Malagasy Discovery

Antananarivo - Andasibe

• Departure from Antananarivo to Andasibe, we head eastwards on the Road National 2 which connects the capital to Tamatave, main harbor of the Great Island.

  We make a short stop at the Madagascar Exotic Farm, also known as the Peyrieras to see chameleons, frogs, butterflies, snakes, bats, and tenrecs visible yearlong independent of the climat.

  We get in late afternoon in Andasibe and setlle down at the hotel perfectly situated on a hill so you can have a scenic view on the surrounding forests of Andasibe.

  If you are up to it, you can go doing a nocturnal visit of a private or a community reserves with your tour guide. If not, you can do the nocturnal visit the following day.

• Discovering the Andasibe National Park, conservation site of the Indri-Indri, the biggest of all lemurs still alive. We will start our exploration of the primary forest of Andasibe with the former Périnet Reserve, today called Mantadia Reserve. It offers visits between 2 to 6 hours long, according to our fitness. We may choose between 5 different tours, which we will choose directly on site with the local guide.

  The Mantadia Reserve is accessible outside rain season, from April to November (sometimes not easily accessible in July/August). It is crossed by 3 rivers, Iofa, Sahanody and Vohitra, and if going a bit further we can also discover a sacred waterfall, allowing us to find out about some elements of the local culture.

  A lot of species of animals can be observed, among which 11 other lemur species such as the Bamboo Lemur, Sifakas, but also chameleons, birds… Flora is also of great interest, with many varieties of orchids such as eulophiella, and also rosewood, palm trees and medicinal plants.

Andasibe - Ambatolampy

• Soon in the morning, we leave Andasibe towards the Central Highlands, driving on a sinuous road lined with small waterfalls and terrace rice fields, heritage of the Indonesian culture, and its villages with red brick walls. We drive through Ambatolampy, well known for the aluminium crafts.

Ambatolampy - Manandona

• We keep going on our route to the beautiful Manandona Valley, on the foothills of Mt Ibity, where we settle down in a cottage with simple comfort (bathroom outside and bucket shower).

• From our lodge, let's set for a walk through villages and the typical environment of the Highlands. Snuggled up at the foothills of the powerful massif of Ibity, the Manandona Valley is rich and prosper. The earth is generous, and rice is the main crop.

  After climbing higher following ascending tracks, we come back to the bottom of the valley to meet the locals. All of them are rice farmers and own zebus, some of them raise silk worms, others are smiths, basket makers or carpenters.Traditional crafts are everywhere.

  Our guides are part of a local organization which works for this region's development. They will tell you everything about their activities, habits and traditions, and local development.

Manandona - Ambositra

• After breakfast, leaving the Manandona Valley to continue our way South. pour continuer vers le sud. We rejoin the RN7 and visit the city of Ambositra to discover the wooden crafts, close to the art of the Zafimaniry tribe. Meeting with the local craftsmen who realize incredible work out of wood.

Ambositra - Ranomafana

• After lunch, we continue on to Ranomafana, and its national park, which shelters many species of endemic lemurs, birds, reptiles and plants. We will visit it the next day. We reach the village of Ranomafana at the end of the day.

• A morning to discover the forest of Ranomafana, with its very rich and diverse fauna and flora (lemurs, reptiles, orchids, rosewood …). The National Park of Ranomafana covers about 41 600 ha of tropical rain forest. Registered on the World Heritage UNESCO List, this forest shelters an exceptional endemic biodiversity, among which many rare and endangered species.

  You may be lucky enough to glimpse a few of the 26 species of lemurs classified in the forest, as well as birds, butterflies, bats, chameleons, reptiles, amphibians. We also find a great diversity of medicinal plants, orchids and carnivore plants.

  Keep your eyes open!

• We hit the road again towards Fianarantsoa, the historical and cultural capital of the Betsileo region. It is the Malagasy city which gathers the highest number of cultural monuments and schools.

  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.

Mahasoabe - Sahambavy

• Departure to the village of Mahasoabe, located about 20 km Est of Fianarantsoa.

  Once we get there, we meet with the sailors. Starting our descent on a traditional pirogue, which will last for 2 hours and a half. The river slithers between rice fields and granite mountains. We will stop a few times to meet the locals and discover their rural lifestyles. We might also be able to spot various aquatic bird species.

  Reaching the village of Iseta, we will hike across fields and villages, and get back our car to Sahambavy.

  In the afternoon, we will visit the unique tea plantation of Madagascar in Sahambavy, and do a tea tasting. The factory was built in 1978 by the Malagasy State. It was then privatized by an Anonymous Society. About 20 tons of humid leaves are being collected there daily on average, on the 355 ha of plantations, among which 94 ha are held by local farmers.

  Back to Fianarantsoa at the end of the day.

  Duration : +/- 2h30 of navigation, +/- 1h30 walking, +/- 1h car transfer.

  Distance : 40 km

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 - Anja

• 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.

  Duration of the visit : about 01h walk.

Anja - Ranohira

• Continuation to the south to Bara country and crossing of the largest plateau of Madagascar, the Horombe desert, before seeing the village of Ranohira that we reach late in the afternoon.

• A beautiful day of hiking, discovering the Isalo National Park, between deep canyons, plateaux, natural swimming pools… We should be able to spot many endemic species of lemurs, birds, reptiles, plants and butterflies.

  Isalo National Park was created in 1962, and is classified in the category of Exceptional Parks. Its area is 100 km large from North to South. It is unique in Madagascar thanks to its geological formation, dating from the Jurassic period. This mountain massif made of continental sandstone and dug with deep canyons, welcomes a rupicolous vegetation (Aloes, Euphorbias, Pachypodium…).

  You can also find there an exceptionally rich fauna, where most species are natives, such as rock reptiles, makis and other lemurs.

  The main ethnic group in this region is the Bara, living essentially of farming zebus and agriculture. Considered as descendent of the Bantu, the Bara are livestock breeders but also fierce warriors, proud and ready to give up their life to defend their freedom.

Ranohira - Ifaty

• Road towards Tulear. We cross the villages of Ilakaka and Sakaraha, still on top of the Horombe plateau, small towns which used to be quiet, until a huge sapphire reservoir was discovered there, turning these quiet towns into mining cities worthy of the American Far West Gold Rush.

  First sight of the baobabs and crossing the Mahafaly limestone plateau, with its famous and impressive burials called « Aloalo », painted with naive everyday-life scenes.

  Visit of Tulear and lunch. Road early in the afternoon to Ifaty, about thirty kilometers north of Tulear, to join the Vezo fishermen countries.