Nosy Be (Madagascar) in March

We’re planning a trip to Nosy Be from March 14 to 29,

Same trip as Bali?[;)] Weather-wise, March isn’t the best time—you’d be better off spending more time in Bali!

Hi Jean Michel, No, it’s not the same trip—we’re pushing Bali back to September because we couldn’t find a return flight that worked for us, and the weather will be better too! For Madagascar, and Nosy Be in particular, March isn’t such a bad month 😊. In fact, it’s even recommended if you want to avoid the crowds, so why not?

Unless you find someone who’s lived there for many years... And even then, nothing’s certain! It’s hard to give precise info about rainfall—it varies a lot from one year to the next, just like in France. This year, May was really rainy in my region, while previous years had normal rainfall levels in May.

I’ve been to Madagascar (east coast) twice in February (a notoriously rainy period), and both times I had 15 days of great weather. The first time, I slipped between two cyclones! One had just hit right before I arrived, and I only found out once I was back in France that a second one had struck again.

What we can say is that January, February, and March are the so-called "cyclone months"—the period when the probability of a cyclone is highest. That doesn’t mean there’ll be one this year during that time, and even if there is, it usually affects the east of Madagascar... So no real reason to worry.

PS: The most reliable weather info won’t come from forum members but by checking historical weather stats for March in Nosy Be

Totally agree with you! I checked the historical weather data for March over 10 years, as well as the cyclones that hit Madagascar, and also read travel blogs from people who visited this region in March. But like you said, the weather can vary a lot from one year to the next, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed 🤞 hoping for good weather!

It’s raining like crazy in Nosy Be, and it’s been like this since early December—I think it’s unprecedented, while the east coast is much drier! Okay, it should start to calm down by the end of February, maybe. March should be more pleasant.

Hi, Thanks for your reply! Yeah, I hope things will improve by mid-March!