We were excited to arrive in Hell Ville on the island of Nosy Be, just off the Northwestern tip of the mainland. This will be a tender port, and we have a full day excursion planned. Hell-Ville is the largest city on the Madagascan Island of Nosy Be. It is officially called Andoany, but is more commonly known by its previous name. It was named after Anne Chrétien Louis de Hell, a French admiral who was governor of Reunion Island from 1838 to 1841.
At 228,900 square miles Madagascar is the world's 46th largest country, the second-largest island country and the fourth-largest island. The population estimate in 2024 is 32 million people. More than ninety percent of the population is Malagasy, which is divided into about 20 ethnic groups.
From presentations over the past several days, we have learned many facts about the country. The people are very poor. Madagascar ranked as the 6th poorest country in the world in 2025 with a GDP of only $529 per person. For comparison, the United States GDP is $81,659 per person. The estimated average income per individual in 2024 is $475 per year.
The small island of Nosy Be is somewhat an exception. With a population of about 110,000, it is the main tourist region of the country and has a more developed infrastructure than the mainland. Please keep this in mind while viewing my photos.
The latest numbers I could find regarding healthcare was in 2010. Madagascar had an average of three hospital beds per 10,000 people and a total of 3,150 doctors, 5,661 nurses, 385 community health workers, 175 pharmacists, and 57 dentists all for a population of 22 million. With the population now at 32 million, I am sure the number of healthcare workers has increased but still woefully inadequate. Our guide said attaining healthcare was difficult and expensive. It is almost entirely private pay.
We arrived at our tender spot shortly after sunrise.
We were immediately greeted by small boats trying to sell us bananas, shells and wood carvings.
Of course, this was not in possible because the lowest open deck was still 20 feet above the sea.
Someone did toss this gentleman a bottle of water and he seemed extremely grateful.
After our very short tender ride to the pier, we were greeted by this group of ladies who were singing and dancing.
I can't imagine dancing while balancing a wine bottle filled with flowers on my head.
The “paint” is actually made from the bark of a tree that is ground into powder and then mixed into a paste. These elaborate patterns aren’t merely decorative but also are applied to protect the skin from the damage of the sun as well as ward off insects such as mosquitoes. It is also believed to make your skin more beautiful, much like a face masque or cream would. The mask is known as Masonjaony.
After we boarded our transportation, an eleven-seater van, which only carried three couples plus the driver and guide, we quickly got on our way.
After a brief 15-minute drive, we turned onto a dirt track for a short distance to reach our first stop, a "sacred site". Since this was the only description we were given, we had no idea what to expect.
Our guide, Nicolas, explained that this lady was the keeper or caretaker of the site.
Here, similar to a Hindu temple, we were asked to wear a wrap. Unlike a temple, we were not required to cover bear arms or shoulders and there were no rules regarding head coverings.
Nicolas explained that this sacred site was a resting place for the spirits of those who had passed. He said each tribe or extended family had their own site. Note, this is not a burial site.
Some of the trees were "dressed" also like in the Hindu religion to recognize that it was a living creature.
After a short walk through the woods, we arrived at this particular tree. Nicolas explained that you visited the tree to talk with your ancestors. If you were wishing for luck in marriage or a good crop, you were to leave an offering. Typical offerings were coffee, tobacco and alcohol. These could be seen in crevices among the limbs and roots.
Almost half of the population is Christian, with more than 25% of the population adherent to Protestantism and about 20% to Roman Catholicism. Conversion to Christianity has not eliminated the observation of traditional religious rites however, particularly those involving the dead. Over 40% of the Christians also practice traditional beliefs or animism. Animism is a worldview, not a single religion, that posits that all natural elements, including animals, plants, rocks, and even weather, possess a spiritual essence or spirit, and can be interacted with and can influence human lives. One such belief in Madagascar is to periodically, disinter a dead relative, re-wrap the body in a new shroud and rebury. If the person was of high esteem, extended family joins in the celebration and it may last for days.
While Nicolas was doing his explanation, Janet suddenly screamed and began running. She saw a snake and she is deathly afraid of snakes. Nicolas just said, "no worries, he is leaving." This didn't convince Janet!
