Self-Launched Nosy Be Island Hopping: Sakatia, Komba, Tanikely & Iranja
8 days · Nosy Be & Nosy Sakatia, Madagascar
Sifaka Voyages charges £1,275
No-markup version: ~£655 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 8-day DIY version of Sifaka Voyages' "Ecoubeach Tour In Nosy Be" — same islands, same marine reserve, same lemur forest, but booked yourself. Base yourself in a beach guesthouse on Nosy Be's west coast (Ambondrona or Madirokely), then pick up day trips to Nosy Sakatia, Nosy Komba, Nosy Tanikely and Nosy Iranja through local boatmen and dive shops, hire a scooter or tuk-tuk for the island circuit, and join a small-group Lokobe forest walk. Costs are rough backpacker/mid-range estimates in GBP and exclude international flights to Madagascar.
Day-by-day
Arrive on Nosy Be and settle into the west-coast beach
Fascene Airport → Ambondrona / Madirokely, Nosy Be
Land at Fascene Airport (NOS), buy a local SIM (Telma or Orange, ~£4-6 for data) and change money in Hellville or at the airport — ATMs are unreliable, so bring euros/cash. Take a shared taxi-brousse or taxi the 25-30 min south to Ambondrona or Madirokely beach (~£8-12 private, ~£2-3 shared). Check into a beach guesthouse or budget bungalow, then walk the sand at sunset and eat grilled fish at a beach shack. Ask your guesthouse to introduce you to a boatman for tomorrow's crossing to Nosy Sakatia.
🚌Airport taxi or shared taxi-brousse to west coast, ~£8-12
🛏Beach bungalow/guesthouse, Ambondrona or Madirokely (~£22/night double, ~£11 pp)
- →Settle in and beach sunset walk
- →Arrange boat to Nosy Sakatia with a local boatman
Nosy Sakatia: village walk, coral gardens and a private beach
Nosy Sakatia
Take a short motorised pirogue or small boat across to Nosy Sakatia (~15-20 min, ~£10-15 return per person shared). Walk the island's sandy tracks with a local guide arranged on arrival or through your guesthouse (~£8-12 for 1.5 hrs), passing ylang-ylang and vanilla plots and the village. Then snorkel the Sakatia coral gardens from the shore — bring your own mask or rent (~£4). Optional: a beach massage (~£8-12) or a fishing trip with a local fisherman. Return to Nosy Be for dinner.
🚌Boat to Nosy Sakatia return, ~£10-15 pp
🛏Beach bungalow/guesthouse, Ambondrona or Madirokely (~£11 pp)
- →Guided village and island walk on Nosy Sakatia
- →Shore snorkelling in Sakatia coral gardens
- →Optional beach massage or fishing trip
Nosy Komba lemurs and Nosy Tanikely marine reserve
Nosy Komba & Nosy Tanikely
Book a shared small-group speedboat day trip the day before via a Hellville/Ambondrona dive shop or guesthouse (~£45-60 pp for the day, often including snorkel gear and lunch). Morning: Nosy Komba's fishermen's village and handicraft stalls, then the lemur park to see black lemurs up close (small entry fee, ~£4). Afternoon: cross to Nosy Tanikely marine reserve for the best snorkelling on the coast — turtles, reef fish and coral — then a seafood lunch on the sand (or pack your own from the market). Boats typically leave around 8.30am and return late afternoon.
🚌Shared speedboat day trip, ~£45-60 pp (includes both islands)
🛏Beach bungalow/guesthouse, Ambondrona or Madirokely (~£11 pp)
- →Nosy Komba fishermen's village and handicraft market
- →Nosy Komba lemur park
- →Snorkelling at Nosy Tanikely marine reserve
- →Seafood beach lunch
Free day on Nosy Be: beaches, diving or doing nothing
Nosy Be
Rest day — the tour's 'Nosy Be at Leisure'. Options: laze on Ambatoloaka or Andilana beach; take a discover-scuba dive with a local dive centre (~£45-55); rent snorkel gear and explore the reef off Madirokely; or get a massage and a long lunch. Keep the day cheap and slow, and confirm tomorrow's Iranja boat with your guesthouse or a Hellville tour office.
