AMAZING WEST TRIP – 14 DAYS

From 4 to 12 persons.

This great loop through the country makes us discover exceptional sites with the descent of the Tsiribihina river and the Tsingy of Bemaraha. Road to the famous Baobab Alley. The journey takes an adventurous turn between Morondava and Ifaty, where we stop for a break.

Exciting hike in the Isalo Park and encounter with the Catta lemur at the small Anja reserve. Discovery of the “rainforest” and its amazing fauna. 

Crossing the highlands on the way to Tana.

Highlights

Day 1: Antananarivo > Antsirabe

Meeting with your guide.

We leave towards the south. As soon as we leave Antananarivo, the rice fields and the characteristic villages of the Highlands draw the landscape. In Ambatolampy we take a break and discover the rather surprising work of the aluminium casserole makers, the kind that can be found all over Madagascar.

Arrival in the afternoon in Antsirabe. We take the time to visit the city and if you are tempted, a ride in a rickshaw, the mode of locomotion of the Antsirabeans.

• Duration: +/- 3 h
• Distance: 170 km

Day 2: Antsirabe > Tsiribihina River

Departure after breakfast.

Our road crosses the villages of Betafo and Mandoto. We make a short stop to see the gold diggers from the bridge. We are in the Middle West, in the Itremo region.

Without passing through the village of Miandrivazo, we take the track (not very good…) to the jetty at Masiakampy. There, our barge and its crew are waiting for us to go down the river. Lunch on board.

Without waiting we leave the banks and, through the meanders of the river, we go into the bush.

This is the beginning of the “cruise”.

• Duration: +/- 5 hours
• Distance: 270 km including 30 km of track
• We organize your meals

Day 3: Boat trip down the river

The river is wide and quiet. Our progress is slow, the atmosphere is calm and relaxing. We set up camp on the sandbanks by the water’s edge. Meals are prepared by our crew and taken on board around the big table. Evenings are spent around the fire. Often the villagers come to visit us and sing some local songs with dancing and laughter.  During the day, passengers can move around the boat, play cards, read a book, go up on the roof to sunbath.

• Duration: 2 days of sailing
• Distance: +/- 120 km
• We organize your meals

Day 4: Tsiribihina River > Bekopaka

Breakfast on the sandbank. We continue our descent for a few hours.

We approach the villages and the river becomes more frequented. We dock at Belo/Tsiribihina. Lunch on board our barge. Our 4×4 is waiting for us at the landing stage.

The track that leads to the Tsingy of Bemaraha is not the most comfortable. We first reach the village of Tsimafana to cross the Tsiribihina.

A hundred kilometres that will take us a good part of the afternoon. We cross the Manambolo river and arrive at Bekopaka.

• Duration: +/- 5 hours
• Distance: 140 km of track
• We organize your lunch on board

Day 5: Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

This site is one of the most extraordinary! The Tsingy are real limestone cathedrals, this dense network of faults, crevasses and blocks of limestone sculpted into blades is one of the most spectacular landscapes in Madagascar.

The formation of this Middle Jurassic massif began 200 million years ago, when the sea still covered the Bemaraha region. Then this immense plate of corals and shells rose up. Exposed to the open air for 5 million years, the rain, with its work of erosion, sculpted the rest.

Among these wonders are 6 species of lemurs, reptiles and 53 varieties of birds. It is also the habitat of one of the smallest species of chameleons, the Brookesia perarmata.

In the company of a park guide, this day is dedicated to the discovery of these natural wonders.NB: the pace and duration of the walk depend on the participants (minimum 2 hours). Your guide will advise you.

• Duration: 2 to 5 hours of walking
• We organize your picnic lunch

Day 6: Bekopaka > Morondava

We take the track to Morondava and cross the Manambolo and Tsiribihina rivers by ferry.

These “manipulations” can sometimes take a little time…

Before arriving at our destination, we cross the famous Baobab Alley. We are there at the right time, the sun is low, the light is low, the smooth trunks reflect the orange rays of the sun. Great pictures to come.

We return to the town of Morondava and settle in at our hotel on the seafront.

• Duration: +/- 7 hours
• Distance: 200 km of track

Day 7 and 8: Morondava > Manja > Ifaty

2 days of stage through the savannah.

Of course the track is not very good, even downright bad, but moreover it is “paumatory”!

