SATELITE image of Sainte Marie and East Coast of Madagascar.

On this Satelite image you can see the East Coast of Madagascar with Sainte Marie and Ile Aux Nattes on its southernmost tip.

MADAGASCAR Air "prop job".

The quickest way to reach Ile Aux Nattes is by Airplane via Sainte Marie. Madagascar Air offers regular flights to and from the island.

ILE AUX NATTES seen from the south.

Approaching the islands from the south, one can see the large sand bank/coral reef on the southern end of Ile Aux Nattes. The island itself is the small darker spot just above the middle of the picture.

CLOSER yet!

The coral reefs surrounding Ille Aux Nattes forms an excellent habitat for many species of fish and other sea creatures. For the adventurous, it offers some of the best in snorkeling, scuba-diving and fishing.

SOUTHERN tip of Ile Aux Nattes.

Ile Aux nattes can be reached by boat or plane. Here the southern tip of the island can be seen from the plane as it comes in for landing on Sainte Marie.

NORTHERN tip of Ile Aux Nattes viewed from east to west.

The green strip on the far left is the northern tip of Ille Aux Nattes where La Petite Traversee is located. The land in the foreground and on the right is the southern shore of Sainte Marie. PHOTO: Manie Bosman

NORTHERN tip of Ile Aux Nattes viewed from west to east.

This photo, taken on a rainy day, shows the layout of Ile Sainte Marie, the airport and the northern tip of Ile Aux Nattes where the Hotel La Petite Traversee is located. PHOTO: Adelle

AIRPORT on Sainte Marie.

On average, the airport on Sainte Marie caters for two commercial and one or two chartered flight per day.

PREPARING to board the the local water-taxi.

The strip of water between Sainte Marie and Aux Ille Nattes is less than 300 meters wide and quite shallow at low tide. However, to cross over you will need to make use of a lakana (hollow tree-trunk canoe) - the local water-taxi. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

CROSSING from Sainte Marie to Ille Aux Nattes on a lakana.

It may seem like a primative way to travel, but these lakanas are actually very safe. Also, the water here is fairly shallow and very calm.i. PHOTO - René Bosman

TRUST your local boatsman!

On the other hand ... a first trip on one of these does require at least some faith in your fellow-man!

PALM trees, clear water and coral reefs.

It doesn't take long to get swallowed up by some of the most beautiful surroundings imaginable. Hotel La Petite Traversee, which offers excellent accommodation and hospitality in these idillic settings, is straight across and can be seen in the background.

LOCALS on a lakana.

If you don't want to hire your own lakana, you may always opt to make use of the lakana-bus like these locals. It may be quite an adventure if your are not used to being squeezed in on a handmade wooden canoe ...

LUXURY travelling.

Of course, when travelling around the islands you can always opt for the luxury cruise ...

Hotel La Petite Traversee at low tide.

Hotel La Petite Traversee is located on the northern tip of Ille Aux Nattes. One of the island's most beautiful beaches are right next to us (to the right out of view) and we're ideally situated for activities such as snorkeling, scuba-diving, fishing, excursions to Sainte Marie and more. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

JETTY on Ile Aux Nattes.

Lakanas crossing between Sainte Marie and Ile Aux Nattes mostly dock at this jetty right on the doorstep of La Petite Traversee.

OCKIE and "Scratch".

MadXperience MD and your host at Hotel La Petite Traversee Ockie Snyman and Scratch, the dog he inherited when he came to live on the island. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

PARADISE found!

A few friendly local children on one of the numerous beaches on Ille Aux Nattes.

PALMS on Ile Aux Nattes.

As become a basically unspoilt tropical island, Ile Aux Nattes has an abundance of tropical palms.

CHALETS at La Petite Traversee.

All our chalets have a sea view and are set just a few steps from the water among palm trees and other indigenous vegatation. The chalets are all ensuite and offer first-world luxury in a traditional Malagassy style theme. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

CHALET from the outside.

ALL of the chalets were completely renovated and upgraded at the end of 2006. Each chalet is named after a lemur-specy of Madagascar.

INSIDE view of chalet at La Petite Traversee.

The inside of the recently upgraded chalets are kept very neat and clean and offers all and more one can expect on a remote island in paradise ...

RESTAURANT at La Petite Traversee.

Few restaurants in the world can compete with us as far as the perfect setting and daily supply of fresh seafood is concerned!

RESTAURANT at Hotel La Petite Traversee.

We offer breakfast, lunch and supper and once you've tasted our food, you will understand why guests from other hotels on the island often prefer to have their meals at La Petite Traversee.

WAITING to serve you!

Our team at Hotel La Petite Traversee of ourselves as one big family and it is our pride to provide the best service possible.

VIEW from the restaurant.

