Bungalows and restaurant of Paradisa hotel are situated in "l'île de nattes", near "Sainte-Marie" Islandof East Coast from Madagascar.
More exactely in the south of "Sainte-Marie" Island, "île de Nattes" distinguishes itself by magnificent blue lagoon and its fine sand beach. "Sainte-Marie" Island, "île de Nattes" are an ideal region to base or to practise lots of sport activities such as dive, fishing and snorking (mask and snorkel).
You can also have a walkin dugout throught many patjh while apreciating the beauty of "Sainte-marie" Island and of "l'île de Nattes".
In only some kilometers of East Coast from Madagascar, off Toamasina, a little peace of heaven waits for you in Idian Ocean.
"Sainte-Marie" Island, wich natives call Nosy Boraha, is a tropical Island with luxuriant and perfumed forests with vanilla and cacao, white sand beaches and a wonderful lagoon in turquoise blue waters.
In only some kilometers of East Coast from Madagascar, off Toamasina, a little peace of heaven waits for you in Idian Ocean.
"Sainte-Marie" Island, wich natives call Nosy Boraha, is a tropical Island with luxuriant and perfumed forests with vanilla and cacao, white sand beaches and a wonderful lagoon in turquoise blue waters.
Lemurs constitute the most favorite attraction of tourists. You will see black and white lemur, an animal wich feedfruits, "eulemur fulvus albifron" with its white head and brown coat roams, and "chirogale", not bigger than a squirrel or a tiny lemur mouse.
"Sainte-Marie"Island is a real sanctuary of humpback whales. From July till september, there is a magnificent show to see them jumping outside the water.
HYSTORY OFF ISLAND
1506, portugese sailors discover, assumption's day, "Sainte-Marie" Island, by avoiding a wreck and give as custom, this name: Santa Maria.
From 1684 till 1724, this Island becomes a mark for pirates in Indian Ocean, as "La Buse", David William, Thomas tew, Thomas White. Because of magnificient beaches, luxuriant vegetation and bautiful women, Santa Maria become the residence for pirates. Nosy Boraha, Women's Island, counts lots of love stories between pirates and Malgasy princesses.
XVIII, at the time of Indian Company, "Sainte-Marie" Island becomes an important place of business. Today, we can discover vestiges which testify of this past.
GEOGRAPHY
"Sainte-marie" Island is constited, in factof a main island and "l'île aux nattes".
This Island oscillates between 20°c and 30°c all year long. it is an authentic island, still protected from mass tourism, with its deserted beaches andpopulated by fischermen small villages, rocked by rythm of seasons. from december till June: lobsters fisching; July/ september: humpback whales migration; september/ october: cloves and bloom orchids collects; and november/ december: vanilla and lichees collects.
HUMPBACK WHALES MIGRATION
there are humpback whales, that the first ones arrive in waters around Madagascar. They are very easily visible to "Sainte-marie" Island. They come to couple every years and can measure until 15 meters of length for 25/40 tons. Females arrive before males.
DECOUVERTE DE L’ILE
SOUTH ISLAND DISCOVERY : l’ile aux Nattes :le paradis sur terre.
DU SUD SOUTH TO "AMBODIFOTATRA" : "VOHILAVA", with its small church and its botanical garden.
AMBODIFOTATRA : "fotatra" is a tree formerly very wide-spread in this Island.
- "Le Vieux Fort", occupied today by Malgasy's Army.
- "Le tombaud d'Albrand, a young French pioneer commanding of this island in 1823.
- the most ancient Roman Catholic Church of Madagascar.
- "L'île aux Forbans", which would hide a buried treasure.
- Cemetery of Pirates.
- "L'îlôt Madames", nicknamed in honour of Princess of France.
- "Le barchois", in city center, with its port and trade.
AMBODIFOTATRA A POINTE ALBRAND
- Anjahana, with its distillery of cloves
- Point of the navy
- Antanandava, with its waterfall
- Albrand's lighthouse
- Natural swimming pool
"L’ILE AUX NATTES"
There is Sainte-Marie's tourist jewel. "l'île aux nattes" is separated from "Sainte-Marie" Island by a magnificent of a turquoise blue lagoon. Many activities are possible:beach, fisching, dive, dugout. This Island compares with an exclamation mark, 2 km long on 1km wide.
Time seems stopped. In this idyllic landscape, tourists are moved by sympathy of these people. It is a small paradise of hardly 6 km, named "Nosy Nanto" in Malagasy, holds his name of the nanto, tree formerly present on this young Island. Here, natives call it "Le Petit Zanzibar" of Eden. Wooden dugouts flirt with the turquoise blue water and silence reigns, interrupted with screams of lemurs.
An important character:Napoleon, died in 1986 at almost 80 years old, pioneer of tourism in "l'île aux nattes", liked by all for its volubility, its visitors' book which each was anxious to fill and his delicious Coconut's chicken.
Passage of "Sainte-Marie" to "L'île aux Nattes" is made by dugout: a short crossing of 5 minutes. There is no motor vehicle on this Island. In Island Center, in shelters of tropical storms, is very attractive small village, hamlets as well as fields and ricefields. In the summit, Blevec's lighthouse which proposes a fantastic view over corals. During Yvan's tropical storm in february 2008, "l'île aux Nattes" and Sainte-Marie Isalnd paid a heavy toll:habitations destroyed, cultures were burned by winds. Tthis Island possesses orchids which grow nowhere else.
And to conclude, the nail of show: " LA CASE A BEBY " the most celebrates nightclub, which reigns an atmosphere, a music which exist nowhere else in Indian Ocean. The manager of the establishment looks like strangely Bob Marley.
Paradisa hôtel - hôtel île aux nattes - île Sainte Marie - Madagascar
