I always look forward to a trip like some kind of miracle and I am extremely grateful to fate that I became an ambassador of a local travel agency, which gives me the opportunity to travel almost for free.
Madagascar was one of my dreams that I had been waiting for many years to come true.
We flew from Warsaw to Nosy Be airport. I first met so many check posts. One officier puts a visa to your passport, another - checks if it is truly done, third - takes photo, fours - checks it again and fifth let you go with your luggage. 😂 And so on.
Fun thing happened to me there - for the first time in my life an officer there asked for tips. He straightly said "Tips, tips". I felt like arrived in wild country without any law. They are truly many years behind of developed countries.
Now about hotel where we lived for 14 days. We booked the Royal Beach Hotel & Spa in Nosy Be. It needs to be noted that there are no hotels with true 5 stars in Madagascar as we used to in Europe.
But this hotel less or more satisfied us. When we arrived, there was lunch time, so till waited for the room was ready, we went to the restaurant. The view from there fascinated us.
As soon as we got to the room, we dropped our bags and ran for a walk. We were so lured by the beauty outside the bus window, when we were just driving to the hotel, that we simply could not resist sitting in the room. We wanted to explore the hotel itself and the beach.
At the night we got storm, but we were so tired after the long trip to the island that enjoyed a tight sleep. Electricity was disappearing many times, it disappeared and appeared again and again, but we were told it is normal here. The rain continued in the morning too, but after breakfast, it suddenly ended and soon we got even +29°C heat.
The second day went for exploring surrounding and booking some trips about which I will tell you in separate posts later. We went along the beach enjoying sun heat and decided to swim in the clear sea water. We saw a lot off old white men with young local girls walking on the beach. So many of them that impossible not to notice them.
The children are happy playing with simple ball on the beach. They have not any smart phones so enjoy just ordinary games with ball. And even teenagers.
Then we visited a random cafe on the beach. We drunk cold bear but decided not to eat anything as we were warned better to eat only at hotel, as you never know what the bacteria you can catch there. But beer is cheap. The glass cost only about 1,5 Euro. Glass of wine cost the same.
On the way to hotel, we checked local settlement's streets. What surprised us that we were proposed to buy some weed for smoking on every corner. But sellers here are proposing they stuffs not so obsessively as for instance in Egypt.
When planning your route, you should take into account that Madagascar is a wild, far from explored nature, but incredibly beautiful.
Madagascar is a vacation for those who have money and a desire to see places and reserves that have not yet been explored by anyone. Here you dive into an exotic world and feel like the heroes of the cartoon "Madagascar".
Unfortunately, with small children, the trip will not be comfortable. You can apply for a visa upon arrival, but you definitely shouldn’t fly without medical insurance.
There are no public busses in Nosy Be. If you don't mind getting to know the locals better, then you should take the tuk-tuk. If you are used to comfort, then a taxi is at your service. There are two types of cars - with a license, meters and other legal things, but there are cars that set their price and are happy to bargain. If you want to rent a car, you should take care of it in advance, the cost depends on the car and its condition, and of course, an international driving license.
Safety here is relative, as in other countries. Do not carry a lot of cash, expensive jewelry and leave bags unattended. I don’t recommend walking alone either, you never know what can happen. Beware of unprotected beaches, most often there are sharks and dangerous mammals. And of course, make sure not to drink water anywhere, use water only in bottles.
Richer tourists settle in bungalows and cottages. If you can't afford it, then the only hotel that has 5 stars is in the capital - the Hilton Hotel. In all others, a bit wild living conditions await you, but in general you can live. At night, the lights are turned off in hotels, so small hotels save money and do not forget that in Madagascar all rooms must be protected with mosquito nets for the safety of tourists.
The food is very tasty, but you should warn in advance if you cannot stand spicy dishes. Since locals are lovers of spice dishes. There are a lot of different types of wine and alcoholic drinks, and fruits grow all year round for every taste.
The shopping here is amazing, you can find incredible things and amazing souvenirs. You can bargain without problems, they will welcome you.
The uniqueness of Madagascar rolls over. There are no crowds of tourists with cameras and noisy children. This is a secluded island with unforgettable nature reserves and majestic volcanoes that have died out thousands of years ago.
So, summarizing, I want to say that the island of Madagascar and in particular - Nosy Be is for those who want to relax alone with the unique nature.
If you want to know more about Madagascar, check my further posts.
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Thank you for reading. You are always welcome to check my posts.
All photos are original.
With love
"Do what is right, mot what is easy nor what is popular" - R. T. BENNETH.