OVERVIEW
This is a bumpy 4X4 tour to discover the south west of Madagascar. An unforgettable 18 days along one of the wildest and most beautiful coastline in the world. An three-in-one tour starting with the visit of Tsingy of Beamraha and the alley of Baobab before reaching the wild beach of Belo sur mer, Andavadoaka, Ambatomilo, Salary, Ankasy and Mangily Ifaty. Back to paved road to discover the highlights of the RN7 with greatest landscape in Isalo national park.
NB:
=> This is a Midrange Proposal. Let us know your Budget if you are looking for an Economy Madagascar Travel Offer
=> Visit our blog sobehatour.com
=> Contact us if you are looking for a customized Madagascar tailormade tour
DETAIL OF TOUR
Day 01 Antananarivo – Antsirabe
After a brieffing at the hotel and check out, you start to drive along the RN7. Crossing typical landscape of the central highlands, you drive along a sinuous road and terrace rice fields. Coming closer to Antsirabe, various fresh products from the fields are displayed along the road. Many families in the highlands are celebrating a famadihana in winter time around August. This is a traditional bone turning ceremony. They take the silk-coffin out of the tomb, and then celebrate by carrying the dead along the road while singing and dancing. It is a big day for the entire large family. Arrival to Antsirabe after four hours drive. Check-in to the hotel. In afternoon, you will have a city tour in Antsirabe. It is the third biggest city in Madagascar. With its fresh air and cool climate all year round, Antsirabe is the favourite place of european people living in Madagascar from colonisation time. We take a tour around the city to visit the local craftsmen, famous for making tiny bikes and cars with recycled material, and working with zebu horn. Tour of the city. Night at hotel Plumeria
Day 02 Antsirabe - Miandrivazo
On the road to Miandrivazo, you will visit the lake Tritriva. Located in the southwest of Antsirabe, Tritriva is a a bold aquamarine blue crater lake where the legend talk about tragic love stories long time ago. On the way back from the lake tritriva, you can stop at the lake Andraikiba to visit the market of precious stones for a while before heading to the west coast. Back to the road, you follow during a short time the large valley of the Vakinankaratra until Betafo and Mandoto. After a few more 200 kilometers, you reach Miandrivazo. Welcome to the region of Menabe. Night at hotel Princesse Tsiribihina
Day 03 Miandrivazo - Morondava
Miandrivazo lives from the production of tobacco, peanuts, beans, and raising pigs and cows. Few years ago, the expedition along the Tsiribihina river started from there. Now, the river is less deeper and the expedition start from Masiakampy which is about 50Km from Miandrivazo. As you travel by car, you will drive to Morondava and start to see baobab trees after five hours drive. Check in at the hotel in Morondava. In afternoon, you can go to the alley of baobab until the sunset. Night at hotel Vezo Beach
Day 04 Morondava - Bekopaka
After breakfast, you leave Morondava to the Tsingy of Bemaraha National park. All along this road, you will see baobab trees, oxcart wagon, and colorful local market. On the way you can obviously discover some Sakalava tribe tombs because of their size and their unusual paints decorations. You drive offroad for three hours to ‘Tsimafana’. From there, you cross the Tsiribihina river by ferry for more than thirty minutes. On the other side of the river, you arrive to Belo sur Tsiribihina where you will have a lunch (on your expense). After the break for lunch, you drive again to Bekopaka. For information, Bekopaka, is the village with hotels next to the Tsingy of Bemaraha. This second section of road last for three to four hours. You will travel with greating of kids dancing along the street and ask for candies . Arrival to the second Manambolo river before the sunset. Night at hotel Orchidée
Day 05 Bekopaka
After long drive, you start to explore the tsingy of Bemaraha : The journey in dugout offers a wonderful pallet of landscapes, gorges, canyon, caves… it is not recommended to people suffering of claustrophobia. The gorge of Manambolo is spectacular for this river considered as the front door of the Tsingy. The excursion is connected to the visit of small Tsingy. Back to the hotel for lunch. In afternoon, you can choose to relax at the hotel to save energy for the next day or going to visit the village of Bekopaka or Andadoany to observe local life and habits. Night at hotel Orchidée
Day 06 Bekopaka
This day is dedicated to the visit of « big tsingy of Bemaraha » : Departure from the hotel as early as possible after breakfast. You will meet the local guide and take the harness at the office of the guide. Drive pas the village of Bekopaka and continue for one hour for seventeen kilometers to arrive to the parking of big Tsingy. Young people looking for adventure can start with broadway circuit before the andamozavaky trail. The big tsingy is a trekking through « moon like » sceneries unique to Madagascar. A vast forest of sharp eroded karts’ pinnacles of 60 meters high. On these fragment of rocks you may see lemurs. The vegetation in the canyons is exceptional, a wonder of nature. Visitors can explore the Tsingy safely through boardwalks, cable ropes, steps, steel ladders or hanging bridges. Depending to your fitness, the visit can last till more than 5 hours consisting of trekkings and impressive trails. Not for claustrophobia and people having vertigo. Night at hotel Orchidée
Day 07 Bekopaka - Morondava
After breakfast you leave Bekopaka for the road back to Morondava. Lunch time in Belo sur Tsiribihina (on your charge) before crossing the river by ferry-boat. Continuation toward Morondava. Later you make a halt to see the impressive “baobab in love” and the famous Baobabs Alley, the most photographed site in Madagascar; these majestic baobabs (Grandidier) offers a natural special landscape at sunset. Night at hotel Vezo Beach
Day 08 Morondava - Belo sur mer
