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Nosy Be trip guide

Plan a trip to Nosy Be

Updated November 2026 · By the Visby team. We make Visby, the trip planner, so we say where other apps are the better fit.

Short answer

Nosy Be is an island off the northwest coast of Madagascar: white-sand beaches, boat days to smaller islands, lemurs in the forest and coral reefs to snorkel. Warm all year. The dry season, roughly May to October, is the most popular time to go. Four to seven days: a couple of beach days, two or three boat days to the islands, and a forest walk.

To stay, Emeraude Lodge in Nosy Be is a Visby partner, bookable on Visby with its packages and day trips. Start a free trip board to plan it with your group.

The essentials

  • Best time to go. Warm all year. The dry season, roughly May to October, is the most popular time to go.
  • How long. Four to seven days: a couple of beach days, two or three boat days to the islands, and a forest walk.
  • Getting there. Fly into Fascene Airport (NOS) on the island, usually with a connection through Antananarivo, the capital.
  • Getting around. Taxis and tuk-tuks on the island; boats from the beach for Nosy Komba, Nosy Tanikely, Nosy Sakatia and Nosy Iranja.

What to see in Nosy Be

  • Andilana BeachThe long white beach on the island’s northwest side, for swimming and sunsets.
  • Nosy IranjaTwo islands joined by a sandbar you can walk across, a boat day from Nosy Be.
  • Nosy Komba and Nosy TanikelyLemurs and a craft village on Nosy Komba; a marine reserve for snorkeling at Nosy Tanikely.
  • Lokobe National ParkPrimary forest on the island’s southeast tip, with lemurs and chameleons.
  • Mont PassotThe island’s highest point, for sunset over its crater lakes.
  • Hell-VilleThe main town, with its market and harbor.

Where to stay in Nosy Be

Emeraude Lodge is a Visby partner: Emeraude Lodge sits on Andilana Beach, with its own boat days to Nosy Iranja and Nosy Komba, Lokobe’s forest and sunset from Mont Passot. Book a room or a package with its day trips on Visby.

Tours to book in Nosy Be

From Emeraude Lodge, Visby partners. Booked and paid on Visby.

A ready-made plan: Nosy Be: Sunset Escape

4 days. Open it as a trip board, then change anything with your group.

  1. Day 1, 14:00. Sunset Escape
  2. Day 1, 15:00. Mont Passot sunset (included in Sunset Escape)
  3. Day 2, 08:00. Nosy Tanikely & Nosy Komba (included in Sunset Escape)

Open this plan as a free trip board

Planning it as a group

  • Book the boat days first: they are the trip, and they fill up in the dry season.
  • Split the days between the beach and the islands so nobody spends the whole week on a boat.
  • Bring cash for the islands; card payment is not available everywhere.

More: how to plan a group trip.

Questions travelers ask

Straight answers. Anything else: hello@visbytravel.com.

Is Nosy Be good for a group trip?

Yes. Boat days to Nosy Iranja, Nosy Komba and Nosy Tanikely work well for groups, and the island is small enough to plan around one place to stay.

When is the best time to visit Nosy Be?

It is warm all year; the dry season, roughly May to October, is the most popular time.

How many days do you need in Nosy Be?

Four to seven days covers the beaches, two or three island boat days and Lokobe’s forest.

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