The First Village Of Nosy Be

Marodoka, which means 'the ancient village' in Swahili is a beautiful tourist destination in Nosy Be. The first village of the island dating from 800 A.D. with exceptional architectural remains.
 
The ruins of the large stone houses, the mosque and even the shipyard make the village beautiful. This site is part of Nosy Be's cultural attractions, making a change from the beautiful beaches and sublime panoramas. This place, moreover, contains a unique historical richness: thanks to its strategic position, Marodoka was an important trading post that maintained strong exchanges with the neighbouring islands of Nosy Be and some cities in Africa. Gold, like spices, the main commodities, flourished for a long time
 
The village of Marodoka, formerly known as Ambanoro, is located 5km from the city centre. It was the first village of Nosy Be. Around 800 A.D., it sheltered the Sakalava Zafinifotsy population (meaning descendants of silver). It is a cosmopolitan, multicultural place that has never ceased to welcome different people from varied backgrounds, starting with Arabs and Indians. It was the Arabs who built Marodoka. Today the Antakarana and Sakalava are the main ethnic groups living in this region. During your stay, you can enjoy the brand new tourist circuit that highlights the discovery of these peoples and their culture, as well as the historical sites and cultural events.
 
This article was featured in Prime Magazine December 2019

Useful Information

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When to go

The north-western region of Madagascar has an almost constant temperature of 26°C and 28°C. A visit is especially recommended between April and December.

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How to get there

Nosy Be offers Take a regular flight from Antananarivo to Nosy-be with Air Madagascar. For internal travel, Nosy Be Island offers various modes of transport such as special taxis, public taxis, motorcycle taxis and car rental. The visit to Marodoka takes half a day.various types of accommodation ranging from guest houses, lodges, inns and luxury hotels. We recommend: Nosy Be Hotel&Spa, Nosy Saba Island Resort&Spa, Sakatia Lodge, Ecolodge Nature Sauvage, Hotel Valiha, Hotel Home Madagascar or Vanila Hotel&Spa.

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Where to stay

Nosy Be offers various types of accommodation ranging from guest houses, lodges, inns and luxury hotels. We recommend: Nosy Be Hotel&Spa, Nosy Saba Island Resort&Spa, Sakatia Lodge, Ecolodge Nature Sauvage, Hotel Valiha, Hotel Home Madagascar or Vanila Hotel&Spa.

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Where to eat

All the hotels mentioned above offer a catering service. However, the following restaurants will delight your taste buds with their specialities: Chez Lydie and The Ravinala Restaurant. And don't forget to taste the traditional and typical Marodoka soft drink.

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What to see

Discover the culture, local traditions of the village and the fauna and flora in the surroundings of the Lokobe nature reserve. A stroll in the heart of the village is a must to visit the ghost house, the Friday mosque (first mosque in Madagascar). Continue through the 17th century Indian cemetery, and the Indian hut. Finally, take the road to Ampasimenabe and you can visit the ylang-ylang distillery.

Prime Magazine Madagascar 2018 | All Rights Reserved