Sure Travel Journey Vol 5.2 Autumn 2019 | Page 35

we headed south to sheltered Russian
Bay – where the crew of a Russian naval
ship mutinied and sank their boat during
the Russo-Japanese war – for our first
night. The only yacht in the bay, we
enjoyed the silence as we feasted on
seafood, then lay under the stars.
The following day, we scuba dived
© ADEY
snorkelled and, at low tide, walked the
long sandbank that links the main island
to its smaller sister. The pressures of
work and everyday life melted away, and I
felt rested and free.
With no time constraints or routines,
we embraced a natural rhythm, not
knowing – or caring – what time of day, or
even what day, it was. We saw countless
pods of dolphins, snorkelled with whale
sharks and dived pristine reefs that few
have ever seen. We stopped on Nosy
Komba to visit the lemur park, Aldabra
giant tortoises and scary-looking (but
non-venomous) boa constrictors and to
buy delicate, embroidered tablecloths
and other Malagasy bric-a-brac.
Other highlights included exploring
the Barahamamay River and paddling a
wooden pirogue to the village of Lokobe
for a guided nature walk – a wonderful
© VANDRAY/ADOBESTOCK.COM
Left: A yacht lolling in the calm waters off the sandbar that connects Nosy Iranja to the
mainland. Above: Whales at play in the Mozambique Channel, and colourful island market.
“
With no
time constraints
or routines, we
embraced a natural
rhythm, not knowing
– or caring – what
time of day, or even
what day, it was.
on a magnificent wall that dropped to
the ocean depths, sighting rays and
small sharks and a myriad of colourful
tropical fish, then went ashore on
Nosy Antsoa, home to seven species
of lemur. Climbing up to its highest
point, we surveyed the islands of the
Radama archipelago and the mainland.
There were no signs of habitation: the
only other boats visible were elegant,
white-sailed dhows in the distance. We
felt alone in the watery wilderness.
Dawn on day two saw us on deck for
sunrise. After a leisurely swim, we moved
to picturesque Nosy Iranja, where we
swam with turtles in the warm shallows,
insight into the weird and wonderful
wildlife of Madagascar. As we clambered
through the forest, our eagle-eyed
guides pointed out lemurs, geckos and
chameleons – including some rare,
endemic Madagascar specials like the tiny
leaf chameleon – in their natural habitat
before rustling up a magnificent lunch of
fish, prawns and freshly caught crab.
Back on terra firma for our last night
there was phone reception and wifi, but
I had no inclination to reconnect with
the digital world. I remained happily
ensconced in my floating cocoon.
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 35
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