Exceptional Great Treks, Andringitra, Isalo and Makay

We head towards the city of Ambatolampy, located south of Antananarivo.
We cross the typical landscapes of the Central Highlands along a winding road lined with a mosaic of fields and diverse crops, with rice paddies arranged in terraces.

We are going to meet a dynamic rural world that is present everywhere. As we approach Antsirabe, the various agricultural productions spread out along the roadside.
We reach Antsirabe, the thermal city, nestled in the center of the Highlands.

Full South, on the RN7, we encounter a mountainous landscape with a beautiful alternation of agricultural valleys and mountain pass passages.
The road is beautiful and allows a gentle approach to the Southern part of the Highlands. We enter the Betsileo country, the majority ethnic group in the southern part of the high plateaus.
Here, life is governed by rice cultivation and zebu breeding.
Fianarantsoa stands out on a set of hills that can remind one of Antananarivo.

Through the patchwork of terraced rice fields and diverse crops where all shades of green are displayed, head to Ambalavaoknown for its vineyards.

From Ambalavao, we leave the National Road 7. The chaotic track takes us to the village of Ambalamanandray, at the eastern gate of Le massif de l'AndringitraLe massif de l'Andringitra.

At the gateway to the Andringitra National Park, our local team joins us, composed of a park guide and porters. For a first warm-up, we begin our hike with a beautiful trail between forests and waterfalls to reach the intermediate plateau of Andriampotsy, the base camp of Pic Boby.

Early in the morning, we head towards the 2nd highest peak of Madagascar, the Pic Boby or Imarivolanitra. It reaches 2 658 m.
This beautiful hike is done on a well-maintained trail.
We leave very early to enjoy the view from the summit.
If the sky is clear enough, we can see the East coast.

We now reach a surreal lunar plateau that deserves the nickname of "extraterrestrial" given how fantastical the erosions are. We then cross the Ravenea glauca palm forest, endemic to this region, until we reach our bivouac at Iantaranomby on the banks of a beautiful river where we can refresh ourselves.

Heading west, we continue our descent towards the magnificent Tsaranoro valley. Late in the morning, we return to our vehicles.
We say farewell to the guide and porters who accompanied us during our trekking in the Andringitra.

The road to the southwest enters the Bara country and crosses the largest plateau in Madagascar, the Plateau de l'Horombe.
The vast grasslands and steppes are the territories crossed by this great ethnic group of zebu herders of Bantu origin. The village of Ranohira is located on the outskirts of the ruiniform massif of Isalo.

We resume the trail heading north of Isalo, accompanied by our porters and the park guide. The trail runs along the eastern cliff of the Isalo massif. We reach the village of Andriamanero.

On foot, we reach our bivouac site. At the end of the day, we set up our tents. The northern part of the Isalo plateau is wild and little known.

We begin our hike towards the Ambovo plateau which we will walk along to reach the viewpoint of Amparambatomanara. Cliffs, Tapia forests, savannas and eroded rocks with strange shapes…
This itinerary is also a live slideshow of plants "adapted" to the arid climate. We arrive in the Ankotrakotraka canyon. Visit to the Portuguese Cave, developed by navigators who shipwrecked on the southwest coast of the island and took refuge here in the 16th century.
Camp setup for the night.

We will explore the Sahanafo Forest to try to discover Sifaka, propithecus lemurs, in their natural habitat.
Return to camp for lunch then we begin our walk towards the Ambovo plateau where we set up our camp for the night.

Early in the morning, we resume our walk towards Tameasoa where our vehicles are waiting for us.

Car transfer to the village of Beronono, passing by the Mangoky River, the longest on the West coast. The crossing is made by ferry before reaching Beroroha, the main town of the region's district.
Arrival late afternoon at Beronono, campsite set up right on the banks of the Makay River.

We will start the walk by following the Makay river. Then continue towards a small forest that leads us to the foot of the Mahatiny cave. A place where one of the oldest rock paintings still exists, most of the drawings showing us simply geometric figures…
Then in the afternoon, we take a small path that takes us to a ridge area where we will have an overview of the massif. At the end of the afternoon, return to the edge of the Makay river. Setting up camp.

After breakfast, we begin with a short walk through the reeds before continuing along a large ridge section, where you will have magnificent views of two lakes. Here, parrots are omnipresent, their calls echoing through these long corridors. A few raptors such as buzzards, kites and striped polyboroides glide above the mountains.
In the afternoon, a short technical descent before arriving at Lac d'Anosilahy. Then we climb back up a small river that leads us to the bivouac site.

