The ruiniform mountains of Makay have become, rightly, the place to be traveled in Madagascar. This journey allows you to discover these extraordinary landscapes which shelter endemic fauna and flora in powerful canyons.
Refuge of biodiversity, you will be seduced by the spectacle of a nature in the raw state.
After installing our fixed camp in a spectacular maze of canyons, we radiate on foot between narrow gorge with white sand and water trays lipids with grand views.
We take the time to immer...
Flight to Antananarivo, dinner and overnight on board.
Program developed with Air France.
After breakfast, heading south.
We cross the characteristic landscapes of the Highlands by taking a winding road lined with a mosaic of fields of various cultures and rice fields arranged in terraces.
Stop in Ambositra to discover the woodwork and marquetry of the Zafimaniry craftsmen. Lunch then continuation towards Fianarantsoa, through a mountainous region lined with pine and eucalyptus forests.
Arrival in the capital Betsileo at the end of the day.
Through the patchwork of terraced rice fields and various cultures where all the shades of green are declined, road to Ambalavao known for its vineyards.
Visit of the réserve villageoise d'Anja. This reserve was created by the association of the villagers whose goal is to preserve nature. In the middle of the granite blocks, where the Maki catta the most famous lemur species in Madagascar are the Kings of the territory.
Continue south to Bara country and cross the biggest plateau of Madagascar, the Horombe desert, before we see the village of Ranohira which we reach in the late afternoon. Installation at your hotel.
Transfer by car to the village of Beronono, passing by the longest Mangoky river on the west coast, where you will have a passage in Bac before passing to Beroroha the chief place District of the region. Arrival in the afternoon, installation of the campsite right by the river Makay.
We will start walking along the Makay River for a visit to the "Baras" villages where we would have the opportunity to see their day-to-day activities through rice paddies, then we continue to Sariaka Lake by lodging the Sakamanitra River. Installation of the tents, right at the entrance of the massif on a sandy beach where we would have a fixed camp.
After breakfast, we start with a small walk in the reeds and then continue on a large part of the ridge where we will have views on two lakes. Here, parrots are omnipresent, their cries resound in these long corridors. A few birds of prey such as hawks, kites and striped polyboroids hover over the mountains. In the afternoon we would still have the opportunity to visit a village and then return to the camp.
Immediately, we start in the water to explore a superb deep gorge with surprising vegetations that grow inside. Then a link on a plateau to reach another Canyon that takes us next to Sariaka Lake.
We reach the village of Beronono, crossing some small dry forests and a savanna plateau, a half day walk and in the afternoon we could cool off by the river Makay. Evening animated by our porters and guide.
After breakfast, we will say goodbye to our porters and guide, then we resume our 4x4 for a long day of track and road, passing by the same track, we gradually find the civilization by passing Beroroha the small town of bush before taking the ferry, then continuation until Ranohira where we will find the national 7 which take us until Ihosy the capital of the ethnic groups "Baras".
Road to Ambalavao.
We keep on driving on the Horombe plateau until Ihosy. We leave the dry South and start climbing the foothills of the Highlands.
We make a stop at Anja's reserve : a forest of ficus, lianas and orchids developed in between a spectacular rock chaos, sometimes forming caves used as shelter by animals.
The rocky slopes have been colonized by succulent plants such as kalanchoes and pachypodiums.
In this lush green paradise live in small colonies the makis catta, this lemur with a striped tail which represents Madagascar. They spend a lot of time on the ground, are not too wild and so easily observable.
The profit of Anja's reserve are managed by the AMI (Anja Miray) organization, and are donated to finance social and economical projects, which purposes are to improve crop yield, crafts development, health and education towards the villagers.
We keep going towards Ambalavao.
Early departure, for Tana crossing the central highlands, National 7 which crosses the terraced rice fields that mark the works of the Bestileo then the hills covered with eucalyptus and pines. In the late afternoon we finish our journey arriving at Tana the Capitale.
Airport transfert
Flight to Paris/CDG.