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Travel and Tourism: Exploring Nosy Be in Madagascar · Wander the World with Pippa Hudson

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Jacob Ushakua in for Pepa Hudson with you until three pm.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: As I mentioned, we're getting into our travel and tourism
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  Speaker 1: feature and today we're exploring Nosey B in Madagascar this
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  Speaker 1: travel segment today, we want to take you on an
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  Speaker 1: island holiday with a difference. The island nation of Madagascar,
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  Speaker 1: off the coast of East Africa, offers a unique travel
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  Speaker 1: experience with its diverse wildlife, studying landscapes and rich culture.
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  Speaker 1: And to tell us more about travel to this beautiful destination,
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  Speaker 1: we joined on Zoom by Harriet Milson, who is a
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  Speaker 1: Madagascar travel specialist. She's been on the show before with
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  Speaker 1: Papa to talk about her travels and today she's going
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  Speaker 1: to tell us more about Nosy B, a volcanic island
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  Speaker 1: off the northwest coast of Madagascar. It's Madagascar's largest and
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  Speaker 1: busiest tourist destination. Harriet, thank you so much for joining
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  Speaker 1: us again on Cape Talk.
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  Speaker 2: Good afternoon, Hi Jacob, thanks so much for having me now.
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  Speaker 1: You don't often hear people talking about traveling to Madagascar
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  Speaker 1: when they're picking a hold spot. What makes Madagascar a
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  Speaker 1: good choice for South Africans.
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  Speaker 2: Jacob, It's it's very different to your sort of Mauritius
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  Speaker 2: Zanzibar type holiday. Madagascar is I hate using the word
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  Speaker 2: authentic because it's sort of overused by marketing teams, but
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  Speaker 2: it truly is authentic. To start with, it's one of
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  Speaker 2: the world's most unique ecosystems. Nine of its plants and
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  Speaker 2: animals are endemic to Madagascar. This means that they've found
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  Speaker 2: nowhere else in the world. So I think lemurs, think
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  Speaker 2: the biggest chameleon, the tiniest chameleon in the world, which
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  Speaker 2: is no bigger than your pinky fingernail. And it's just
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  Speaker 2: so much to do and see, and it's not commercialized.
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  Speaker 2: It's very much a more low density travel experience than
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  Speaker 2: the other RESORTI by Mauritius, Sanzybar, Moldieve type places.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Harriet, what's the best way to travel there in
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  Speaker 1: terms of flights is their numerous flights really.
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  Speaker 2: Only one way, Jacob, and that's with Airlink from Johannesburg,
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  Speaker 2: so unfortunately nothing from Cape Town, but Nursey by itself
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  Speaker 2: is a three and a half our flight from joe Burg.
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  Speaker 2: They fly weekly on Sundays only, so seven or fourteen
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  Speaker 2: nights days is necessary. You can also get there via
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  Speaker 2: the capital Antanna Narivo with Tanna for short, also with Airlink,
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  Speaker 2: but then you need to depend on the local airline,
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  Speaker 2: the domestic airline, which is my main nightmare in life.
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  Speaker 2: It's always scheduled, it's very unreliable and super expensive. So
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  Speaker 2: the direct flight with Airlink is really the way to go.
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  Speaker 1: And in terms of price for a return ticket from
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  Speaker 1: Joburg to Mauritius on an Airlink flight.
