Take your time to enjoy the sailing trip!

If you’re in search for a tropical, unforgettable sailing holiday, Madagascar, the fourth biggest island on Earth, is just the place for you. Surrounded by numerous tiny islands, paradise beaches and crystal clear water, this region is perfect for a sailing vacation for those a bit more experienced. Most yachts start the journey in Nosy Be. Take your time to enjoy the sailing trip around the Nosy Iranja, Nosy Mamoko, Nosy Sakatia or the very popular Nosy Komba. Some of the islands are inhabited by natives, who still live in simple, primitive houses made of hay and wood, although some of the islands, like the Nosy Be, have luxurious hotels, shops, restaurants etc.

The Nosy Be is quite famous for the lemur reserve at Ampagorina, so if you visit Madagascar this is definitely a place you cannot miss.

It is said that the most popular vessels chartered in the region of Madagascar are all sizes of catamarans. You generally do not need any special sailing permissions or certificates. What you mostly need is some sailing abilities, but these also are not mandatory, especially when chartering a fully crewed yacht.

Around the anchorage areas, exchange trade is very common. It is also better to pave cash with you, as credit cards are only useful when paying for the yacht charter or for one of the bigger hotels.

The climate of Madagascar is also ideal for sailing, with only thirty or forty rainy days and the average temperatures reaching over twenty five degrees Celsius. In August and September it is likely that a storm might occur. The best time to out sailing is between July and October. What is also important, it is recommended to sail only during the day, as the coastline and anchorage areas are not well marked.

The prices for chartering a catamaran are around eight hundred and eighty euros when chartering for four passengers and about a thousand and three hundred for about eight passengers. What you also need to remember, you are chartering the boat at least for three days.

One of the bigger attractions of the region is fishing, which brings more and more tourists to the region of Madagascar. What you can count on is definitely tuna and marlin, but there are also other, more exotic species.

An interesting fact about Madagascar is that vanilla, pink pepper, freesia and ylang ylang come from that particular area. Also, the numerous coral reefs make Madagascar perfect for a diving adventure. The locals are also very hospitable and friendly, so it is quite easy to get to know more about their culture and tradition. Their families are also bigger than an average European family-ideally it would have twelve children-six sons and six daughters, which is hardly ever seen in our parts of the world.

Although the capital of Madagascar is quite noisy and crowded, the rest of the country is peaceful, ideal for calm, relaxing vacation. Eighty five percent of the species inhabiting Madagascar are unique, not seen in any other part of the world. To go there, you only need a valid passport. The visas are sold on the airport and are valid for about three months.