 Nosy Be is a beautiful tropical island covered with palm trees and bougainvillea. It's also one of Madagascar's main tourist destinations, and - with its lack of gruelling taxi-brousse journey and its wonderful Indian Ocean ambience - makes a relaxing break from travelling around the main island (which is known as La Grande Terre). In the surrounding waters are numerous smaller equally attractive island that are becoming increasingly popular.
With an area of 321km2, Nosy Be ('Big Island') is the largest of Madagascar's offshore islands. It's often billed in tourist brochures as the Ile aux Parfums and, like the nearby Comoros islands, is a centre for the production of perfume essence from the ylang-ylang tree. Other island products include sugar cane, coffee, vanilla, pepper, saffron and other spices.
Nosy Be is a beautiful place where you could easily spend the entire day simply watching the changing hues of blue in the sea and the sky. Although it is Madagascar's most popular resort destination, the tourist industry is nowhere near as developed here as, for example, on Mauritius. In July and August Nosy Be gets very busy, but otherwise it is relatively quiet. In addition to its attractive beaches, the island's assets include luxuriant foliage, friendly people and a relaxed ambience.
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