The town of Diego Suarez is located in the north of Madagascar in the world’s second largest natural bay with the picturesque Nosy Lonja (Sugarloaf Island). Diego Suarez is named after the Portuguese explorer Diego Diaz and the sailor Fernando Suarez in the 16^th century. With its wide streets, old colonial-era buildings, and genteel air, Diego is a lovely base from which to explore Madagascar’s northern region

The city is placed in front of a large and beautiful 250 km² bay, where the waves of the turquoise Indian Ocean run out onto white beaches. After the Bay of Rio de Janeiro, Antsiranana bay is the second largest natural bay in the world, although it is not actually one single bay, but several smallers bays. Among the most popular are the Bay de Ramena, the Sakalva Bay, the Pigeon and Dunes Bays. In the middle of the bay, there is the “sugarloaf” of Diego, a circular green island of volcanic origin. In Malagasy it is called “Saupari Dunghar”, which has the same meaning. Another bay west of the city Diego is the Cul de Sac Gallois, which is a major producer of salt.

Amber Mountain National Park is a rainforest park located about 40 kilometres south of Diego Suarez. The park is located on a massif of volcanic origin and is one of the first and oldest national parks of Madagascar. The rainforest is rewarding for walkers with several beautiful trails threading through the forest. Two trails lead to waterfalls, the Cascade d’Antomboka and Cascade Sacrée. On foot you have the chance to discover all the smaller wildlife such as the leaf-mimic chameleons, tree boas, leaf-tailed geckos, butterflies and pill millipedes which curl up into perfect balls. There are seven lemur species in the park, including the crowned lemur and Sanford’s brown lemur.

This site is located around 65 km from the city of Diego Suarez on the RN6. It’s an extraordinarily beautiful site that has some of the most exceptionally original and unique geological formations in the world, caused by deforestation associated with slow erosion, carved by wind and rain to reveal beautiful colors.

Unlike Grey Tsingy, these rocks are soft rather than sharp.

This park is a spectacularly eroded limestone fortress of sharp ridges, patches of dense tropical jungle, deciduous forest, deep caves and canyons (actually the biggest underground network of Africa) and rushing rivers. With an annual rainfall of almost 2000mm, the underlying rocks undergo heavy erosion producing an amazing karst topography, the most well-known of which is the fantastically eroded limestone spires known as “tsingy”.

The park offers different hiking opportunities through varied scenery, encountering wildlife like crowned lemur, Sanford’s brown lemur, northern sportive lemur, big headed gecko and two species of leaf tailed gecko. At least 14 species of bat roost within Ankarana’s caves and forests including some enormous colonies of straw-coloured fruit bats. Access can be difficult in wetter months, although wildlife viewing can be rewarding at such times.

Various plantations are found around Ambanja but the Millot plantation is one of the leading producers of organic cocoa, spices and essential oils. A visit to this little slice of paradise is not only highly informative but a true festival of the senses.

An island situated off the north-west coast of Madagascar, its tropical climate and superb location makes this Madagascar’s beach-resort destination per excellence. Also called Nosy Manitra or the perfumed island due to its vast YlangYlang plantations that perfume the air with a beautiful scent.

YlangYlang plantations and distilleries, a number of beautiful beaches in different locations, rainforest with great wildlife spotting, various small islands which are good for swimming, lemur observation, diving and snorkelling, a zoo (Lemuria Land) and different musical, religious and cultural events through the year are among the highlights of Nosy Be Island that will persuade you to visit and stay longer there.