Are you looking for a nice hotel on the island of Nosy Be? Then read on, in this blog I describe our time on Nosy Be with as a base the beautiful hotel Villa Sakina.
After days of camping, sleeping in very basic hotels and cooking ourselves, we arrive on the beautiful island of Nosy Be. Here we immerse ourselves for three days in the luxury of Villa Sakina*: a hotel you can only dream of!
Nosy Be: the big island of Madagascar
In the north of Madagascar, about half an hour by boat from the port city of Ankify lies a tropical paradise: Nosy Be. Nosy Be means “big island”, referring to the small islands that surround Nosy Be. It’s not that big at all, you can drive around the entire island in three hours.
With white beaches, a turquoise sea surrounded by palm trees, tropical flowers and large butterflies, it is a paradise here. While the rest of Madagascar has hardly any tourists and therefore hardly any facilities for tourism, Nosy Be is completely different! And no, don’t you worry, it is definitely not too touristy, it is not busy on the island and you can still feel the authenticity of Madagascar here. The beaches here are still pretty empty but do have more facilities. There are some large supermarkets, restaurants and hotels on the island. You can go partying, there is a good internet connection and there are hardly any power outages. And at this place, in this paradise, is an even more beautiful place located: Villa Sakina.
Hotel Villa Sakina on Nosy Be: a beautiful villa with a sea view
Villa Sakina is located on the beach, in the middle of an oasis of tranquillity with many trees and flowers. Far enough from the tourist attraction Dar-Es-Salam, but so central that you will be everywhere in no time, the villa is in a great location. Both inside and outside the villa is nicely furnished, modern with sleek shapes and lots of wood. A mix of European and Malagasy style: there is local art and the front door is made of beautifully carved wood. We immediately feel at home in the large living room that overlooks a covered terrace, with the garden and the sea behind it. I look at Ries and say: “We have slept in many beautiful places, but this beats everything, how beautiful it is here!”. He totally agrees with me, the villa is truly a paradise.
We put our bags down on the bedrooms and I cast a longing eye on the king-sized bed covered with petals. After yesterday’s adventure, I didn’t sleep much and I’m still pretty tired. But Ries pulls me to the pool, a dive in the freshwater will for sure make me feel a bit fitter, and it does! We then relax in one of the many seats in our garden. A cooling breeze is blowing while I am reading on the lounge sofa. Ries takes some drone photos and discovers that there is an extra building, again with a private bathroom. How big is this place! We are staying here now with only the two of us, but are already fantasizing about coming back with four other friends. How nice would that be?
Chef Theo: our private chef!
After swimming, Theo, the chef who is part of the to Villa Sakina crew, tell us that he has made lunch. Three delicious courses consisting of prawns, salad, warm banana with chocolate are served. We eat our bellies full and decide to stay here for the rest of the day, enjoying the swimming pool and the tranquillity. This really feels like a vacation during our trip and we notice that we were really ready for it.
The following days, chef Theo prepares delicious things for us. He is a very nice man who, together with the cheerful housekeeper, also part of the crew, takes great care of us. They both speak a bit of French and every morning we use google translate to communicate what we would like to eat that day. They even teach us a few words of Malagasy, definitely one of the most difficult languages I know!
Roxanne, the owner of Villa Sakina, told us in advance that we could come up with ingredients for a meal ourselves, or that we could leave it to Theo. Because the food is so delicious, we decide to do the latter and that is definitely not a bad decision: we are surprised every meal. From homemade pizza to fresh fish from the barbecue. Every morning freshly squeezed fruit juices and crepes for breakfast, the water runs into my mouth again while writing. Can we stay here forever?
Exploring Nosy Be in Madagascar
After a day of relaxation, we decide the day after to explore some more of Nosy Be. By car, we drive to the north, where there are beautiful beaches. The most beautiful beach of Nosy Be, Andilana, is only a 15-minute drive from Villa Sakina. Here we relax all afternoon. It is Sunday and most visitors to the beach are local people dressed at their best. Little girls run through the sand in pink and white dresses, chased by boys in shirts and fancy trousers. Along the water, their parents stroll in beautiful suits, a little 1950s style. It feels like we have ended up in a scene from Mad Man.
