Bivouac Nosy Iranja

Joined by a bar of white sand that surfaces and vanishes with the tide, Nosy Iranja is in fact two islets, not one. At low water you can walk the sandbank between them; at high tide the sea closes back over it and separates them again. The larger islet holds a small village and a handful of modest hotel bungalows and bivouac huts, most built close to the shore with simple, naturally ventilated rooms. It is a compact place. Boats cross from Nosy Be, a journey of 47 km that takes around ninety minutes to two hours, with most day trips departing by 9am and returning in the afternoon. Green and hawksbill turtles nest on the island's quieter beaches, drawn by dark sand, vegetated dunes, and an absence of artificial light. Restaurants on site work from the day's catch — grilled fish, crab, octopus, prawns — served with coconut rice on tables that face the sandbank directly. Snorkelling and short boat trips around the coastline fill the rest of a stay, along with two viewpoints reached on foot from the village. Accommodation stays limited, so options fill fast in high season. Nosy Iranja rewards patience with the tide more than any amenity.