Ambanja & Ankify

The harbour of Ankify is located some 142 km southwards of the village of Mahamasina at the East entrance to the Ankarana National Park. It will take some three and a half hours to drive the distance along the route national RN6 driving through the town of Ambilobe ever raised famous for sugar plantation and the sugar refinery and distillery plant at Sirama, the yet sole industry able to hire and give direct as well as indirect employment to the region.

Driving from the Ankarana National Park, the landscape changes from the succession the limestone karst of the Ankarana massif to rice paddies, sugar-cane and cashew plantations then back to rice paddies and cocoa and spice plantations as the road unfolds to the crossing to the town of Ambanja. Along the way, villages of corrugated iron huts, signs of local achievement, compete with wooden and natural fibered walled thatch roofed cabins and bungalows. The last fifteen kilometres through the port of Ankify unfold along cocoa plantation and mangrove as the harbour gets closer.

Apart from the harbour, the closest landing to residents of the island of Nosy Be, Ambanja and Ankify are known for spices and cocoa plantation and its secluded sandy beaches. A visit of the Millot plantation or any other local business imposes itself to familiarize tourists to spices, and vanilla plantation as to the fermentation and treatment of cocoa bean, produces which set Madagascar apart.

The speed-boat crossing to Nosy Be takes about one to three quarters of an hour depending on the state of the sea, the type of boat carrying out the transfer and the number of passengers. For safety reason and respect of timing, we carry out “private and exclusive” transfers.