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  Speaker 2: To Madagascar to Madagascar, Jacob, that's always a tricky question
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  Speaker 2: I get asked because Airlink has a sort of various
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  Speaker 2: different sort of levels of ticketing. So the earlier you book,
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  Speaker 2: the better, and you can get in there starting at
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  Speaker 2: about nine and a half thousand returned from Johannesburg. But
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  Speaker 2: as those cheaper flights get get taken, or the cheaper
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  Speaker 2: fairs get taken, it gets more and more expensive. So
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  Speaker 2: it is a more expensive than your other islands, but
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  Speaker 2: it's you know, Mauritius and Zanzibob, for example, are more
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  Speaker 2: affordable because of the frequent international flights, the efficient infrastructure
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  Speaker 2: and large scale resorts that can slash prices. There's none
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  Speaker 2: of that in Madagascar. There are limited flight connections. The
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  Speaker 2: transport logistics are a nightmare, and obviously operational costs for
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  Speaker 2: remote lodgers and the more niche tourism market is also
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  Speaker 2: a factor that people are going to pay. And of
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  Speaker 2: course our wonderful brand which is so weak against the
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  Speaker 2: euro and all prices in Madagascar in Europe. And I'm
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  Speaker 2: hearing myself talking in the place down so don't let
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  Speaker 2: me do that.
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  Speaker 1: Tell me something about the visa requirements. Are there any,
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  Speaker 1: if any visa requirements to get.
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  Speaker 2: To No, technically there aren't. South Africans can go with
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  Speaker 2: out of visa. There is something called the visitors permit
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  Speaker 2: which is issued on arrival at Nosybay Airport. It's ten
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  Speaker 2: euro per person for a up to a fourteen night's
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  Speaker 2: day anything longer. And then yes, you do require a visa.
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  Speaker 1: And is it like a good place to go, like
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  Speaker 1: when you're going to to kst End where you're like, oh,
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  Speaker 1: you can visit us all year round or is there
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  Speaker 1: specific time to go there? What's peaked season in Nosey Bay.
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  Speaker 2: So peak from a South African point of view is
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  Speaker 2: often the school holidays, but the best time to travel
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  Speaker 2: is really from the end of April through to the December, January,
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  Speaker 2: Februy March or what we call cyclone season. That doesn't
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  Speaker 2: mean you're going to get a cyclone, but it does
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  Speaker 2: mean it's very hot and very humid over that time,
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  Speaker 2: with a lot of rain. In fact, to the extent
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  Speaker 2: that Airlink doesn't fly January through to the end of
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  Speaker 2: March and a lot of the lodgers will close down
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  Speaker 2: to you. So May through to the end of December
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  Speaker 2: absolutely ideal.
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  Speaker 1: So now you've conver me to check out Nosy Bee
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  Speaker 1: And what are some of the highlights I can get
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  Speaker 1: into doing when I get there.
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  Speaker 2: Ah? Well, if you're a diver, the diving is superb.
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  Speaker 2: I'm not a diver myself, but I am told by
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  Speaker 2: those that have dived around the world that Nosey Bay
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  Speaker 2: offers some of the best diving. In fact, it beats
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  Speaker 2: the Red Sea. I'm told. Wow, I'm more of a snorkeler.
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  Speaker 2: I like to bob along the top and not dive
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  Speaker 2: down deep and see what's under the rocks. But it
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  Speaker 2: is just absolutely mind blowing. The water clarity is fabulous,
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  Speaker 2: The water is lovely and warm. Of course, no wetsuits required.
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  Speaker 2: If you're into fishing. It's also a wonderful destination. I
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  Speaker 2: do a lot of grout fishing packages and the guy
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  Speaker 2: has always come back super stoked with plenty of big fish, doradosho,
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  Speaker 2: lots of sailies and kingfish. And then for a family holiday,
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  Speaker 2: it's a beautiful beat holiday. You know, your beaches are
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  Speaker 2: not crowded. There's no lines and lines of beach lounges
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  Speaker 2: waiting for you to have to book it early in
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  Speaker 2: the morning. Beaches generally are desolate, so you're going to
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  Speaker 2: have a beach to yourself. And then families they love
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  Speaker 2: it too, so that's always a good thing. And then
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  Speaker 2: if you're into your nature, well there is really unless
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  Speaker 2: you want to go to the Galapagus. There's nowhere else
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  Speaker 2: in the world that could offer the variety of amazing nature.
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  Speaker 2: And as I say you, I always call them the
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  Speaker 2: weird and wonderfuls. There's they're yeah, they're just so different
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  Speaker 2: in Madagascar that it's it's worth a visit. Just flateline.
