©
Oliver S
Madagascar Travel Guide
©
Oliver S
Located in the bay of Diego-Suarez, the Emerald Sea is one of the most beautiful sights I saw during my stay in Madagascar. Picture a huge lagoon by the Indian Ocean where the white sand gives a gorgeous turquoise colour to the water, the depth of which does not exceed a few metres.
In the middle of this expanse of water, there are islands - or rather islets - on which palm trees grow to complete the landscape. There are a great many species of fish living in the water, plus turtles and rays. This is about the nearest thing to paradise you can find.
You can get to the Emerald Sea by boat from Diego-Suarez or from the little village of Ramena, just a few kilometres to the north of the city. You can take a taxi to Ramena, so negotiate a return fare. You can also take a bush taxi for less than a euro, ask the drivers what time the last taxi back to the city leaves.
When you get to Ramena, you'll find plenty of boat owners on the beach, waiting for tourists. Allow about 50,000 ariary for the day's excursion, including a meal. A few hotels have sprung up in this little fishing village so you can spend a few days in the area, if you like.
If you do decide to stay in the area, I would recommend a trip to the Montagne des Français, which is not far from Ramena. Set in the middle of the forest and baobabs, the mountain gives you the chance to get an amazing view over the region and the bay. Not to be missed!
Once you've negotiated the fare with the captain, you climb aboard the little wooden boat and set sail towards a narrow channel that leads to the Emerald Sea. The sea around the channel is rich with marine life and it's the first chance you get to use the masks and snorkels provided by the captain and dive in. This is where I saw my first turtle!
After wading between the coral, you get back on the boat and enter out onto the Emerald Sea. The sight is striking. The water is a fabulous turquoise colour, almost milky. In the distance you can see patches of the brightest green. These are the islands of Nosy Diego, Nosy Suarez and Nosy Antaly Be.
Having covered the distance that separates us from them, we come across a heavenly beach of white sand where trees and palms provide a bit of shade. While you're waiting for the meal to be prepared, I would advise you to explore the seabed around the beach, it's full of life!
As you're eating your freshly-caught, grilled fish, you can see kite-surfers in the distance - for whom the Emerald Sea is a vast playground - gliding across the water at high speed, towed along by their huge kites. At the end of the afternoon, the boat takes us back the beach at Ramena, smiling from ear to ear...