In the morning, departure to Belo sur Mer known as a boat construction sites as best beach nearby Morondava. The landscape consists of « bush » and skeletal vegetation that are resistant to prolonged drought. After the river of Kabatomena, you can see various baobab trees standing next to the road. There are lot of toll as local people maintain the « black point » after the raining season. Arrival to the Saline in midday. Check in at the hotel. Visit of the village of Belo sur mer on foot in afternoon. All along the beach of the village, you can see people making a wood-boat like they used to hundreds of years ago. You can go to the peninsula by pirogue or canoe. Night at hotel Dauphin Vezo
Day 09 Belo sur mer - Manja - Morombe
This step is set to avoid to sleep in Manja and avoid the basic hotel Kanto. It is a long drive and you have to leave very early from Belo sur mer. Halfway we cross the river Mangoky. Continuation to Morombe with magnificent landscape made of big baobabs trees and red soil. Arrival to the gohst town of Morombe late in afternoon. Sunset at the « terrace » of the hotel. Night at hotel Paletuvier
Day 10 Morombe - Andavadoaka
Continuation to Andavadoaka and drive along swamp and salty land. You will discover spectacular old and big baobab trees. You can visit the forest of « strange » baobab due to the salty water of the area. Arrival to Andavadoaka after four hours drive. Afternoon at the hotel or visit of the village of Andavadoaka. It is a small Vezo village counting about thousands inhabitants and a big market that attracts Mikea farmers coming to sell some of their crops. It is located on a really nice bay that makes a large part of its very attractive. Night at hotel Laguna Blu
Day 11 Andavadoaka
Beach time relax : Andavadoaka refers to the “pierced rock” visible from the coast. It is a well-worth place to hang around at least for one day and to explore some fabulous diving-sites. The excursion (on your expense) to the isalnd in large of Andavadoaka is a must to do if you are looking for quite place. Night at hotel Laguna Blu
Day 12 Andavadoaka - Ambatomilo
On road again, drive along a bumpy and sandy road to Ambatomilo. Less know than Salary or Andavadoaka for long time, Ambatomilo is one of the greatest location of the south-west area. The beach of Ambatomilo doesn’t suffering a lot of the low-tide and high-tide. Night at hotel Mamirano Lodge
Day 13 Ambatomilo
Beach time relax : The village of Ambatomilo is an idyllic village, full of tranquility and serenity. The majority of Malagasy people do not know this area yet. Due to this lack of information, it remains a wild and unknown place. Mass tourism is not arrived here yet and even the Malagasy are less likely to have visited it. That makes it so charming. It could be the most authentic beaches in south-west of Madagascar. It is considered to be still « virgin » and unknown area where nature and modesty dominate permanently. It is a purely heavenly place which gives access to an unique blue lagoon with white sandy and turquoise shallow sea. Night at hotel Mamirano Lodge
Day 14 Ambatomilo - Salary - Ifaty
You take the track again along the coast that offers magnificent views of the Mozambique Channel after Salary Bay. You pass by Ankasy where the sea is amazingly nice. Continuation past Manombo and you arrive to Mangily Ifaty area. Welcome back to the asphalt road. Visit of spiny forest at Reniala reserve. Night at hotel Bamboo
Day 15 Ifaty - Toliara - Ranohira
Head to Ranohira in morning, visit of Toliara city and market of sea-shell. Drive through desert landscape where thorny plants emerge. Arrival to the territory of Mahafaly tribe with some typical Mahafaly tombs with Aloalo”. Drive accross Sakaraha and Ilakaka known by gems dealers. Ilakaka was an old village in 90’s and it has become bigger after they have found saphire in there. This is the biggest city sapphire of Madagascar. Night at hotel H1
Day 16 Isalo
After breakfast, you drive to Isalo National Park, park the car and start to hike. You can choose your itinerary according to the brieffing with the local guide for a beautiful day of hiking, discovering the Isalo National Park, between deep canyons, plateaux, natural swimming pools. Isalo National Park was created in 1962. It is large of 100 km from North to South and unique in Madagascar thanks to its geological formation, dating from the Jurassic period. You can also find there an exceptionally rich fauna including natives rock reptiles. You will be able to spot endemic species of lemurs, birds, reptiles, plants and butterflies. 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. Night at hotel H1
Day 17 Ranohira - ANJA - Fianarantsoa
On the road again ! You will discover different panorama of the RN7. Stop at Anja reserve : a forest of ficus, lianas and orchids developed in between a spectacular rock forming caves used as shelter by animals. In this lush green paradise live in small colonies the ringtailed lemurs, the symbol of Madagascar. They are easy to find and to make close-up photo as they spend a lot of time on the ground, on the rocks and on trees. 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. A short visit of paper Antaimoro working place, and handmade silk working place. Continuation to Fianarantsoa. Night at hotel Zomatel
Day 18 Fianarantsoa - Antananarivo
Last day along the RN7 : drive from the betsileo territory to the capital of Madagascar. Stop according to the interest. You can stop at the local market along the road if you want to buy souvenirs. Our drive can drop you off at the hotel of your choice (on your expense) or at the airport. END OF OUR SERVICE
Important Notice :
- This is a midrange proposal or ADVANCED. Let us know your Budget and we will design a customized tour especially for you
- Price is per person sharing room as double occupancy. Departure is guarantee for 02 persons. Contact us for Single Price
- Are included into the price: 4X4, fuel, Driver Speaking Basic French and English, ferry and toll, all listed activities (entrance and guide of park, night walk), your hotel and breakfast,
- Are NOT included: Tour Guide Speaking Good English, all food, lunch, diner, picnic, beverage and alcohol, additional activities, tips
- Please to specify if you need an AC car while booking otherwise you may have no-AC car
- Payment modality: bank transfer or VISA/Master Card or CASH on arrival. We accept USD and Euro with exchange rate online.
- Contact us for further detail. You can ask for tailor made tour according to your length of stay, your wish-to-see-list, your category of hotel, and your budget