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  Speaker 1: No, I think you're painting an amazing picture of Madagascar, Harriet,
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  Speaker 1: I must say, I'm already I'm already hooked. Tell me
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  Speaker 1: about the you mentioned Lemas earlier. There's a Lema Sanctuary
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  Speaker 1: or lemas are originally from Madagascar.
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  Speaker 2: They are absolutely and basically only found in Madagascar. There's
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  Speaker 2: there's a about a one hundred different species of lima,
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  Speaker 2: unfortunately many of them getting wiped out. But any visit
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  Speaker 2: to Madagascar you will see limas both in the wild
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  Speaker 2: and then there are a few sort of places nassi
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  Speaker 2: and so a lima. For example, in Nasibei you'll find
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  Speaker 2: four species of limas there and that's where you get
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  Speaker 2: that amazing lima on the shoulder moment. You know, they
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  Speaker 2: come and they jump on your shoulder and you can
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  Speaker 2: hear them sort of grunting softly in your ear. It's
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  Speaker 2: just it's you have to experience it to understand it.
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  Speaker 1: And then in terms of booking, what's the best way
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  Speaker 1: to do it. Is it better to book a full
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  Speaker 1: on package which includes flights and dinners, et cetera. Or
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  Speaker 1: is it one of those things where you could sort
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  Speaker 1: of wing it where you just book the flight and accommodation.
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  Speaker 2: And they don't wing it. And please don't try into
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  Speaker 2: what I call diy thing. You know that you can
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  Speaker 2: do in Europe, you can do it in South Africa
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  Speaker 2: and Maybia even Botswana, but Madagascar, it's there are so
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  Speaker 2: many challenges. You know, you might think you're a would
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  Speaker 2: you call it a you know, it's seasoned traveler, but
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  Speaker 2: Madagascar's different, not any of that. You know, if you
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  Speaker 2: can go online, yes that our booking dot Com places
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  Speaker 2: and airbnbs and what have you. But I have received
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  Speaker 2: phone calls from travelers that have got there thinking they
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  Speaker 2: can do it themselves, saying help, it's not what it
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  Speaker 2: said it was going to be. We hear or were
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  Speaker 2: stuck at the airport. So many, you know, problems that
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  Speaker 2: you need local knowledge to actually avoid. So it's it's
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  Speaker 2: really it's tempting to try and do it yourself. But
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  Speaker 2: booking through a reputable agent and somebody that's got that
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  Speaker 2: firsthand information is not going to cost you anything more.
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  Speaker 2: Agents make their money off the hotels. They get paid
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  Speaker 2: by the hotels. They don't get you know, they don't
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  Speaker 2: add on to that to the actual costings. So it's
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  Speaker 2: really just I beg of everybody please don't try and
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  Speaker 2: do it yourself. It really is worth it.
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  Speaker 1: So if you want to go for something a little
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  Speaker 1: different outside of obviously spending a few days on the
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  Speaker 1: beach and doing your diving and your snorkeling, and you're fishing,
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  Speaker 1: et cetera. What else could somebody do is their hiking trails,
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  Speaker 1: is their visits into the old town. What would that
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  Speaker 1: experience be like for somebody who wants to do something
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  Speaker 1: else other than being sitting on the beach all day.
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  Speaker 2: Other than it's a little beach holiday. Nosey Bay is
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  Speaker 2: really primarily a beach destination. Madagascar itself has a lot
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  Speaker 2: to offer. There's all the national parks, none of them
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  Speaker 2: are like we have here in Africa itself where you
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  Speaker 2: drive through. It's all walking simply because there's no predators
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  Speaker 2: that can scoff you a bit. So you have a
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  Speaker 2: guide and you will go. And yes, the hikes are
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  Speaker 2: up to you, really they all the guides are amazing.
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  Speaker 2: They'll read your fitness level. Again, working with an agent
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  Speaker 2: will also establish all of this before you go, so
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  Speaker 2: you're not going to be placing something you can't cope with.
