FROM TULEAR TO STE MARIE – 13 DAYS

Day 1: Antananarivo > Tuléar > Ifaty

Flight to southwest of Madagascar. Your guide is waiting for you in Tuléar airport to take you for a city tour towards the lively market, then we head to Ifaty. Afternoon at leisure by the seaside facing one of the most beautiful lagoons in Madagascar.

NB: The program might change depending on the flight schedule.

• Duration: 1h15 flight and +/-30mn drive
• Distance: +/- 30 km

Day 2: Day at leisure at Ifaty

You can explore different activities from the hotel during the day at leisure on the edges of Mozambique channel. If you want to take advantage of the sea and the lagoon: diving, dugout ride with Vezo fishermen, swim or just idleness. Hikers can discover the inland, a specific and extraordinary vegetation composed of euphorbia, baobab, didieracea, aloes … , those with thorns are kings in the south.

Day 3: Ifaty > Tulear > Ranohira

We leave the Mozambique channel to go into the lands till Ranohira at the gate of Isalo National Park. We do a quick stop in Tuléar market and buy fruits for the road. We also discover Mahafaly typical tombs on the way. We pass through Ilakaka where a sapphire rush attracted more than 100,000 people in the 2000s. The fever has dropped down nowadays. We find large plains with palms and baobabs before we arrive in Isalo ruinform massif.

• Duration: +/- 6h
• Distance: 280 km

Day 4: visit of Isalo National Park

A short drive to join Isalo foothill. We start the walk quietly with a small rucksack, through impressive landscape, canyons, natural pool and magic rock erosions. Isalo ruin form massif is a continental sandstone plateau from Jurassic period. There are many rock formations with different shapes here. The nature has adapted to dry climate. This park has a different ecosystem, endemic rupicolous flora such as Aloe, Euphorbia, Pachypodium and Kalanchoe … We picnic in the Tapia forest. Some walks are possible around, going up to summits gives splendid view. NB: Walk pace and duration depend on clients (minimum 2h). The guide will advise you.

• Duration: from 2 to 6 h of visit, depending on you!
• We organise your picnic lunch

Day 5: Ranohira > Anja Reserve > Fianarantsoa

After Ihosy town, we are ready to discover Malagasy highlands leaving behind us the dry and arid huge plateau of horombe. 

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 given to socio-economic projects for the benefit of the villagers. 

At Ambalavao, visit of the craft factory of the paper Antemoro. This plant paper made with bark of the mulberry tree Avoha was introduced in Madagascar in the XVth century by the Arabs and is still made today on the same process by this small workshop of Ambalavao. Continuation until Fianarantsoa.

• Duration: +/- 6h
• Distance: 290 km

Day 6: Fianarantsoa > Antsirabe

We stay on road N7 and progress towards the north. We are in the heart of Betsileo country and we are in the highest part of the Highlands, so the road is more and more winding. In the village of Ambositra we hunt around in the shops of artisans Zafimaniry, trying to find carved wood or a piece of marquetery box that done nicely. We walk around in the village and have lunch in a restaurant where we can try Malagasy specialities. We continue up to Antsirabe after.

• Duration: +/- 5h
• Distance: 230 km

Day 7: Antsirabe > Antananarivo

We spend time to visit Antsirabe town and a pousse-pousse (rickshaw) riding is like a must. It is the main mean of transport there. We stop in Ambatolampy to discover how to make the local aluminum cooking-pot, those that we find in all Madagascar. Continuation to Antananarivo in the afternoon. We drive you to your hotel. Night at the hotel.

• Duration: 3h
• Distance: 170 km

Day 8: Antananarivo > Andasibe national park

We drive east towards Andasibe National Park. This is one of the main roads of the country, it is relying the most important sea port in Toamasina and the capital Antananarivo, a heavy traffic. We leave the highlands by the steep slope of Mandraka where starts the forest. Visit of the butterfly farm to see an amazing concentration of chameleon, gecko, leaf-tailed gecko and butterfly of course. Then go on east. Arrive in Andasibe in the afternoon.

• Duration: +/- 4h
• Distance: 150 km

Day 9: Andasibe National Park > Tamatave

We walk into the forest to discover this protected area with a local guide. It is mainly covered with rain forest that peculiar to the east part of Madagascar. The park provides a habitat for rare and/or endemic species of rain forest, a remarkable biodiversity. Here we meet the largest lemur which is the Indri Indri with fascinating family group behaviour. The guide will inform you about their customs. The Aye-Aye (Daubentonia Madagascariensis) is an endemic nocturnal lemur which is the most strange and archaic of all species. Other species living in the forest are bamboo lemur (Hapalemur Griseus), woolly lemur (Avahi Laniger)… The flora is very interesting, there are many medicinal plants. We take back the Ravinala (Traveler’s palm) road to reach the east coast and Toamasina.

• Duration: +/- 4h
• Distance: 200 km

Day 10: Tamatave > Sainte Marie (Nosy Boraha)

Have an early breakfast at the hotel.

We drive north along east coast towards Mahambo village. We have a very pleasant greenery landscape and many villages along the way.

Transfer by “El condor” boat to go across the canal separating the big Island to Ste Marie (+/- 3h30).

We are in one of those little paradise, as the Indian Ocean can offer us. Ste Marie is quiet and peaceful place, with natural white sand and coconut palms. Your guide accompanies you to the airport of Tamatave but the hotel takes you once you get there.

• Duration: +/-3h30 drive and +/-3h ferry navigation
• Distance: 90 km

Days 11 and 12: Days at leisure at Ste Marie

Days at leisure in Sainte Marie Island. You are free to choose your activity, the best way to move around is by bicycle or motorbike. You can rent  a mountain bike to go to the east coast, visit pirate graveyards or just ride along the beach and villages. You can go to “Ile aux Nattes” at the very south of Ste Marie, then take a canoe to go across the lagoon to the other side, the tour of the island on foot along the beach is enchanting. Small restaurants or hotels are along the way to stop for lunch or to refresh. You have a possibility for a sea outing, diving or snorkeling towards the coral reef in this clear water. A lazy day is also an option … the decor, the warmth and ambience lend themselves perfectly!The guide does not go to Ste Marie during your stay, you get advice from the hotel about all activities.

Day 13: Sainte Marie > Antananarivo

Relaxed morning before the transfer organized by the hotel to the airport.. Fly to the capital of Madagascar. 

• Duration: 1h flight