Windjamming In Madagascar On A Dhow!

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Ever wondered of taking a dhow sailing holiday?
If the thought excites you, Madagascar is THE place. An Island-hopping dhow camping trip around Nosy Be should be your next holiday plan! It’s a week in your life you will never forget. Departures are arranged every Saturday from May to December. The trip includes use of full camping equipment, all sea transport in a fully kitted motorized Dhow and transfer from airport to boat and back...


Day 1 - Arrive Nosy Be. You will be met by the Skipper, tour guide and captain of the dhow, and transferred to the Bed & Breakfast in Hell-ville, set high up on a hill, with great views. Restaurants and nightlife for you to explore at your own leisure and own expense.

Day 2- Ankazoberevina and Camp at Russian Bay: An early start prepares us for the crossing to Russian Bay (also known as Ambavatory Bay). We leave the port of Hell-Ville stopping off for lunch on the island of Ankazoberevina. Snorkeling over the soft corals with their vivid colours, proves to be an awe-inspiring experience around this little island. With a bit of luck, we may be able to spot the ring-tailed Lemurs while stepping on to Terre Firma. Moving on to Russian Bay, a fine shelter for boats in the cyclone season, we set up camp on some vast and desolate beach.


Day 3-4: Nosy Iranja. Sail 14 miles to Nosy Iranja (Island of Turtles) which lies south west of Nosy Be consisting of two islands, the larger and inhabited Nosy Iranja Be and the smaller Nosy Iranja Kely. The islands are connected by a 1.5 km long sand bar, negotiable on foot at low tide. We set up camp and enjoy the last of dusk from pristine white sands for the next two evenings after 2 enjoyable days of sailing, snorkeling and fishing.

Day 5: Mahalina. After a healthy breakfast on board we head back north and sail to our destination of the day – Mahalina. Spend the afternoon relaxing in the beautiful surroundings, or kayaking up the mangrove swamps. The area is great for snorkelling, fishing and spear-fishing.


Day 6: Nosy Tanikely, Lokobe. We set sail to Nosy Tanikely (located only a few miles south of Nosy Be), a marine reserve teeming with underwater flora and fauna, allowing us the chance for some superb snorkeling in warm waters with great visibility. After lunch, we leisurely make our way to a deserted beach encompassed by the Lokobe reserve where we set camp for the evening.


Day 7: Hell-Ville and end of Dhow experience. Sail back to Hell-Ville port where our dhow adventure comes to an end. Catch your return flight to Antananarivo where you will need to overnight before returning to Johannesburg the following day.


Packages start at US $725 (7 days) excluding flights. This holiday excludes expenses on all optional excursions mentioned in the program all personal expenses, insurance for luggage, tips, drinks and laundry. Snorkeling, diving and fishing equipment and meals not mentioned in the itinerary.