No visit to Nosy Be is complete without experiencing the main town, Hellville, (Named after a French governor – not the atmosphere of the place…) Despite the slightly off-putting moniker, the town is far from hellish and is worth visiting for a night (before escaping to the much more beautiful beachside destinations on Nosy Be). Hellville is also the best place to find cheap sleeps on the island – and we took a tip from Lonely Planet on this one and chose Hôtel Plantation.

Housed in an old colonial mansion, Hôtel Plantation is a charming little budget place right in the hustle and bustle of Hellville, just around the corner from the towns lively markets.

Although we went for the cheaper 30,000Ar option (which was a tiny charming clean room under the stairs with an ensuite) you should maybe ask to see a few rooms before you settle as these cheaper ones can be a little dark, while the nicest apparently have parquet floors and sea-facing balconies. Apparently the hotel also has a small pool that we didn’t get the chance to discover

Although we didn’t get the chance to eat at the restaurant according to Lonely Planet it also serves reasonable food.