the next stop.

The island of Nosy Be is sadly very much impoverished. In doing research, I learned only 38% of the houses and buildings have electricity. This is more in the center of the cities or villages. Children are not required to attend school as there is no public transportation or school busses. Children out in the country might be 2-3 miles from the nearest school and there are not many cars on the island, although there are 3,000 Tuk Tuks. The homes especially in the country were in bad shape, none with electricity and we were thinking no running water. We did see many lines of clothes hanging outside to dry and, in many cases, clothes were placed over shrubs to dry. Also, quite sadly, there were a huge number of young women (ages 13-15) with babies. The main city and villages we drove through looked third world country as garbage and trash just strewn all over the place. The main road was paved but any street off the main road was dirt.

Madagascar is located off the eastern coast of the African mainland.

Nosy Be (Malagasy pronunciation: [nusʲ be]; formerly Nossi-bé and Nosse Be, lit. ’big island’) is a volcanic island off the northwest coast of Madagascar. Nosy Be is Madagascar’s largest and busiest tourist destination. It has an area of 320.02 km² (123.56 sq mi), and its population was 109,465 according to the provisional results of the 2018 Census.

Nosy Be means “big island” in the Malagasy language. The island was called Assada by the French during the early 17th century. Nosy Be has been given several nicknames over the centuries, including “Nosy Manitra” (the scented island).

Nosy Be is situated off the west coast of Diana Region in northern Madagascar.

As the tender pulled to the dock this small wooden boat was waiting to sell passengers these purses.

When we arrived to the dock in Hell-ville we were greeted by a dance group.

We started the excursion by visiting a market in the town of Hell Ville. Now, everything about the name should provide you an idea of how the town and market were. Hell-Ville is the largest city on the Madagascan island of Nosy Be. It is officially called Andoany, but is more commonly known by its previous name. It was named after Anne Chrétien Louis de Hell, a French admiral who was governor of Reunion Island from 1838 to 1841.

Hell-Ville Market (also known as the Bazaar Be) is the vibrant, bustling commercial heart of Andoany (Hell-Ville), the capital of Nosy Be island, Madagascar. Located near the port, it serves as a central hub for buying affordable local produce, fresh fish, spices (especially vanilla and ginger), and traditional Malagasy textiles like the lamba.

Key Aspects of the Market:

Cultural Experience: As a very lively and sensory-heavy environment, it offers an authentic look into daily Malagasy life.
Local Goods: In addition to food, the market offers a wide variety of handicrafts, including embroidered tablecloths and raffia products.
Best Time to Visit: The market is most lively during the mornings. It is highly recommended to explore on foot, often accessed via local tuk-tuk.
Practicality: While popular with tourists for souvenirs, prices are generally low compared to the touristic coastal areas.
Tips: It is recommended to be mindful of personal belongings in crowded areas.

We only had 15 minutes in the market and as you look at the photos and video below you will see it was very crowded and chaotic. Our guide told us to remain close to him as we moved through the narrow aisles in single file. It was at this time we realized we had left the Euros on the ship in the cabin safe because the battery on the safe had died and I was unable to open it this morning. All I had were $20 and $100 US bills and I was not about to start pulling those out in this market. We love markets and it would have been fun to move around in this one, but with only 15 minutes it was move in, take a few photos and get out. Creating the blog for today and looking at these photos and videos, I realize how much we missed in the market because we were moving through so quickly.

A link I found for more information on the market:

Nosy Be Local Market – Authentic Madagascar Crafts & Culture

Outside of the market but there is glare from the van window.

Mud crabs. These have to remain covered with mud or they will die.

These young girls wanted me to buy a magnet from them, and I wanted to take their picture. They were playful and embarrassed as I took this photo. All I had were $20 USD as my smallest bill, so I gave them a $20 and they gave me five magnets. In the rush to leave I forgot to take a better photo of them, but I will remember them better this way.

Photos and videos that we took as we drove through the town of Hell-ville to the next stop. I apologize if I repeat some of the videos or if the video image is not the best. I am still posting blind with the ship’s Wi-Fi.

Dessert, cakes, pastries and bread shop

A coiffeur is a professional hairdresser, often implying a fashionable or skilled stylist. The term is borrowed from French, specifically referring to a male hairdresser, though it is used broadly, while the feminine form is coiffeuse. It stems from the French verb coiffer, meaning “to arrange hair”.

I think since was a Sunday there were crowds of people all over the streets and sidewalks

As we left the town of Hells-ville and got into the country the van driver stopped quickly on the side of the road and found two chameleon and went catch them and brought them in the van for us to see. Have to admit, he had good eyes to see these.

Fascene Airport (IATA: NOS, ICAO: FMNN) is an international airport located on the island of Nosy Be, just off the northwest coast of Madagascar, in the Diana region. Since Nosy Be is one of the most developed tourism destinations in Madagascar, the airport is one of the busiest in the country.

Our next stop was Mont Passot where we took in the beautiful views with the mainland of Madagascar in our view. The guide told us many hotel guests visit here daily for the sunset and we could see why.

Mount Passot, also known as Bongo Pisa, is a volcanic hill in the center of the island of Nosy Be in Madagascar.

It was named in homage to Captain Pierre Passot, a French Navy officer who annexed the island of Nosy Be to France in 1841.

The altitude of Mont Passot is 326 meters.

Every year at the end of August, the final of the Nosy Be Symphonies, the classical music festival of the Indian Ocean, takes place there.

We then stopped at another scenic overlook to get a few more photos.

These are some photos as we left Mont Passot and drove to our next stop, The View Restaurant. The houses were difficult to capture in photos, but many are just made of sticks, none had electricity with just open windows and doors.

This home has a satellite dish so must be run by a generator or is some cases, homes had solar panels as the country attempts to get power inside the homes.

It was difficult to drive through this poverty and then end up at a nice restaurant in the middle of nowhere with great entertainment, good food and an awesome view.

Restaurant The View in Nosy Be is a premier dining destination situated atop Mont Passot, renowned for offering the most spectacular panoramic, 360-degree views of the island’s volcanic lakes, lush landscape, and coastline. It is highly regarded for its romantic ambiance and modern, airy setting, perfect for watching sunsets over the sea.

The View Restaurant — I hope this Facebook link works to get a great photo of the restaurant.

The food was really good and I went back for a second serving. Now, don’t ask me what the food was because I do not have a clue.

Some videos of the entertainment that was provided. These two women hardly ever stopped dancing in the 40 minutes we were at the restaurant. The band played nonstop for the 40 minutes.

This was the view from the restaurant

It was time to return back to the ship

We got back to the ship and although we did not do much walking today, we were exhausted by the scenes that we took in today. For people living in such a desolate environment, they seemed content and happy. We did not see anyone who seemed to be without food as they were of good normal sizes. The Brahma Bulls we saw were the largest and fattest cows we have seen on our trips. Below are a couple of photos taken from the balcony catching a glimpse of the sunset today.