After two weeks of bouncing along Madagascar’s rough roads, hiking through forests in search of lemurs, and getting a glimpse of life in one of the world’s poorest countries, we decided we’d earned a little luxury.
So we headed north.
What we found on the tiny island of Nosy Komba was pretty close to paradise.
Our boutique resort, Tsara Komba, looked like something straight out of The White Lotus—minus the murder mystery and guests behaving badly.
Just eight private bungalows were tucked into the lush hillside, each with a spacious king suite and a balcony overlooking the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.
The staff, all from a nearby village supported by the resort, were warm, gracious, and impeccably trained. The service rivaled that of any five-star resort we’ve experienced, yet somehow felt much more genuine.
Every meal showcased fresh local seafood, tropical fruits, and Malagasy flavors.
With no roads, no cars, and nothing on the agenda, the rhythm of life quickly slowed to the pace of the island — especially on this bed overlooking the ocean.
We soon understood why some families reserve the entire resort for reunions.
If you have to disappear from the world for a week, this wouldn’t be a bad place to do it.
Life Below the Surface
One morning our private boat whisked us to the waters around Nosy Iranja, where we donned our snorkles.
It was a thrill to snorkel alongside enormous green and hawksbill turtles.
photos from thegef.org and wcs.org
Some were estimated to be more than 50 years old—although underwater they moved with far more grace than we do.
Every so often, one would slowly rise to the surface for a breath before gliding effortlessly back into the blue.
The coral reefs were alive with colorful tropical fish. For a couple of hours, the only sounds were our breathing through snorkels and the gentle lapping of the waves.
photos from blueventures.org and Jean-Sebastien Phillippe
Instagram Paradise
That afternoon we visited the spectacular sandbar connecting Nosy Iranja Be and Nosy Iranja Kely. The 1.2-mile ribbon of brilliant white sand emerges at low tide, surrounded by impossibly blue water.
Naturally, we weren’t the only ones who recognized the photographic possibilities.
Dozens of aspiring Instagram stars posed dramatically while drones buzzed overhead.
Even better, two entrepreneurial local photographers had set up shop on the sandbar.
Need someone to adjust your bikini?
Find your best angle?
Suggest a more photogenic pose?
They had you covered.
Apparently even a sandbar that disappears twice a day can support a thriving small business.
We also enjoyed one of the most memorable lunches of the trip—a private picnic on this tiny island beneath the shade of a massive tree.
Some lunches are difficult to beat.
This was one of them.
Even More Malagasy Art
On Nosy Iranja, we discovered that even the crabs are artists.
Each night, tiny sand crabs emerge and create elaborate textures and geometric patterns across the beach. By morning, Ed was happily photographing their work as if he’d stumbled upon Madagascar’s newest contemporary artists.
Readers of our previous posts know that Malagasy art has become something of an obsession for us, so naturally these little masterpieces fit right in.
If only we could figure out how to get one home without putting a beach—and its artist—in our suitcase.
Getting There Is Half the Adventure
Of course, paradise rarely comes easily.
Getting to Nosy Komba turned into its own adventure.
Our first flight from Tana to Nosy Be, on the notoriously unpredictable Madagascar Airlines, was canceled, and we were rebooked on a later flight.
We learned that locals call the airline “Air Maybe.”
Unfortunately, the resort boat from Nosy Be to Nosy Komba only operated during daylight hours.
Translation:
No boat.
No island.
No paradise.
Instead, we spent the night on the main island of Nosy Be.
An Unexpected Slice of Italy
Our unexpected overnight stay landed us at the sprawling Palm Beach Resort, where within minutes we wondered whether we’d accidentally flown to the Italian Riviera. Hundreds of Italian vacationers—many honeymooners—filled the resort.
We soon learned why: direct charter flights arrive from Italy carrying vacationers for week-long all-inclusive stays. Who knew Madagascar had such a strong Italian connection?
Dinner featured a buffet and a live band enthusiastically performing classics like “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman,” ABBA favorites, and Simon & Garfunkel hits.
It was perfectly pleasant.
It also could have been almost anywhere in the world.
And we’d come to Madagascar to be somewhere that couldn’t be anywhere else.
The next morning our driver delivered us to the dock, where a private boat carried us across sparkling water to Nosy Komba.
Within minutes, we knew we’d made the right choice.
One Last Madagascar Surprise
Madagascar had surprised us one last time—with an island paradise that felt a world away from the country we had spent the previous two weeks exploring.
When we left Tsara Komba, some of the staff lined the shore and waved enthusiastically—very White Lotus—as our boat pulled away.
It was a fitting end to a country of extraordinary contrasts.
Over two weeks, we’d hiked through rainforests listening to the haunting calls of indri, watched ring-tailed lemurs leap through the trees, wandered among bizarre octopus trees and thousand-year-old baobabs, and snorkeled with sea turtles in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.
We’d also traveled through villages where daily life reminded us that Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. The roads were rough, the infrastructure unpredictable, and getting from one place to another was often an adventure in itself.
Yet everywhere we went, we found remarkable landscapes, wildlife found nowhere else on Earth, and people who welcomed us warmly.
Madagascar wasn’t always an easy place to travel.
But perhaps that’s part of what made it so memorable.
Sometimes the best journeys are the ones that surprise you, challenge you, make you laugh—and then, just when you think you’ve seen it all, leave you with your toes in the sand, your eyes looking out at sea, and absolutely nowhere else to be.
