Having split from the African subcontinent around 150 million years ago, Madagascar has evolved a unique plant and animal life in glorious isolation. From the carnivorous fossa (nowhere near as scary as the movie made them out to be) to the house cat-sized panther chameleon, many of its weird and wonderful species are not found anywhere else on earth – much like the exquisite luxury of some of its peripheral islands.
Off the northern coast of Madagascar, Nosy Be is the gateway to a handful of secret island hideaways. It’s the perfect place to grab a snorkel and head off into the coral reefs of the tiny Nosy Tanikely, or to explore the forests on the island of lemurs, Nosy Komba. For those in search of romantic seclusion in the very lap of luxury, the sands of the intensely private Nosy Ankao are best served warm, with the mingled scent of sunscreen and the inky pages of a jolly good book.
