Hiking Malagasy – 11 days

This journey allows us to immerse ourselves in the heart of the highlands, to go towards people to live with them. We go to meet them in villages by crossing rice fields and hills. We go hiking by improbable paths from valleys to valleys. We begin our discovery in the region of Antsirabe, with the rich agriculture and the very developed art and crafts business. A little farther, in country Zafimaniry, we are welcomed in villages of tiny wooden houses with shutters and doors carved with arabesques so aesthetic as mysterious. It is on the foothills of the massif of Andringitra that we have to meet with our cattlemen, our zebus and their carts. We walk in their company a few days for new meetings, for new exchanges.

Highlights

Travel identity card

• Duration: 11 days (from Tana to Tana)
• Day number of walking: 6 days
• Participant: in group – minimum 4 persons
• Accompaniment: French-speaking Malagasy Guide
• Accommodation: hotels and at night under tent ( 3 )
• Travel: 4×4 vehicle or minibus
• Service: Full board
• Period: from March till November

• Effort =3

  “Moderate”
  4 to 6 hours of activity and / or hiking per day. The gradients can be 600m certain days.
  In Madagascar, the altitude can be a factor but it is not decisive. We evolve from 0 to 2400m of altitude.
  You only carry your little bag of the day.
  Madagascar is large, the steps in a vehicle can sometimes be a little long.

• Confort =3

  “Bush”A few nights in tents (camping), and in simple and comfortable hotels or hostels.
  In bivouac, meals are prepared by the Malagasy Tours team with fresh products, even in trek.
  Attentive service in bivouac. Frequent showers, but not daily.
  Travel by minibus or all-terrain vehicle on tarmac roads and / or tracks.

D 1: Antananarivo > Antsirabe > Manandona

Meet your guide and start heading to the south. Once we leave the capital, typical villages of the highlands and rice fields draw well the landscape of the countryside. We stop in Ambatolampy to discover the impressive work of aluminum cooking pot artisans, pots people use all over the country.

We drive on south to Antsirabe which is situated 170 km away of Antananarivo. Then a little bit further on the road 7 we reach the village of Manandona at Mont Ibity foothill, it is a massive rocky mount.

We stay in a simple rural gite.

D 2: Climb Mount Ibity

The Mount Ibity is at the heart of the Highlands of Madagascar. From the small gite of Bako Bako in the village of Manandona, we leave making the ascenssion of this big granite block. The walking is easy and does not present major difficulty. Along the way, we meet endemic pachypodiums of this zone. Of the summit we contemplate a landscape which looks like no other, with hills and ridge lines, villages clinging to the slopes, tall brick houses with thatched roofs, rice fields in the valleys and these colors: red, ocher, beige…

D 3: Manandona > Zafimaniry country

We say goodbye to our host and drive towards Zafimaniry country. We pass through Ambositra and go on until we reach Antoetra. We take a local guide from there and hike to Zafimaniry villages. The particularty here, is the traditional wooden houses which doors and windows are carved with geometrical carvings having specific meanings in their culture. The guide will inform us about them.

We continue for two days of hiking in the Zafimaniry.
The porters help us carry our luggage and food as well as set up our mobile camp. We will go from village to village, along the many paths. In the green rice fields and crops, we meet along the way villagers, farmers and zebus.
The Zafimaniry are renowned for their work of the rosewood. At the exit of the villages, children often accompany us for a few moments of joyful exchanges.
We set up camp the first night near a small village. The next night is at the hotel near Antoetra.

D 6: Antoetra > Anja Reserve

We are back on road N7 and pass through Fianarantsoa town. We stop in Ambalavao for lunch, it is a very pleasant nice little town. We then continue to Anja reserve and we set up our camp on this granit mass foothill. By late afternoon, we make a incursion into the forest where some playful families  of ring-tailed lemurs found home. We also have the opportunity to meet them the next morning before we start hiking.
The Anja reserve is managed directly by the villagers. Profits allow the improvement of the living conditions of the surrounding villages.

D 7 to 9: Walking with zebu carts

We hike for 3 days accompanied by villagers driving their zebu carts. Atmosphere is unique and very friendly. We are entering the Ambalavo region Ambalavao by diverted tracks.
These carts, multicolored or in natural wood, ply the tracks from Madagascar since the dawn of time. During these days, we cross the small villages in the region, to meet the people in their daily lives.
First and second nights in tents, and the third night at the hotel.

D 10: Ambalavao > Ambositra

At Ambalavao, we visit the craft factory of the paper Antemoro. This secular process to make this paper with bark of the mulberry tree Avoha (Bosqueia danguyana) was introduced in Madagascar in the XVth century by the first Arabic migrants to retranscribe the Koran. He(it) is always made to Ambalavao according to the same processes.
We take back the road in the direction of Fianarantsoa. We lunch on the way and continue until Ambositra. Walk in the village and an evening in the hotel.

• Duration: +/- 4h drive
• Distance: 200 km
• Meals: Lunch not included / Dinner not included

• Your hotel: Ambositra . Artisan.

  Located in the west of the centre, close to handicrafts shops for which Ambositra is famous for. 12 guestrooms spread out on 2 traditional houses and 10 bungalows, all with private bathrooms. This recently built hotel has restaurant, bar and a nice garden.

D 11: Ambositra > Antananarivo

Ambositra is the town of the woodcarvers. Visit of the workshops of craftsmen Zafimaniry.
We hunt around in search of the sculptured piece of wood or of the finely decorated square of marquetry.
Arrival at the end of morning at Antsirabe for the lunch.
Continuation in the afternoon to Antananarivo.