Descovering of Nosin’Ampela

The origine of Nosin’ampela name’s

A few meters in front of where the famous waterfall was located, there was a small island. In the past, there was a metal boat for transporting goods from Masiakampy to Belo Tsiribihina. This boat was propelled by rowers because there were no engines at that time. They used this boat to transport and sell goods. One day, there was a woman among the crew of this boat. When they took a break on the small island, the boat’s crew wanted to spend time with the woman by force, but she refused.

The men on the boat decided that if she wouldn’t comply, they would leave her on the small island to be devoured by crocodiles. Even after they left, the woman was not afraid, but the crew really left her alone on that small island. She had no food to eat, but the only way for her to survive was to drink the water around the island. A few days later, a small fishing boat passed by and they spotted a hungry, weak woman lying on the edge of the island. They approached slowly and as soon as they realized she was a person, they took her aboard their boat and brought her back to the nearby village. The small island was still there in 2002 when tourism began on the Tsiribihina River. This island where they left this woman is really small. The island measured less than 10 square meters, and in 2004, Cyclone Gafilo even destroyed this island. That’s how this island came to be called “Nosin’ampela.” “Nosy” means an island and “ampela” means a woman.