Northern Madagascar

With its wide streets, old colonial-era buildings, and buzzy atmosphere, Diego is an appealing base from which to explore Madagascar’s northern region. While the city has a slow-moving pace (nearly everything shuts between noon and 3pm while residents indulge in long afternoon naps), there's a plethora of good restaurants, places to stay and plenty of shopping.

Diego is an important port in Madagascar; the town notably exports tinned fish, and soft and alcoholic drinks – there is an important Star (THB) bottling plant on the outskirts of town. Thanks to its deep-water anchorage, Diego has also become a firm favourite of cruise ships, which visit between December and March. The ships are a magnificent sight as they cross the bay.

There are no beaches in Diego itself, but plenty of amazing views of the bay, and those glorious beaches with all their activities are but a short drive along the coast.

On the eastern side of a peninsula jutting into the bay east of Diego, is a series of beautiful bays with stupendous beaches. There are many coves and inlets along this stretch of the coast, but the area is named after three majestic bays: Baie de Sakalava (Sakalava Bay), Baie des Pigeons (Pigeon Bay) and Baie des Dunes (Dune Bay). It’s a wild, harsh and starkly beautiful environment, with few villages; expect strong winds from April to November and baking heat from December to March. You will need a 4WD for the sandy tracks. Hiking Les Trois Baies Circuit, which connects Baie de Sakalava (the southernmost of the three bays) to Ramena, is a rewarding excursion, with many tour operators in Diego offering it as a package. The whole peninsula is now a protected park, Faritra Kobabiana, offering various trails.

Madagascar’s number-one beach destination, the island of Nosy Be has all the ingredients you'd expect: soft white sand, turquoise waters and wonderful seafood. A paradise for water-based activities with its sunny climate most of the year, diving is the top draw, and there is plenty of swimming, snorkelling, sailing and fishing. Operators offer excursions to the surrounding islands with their beautiful beaches and great diving opportunities.

Once you’ve had enough of seascapes, head for the rolling landscapes of the little-explored hinterland: as well as the brilliant Parc National Lokobe, there are ylang-ylang and vanilla plantations, crater lakes and waterfalls, and miles of dirt tracks accessible only by foot or quad bike.

Nosy Be is the most expensive destination in Madagascar, but many visitors find the lack of major development and relaxed, mora mora (slowly, slowly) lifestyle worth the extra money.