🚌Local tuk-tuk hops, ~£3-5
🛏Beach bungalow/guesthouse, Ambondrona or Madirokely (~£11 pp)
- →Beach day
- →Optional discover scuba dive (~£50)
- →Optional massage
Nosy Iranja: the sandbar island and its lighthouse
Nosy Iranja
Nosy Iranja is the longest run — around 1.5 hrs by speedboat from Nosy Be. Book a shared day trip through a local operator (~£55-70 pp including lunch); trips usually include the walk out along the famous sandbar between Little and Great Iranja at low tide — check tide times, as the spit disappears at high water. Climb to the Great Iranja lighthouse (built by the French in the early 1900s) and visit the tiny village. Pack water, sunscreen and cash for the village. Back on Nosy Be by late afternoon.
🚌Shared speedboat day trip to Nosy Iranja, ~£55-70 pp
🛏Beach bungalow/guesthouse, Ambondrona or Madirokely (~£11 pp)
- →Speedboat to Nosy Iranja
- →Walk the Iranja sandbar at low tide
- →Great Iranja lighthouse and village visit
- →Beach picnic lunch
DIY Nosy Be circuit: SIRAMA ruins, Hellville, sacred banyan, Mont Passot sunset
Dzamandzar, Hellville, Mont Passot
Hire a scooter (~£12-15/day) or share a tuk-tuk/taxi for the day (~£25-35 split) and make your own island circuit. Stop at the atmospheric SIRAMA sugar factory ruins in Dzamandzar, wander Hellville's market (the best place to buy spices — vanilla, pepper, cloves — and street food), find the sacred banyan tree where locals leave offerings, then drive up to Mont Passot for sunset over the crater lakes, with 360° views across the island and out to Nosy Komba. Take a torch and drive back before dark.
🚌Scooter hire or shared tuk-tuk/taxi for the day, ~£12-25 pp
🛏Beach bungalow/guesthouse, Ambondrona or Madirokely (~£11 pp)
- →SIRAMA sugar factory ruins at Dzamandzar
- →Hellville market and town
- →Sacred banyan tree
- →Mont Passot sunset viewpoint
Lokobe National Park: mangroves, dugout and primary forest
Ambatozavavy & Lokobe Strict Reserve
Head early (around 6-7am) by tuk-tuk to Ambatozavavy fishing village on the east coast (~£10-15 split). Cross the mangrove channel by traditional dugout pirogue (~£5-8 pp) and walk into Lokobe, one of Madagascar's last patches of lowland primary rainforest on Nosy Be. Go with a licensed local guide (park entry plus guide ~£15-25 pp, organised through the park office or your guesthouse) — Lokobe is home to black lemurs, panther chameleons, leaf-tailed geckos and colourful frogs. Bring long sleeves, insect repellent and closed shoes; it's humid, muddy and worth it. Back by mid-afternoon.
🚌Tuk-tuk to Ambatozavavy + dugout crossing, ~£15-20 pp
🛏Beach bungalow/guesthouse, Ambondrona or Madirokely (~£11 pp)
- →Ambatozavavy fishing village
- →Traditional dugout through the mangroves
- →Guided Lokobe Strict Reserve forest walk (lemurs, chameleons, geckos)
Departure — or stay on for more beach
Nosy Be → Fascene Airport
Last swim and breakfast, then a private taxi or shared taxi-brousse back to Fascene Airport (~£8-12 private, ~£2-3 shared). Allow 2 hrs before an international flight. If you're continuing on, domestic flights to Antananarivo and onward to Diego Suarez (for the baobabs) can be booked separately — or just stay another few nights and cheap out on the beach.
🚌Taxi to Fascene Airport, ~£8-12
🛏None (departure day)
- →Final beach morning
- →Transfer to airport
Self-launched vs. Sifaka Voyages
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Sifaka Voyages | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£655 | £1,275 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £620 per person (49%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Sifaka Voyages-style trips? Check them out here.~£655
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Nosy Be Island Hopping: Sakatia, Komba, Tanikely & Iranja cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £655 per person for 8 days in Nosy Be & Nosy Sakatia, Madagascar. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Sifaka Voyages?+
Yes — Sifaka Voyages charges around £1,275 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £655 — a saving of roughly £620 (49%) per person.
How long is the Nosy Be & Nosy Sakatia, Madagascar trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Nosy Be & Nosy Sakatia, Madagascar.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a beaches, adventure, wildlife trip through Nosy Be & Nosy Sakatia, Madagascar, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.