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  Speaker 2: But there are hikes one Nursey Bay as well a few.
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  Speaker 2: But I would say if you're if hikings you'll thing,
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  Speaker 2: then mainland Madagascar would be your preferred destination. What we
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  Speaker 2: like to do is sort of you know, use your
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  Speaker 2: perhaps a week of what I call hard work, which
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  Speaker 2: is doing the national parks and whatever, and then ending
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  Speaker 2: up some like Nassy Bay or ill Senta Marie on
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  Speaker 2: the east coast is a beautiful beach destination as well,
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  Speaker 2: just where you can put your feet up, relaxed and
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  Speaker 2: sort of recover, because travel through Madagascar is hard work.
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  Speaker 2: It really is. It's not easy.
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  Speaker 1: We're on the line right now with Harriet Nilson chatting
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  Speaker 1: about nosey B all the way in Madagascar the perfect
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  Speaker 1: place to go to if you don't want to go
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  Speaker 1: to a crowded or a place that is that is
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  Speaker 1: that is overplayed. She mentioned the areas of Mauritius and
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  Speaker 1: Zanzibar being the go to and the usual place, and
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  Speaker 1: sometimes it does get too crowded. But Harriet has mentioned
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  Speaker 1: nosey B as the untouched island that you have to
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  Speaker 1: visit because it is so close to South Africa. Now,
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  Speaker 1: my next question, Harriet's to you is what are the
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  Speaker 1: people like you know, you usually visit a place and
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  Speaker 1: sometimes you need to ask for things you know, and
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  Speaker 1: just judging on how they speak to you and judging
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  Speaker 1: on how they treat you. Other people nice to tourists, Jacob.
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  Speaker 2: It was the Malagasy people that I think got to
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  Speaker 2: my heart more than anything else when I first visited
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  Speaker 2: in two thousand and six. They are a kind, gentle,
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  Speaker 2: smiling people, some of the poorest in the world. Madagascar,
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  Speaker 2: I think is right up there with one of the
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  Speaker 2: most poor countries in the world. But despite that, they
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  Speaker 2: are always willing to help that the smiling, that open natured,
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  Speaker 2: there's nothing there's no sort of underlying frictional anything at all.
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  Speaker 2: And yeah, they just can't do enough to make sure
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  Speaker 2: you have a good time in their country, very proud
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  Speaker 2: of being Malagasy. And you come away leaving Madagascar, I
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  Speaker 2: think mostly with the impression that the people have made
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  Speaker 2: on you rather than anything else.
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  Speaker 1: What's the nightlife like? Because I still like to go
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  Speaker 1: out now and again in the evenings to skit my biscuit.
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  Speaker 1: What's it like? What's it like at night?
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  Speaker 2: No, it's it's probably not your a nightclub destination. There
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  Speaker 2: is nightlife if you stay on I use the term
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  Speaker 2: mainland very loosely. Mainland Nosy Bay. There's a place called
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  Speaker 2: Ambattlook which has a row of little hotels and bars
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  Speaker 2: and beach bars, which is pretty festive. But other than that,
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  Speaker 2: you're not really going for the nightlife. You're going, in fact,
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  Speaker 2: generally you'll probably be fast asleep, beholf of late nine,
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: awake early in the morning, ready to go again. So nightlife, No,
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  Speaker 2: I wouldn't recommend it as a destination for that.
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  Speaker 1: And then earlier in the intro read something about a
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  Speaker 1: volcanic island. Is the volcano still possibly active or could
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  Speaker 1: we visit.
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  Speaker 2: On a time it ncy by itself is a volcanic island.
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  Speaker 2: They've got eleven lakes which are all sort of from crators,
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  Speaker 2: your crater lakes if you like. But no Reunion, I
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  Speaker 2: think is the closest with active volcanoes. There's no active
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  Speaker 2: volcanoes in Madagascar at all. In fact, I'm going to
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  Speaker 2: tell you something I tell everybody there is nothing in
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  Speaker 2: Madagascar that is going to hurt you or kill you,
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  Speaker 2: except perhaps the occasional mosquito.
