Malagasy Discovery

Departure for Andasibe, due East, on National Road 2 which connects the capital to Tamatave, Madagascar's main port. Several possible stops along the way to stroll around, visit villages or discover the local fauna and flora, lush and exuberant in this region of the Great Island.

Arrival in early afternoon at Andasibe and check-in at the hotel. Walks in the village are possible, at the edges of the National Park which we will visit tomorrow morning. Night visits to the surrounding private or village reserves are also possible (not included).

We leave Andasibe heading towards the Central Highlands taking a winding road lined with small waterfalls, rice terraces arranged in tiers, a legacy of Indonesian culture and its villages with brick houses or red earth rammed earth dwellings. We pass through Ambatolampy, renowned for its aluminum craftsmanship.

We continue our journey to Manandona where we settle with a local family for a unique experience among the locals. In one or more traditional houses, we are warmly welcomed, with basic comfort (outdoor facilities and bucket showers).

From the lodge; we set out on foot to discover the typical environment of the Highlands. Nestled at the foot of the mighty Ibity massif, the Manandona Valley is rich and prosperous. The land here is also very generous and rice is the main crop.

After gaining elevation by following good trails that crisscross the foothills, we return to the valley to meet the local inhabitants. All are rice farmers and own zebus, some raise silkworms, others are blacksmiths, basket weavers or carpenters. Traditional craftsmanship is omnipresent.

Our guides are part of a local association for the development of the region. They will be able to tell you about their activities, local customs, traditions and development.

Second night with a local family.

After breakfast, we leave Manandona Valley to continue heading south. We cross the highlands and visit the town of Ambositra, the famous capital of wood craftsmanship. Meeting with marquetry artisans: in their workshops, these craftsmen rival each other in imagination and ingenuity in the creation of marquetry articles and wood sculptures.

We continue our journey to Ranomafana and its National Park home to a multitude of lemur species, which we will visit the following day. We reach the village at the end of the day.

Ranomafana, a park entirely covered in forest, spanning 41,601 hectares. Classified as a World Natural Heritage site of Atsinanana in 2007, it is home to great biodiversity that is endemic but endangered.
It is home to rare and critically threatened lemur species.

The park is also the genetic reservoir for certain rare and endemic plant species. It is crossed by numerous waterways, tributaries of the Namorona River.

We head back on the road towards Fianarantsoa, the historical and cultural capital of the Betsileo region. It is also the Malagasy city with the most cultural buildings and schools.

Like Tana, the city is divided into three parts:

• The upper town, where the Merina governor's palace once stood, and where you can today admire Protestant temples, a Lutheran college, the brick cathedral in Tuscan style, the Jesuit school of Ambozotany and Antsenakely square, where a small market is held.

• The new town, the administrative district, where you will also find the zoma (Friday market),

• The lower town, Ampasambazaha, the heart of the city where you will find Chinese and Indian commercial districts.

Fianarantsoa is also known for its tea plantations and vineyards.

Departure to the village of Mahasoabe, located about twenty kilometers east of Fianarantsoa. Introduction to the boatmen, beginning of the descent of the river in a traditional canoe.

Two and a half hours of navigation, the river winds between rice fields and granite mountains, numerous stops to immerse yourself in rural life. Several species of aquatic birds are visible. We dock at the village of Iseta and after a half-hour walk through fields and villages, we continue on to our vehicle for Sahambavy.

Through the patchwork of terraced rice fields and diverse crops where all shades of green are displayed, head to Ambalavao, known for its vineyards.

Stop at the small Anja Village Reserve: a gallery forest of ficus, lianas and orchids has developed between spectacular rocky chaos, sometimes forming caves adopted as shelters by certain animals. On the slopes of the reliefs, the vegetation relay has been colonized by succulent plants, such as kalanchoes and pachypodiums.

In this green paradise live in small colonies these ring-tailed lemurs which are almost the emblem of the Great Island, the ring-tailed lemurs. They spend a lot of time on the ground, are not too shy and are therefore easily observable. The revenues from the Anja site are managed by the AMI association (Anja Miray) and returned to economic and social projects aimed at improving agricultural yields, the development of crafts, health and education for local villagers.

Duration: 1 hour walk in the Anja reserve

Continuation towards the south in Bara country and crossing of Madagascar's largest plateau, the deserted Horombe, before catching sight of the village of Ranohira which we reach in late afternoon.

We cross the villages of Ilakaka and Sakaraha, always on the vast Horombe plateau, small quiet settlements until the discovery of a huge sapphire deposit that transformed them into veritable mining towns worthy of the American Far West epic.

First glimpse of baobabs and crossing of the Mahafaly limestone plateau, its famous and impressive tombs topped with funeral sculptures called "Aloalo" and painted with naive scenes of life.

Visit to Tuléar. Road in early afternoon to Ifaty, about thirty kilometers north of Tuléar, to reach the land of Vezo fishermen.

Hotel check-in at Ifaty. We leave our driver-guide here, who will return to the capital the next day.

According to the domestic flight schedule, free time before the transfer to Tuléar airport, provided by your hotel on site.