The restaurant at La Petite Traversee offers some of the best seafood in the world in a setting no man-made decor can dream to equal.

DINNER is ready.

Our chef at La Petite will astonich your taste buds. Although specializing in seafood, we also offer (imported) beef and even vegetarian meals (please order in advance).

SEAFOOD-feast for supper.

Fresh seafood is deliver daily to the restaurant by local fishermen and Analie Nel (back left) makes sure only the best quality is served. Supper often turns into an extended feast.

OCKIE and the big red!

Ockie Snyman, your host at La Petite Traversee, is renowned for his crayfish-eating capacity. Here he enjoys his favouraite dish with some visitors at La Petite's restaurant.

GAMES after supper.

The climate makes it possible to sit outside and enjoy the African skies deep into the night. These guests, however, seem very focussed on their board game.

SUNRISE at low tide from the main deck.

Of course you would come here to rest and you may choose to sleep late, but every sunrise and sunset is a visual experience hardly to be missed. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

MAIN deck at lowtide.

The jetty and deck in front of La Petite Traversee was completely renovated and enlarged early in 2007. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

MAIN complex at sunrise.

The restaurant and main deck at Hotel La Petite Traversee as seen from canal. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

SUNRISE from the chalets at low tide.

This is the view from the chalets as the sun rises. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

TIDAL chart at Hotel La Petite Traversee.

PHOTO: René Bosman

MOMENTS in paradise.

Ockie (left) and Jolene (middle), who runs the MadXperience office in Johannesburg, enjoys a peaceful moment in paradise with some guests.

RELAXING on the deck.

Guests taking it easy on the main deck.

LUNCH on the deck.

LAKANAS in bay.

The shore around Ille Aux Nattes consist of numerous small beaches complete with very white sand, lazy palm trees and cristal-clear water.

FLY-fishing ("drop-shot") in the canal.

At the tip of the island about fifty meters from La Petite, the canal between Ille Aux Nattes and Sainte Marie is at its deepest and this point is great for swimming and fishing. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

SWIMMING in the canal.

The water in the canal is not only calm and clear, but also very safe for swimming. Here Ockie takes his daily early-morning dip. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

LADIES on the beach.

Of course, most guests are not here for the fishing and prefer to enjoy the sun, water and white beaches.

Wish you were here!

Whatever your idea of the perfect island holliday, Ille Aux Nattes is very likely to suit your style. For some, diving, fishing and hiking just seem too much effort at times ...

VIEW from La Petite Traversee.

Most of our guests at La Petite Traversee come here again and again to enjoy the ultimate paradise-island breakaway.

WALKING around the island.

Its a tradition for guests at Hotel La Petite Traversee to go on a walk around the island. It takes about three hours if you're not in a rush and stop to have a drink or two on the way. PHOTO - Rochelle

SIGNPOST for accommadation.

There are currently ten places which offer accommadation on Ille Aux Nattes. Fascilities, quality of service and prices vary. PHOTO: René Bosman

LAKANA and palm trees.

A fisherman's lakana on the beach. Swimming and snorkeling is very safe around Ille Aux Nattes as the water is calm, clear and protected from larger predators by a massive coral reef. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

GIRL selling spice.

Various spices are grown on Ille Aux Nattes. Locals such as this young girl sell fresh spice such as vanilla, cinamon and pepper at very low prices. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

OPPOSITE expressions.

Walking around the island you might also run into these two local gentlemen. What caused their different facial expressions is diffiult to guess. PHOTO - René Bosman

BOY in a palm tree.

Do not try this at home! Youngsters sail up these palm trees to collect the very nutritional coconuts as if they are merely climbing some stairs. Keith Richards once tried it, and ended in hospital!

NATURAL palm trees and grass.

Although there are about 1 500 permanent inhabitants on the island, large areas are still in perfect unspoilt natural condition.

JOLENE in the bush.

Both Ille Aux Nattes and Sainte Marie offers a wide range of indegenous fauna and flora which can be discovered during formal or informal hikes. Jolene, who runs the MadXperience office in Johannesburg, enjoys a quiet moment during a recent visit to the islands.

PINK orchid.

Many indigenous flowers, among which several species of orchid, are found on ile Aux Nattes.

STUMP with growth in forest.

LARGE chameleon.

Madagascar and its island is home to about half thye world's 150 chameleon species. PHOTO: Manie Bosman

Ratsifaka-lemur.

There are several lemur-species on Sainte Marie and Aux Ille Nattes. There are two families of these black-and- white Ratsifaka-lemurs that roams Ille Aux Nattes. PHOTO: Adelle

Closer view of Ratsifaka-lemur.

Lemurs are ape-like animals and occur nowhere else in the world but on Madagascar and its islands.