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  Speaker 1: Oh that's a good question.
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  Speaker 2: No, there are no venomous snakes in Madagascar either, so
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  Speaker 2: it really is a very harmless destination.
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  Speaker 1: The mention of mosquito's got me questioning. Now malaria free
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  Speaker 1: area as well. Don't need to take any malaria tablets
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  Speaker 1: building up to there.
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  Speaker 2: It is a malarial area, Jacob, some parts more than others. Again,
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  Speaker 2: why you need to take advice from somebody that knows
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: these things. Obviously more in the summer seasons, which are
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: Thember January, the rainy season, then it's more prolific. But
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: always consult either a travel advisor or your GP before
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: you go.
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  Speaker 1: But I think what also puts everybody at ease about
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  Speaker 1: something like this is if you book with a reputable
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: travel agent, they're likely going to get you into one
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  Speaker 1: of the fancy resorts which has all the nets and
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: everything else to take care of the mosquitoes.
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  Speaker 2: Well, yeah, you're going to be put somewhere or recommended
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  Speaker 2: somewhere that you're either under a mosinette or it's an
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: air condrum. But again, you know, you do still need
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: to be sensible, so peaceful sleep or tabot. And I'm
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: told these mosquito the malaria mosquito, and he bites between
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  Speaker 2: ten and at night and five in the morning, And
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: as I said, you're going to be asleep by then.
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  Speaker 1: Oh I love this travel feature, Harriets. I never knew
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  Speaker 1: about the ten and five situation. I'm learning so much
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  Speaker 1: as we go along. Another important question I definitely have
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  Speaker 1: to put out there is the food. Is the food
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  Speaker 1: up to scratch? Is it mainly all just seafood, Because
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: I'm a big seafood connoisseur.
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  Speaker 2: There's obviously a lot of seafood, particularly Nasty Bay. The
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  Speaker 2: food was something also that I was super surprised about
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  Speaker 2: when I first went. It's got a strong French influence
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  Speaker 2: and all the chefs and the cooks that are trained,
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: and oh the things that they can produce. Sometimes on
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  Speaker 2: the charter boats we do liver board charters as well,
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  Speaker 2: and they've got this tiny little galley and they can
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: produce sort of world class meals out of there. But
• 15:30
  Speaker 2: if you don't eat fish, it's not a problem. You're
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: not going to be starving. There's their local cattle is
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: called Zebu, so your zeebou steaks with a green madagassy
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: pepercorn sauce is sort of there, and then lots of
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: different As I say, you don't need to eat fish
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: to have a good diet experienced, so there's plenty of everything,
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: and it's really good and very very very high standard.
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  Speaker 1: And the fact that it is a family sort of
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: orientated type of visit for anyone. There's no excuse for
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: you to not visit this, whether you're a single, whether
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: you're friends, whether you're a couple or an entire family.
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: The entire Nosey B caters for anyone and everyone.
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  Speaker 2: It absolutely does. Jacob. Yes, and I really think it
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: should be a bucket list item to visit Madagasca. The
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: only warning I do give to everybody is it's not
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: going to be your first and last time. Once you go,
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: it gets under your skin, it has a way of
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: doing it, and you will come away ready to plan
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: your next trip there.
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much. Harriet Milson telling us a little
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: more about nosy Be a unique island holiday and the
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: best way she describes it is it's one of the
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: Indian Ocean's most authentic, untouched island escapes. Harriet, thank you
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: again for your time. I'll tell you one thing I'm
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: definitely convinced look.
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  Speaker 2: Forward to hearing from you, Jacob. Thanks so much for having.
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: Me absolute pleasure. Her name is Harriet Wilson, Travel and
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: Tourism feature. We were talking about exploring Nosey B in Madagascar.
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: It's so ironic. I never ever heard of a place
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: called nosey B I was even unsure of the pronunciation,
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: had to google it yesterday while I was prepping for
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: the show.