Just before sunset, we drive a little further north. There are no other tourists here and we can drive all the way up to the beach. On top of the roof of the car, we see the sun slowly sink into the sea.
Islands near Nosy Be
With the help of the housekeeper, who is so kind to arrange for us a guide she knows herself, we sail on our last day to Nosy Iranja, a beautiful island an hour and a half boat ride from Nosy Be. Here we see huge sea turtles in the water. The animals are shy and (luckily) not used to people so once we go snorkelling to see them we cannot find them. Nosy Iranja consists of two islands that are connected by a sandbank at low tide. The water here is beautifully clear and with the white beaches, it is a perfect tropical island. It is so pretty, it is these pictures which for sure could be the screen saver of your computer. We spend hours in the sea and eat a nice barbecue lunch.
Nosy Komba and Nosy Tanikely
Nosy Be is surrounded by small islands such as this island. And no matter how cliché it may be, a visit to Nosy Be is not complete without a visit to one of these small islands. The closest island is Nosy Komba, a volcanic island where you will find black lemurs. The island of Nosy Tanikely, which is a marine park, also seems to be beautiful. You can enjoy wonderful snorkelling and diving between protected coral and tropical fish. Both islands are less than half an hour away from Nosy Be. They are easy to combine on a day trip.
Unfortunately, we only have three days in this wonderful place. After our visit to Nosy Iranja, we enjoy one last dinner from Theo and then pack our bags again. We are already a little homesick to this place! After travelling for two weeks in our great car, sleeping in basic hotels or in our rooftop tent, it was really fantastic to stay a few days in Villa Sakina. In complete tranquillity and luxury, not to mention the care of the housekeeper and our chef.
In addition to Nosy Be, we also visited Ile Sainte-Marie in Madagascar. Read more about Ile Sainte-Marie in our travel guide!
Practical information on Hotel Villa Sakina and Nosy Be.
Villa Sakina is located in Ampasikley Dzamandzar, about half an hour from the port and 45 minutes from the airport. Owners Roxanne and Jacques give you a warm welcome to this paradise.
There is room for 7 people, with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. There is a swimming pool in the garden, which also a hot tub, with sun loungers overlooking the sea. The villa is on the beach, from the bedroom you can hear the reassuring sound of the waves. There are a large kitchen and living room. Outside is a covered porch where you can dine. There are several seats in the garden, there is even a private bar where Theo can make drinks for you while you sit under a parasol.
A stay at Villa Sakina also includes the help of a housekeeper and chef Theo. Theo provides the most delicious meals every day. You can indicate in advance what you like or dislike and he will take this into account.
You stay in Villa Sakina from 140 euros per night (2 people). However, you stay here with six people, you pay 230 euros per night. Breakfast is included in the price, so is the staff. Roxanne will arrange your first meal on arrival, after that, you can go shopping for supplies for lunch and dinner. Click here for more information or to book directly!
Hotel Villa Sakina – Nosy Be
Ampasikley Dzamandzar
contact by mail: contact@villasakina.com
telephone number: +261 32 02 615 05
website: Bookings
Hotel Villa Duplex on Nosy Be in Madagascar
Does Villa Sakina have no availability on the days you specified on Nosy Be? Then Roxanne and Jacques have another alternative that is almost as beautiful: hotel Villa Duplex. This villa is slightly higher up the hills, from where you have a beautiful view of the sea and the setting sun. Here is room for six people, there are three bathrooms and also a private swimming pool. Click here for more information or to book a room in Villa Duplex!
Nosy Be in Madagascar
Nosy Be is located in the northwest of Madagascar. You can reach the island by speedboat in half an hour, or after an hour’s flight from the capital Tana. It is also possible to fly directly from Paris or Milan to Nosy Be. Nosy Be is the perfect end to your journey through Madagascar. The island has good facilities and great food.
Wondering if a trip through Madagascar is expensive? Read more in our Madagascar budget blog!
Click here for all my blogs about Madagascar.
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* We stayed here on the invitation of Villa Sakina, however, everything above is true to me, as always I reflect my own opinion and experience.