Nosy Be, Madagascar

New-to-us port #36.

Madagascar = Lemurs. So, there was no doubt in my mind as to what we would be doing when Insignia finally brought us to Nosy Be.

My initial plan was to do the boat trip that takes visitors to a lemur reserve in the jungle. Then I did a bit more research. It quickly became apparent that with heat and humidity added to the equation, the trek was out of the question for me. I’d melt before we ever got to the lemurs!

So, we did the next best thing. Together with Sonia and Boris, we hired a couple of tuk-tuks that took us to Lemuria Land. This is a zoological park set on a plantation with ylang ylang trees and mangroves along the river … with several types of the 117 known lemur species roaming freely.

It is possible to wander around Lemuria Land at your own pace, but we decided to accept the services of a tour guide — tip in addition to the park admission. It turned out to be a smart move as he was able to take us to the lemurs — and other critters, such as tortoises, crocodiles, and chameleons — without wandering aimlessly in the sweltering heat that felt like a sauna.

In fact, it was so hot and humid that once we accomplished our goal of seeing lemurs, we skipped not just the ylang ylang distillery on the property, but also nixed plans to take the shuttle into town.

Air conditioning never felt as good as it did today!

P.S. Signage was in French, so researching the types of lemurs we saw is going to have to wait until I have better internet.Read more