Your drivers will have to have flair and be daring. Not to mention the rivers to be crossed and there, no bridge or ferry, you have to put your wheels in the water. We bivouac where the night finds us, probably on the side of Manja, and leave the next day to join Ifaty.

A welcome break at the edge of the lagoon after these two long days.

Duration: +/- 15 hours over 2 days

Distance: +/- 300 km of track

We organize your meals

A welcome break by the lagoon after two long days.

• Duration: +/- 15 hours over 2 days
• Distance: +/- 300 km of track
• We organize your meals

Day 9: Day at leisure at Ifaty lagoon

This free day on the banks of the Mozambique Channel will allow you to try the various activities offered by your hotel. For those who would like to take advantage of the sea and the lagoon: diving, pirogue rides with the Vezo fishermen, swimming or just lazing around. Those who like hiking will be able to discover, inland, a specific and singular vegetation made up of euphorbias, baobabs, didiéracées, aloes In the south, thorny plants are king.

Day 10: Ifaty > Tuléar > Ranohira

We leave the Mozambique Channel to enter the land to Ranohira, at the gates of the Isalo National Park. We stop at the Tulear market to buy some fruits for the road. We stop to contemplate the Mahafaly tombs.

We cross Ilakaka, the sapphire village where a rush attracted more than 100 000 people in the 2000s. The fever has now subsided.

We cross the wide plains bristling with latan palms and baobabs, and approach the ruinous massif of Isalo.

• Duration: +/- 7 hours
• Distance: 280 km

Day 11: Visit of the Isalo National Park

We leave for a short transfer by vehicle to the foot of the Isalo cliff.

With a small bag on our shoulder, we walk quietly through amazing landscapes made of canyons, pools and rocks with magical erosions. The ruiniform massif of Isalo is a plateau of continental sandstone dating from the Jurassic period. Here, the rock has a very variable aspect, shape and composition. Nature has adapted to the dry climate. The park is an ecosystem of its own; it has an endemic rock vegetation of Aloe, Euphorbia, Pachypodium and Kalanchoe… We have our picnic in the Tapia forest. Around the site, excursions are possible and a walk towards the summits allows us to enjoy a magnificent view.

NB: the pace and duration of the walk depends on the participants. Your guide will advise you.

• Duration: 2 to 4 hours of walking, depending on your wishes!
• We organize your picnic lunch.

Day 12: Ranohira > Anja Reserve > Ranomafana

We go to meet the Malagasy Highlands after having crossed the immense, arid and desolate plateau of Horombe and left the town of Ihosy.

Located about twenty kilometres from Ambalavao, the Anja reserve is nestled against a huge granite monolith, a gallery forest has developed between the spectacular rocky chaos. Beautiful colonies of ring-tailed lemurs live in this green paradise, the Catta or Makis lemurs. The revenues of the Anja reserve are managed by the Anja Miray association and donated to socio-economic projects in favour of the villagers. 

In Ambalavao, visit of the Antemoro paper factory. This vegetable paper made from the bark of the Avoha mulberry tree was introduced to Madagascar in the 15th century by the Arabs and is still manufactured today using the same process by this small workshop in Ambalavao. Continuation to Ranomafana Park.

• Duration: +/- 6h
• Distance: 320 km
• We organize your picnic lunch.

Day 13: Ranomafana > Ambositra

Visit of the Ranomafana national park. This site is one of the most beautiful that the primary and rainforest of Madagascar can offer.

Accompanied by our guide, we leave for a walking tour. Many species of lemurs are present such as the Golden Hapalemur, the Red-fronted Lemur or the Red-bellied Lemur. We also find rare and endangered species like the Great Hapalemur. Botanically, the park is the genetic reservoir of some rare and endemic plant species but also of many medicinal plants.

It is necessary to bring a raincoat for the visit.

We return on the RN7 to join the city of Ambositra.

• Duration: 3 hours
• Distance: 160 km of road

Day 14: Ambositra > Antananarivo

We take the time to visit the town of Antsirabe and a ride in a rickshaw is a must. This is the mode of transportation of the Antsirabeans.

In Ambatolampy we take a break and discover the rather surprising work of the manufacturers of aluminium casseroles, the kind that can be found all over Madagascar.

In the afternoon we continue to Antananarivo.

• Duration: 3 hours
• Distance: 170 km