Page 15 of Madagascar by Audley Travel

coral reef nosy iranja tsarabanjina island the nosy mitsio archipelago the nosy mitsio archipelago lies 70 kilometres north of nosy be and is only accessible by boat skimming over the water you often glimpse bottle nosed dolphins and green turtles but the arrival is even more breathtaking as you slow amongst tiny tropical islands lush with tropical vegetation and necklaced with powder-white beaches few parts of madagascar suffer from any light pollution and this is no exception at night the stars glitter brightly over the water the archipelago is made up of about a dozen islands la grande mitsio is the largest island with the small farming villages of antakarana and akalava tsarabanjina is beautiful with volcanic rocks palms and badamier trees and four gently shelving beaches nosy ankarea is surrounded by coral reefs while les quatres freres is made up of four imposing silver basalt rocks covered by hundreds of nesting seabirds including brown boobies northern gannets frigate birds and white-tailed tropic birds tsarabanjina island nosy mitsio archipelago as soon as you step off the boat from nosy be onto tsarabanjina island you will be handed mask snorkel and flippers then you walk barefoot to your villa hop into your hammock and relax ­ your stay has begun tsarabanjina island is small at just 22 hectares with 18 guest bungalows all en suite linked by sandy paths that weave in and out of the coconut palms there are four idyllic beaches all with powder-white sand sloping gently into turquoise waters days can be spent snorkelling diving kayaking and enjoying the excellent french cuisine the chef serves up in the beachside restaurant nosy iranja one hour by boat southwest of nosy be at low tide nosy iranja is a single island but splits into two as rising waters cover the connecting white sandbank the northern and larger island is iranja komba with a small fishing village where abandoned dhows are washed up on the sand and modest bamboo huts are tucked under badamier trees the southern island known often as nosy iranja kely has one small hotel both islands have gently shelving powderwhite beaches the islands are an important breeding site for hawksbill turtles and scientists are currently working on a turtle monitoring project guests can learn about their work and with luck watch turtles hatching at night nosy iranja hotel nosy iranja kely nosy iranja hotel has recently undergone extensive refurbishment and is now one of madagascar s most luxurious boutique hotels it is situated on nosy iranja kely and has 29 suites built of wood and natural materials dotted around the coastline each with their own sea view guests are invited to participate in turtle research and other activities include diving snorkelling and sailing bungalow at tsarabanjina island madagascar telephone 01993 838 585 shells on the beach a suite at nosy iranja 15

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