The Great Exceptional Hikes, Andringitra, Isalo and Makay

Paris Roissy CDG - Antananarivo

• Flight to Antananarivo, dinner and overnight on board.
  Program developed with Air France.

• The Détours Madagascar Team welcomes you on arrival.

Antananarivo - Ambatolampy

• We take the road towards the city of Ambatolampy, located South of Antananarivo on the Road National 7. Crossing typical landscape of the central Highlands, we drive along a sinuous road lined with a mosaic of crops and terrace rice fields.

Ambatolampy - Antsirabe

• We meet with a dynamic rural world, evolving all around us as we drive through. Coming closer to Antsirabe, various fresh products from the fields are displayed along the road. We reach Antsirabe, the thermal city, nestled in the middle of the central Highlands.

Antsirabe - Fianarantsoa

• In the afternoon, we take a guided tour in the city center of Fianarantsoa, to discover the higher part of the city, full of historical sites. At this time of the day, the light is beautiful and the red color of the typical brick houses illuminates the city.

  Just like Antananarivo, the city is divided in three parts:

  • The Upper town, where used to be the Palace of the Merina Governor, and where we can admire today protestant churches, a Lutheran school, the brick Tuscan-style Cathedral, the Jesuit school of Ambozotany, and the Antsenakely Square where is held a small market, as its name indicates.
  • The New town : the administration neighborhood, where is also held the zoma (Friday's market).
  • The Lower town Ampasambazaha, heart of the city where are located the trading Chinese and Indian neighborhoods.

  Fianarantsoa is also well known for its tea plantations and its vineyard.

Fianarantsoa - Ambalavao

• Across the patchwork of terrace rice fields and diverse crops where are all shades of green are present, road to Ambalavao famous for its vineyards.

Ambalavao - Massif of Andringitra

Massif of Andringitra - Andriampotsy

Andriampotsy - Pic Boby

Pic Boby - Iantaranomby

Iantaranomby - Valley of Tsaranoro

Valley of Tsaranoro - Ranohira

Ranohira - Andriamanero

Andriamanero - Andriamanero

• We begin our walk towards the plateau of Ambovo that we will follow to arrive at the point of view of Amparambatomanara Cliffs, Tapia forests, savannahs and eroded rocks with strange shapes …
  This itinerary is also a live slideshow of plants ""adapted"" to the arid climate. We arrive in the canyon of Ankotrakotraka. Visit of the "Grotte des Portugais" (Portuguese Cave), arranged by navigators who sank on the southwest coast of the island and took refuge here in the 16th century.
  Camp installation for the night.

• We will go through the Sahanafo Forest to try to discover ____Sifaka, lemurian propitheca, in their natural habitat.
  Return to the camp for lunch then we begin our walk towards the _plateau of Ambovo_ where we set up our encampment for the night.

• Early in the morning, we walk back to Tameasoa where our vehicles await us.

• Transfer by car to the village of Beronono, passing by the Mangoky River, the longest on the west coast. The crossing is done in ferry before reaching Beroroha, the chief place of the Region district.
  Arrival at the end of the afternoon in Beronono, camp installation just on the river Makay banks.

• Let's begin the walk along the Makay River. Continuation to a small forest that leads us to the foot of the Mahatiny cave. Place where there is still one of the oldest rock paintings, most of the drawings of which show us merely geometrical figures …
  Then in the afternoon we take a small path that takes us on a ridge where we have a view on the massif. At the end of the afternoon, return to the edge of the Makay river. Tents installation.

• After breakfast, we start with a small walk in the reeds to continue on a large part of the ridge, where you will have magnificent views of 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 above the mountains.
  In the afternoon, a short technical descent before arriving at Anosilahy Lake. Then we up a small river that leads us to the bivouac place.

• We start directly in water to explore a beautiful deep gorge accompanied by a surprising vegetation growing inside. Follow the link on a plateau to reach another canyon that takes us next to Sariaka Lake.