We start directly in the water to explore a superb deep gorge accompanied by surprising vegetation growing inside. Followed by a connection on a plateau to reach another canyon that takes us next to Lac Sariaka.

We reach the village of Beronono, the last stage on the southern part of the massif, with a half day's walk ahead of us.
In the afternoon, we could cool off by the Makay River. Evening spent with our porters and guide.

Early in the morning, we break camp and say goodbye to our porters and villagers. Departure for a long day of fairly difficult track in a 4x4, parallel to the massif, we cross small dry forests, some villages and even sometimes almost abandoned trails.
In the afternoon, before arriving at camp, we pass through the small town of Mandronarivo, where fresh drinks await us.
Arrival at the bivouac site, tent installation, witnessing a splendid sunset.

From there, our trekking journey through the north of the Makay massif begins. Along a riverbed with white sand, we penetrate between the high mottled sandstone cliffs. This major fault allows us to access the Andranomite Cave. It has always served as shelter for people crossing the Makay massif from east to west.

We now dive into the heart of the massif, a network of dry canyons descends into the wildest part of Makay. The highest peak of Makay dominates our path. Multiple varieties of palms and ferns populate the banks of the gorge, water is now present.
Our camp is set up on the banks of the river between the great dark cliffs.

Leaving from the bivouac, we leave the river bed to follow a slope that allows us to reach the ridge line 400 meters higher.
A technical passage without difficulty will spice up our progress a little, a safety rope allows us to cross this short rocky section. We now follow a splendid balcony trail that overlooks the eastern plain bordering the plateau. The atmospheres are superb, the distant horizons.
A few latania palms on a wide pass mark a new watershed, new gorges. In these wooded gorges, we will have a strong chance of finding lemurs. Two species coexist, the Fulvus rufus and the Prophitecus verraux.

This great day takes us west of the ruiniform sandstone barrier. The deep gorge of the Sakamaly River cuts deeply into the massif. A truly aquatic day, this fissure shelters a beautiful forest with majestic trees. Families of lemurs populate the visible treetops from time to time. Crocodiles are also present, and we will see traces of them.
Nevertheless, care must be taken with certain plants present in the Makay massif, including bararata, prickly reeds. Takilotra are a variety of itching hair and karibo, a type of bramble often found hidden in grasses.

Early in the day, after a couple of hours of hiking in the savanna, we reach a very turbulent region, a tangle of fissures, ridge lines resembling great labyrinths, the sakasaka. A winding path gives us access to the major fissure of Sakapaly which flows down to the east of the massif. The 360° panoramas are magnificent. Canyons, fissures, peaks and peneplains succeed one another.
We establish our camp in a wide wooded valley on pristine white sand.

Our caravan winds through the cliffs, an easy-going route, we reach the plateau. The objective is now to reach a narrow fissure, covered with pandanus, palm trees and ferns that opens the passage to us towards the large hydrographic basin of Manampanda.
Our progress unfolds entirely with our feet in the water, in a lush vegetation environment. The lemurs, very present, disappear into the canopy. At our feet, caught in the blocks of the river bed, petrified wood bears witness to the remains of a fossil forest. These silicified witnesses are very useful for the study of geology, paleobotany and paleoenvironment. Needless to say, this unique heritage must be protected. Our tributary joins the Manampanda river the water flow suddenly becomes much more significant.
Our bivouac is established on a beautiful sandy beach on the edge of the river.

The Manampandana River guides our progress for a good hour, then we leave it to reach the plateau. After joining the ridge line, we head towards the Bara villages on the northern edge of the Makay Massif.
We reach the village of Tsiazorambo in the early afternoon. Our vehicles are there, waiting for us.
This marks the end of our unique and unprecedented journey through this magnificent Makay Massif. The evening is dedicated to conviviality and the joy of having shared a wonderful adventure together, you, the porters, the tracker, the guide and the logistics team Détours Madagascar.

After breakfast, we pack up the tents and say goodbye to the porters and trackers. We resume our 4x4s to take the north exit track to reach the town of Malaimbandy before crossing National Highway 34 which takes us to Miandrivazo.

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

A short tour of the city and visit to <local craftsmen (making miniatures of bicycles and cars, working with zebu horn…) then road to Ambatolampy.

The rice paddies and typical villages of the Highlands shape the landscape.

Continuation in the afternoon towards Antananarivo. If our timing allows, visit to the craft market.