RED bird in the trees.

Ok, so we didn't know exactly what species of bird this is, but it sure is beautifull in its bright red colours!

FRAMED lighthouse.

You can walk right around the shore of Ile Aux Nattes in about three hours. However, you may need several days to explore all the interesting sights on the island, such as the lighthouse. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

LOCAL cemetary.

A place worth visiting is the local cemetary on Ille Aux Nattes. Be sure to protect yourself against mosquitoes before you go as there are many and they seem exceptionally thirsty! PHOTO - Manie Bosman

MANGROVE trees.

SEAGULLS on poles.

Seagulls taking a rest from the day's fishing.

SILHOUETTE at sunset.

This lakana was photographed on the southernmost tip of Ille Aux Nattes just before sunset. PHOTO: Manie Bosman

GETTING some "vitamin C"-supplements on the way back.

A good place to stop for a rest and refreshments when walking around the island, is Hotel Chez Regine on the west coast. PHOTO - Suné Ferreira

WHITE sand and palm trees.

The warm water of the Indian ocean combined with this backdrop of palm trees and white sand, makes this the ideal holiday destination all year round.

ORANGE crab.

Although we were not sure if indeed this spesific picture was taken at Ille Aux Nattes, if this little fellow does not live there, many of his cousins does!

RED starfish.

These beautiful starfish are common in the shallows all around Ile Aux Nattes.

RED and white thingy ...

It's beautifull and its alive and lives in the sea. Exactly what it is, well its a ... eh ... thingy ...

MULTI-coloured starfish.

SNORKELING on the reefs.

The natural and unspoilt reefs around Ile Aux Nattes provide a home to thousands of species of fish and other sea creatures. Snorkeling is safe and extremely rewarding all year round.

LIONFISH

Lionfish are beautifull but has poisonous spikes and should not be touched. However, they are not agressive and can be safely observed. PHOTO: Manie Bosman

RED fish.

Again our knowledge of species lets us down a bit, but it is one of thousands ...!

SCHOOL of sardines.

Snorkeling or scuba diving among a school of sardines is an exhilarating exprience. It is hard to imagine that animals which are unable to communicate verbally can react so quickly as a unit.

DIVERS preparing for a scuba-expedition.

MadXperience does not have our own diving school, but we offer some of the greatest diving experiences imaginable through partnerships with established scuba outfits. We cater for both experienced divers and novices. PHOTO - René Bosman

AQUA flying.

Apart from the reefs, there are several showrecks around the islands which make for great scuba experiences.

DIVER with turtle.

Scuba divers from all over the world are only now discovering the richness of these waters. With visibility between 10 and 30 meters all year round and thousands of species, its an experience not to be missed.

TURTLES mating.

Several species of sea turtles are found here and on the East Coast of Africa.

CROWN Jellyfish.

This is another pic of which we are not sure where it was taken. However, there are several species of jellyfish in this area.

HUMPBACK whale close to the shore.

Madagascar and these islands are some of the best places in the world to do whale watching. The humpbacks come here to mate between July and September.

CLOSER view of humpback whale.

One can move quiet close to these peacefull giants without disturbing them or being in any danger yourself. In fact, at times they seem equally curious about theit strange human visitors.

READY to launch!

More and more serious fishermen are discovering these island as a fishing-paradise. Here professional sports-fisherman Hennie Papenfuss (right) and two mates prepare for a day on the open sea with Ockie wishing them well. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

CATCH of the day.

Hennie Papenfuss, professional sports-fishermen, with a decent-sized tuna. Hennie explored these waters during May 2007 and could hardly believe that they caught so many fish about two months after the fishing season was already over. PHOTO: Manie Bosman

SO many pictures.

Ille Aux Nattes is any photographer or would-be photographer's dream. PHOTO - Manie Bosman

LOCAL water taxi.

The local population also makes use of lakanas to travel between the two islands. PHOTO: Manie Bosman

WOMEN with fishing net.

Most people on the island lead a very simple life and provide for themselves by subsistance-farming and fishing. PHOTO: Manie Bosman

FISHERMAN returning from the day's catch.

Once the sun has set, the magic doesn't stop. With the air probably cleaner than most other places you have been to, the stars and planets are brighter and the evenings ... well, you have to some see. PHOTO: Manie Bosman

CATCH of the day.

Local fishermen cleaning their day's catch. PHOTO - René Bosman

LOCAL fishermen.

PHOTO - René Bosman

GOLDEN sunset.

Because Ille Aux Nattes is so small and Hotel La Petite Traversee is situated on its northern tip, you can prepare to enjoy some of the best sunrises as well as sunsets you have ever seen.

SUNSET with lakanas.

PHOTO - Manie Bosman