We had been dreaming of a return to Africa for a few years, so my husband Humberto and I were glad our 2026 world cruise on Regent’s Seven Seas Mariner spent quite a bit of time there – particularly because it called in Madagascar, a bucket list destination for us in the Indian Ocean.

I could not contain my excitement when the ship dropped anchor off Nosy Be, the largest and most developed tourist hub archipelago of Madagascar, an island country which consists of a main mainland (the world’s fourth largest island) and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Madagascar was a French colony until it gained independence in 1960, and the people there speak French and Malagasy.

Port welcome at Nosy Be, Madagascar

We signed up for an included highlights tour to explore the eastern side of Nosy Be and boarded a tender to transport us ashore to the main town of about 39,000 residents, Hell-ville, which incidentally is not named for the place you would not want to go but for an 18^th century French admiral and governor of nearby Reunion island, Anne Chretien Louis de Hell, who was a positive influence in the islands.

Baobab tree

As our tour got off, we passed the 200-year old sacred tree which is a huge Banyan fig at Mahatsinjo village.

Our guide Jalal told us some trees, including some baobabs and banyans, are sacred on the island as they are believed to have a connection with ancestors’ spirits.

“Here in Madagascar, we honor our ancestors as we believe they are our connection to God,” Jalal said. Central to local beliefs, the trees serve as shrines and spiritual markers, and are revered and protected with fady (taboos).

15th century ghost building

Our first stop on the tour was in the historic trading post of Marodoka, a 17^th century Arab-Indian village that was founded in the 15^th century and was the chief commercial port of Nosy Be, known for its trade of spices and gold.

Now the village consists of rows of traditional wooden houses with thatched roofs and banyan trees. We visited its “Ghost House” (Maison Fantome), formerly the home of the wealthiest Indian merchant in the area, Karim Djikak. According to local lore, Djikak lived with ghosts in the now ruined house that he hired to protect his vast property and wealth. Local stories suggest that the house must be illuminated at night to appease the ghosts and visitors sometimes report seeing phantoms – we did not, but wish we had!

At Marodoka itself, we were graciously welcomed with local tea and snacks and sat in chairs to watch performances of a variety of traditional dances, like the Crocodile Dance, in a covered pavilion with open sides. The Crocodile Dance is a ritual dance representing the power, wisdom and protection of the crocodile, which is considered a sacred animal and a link to the spirits of ancestors.

Traditional folkloric show at Marodoka Village

We then proceeded to the Lemuria Land Park, one of Nosy Be’s most popular attractions and a huge hit with us as we love lemurs. A small zoo, it showcases some of Madagascar’s amazing wildlife including crocodiles, lizards, snakes, chameleons and several kinds of tortoises – including some unique, striking ones we had never seen like the star tortoises.

Georgina and Humberto with lemurs

The Lemuria Land lemurs stole the show for us with several approaching us closely, as curious about us as we were about them!

Star tortoises

We saw several female black lemurs that seemed to pose for photos and some male black lemurs that were fantastic climbers, climbing onto baobabs and other trees in the park.

Walking trails past gardens of ylang-ylang, orchids, vanilla and other plants and trees like baobabs led us to a still operational 19^th century ylang-ylang distillery within Lemuria Land Park where we were told about the process to extract essential oils for global perfumeries like Chanel.

After our visit to Lemuria Land our tour took us to the Manga Be area known for its beachfront location, relaxed atmosphere, and upscale dining options. We stopped at the Manga Beach Bar & Restaurant on the Baie d’Ambrondona bay, with a beautiful beach with golden sands where we enjoyed a beach picnic including juicy pineapples, papayas and tiny, sweet bananas. The term “Manga Be” in Malagasy, the language of Madagascar, means “very beautiful” and it was indeed a lovely relaxing spot.

Manga Beach picnic

Before heading back to the tender pier, we paused at a souvenir market to browse the many crafts including woodcarvings, embroidery, raffia baskets and spices.

Souvenir and crafts market

Some superlatives of our visit to Madagascar:

• Most memorable: Spending some time with lemurs at Lemuria Land.
• Most culturally enriching: Traditional dances at Marodoka village.
• Most delicious and relaxing: Beach picnic at Manga Be.
• Most anticipated: The additional African ports as our world cruise continues.

Follow along with Georgina and Humberto:
Preparing for a World Cruise | The Adventure Begins | Amazing Americas | Crossing the Pacific | Hawaiian Islands | French Polynesia | Venturing to New Zealand | Australia | Bali | Vietnam | Singapore | Seychelles 

By Cruise Specialists client, Georgina Cruz

Georgina Cruz is a freelance travel writer specializing in cruises. Her work has appeared in national magazines and regional publications as well as on travel websites. She has been on more than 200 voyages including seven circumnavigations, all booked through Cruise Specialists.

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