• We reach the village of Beronono, last stop on the southern part of the massif, a half-day of walk awaits us.
  In the afternoon, we could refresh ourselves on the Makay River banks. Evening animated with our porters and guide.

• Early in the morning, we raise the camp and say goodbye to our porters and villagers. Depart for a long day of difficult track in 4x4, parallel to the massif, we cross small dry forests, some villages and even trails almost abandoned.
  In the afternoon, before arriving at the camp, crossing the small town of Mandronarivo, where fresh drinks await us.
  Arrival at the bivouac, installation of the tents, spectacle of a splendid sunset.

• From here, our itinerant hike through the massif north of the Makay massif begins, and through a white sandy bottom we enter the high cliffs of sandstone moiré, this major fault allows us to reach the Andranomite Cave. It has always served as a shelter for people crossing the Makay massif from east to west.

• Now, we plunge into the heart of the massif, a network of dry canyons sinks into the wildest part of the Makay. The highligh of the Makay dominates our trip. Many varieties of palms and ferns populate the banks of the throat, water is now present.
  Our bivouac settled on the river banks between the great dark cliffs.

• At the start of the bivouac, we leave the river bed to follow a slope leading up to the ridge line 400 meters higher.
  A technical passage without difficulty will spice up our progress a little bit, a safety rope allows to cross this short rocky path. Now, we follow a beautiful balcony path which dominates the eastern plain bordering the plateau. the atmosphere is great, the distant horizons.
  Some lataniers palms on a wide collar marks a new watershed, new grooves. In these tree gorges, we will have a good chance of finding lemurs. Two species coexist, the Fulvus rufus and the Prophitecus verruca.

• This great day takes us to the west of the ruiniform sandstone barrier, and the deep gorge of the Sakamaly River deeply carves the massif. Visible from time to time, crocodiles are also present, we shall see their traces.
  Nevertheless, it is necessary to pay attention to some plants present in the Makay massif, of which the bararata, reeds piquant. Takilotra are a variety of hair to scratch and karibo, species of brambles that are often hidden in grasses.

• At the beginning of the day, after a couple of hours of hiking in the savannah, we reach a very tormented region, a tangle of faults, ridgelines similar to large labyrinths,__ sakasaka__. A tortuous path gives us access to the major fault of _Sakapaly_ which flows to the east of the massif. The panoramic views are magnificent. Canyons, faults, summits and peneplains follow one another.
  We build the bivouac in a wide valley sported on an immaculate white sand.

• Our caravan is walking in the cliffs, without any difficulty, we set foot on the plateau. The objective is now to reach a narrow fault, covered with pandanus, palms and ferns that opens us the passage to the great watershed of Manampanda. Our progression takes place totally feet in the water, in a luxuriant vegetal environment. The lemurs very present, disappear into the canopy. At our feet, caught in the blocks of the river bed, petrified woods bear witness to the vestiges of a fossil forest. These silicified controls are very useful for the geology, paleobotany and paleoenvironment study. It goes without saying that this unique heritage is to be protected. Our tributary joins the Manampanda river, the water flow suddenly becomes much more important.
  Our bivouac settles on a beautiful sandy beach by the river.

• The Manampandana River traces our progress for an hour and then we leave it to reach the plateau. After joining the ridge line, we head for the Bara villages on the northern outskirts of the Makay massif.
  We reach the village of Tsiazorambo in the afternoon. Our cars are there, at the appointment.
  This is the end of our unique and unusual journey in this sumptuous Makay massif.
  The evening is dedicated to the conviviality and the joy of having lived a beautiful adventure all together, you, the porters, the rider, the guide and the logistical Detours Madagascar team.

• After breakfast, folding the tents and taking leave with carriers and trackers. We take our 4x4s to take the track of the north exit, in order to join the town of Malaimbandy before crossing the national 34 which leads us to Miandrivazo.

• In the afternoon we continue to Antsirabe, the capital of the Vakinankaratra region, the final stage for the day.