The East, Andasibe, the Pangalanes Canal, and Sainte Marie Island

Arrival of the flight to Antananarivo

A member of the Détours Madagascar team will welcome you upon arrival at Ivato International Airport in Antananarivo. Transfer and check-in at your hotel in the city center.

Antananarivo is the capital of Madagascar, located in the Central Highlands region of the island. Often the first essential stop for any English-speaking visitor to the country, Antananarivo immediately offers a sense of total change. As soon as you arrive in “Tana,” as it is called here, all familiar references vanish, giving way to a blend of wonder and emotion, marking the start of a new adventure.

The car will pick you up at the hotel. We set off for Andasibe, heading east! We travel along the eastern road through lush vegetation, home to several species of animals threatened with extinction due to human activities (bush fires, deforestation…).

Lunch at leisure in a restaurant along the way. We arrive in Andasibe in the afternoon and check in at the hotel.

Before or after dinner, there is the possibility of a night visit in one of the village’s private or community reserves, on the outskirts of Andasibe National Park (not included).

Visit of Andasibe National Park, a conservation site for the Indri-Indri, the largest of all lemurs. Other animal species can be seen, including 11 other lemurs, chameleons, birds … The flora is not left aside, with several varieties of orchids, rosewood and medicinal plants.

In the afternoon, we visit the Vakona Reserve: a canoe crossing of a small river takes us to Lemur Island. Some lemurs, having become accustomed to people, may climb onto your shoulders, often in search of a banana. While in Andasibe National Park we observed lemurs from a distance, here we approach them up close, mingling with this small colony of endemic primates.
We then continue the visit to observe crocodiles swimming in their lake or basking in the sun, the Fosa (Fossa) — the largest carnivorous mammals on the island, considered Madagascar’s small pumas — and other animal species…

After breakfast, we leave the hotel to continue our journey east. Shortly after the small town of Brickaville, we take a turnoff onto a red dirt track, sometimes mixed with white sand and scattered with stones. We pass through wild forest until we reach the village of Manambato, nestled on the shores of Lake Rasoabe and surrounded by mountains. We take time here for lunch before boarding a boat to navigate the Pangalanes Canal towards Akanin’ny Nofy, “the nest of dreams,” on the shores of Lake Ampitabe.

Your Détours Madagascar driver-guide/guide bids you farewell here before returning to Antananarivo.

We take a boat for a short crossing of Lake Ampitabe to visit the Palmarium Nature Reserve.

Accompanied by a reserve guide, we will set out to discover around ten species of lemurs, as well as exceptional flora (orchids, mahogany, carnivorous plants, and some very rare species of palms).

The rest of the day is free: many walks are possible around the lake, towards the shores of the Indian Ocean, through the plantations of the East Coast, or to the fishing village.

Visit to the Palmarium Reserve and boat transfers included; afternoon activities are at your own expense to give you more flexibility according to your preferences.

Sailing along the Canal towards Tamatave.

On this aquatic boulevard, we pass barges, “bush boats” (river bush taxis), dugout canoes, and other local means of transport… Spontaneous greetings between boatmen… the joyful shouts of children on the banks accompany us throughout our journey. We are spectators to unusual and unforgettable scenes of daily life.

Arrival at Tamatave Port by late morning.

We continue along the coast lined with coconut trees towards Mahambo, located 90 km north of Tamatave.
Mahambo is an authentic village at the heart of preserved nature, situated in the Analanjirofo region. It is bordered on one side by dense forest and on the other by a lagoon enclosed by a coral reef.

We continue along the coast towards Soanierana-Ivongo, a small port town on Madagascar’s east coast, the departure point for shuttles to Sainte-Marie.

From its pier, we take the boat to Ambodifotatra on Sainte-Marie Island. We then reach our hotel by the seaside, where we can enjoy the paradisiacal beaches.

__The Sainte Marie Island, also known as Nosy Boraha, offers you the chance to experience the relaxed pace of island life with the warm and welcoming Samarian community.

All activities can be arranged from the hotel: hiking or mountain biking to the most hidden corners of this beautiful tropical island, which is full of hidden waterfalls, coves, and natural pools… You can also enjoy sea or car excursions to picturesque sites on the island, sea kayaking or traditional canoeing to discover the Pirate Cemetery or explore the mangrove, visit the Ampanihy Bay, or the stunning Île aux Nattes…

Also available are kite surfing, paddleboarding, snorkeling, scuba diving, scooter or quad rentals, wakeboarding (towed tube), fishing…

And of course, don’t miss the humpback whale safaris, organized in season (June to September), when whales pass by Sainte Marie to breed in the cooler waters at this time of year.

Additional activities are at your own expense, allowing you more flexibility according to your preferences. Activities and excursions can be arranged on request; please contact us.

More time on Sainte Marie depending on the flight schedule.

A transfer to the airport is planned. You will fly over the skies of the big island with Tsaradia, the national airline, bound for the capital.

Upon arrival, we welcome you at Ivato Antananarivo Airport. Transfer to your hotel in the city center.

The rest of the day is free.

Your guide will pick you up at the hotel. We set off for a walking tour with a historian. On foot, we explore the district around Independence Square, a key site in the country’s history, with the presidential palace in the background—the former residence of the successive colonial governors. Then, we ascend to the Queen’s Palace, located at the top of Analamanga Hill, the city’s former name. We will successively pass through Andohalo Square, a prominent site of Merina aristocracy where kings and queens delivered speeches and consulted the population on governmental decisions. Next, we pass by Jean Laborde’s House, the Prime Minister’s Palace, the courthouse, and finally the Queen’s Palace.

After lunch at a restaurant in town at your leisure, we will visit the ironwork workshop of Violette and Dieudonné, a true model of social entrepreneurship managing a self-sufficient village of disabled artisans. A unique place not to be missed in Antananarivo where you can make your last souvenir purchases.

After the visit, we will take you to a top restaurant in Tana where your farewell dinner is planned.

Transfer to the airport after dinner for your international flight.

Misaotra and see you soon!