Our 5 Most Beautiful Treks
Dear fellow trekkers,
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Dear fellow trekkers,
I am Harison, an English-speaking guide with Detours Madagascar, and I have the pleasure of presenting our selection of the best treks to experience in Madagascar. A land of endless possibilities, this great island can become your favorite destination for mountain trekking adventures. Granite, sandstone, forests, high mountains, volcanoes unite with nature to ensure you celebrate your finest steps upon them.
Find your perfect match with us and live your most beautiful trekking experiences!
On behalf of the entire Detours Madagascar team, Harison |
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1. Trekking in Betsileo country, from the Andringitra summit to the Tsaranoro valley
Our objective: to reach the summit of the Andringitra in a different way!
Over an itinerant trek of 8 days of trekking through Madagascar's highlands, the hike begins at the village of Iarintsena, 12 kilometers from Ambalavao, to reach the village of Idondo nestled in valleys squeezed between granite cliffs.
Through the hills and valleys, we advance toward the village of Anja, where massive granite boulders jealously hide a small village and shelter a population of Ring-tailed lemurs, unsuspectingly! You wouldn't expect it. Camp on the hilltop, and the next day brings a landscape even more focused on rice paddies before we climb in altitude.
We are in Andringitra: Manampotsy, Belambo, Andriampotsy are our stopping points decorated both by agriculture, livestock, ox-cart trails; and a desert landscape punctuated by succulent plants like Aloe or Pachypodium. The final stretch, the last push before reaching Imarivolanitra, the Andringitra summit on a lunar plateau nicknamed "the extraterrestrial," takes us past sacred waterfalls and through a cave.
A beautiful ascent toward the Tsaranoro valley and its 800-meter cliff beloved by climbers closes the trekker's adventure before heading to RN7 toward Antsirabe and then Antananarivo.
2. A fabulous trek in northern Makay
"Get wonderfully lost safely" perfectly captures the exploration of northern Makay where life is preserved, nature remains in its wild state, where you find yourself in turns amid sandy emptiness and boundless green biodiversity, interwoven in the depth of canyons.
Daring adventure in Makay means venturing far and arriving far. A new world becomes possible thanks to stages sometimes shaped by the guide's instinct, who will adapt the route according to the traveler's physical condition in the moment.
A beautiful surprise awaits you.
Northern Makay has also become accessible for families with children who are good hikers. Learn more
3. Trek in terra incognita: The undiscovered Vavavato
This unprecedented trek is offered exclusively with us, Detours Madagascar.
Are you passionate about hiking and have you already explored the most beautiful mountains of Madagascar's highlands?
You think you've seen it all, but today we reveal a truly rare gem. We have crafted it into a beautiful itinerant trek, fresh and wonderful for you: The Vavavato.
Imagine a space where strings of lakes, volcanic mountains, granite boulders, and unique villages and hamlets blend together...
Picture yourself exploring at cloud level less than 150 kilometers from Antananarivo at 2,000 meters altitude.
Imagine meeting a unique population both in their lifestyle and way of being, where rice-fish farming is essential to life.
4. Hiking and sailing in Sakalava waters
If meeting a bush people excites you, sailing at a leisurely pace aboard a dhow, threading through the Radama archipelago; entering Madagascar's "fjords"; stepping ashore and treading on an almost pristine coast, on multi-colored sands; gazing at pink baobabs, golden rice paddies, blue-eyed lemurs, knobbed ducks, polyboroid birds, nestled hamlets... Beyond hiking on the mainland, punctuating sailing with diving expeditions discovering marine wildlife such as whale sharks, humpback whales, several dolphin and sea turtle species... This is the hike you need.
5. Exceptional hiking at Cape Masoala
Three elements blend beautifully in this largest natural sanctuary of the great island, difficult to access by road in the SAVA region: water, reefs, and forest.
It is amid the tropical vegetation of Madagascar's northeast, defined by these three elements and rich in rare wildlife that we combine hiking treks and water crossings: rivers, streams, beaches.
Six days of hiking in an idyllic setting, one day of relaxation and swimming between sea and forest compose the highlights of the journey.
