From the Land of Volcanoes to the Pangalanes Canal

Flight to Antananarivo, dinner on board, arrival in the evening at Ivato Antananarivo airport.
Program developed with Air France.

We take the scenic road westward, passing through the traditional villages of the Central Highlands. As we continue our journey, magnificent volcanic cones gradually come into view. Upon reaching the shores of Lake Itasy, we settle into the charming little town of Ampefy.

Due south, a beautiful mountain road takes us to Faratsiho, via Soavinandriana. We cross a succession of rich agricultural valleys nestled to the west of the Ankaratra massif.

The landscapes are superb, with every shade of green displayed in a palette across the hillsides and rice paddies at the bottom of the valleys where cassava, sweet potatoes and potatoes are cultivated.
Faratsiho is a large town set against the foothills of the Ankaratra mountains. The city overlooks a superb rice-growing plain.

We reach AAntsirabe and, once there, we take time for a city tour. Here, the rickshaw is king, it's the favorite mode of transportation for the people of Antsirabe.

We continue our journey to Manandona where we settle into a rural guesthouse, managed by a local community where the inhabitants welcome us warmly.

Basic comfort, outdoor facilities and bucket shower.

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

After gaining elevation by following good trails crisscrossing the foothills, we return to the valley to meet the inhabitants. All are rice farmers and own zebus, some raise silkworms, others are blacksmiths, basketweavers 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 activity, customs and traditions, and development.

Second night with a local family.

Duration: +/-5h00 of hiking / Distance: 13 km

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

After lunch, we continue our journey to Ranomafana and its national park home to a multitude of lemur species, which we will visit the next day. We reach the village at the end of the day.

We then cross the Vatovavy region, a mountain range abundant in various stones such as emerald, ruby, and amethyst.

We reach the quiet small town of Mananjary, a producer of vanilla, coffee and clove, on the banks of the Pangalanes Canal.

We leave our driver-guide here, who will turn our vehicle around to meet us upon our arrival in Manahoro, at the end of our cruise on the Pangalanes. We will be taken care of by the English-speaking guide and the barge crew during the navigation.

After breakfast, departure for a river cruise on the Pangalanes Canal.

The Canal stretches along the East coast of Madagascar between Farafangana in the south and Foulpointe in the north. This waterway, which is 665 km long, is much safer than the very tumultuous Indian Ocean.

On this aquatic boulevard, we cross barges, "bush boats" (river bush taxis), pirogues and rafts transporting local products shipped to the nearest cities, including bananas and other seasonal fruits, cassava, fish, dried ravinala leaves for the roofs of traditional houses… Spontaneous greetings and joyful cries from children on the riverbanks accompany us throughout our journey. We are spectators to unusual and unforgettable scenes of life.

After breakfast, embark on board the boat and head towards Ampanalana via a small canal.
Fishing pirogues cross our path in this lush network of lakes and lagoons that form the Canal.
Crossing the mouth of the Mangoro River, which is several kilometers wide, is one of the highlights of our stage today.
After wonderful encounters and magnificent discoveries, we will arrive at the end of our navigation in mid-afternoon.

We meet up with our driver-guide. Transfer to the hotel and check-in to our bungalows.

After breakfast, we board the boat and head towards Ampanalana via a small canal.
Fishing pirogues cross our path in this verdant network of lakes and lagoons that form the Canal.
The passage through the mouth of the Mangoro River, which is several kilometers wide, is one of the highlights of our stage today.
After wonderful encounters and magnificent discoveries, we will reach the end of our navigation in the middle of the afternoon.

We meet up with our driver-guide. Transfer to the hotel and check-in to our bungalows.

Departure for Andasibe after breakfast. Between dense forest and the Canal des Pangalanes, the road winds between narrow valleys. Stop at the tropical fruit stalls in Antsampanana. We have lunch there before continuing to Andasibe, towards the East-Central region of the country in the middle of humid tropical forest.

After breakfast, we travel to Antananarivo, which we will reach by late morning. We rediscover the typical landscapes of the Highlands, the earth becomes redder and the traditional Imerina houses made of red brick and rammed earth gradually replace the wooden houses of the Betsimitsaraka.

Arrival in late morning at Paris CDG.