Madagascar (Nosy Be)

Nosy Be sits off Madagascar's north-west coast like a rumour of somewhere genuinely wild, and the sailing here confirms it quickly. From May through October the south-east trades wrap around the island group, delivering consistent 15–25 knots on a broad reach as you work northward through the Mitsio Archipelago and down towards Nosy Iranja's twin-island causeway.

Passages between islands are mostly short — two to five hours — though the channel crossings towards Nosy Mitsio can kick up a lumpy chop when the trade freshens, so an early start matters. Night passages are rarely necessary and honestly best avoided given the unlit fishing pirogues.

Hell-Ville (Andoany) is your base, home to the main charter operators offering both bareboat and skippered options; skippered is the wiser choice for first-timers because local knowledge around coral heads and unmarked shallows is genuinely valuable. Provisioning in Hell-Ville is workable but not plentiful — fresh produce, rum, and vanilla are abundant, imported chandlery is not. Carry spares.

Anchorages like Nosy Komba's village bay and the sheltered cove at Nosy Sakatia offer calm nights, cold Trois Chevaux beers ashore, and lemurs wandering through shoreside gardens at dusk.

The cultural texture rewards patience. Zebu carts on dirt tracks, fishing villages where outriggers outnumber cars, baobab-lined hillsides glowing amber at low sun. Whale sharks gather off Nosy Be between October and December, and humpbacks transit the channel from July to September — you may hear them on anchor overnight.

Paperwork is unhurried but real: Malagasy visas are available on arrival, and the cruising permit process through the capitainerie requires a full day and good humour.

June through September is optimal; novice charterers should book a skippered vessel without negotiation.