Madagascar?

[Pelicanne]

Please does anyone have any tips or recommendations for diving in Madagascar, particularly any northern liveaboards? Fingers crossed, I'm hoping to get there in November. Any help much appreciated - thank you in advance!

 

[Wingy]

Madagascar is awesome topside, diving holds more promise than I managed to get in due to the dive shops all being on holiday during cyclone season. November is about the last month you will get your choices dive ops. Best place to base yourself for diving and general holiday time is Nosy Be,

I'd Highly recommend Nosy Sakatia diving - not sure but they may do Mitsio - email contact was always good considering Madagascar connectivity issues.

There's also Menagabe Plongee who do a short LOB to the Mitsio archipeligo

A lot of nudis, surprisingly good size fish around, leopard sharks, coral outcrop usual suspects, filefish and the Titan trigger fish seem the least aggressive of anywhere else I've dived. Turtles everywhere so one of the dive and snorkel hotspots is Nosy Tanikely which is also a national park with a resident lemur population - including the obligatory cheeky outsider who will come and check you out if you have bananas. Nosy Tanekily is one of the standard dive sites and relatively benign until the current kicks up -

Off Nosy Verona and Nosy Sakatia especially you may experience strong currents from the Mozambique Eddie at certain times of the year. Anywhere on the Mozambique Channel side can have strong currents and viz can go from clear blue to deep green in seconds so be aware of where your buddy is and the dive op are at all times. You're a long way from home in Madagascar which applies topside as well.

Speaking French helps a lot - but it is doable with out any. If you're looking for accom I'd recommend Anjiamarango Eco resort in the North or down in Amboatalaka PM me for a few places.

I was there Feb last year - the entire months of Jan and Feb were blacked out with storm clouds and the worst possible forecast you could imagine on every weather site I could find. It was hot as hell and rained every day a little but it was hotter with no rain to cool off in Australia so no big problem.

In two weeks we had one storm and it was epic - east Africa puts on amazing lightning and thunder.

I'd also recommend not flying Air Madagascar as they may or may not fly - Air Austral were great. If you haven't been in Africa before just accept the bribery and corruption as part of life and ignore it. Fascene airport is probably the worst airport that has walls that I've ever been to. Expect corruption there.

It's an amazing place - the diving will never be Raja Ampat or PNG style fantastic but it's definitely worth a look. Also nearby you have Mayotte for soft corals and macro. Again, season didn't allow me to get there but I will get there next time.

Have fun feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

 

[Pelicanne]

Hi Wingy,

Thanks for taking the trouble to write such a lengthy response with so much helpful information - I really appreciate it! I'm now planning to do my diving from Nosy Be. Hopefully should be there at the right time for the whale sharks, at least! I've been looking at Scuba Nosy Be, which sound like a good outfit, but will also check out the other centre you mention. I'd like to do a short liveaboard plus a few days' shore-based diving, but I'm having trouble finding a liveaboard that'll take a solo diver (unless you charter the whole boat, which is out of the question for me). I've contacted Menagabe Plongée and am waiting to hear back. Air Madagascar does indeed look disastrous, but I'm flying back to the UK from Tana so need to get there somehow - I reckon doing it overland may be the most reliable option, if long. If anyone has any info on this, or recommendations, I'd be grateful! Thanks very much again, Wingy, and happy diving!

 

[Wingy]

Have you checked flying direct to Nosy Be on air austral from Milan and I think Orley - they fly direct Europe to Nosy Be which makes it possible to avoid Tana and have an extra day in Nosy Be. Grabbing an easy jet or ryan air to connect in Europe and avoid tana would be my option.

I went out on Scuba Nosy Be's boat with the guy who does the cetaceans Tours as the operators were in Europe - all good, no complaints.

Overland travel in Madagascar can be dodgy at the best of times - I've never done it but friends who have all say you need to be without time constraints because things usually go...Madagascan... at some point lol.

Whichever way you do it - have fun

 

[Pelicanne]

Thanks a lot! I'll check out the flights you mention, but I think I'll probably end up going via Tana as the flight I've found is so cheap, and I'd also kike to see some of the mainland, too. There's a relatively new airline running domestic flights now, I've discovered, called Madagasikara, who seem to be getting good reviews - maybe worth checking out if you ever travel in that area again. I saw the cetaceans tour - looks good!

 

[Wingy]

Be interested on feedback re new airlines..Eka and a few other budgets spring up every now and then but reliability is questionable - the fortnight I was there Air Madagascar refused to fly over a fuel price dispute leaving Anjiamarango totally empty except for us

 

[scubajunky17]

Thanks a lot! I'll check out the flights you mention, but I think I'll probably end up going via Tana as the flight I've found is so cheap, and I'd also kike to see some of the mainland, too. There's a relatively new airline running domestic flights now, I've discovered, called Madagasikara, who seem to be getting good reviews - maybe worth checking out if you ever travel in that area again. I saw the cetaceans tour - looks good!

How did your trip go ?