Later Nicolas identified it as a Leioheterodon madagascariensis. He was very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the island. The common name, I learned from Google, is Madagascan giant hognose snake and it is harmless.
This building was near the sacred site. I later learned that most buildings like this, and some much worse, were actually homes.
Our next stop was at a "fragrant floral distillery", the description in our excursion information. It turned out to be an interesting stop at an Ylang-Ylang essential oil distillery.
We almost immediately met some interesting local life.
As a result of the island's long isolation from neighboring continents, Madagascar is home to various endemic plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. Approximately 90% of all plant and animal species found in Madagascar are endemic.
panther chameleon
Close-up of another panther chameleon that was in a tree. The chameleons love the grove of sweet-smelling flowers because of the insects it attracts.
Another panther chameleon with beautiful colors. It looks like a toy!
This boa constrictor was sleeping in a tree just above benches in a covered area. He found shade and was making the most of it, probably after a good meal. Janet again would not even come close.
Thi
Madagascar is the world's principal supplier of vanilla, cloves and ylang-ylang. The island supplies 80% of the world's natural vanilla. Key mineral resources include various types of precious and semi-precious stones, and it currently provides half of the world's supply of sapphires, which were discovered near Ilakaka in the late 1990s. Despite all its natural resources, it is still a terribly poor country.
Here are the mornings harvesting of the ylang-ylang blossoms. They can only be harvested early morning.
This basket of ylang-ylang weighs about 22 kilograms or 50 lbs. It takes approximately 30,000 flowers to produce just 2.2 pounds or 1 kilogram of essential oil, making the extraction process resource intensive. Ylang-ylang is a key ingredient in iconic fragrances like Chanel N°5 and Dior's J’adore. Its unique chemical profile, particularly from Madagascar, makes it highly sought after. The oil is distilled into different grades (e.g., Extra, I, II, III), with the "Extra" grade being the most potent and costly due to its high concentration of natural compounds. This grade is primarily used in fine perfumery
Ylang-ylang flower, photo from Britannica. When we went thru the orchards all the "ripe" flowers had already been picked for the day.
This distillery used two types of stills. The older stills, shown below, are powered by wood burned underneath the kettle.
The newer stills were powered by steam produced from a central closed furnace which then piped the steam to the individual stills. This is a much more efficient method, but it is still wood fired.
This is the large central furnace used to generate steam.
Here is the finished product. Extra grade ylang-ylang extract. It took roughly 900 flowers to make each one-ounce bottle.
Following our visit to the distillery, we started our accent journey across the island. Most of the following photos were taken form a moving vehicle thru dusty and scratched windows so I apologize for the photo quality. I wanted to include them to give an idea of what life in Madagascar is like and remember this is in the more prosperous part of the island.
This photo is of the local domesticated bovine - the Zebu. The Zebu, also known as the camel cow or humped cattle originated in South Asia. The American Brahman is a type of Zebu.
We stopped near the northwestern coast of Nosy-Be to visit a local home. This one room dwelling was located on a bluff with a beautiful view of the ocean.
Poverty affects 92% of the population according to a 2017 survey. The country ranks fourth in the world in terms of chronic malnutrition. Nearly one in two children under the age of five is stunted.
This was the home of the mother and three children. There was no mention of a father being present. Nicholas, our guide, said unfortunately the father often abandoned the family and moved on to another woman. Nicholas has 4 full brothers and sisters and an additional 10 half- siblings his father sired by different women. Nicholas is married and has a child and has taken one of his sisters to raise. At least a few are trying to break the trends.
These two were twins.
I peered into the single room. There was no furniture and the only thing visible was a water can. Nicholas said they all slept on the floor.
This was the kitchen and living area.
She was cooking rice. Nicholas said rice was the primary staple for all three meals.
It was a very sad situation. Nicholas gave the woman some money. This apparently is one of her few sources of income, allowing strangers to see her living condition in exchange for a few dollars from the tourist companies. I wanted to feel bad about doing this, but if it weren't for tourism, her and the children's situation would probably be much worse.
