Travel Guide Nosy Tanikely

Nosy Tanikely is a small island whose beautiful seabed is a veritable aquarium (it's a protected nature reserve, a national marine park) full of blue-green and red fish, starfish, turtles and coral. The water is transparent and warm, and the sand very white. As you emerge from the sea, bands of lemurs approach, leaping from tree to tree. If you're brave enough to get through the clouds of mosquitoes that infest the center of the island (you can, by smearing yourself with an appropriate lotion, citronella or other), you'll have the joy of observing chameleons and bats of impressive size before reaching the lighthouse. For diving enthusiasts, the Sozy bank between Nosy Tanikely and Ambatoloaka is renowned for its impressive gorgonians and sharks. The excursion to Nosy Tanikely (the most pleasant is a picnic or bivouac) is organized by all the hotels: it's one of the most popular on Nosy Be, often coupled with a quick, somewhat "mass tourism" stopover on Nosy Komba just before. Bring your own mask, snorkel, flippers and sunscreen.Entrance to the site costs 20,000 Ar per person. It takes 40 minutes by sailboat or half an hour by speedboat. For further information on the island, visit www.tanikely.com