Our beautiful island has a long history, some of which is lost to time.
But stories remain and add to our love and appreciation of this very special place.
Being Nosy
In the local Malagasy language, “Nosy” means “Island”. Nosy Be, next door to us, is “Big Island” but what about the origins of the name Nosy Sakatia?
Two legends in our lifetime
The origin of the name is uncertain but two legends tell stories of the island:
The first people to arrive on the island were starving boatmen who found plenty of food here, which allowed them to survive and thrive. Because of this, legend has it that they named the island “Nosy Mamiloma” - the island that helps.
Another legend explains Nosy Sakatia’s current name. The story tells of a man who lived and worked on Nosy Be. He fell in love with a woman living on our island. One day the man looked over the sea that separated the two islands and said “Sakatia”. “Sakana” means “to block” or “hinder” and “tia” is “to love” or “like”. He named the island “Nosy Sakatia” - the island that hindered his love.
Our journey here
Like so many people before and after us, we also fell in love - with the island, the people and this beautiful country.
In 2004, we decided to build the Lodge, a project that took two years.
In 2006 we welcomed our first guests, and we hope to be here so many more people can fall in love with this beautiful island too.