A few miles down the road we encountered this fellow.
Look closely and you can see he is alternating his feet on the hot pavement. Notice how he has his opposite toes spread for support on the two legs.
Here is a school, it is much nicer than the other one I saw during our drive today, unfortunately I was not able to get a photo of it. 
This is a stop we made at one of the 7 or 8 crater lakes in the area. Personally, I wouldn't want to use that dock...
We eventually reached Mont Passot, the highest point on the island at 1070 feet altitude.
Back on the road with a few more photos.
It looks like school is out.
We arrived for lunch at the Cacao Beach Restaurant on Andilana Beach.
The setting was beautiful, such a contrast to the surrounding countryside.
Our travel group, in addition to Carl, Janet, Kay and I we had the company of an enjoyable couple from Dayton, Ohio - Stan and Mary Ann. Nicholas was also at the table.
We had a fixed menu with the above choices. Most of us selected the Grilled fish kebab with French fries, but Carl opted for the Zebu filet.
After about 30 minutes we were presented with two dishes like this.
Interesting, but it's not kabobs and what do we do with it? Where is Nicholas when you need him..,
After a few minutes, our waiter/server/perhaps owner, reappeared and removed one of the plates of fish. He moved to a nearby table and began deboning it.
While this was going on, I enjoyed the locally brewed beer, Three Horses. It was very good for a Pilsner, which is not my favorite style. 
Well, eventually he returned with the plate of deboned fish and said "bon appetit". Was this lunch? Apparently not, about 10 minutes later they appeared with our kabobs and Zebu. We decided the fish was just an appetizer. Anyway, the lunch was delicious and there was certainly plenty of it. We never did get our dessert which I was looking forward to, the blazed bananas with rhum. After two hours we decided it was time to leave. Time just has a different meaning here.
Back on the road, a few more local photos taken from the van.
Tuk-Tuks are popular like in many areas in the Indian Ocean region.
New construction under way...
We then went to the town of Dzamandzar, the second largest village on the island. It is known, among other things for its "balloon houses". These are concrete dome structures. I have been unable to find any information regarding the time of construction or reason for construction.
My photo from the vehicle.
The photo below is a "borrowed" photo from the internet.
I am guessing that this underwear was for sale.
The tourist market.
We then traveled to the local's market, always more interesting.
This basket of bread was about a foot from the street.
There was a lot of nice produce and many spices.
This lady sold live crabs. You could get three for about $1.00.
If you don't like crab, there is always shrimp.
Stan, one of our fellow passengers, had a few small packets of nuts which Viking keeps us supplied and replaced daily. He saw these children and asked Nicholas to give them each one. They were thrilled.
The island's police station, for 110,000 people. 
When we arrived back at the pier, this group of locals were dancing with the hope to get a few dollars tossed in their basket. We had been told the people were so improvised that they would try to sell you anything. We saw that as well, from found seashells to small carvings. They will do anything to earn a little money.
This local resident wasn't dumb. He found shade under the Viking tent and was happy to share it with everyone waiting for a tender. It didn't bother him a bit.
One of the local residents I didn't get to see was the ringed tailed lemur. I did see a black lemur which was being used to solicit money to pet.
This photo was taken from Wikipedia.
Our trip to Madagascar was a mix of awe and heartbreak. The island's stunning forests, pristine beaches, and unique biodiversity—home to countless endemic species such as lemurs, chameleons, and rare plants—were captivating. However, the stark reality of widespread poverty overshadowed these natural wonders. The World Bank reports that 79.7% of the population lived on less than $2.15 per day in October 2024. Over 90% of the population lives on less than $3.10 a day, with acute food insecurity affecting over a million people. Basic necessities like clean water, sanitation, and healthcare are scarce, and malnutrition is rampant among children. The living conditions in Madagascar are unimaginable for those accustomed to even the harshest circumstances in the United States.
Well, this was a long post, but I had the luxury of three sea days in a row. This will not be the case with the next few posts. Beginning on Friday the 28th, we have 5 port days in a row. I will be lucky to just get some photos posted. Perhaps I will be able to return later and add commentary. I'm just giving you a heads up!
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