Tsiribihina river cruise, Tsingy and Baobabs (10 Days)
Highlights
During this trip, you will enjoy traveling to the Deep West of Madagascar with some stopovers allowing you to discover Malagasy people’s culture and everyday life. An unforgettable river cruise, friendly lemurs, the majestic Tsingy and a stunning sunset at the Baobab Avenue are awaiting you!
Accommodation options
Midrange to Luxurious
Parks and sites visited
Avenue of the Baobabs and Tsingy of Bemaraha National Park
Price
From 1550€ per person (based on 4 people traveling)
Day 1: Arrival in Madagascar
You have landed in Antananarivo Airport, Welcome to Madagascar! Before heading to your hotel on your transfer car, you can convert the amount of money you need into our local money. Overnight in a boutique-hotel close to the airport
Day 2 : Antananarivo-Miandrivazo
Today, you start your trip by taking the famous RN7 (National Road n°7) toward Antsirabe. You will crisscross the mountains and ricefields that characterizes the Madagascar highlands and take the time to admire the colorful stalls of fruit and vegetable sellers, but also sellers of typically Malagasy musical instruments made entirely by hand. You arrive in Antsirabe after about 4 hours of driving. Nicknamed “the city of water”, Antsirabe is home to a renowned thermal source, but also to a stone market. After the RN7, you branch off towards the great west of Madagascar. You pass from landscapes punctuated by cultivation and rice fields to arid mountains and deserted grassy steppes. After a few hours on the road, you arrive in Miandrivazo, a town whose name literally means “He who is waiting for his wife”. This name comes from an anecdote from the time when one of the kings of Madagascar, Radama 1st, wanted to unify the kingdom of the Central Highlands with that of this region through marriage. It is then in this city that he patiently waits for his future wife, the princess of the West.
Meal included: Breakfast
Day 3: Start of the Tsiribihina river cruise
Today, in the middle of the morning, you will start your cruise on the famous Tsiribihina river, a 120-km length leading you throughout the deep West of Madagascar. Upon your arrival at the Masiakampy’s port, you will embark on a barge once used to bring tobacco from the tobacco fields in remote villages. First, you will cross cultivated and vast plains, sail near the banks and gorges of the Tsiribihina River and meet villagers who belong to the “Sakalava” ethnic group whose cases are made mainly of reeds, and roofs of rice straw or palm leaves. Around 4 p.m., you will stop to refresh and swim at the Anosinampela waterfall (the island of women). Enjoy the break at this little corner of paradise which is home to families of lemurs. The camp will be set up on a large sandbank nearby.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4: Tsiribihina river cruise
This day, the barge will continue its way on the Tsiribihina river. You will come across barges and dugout canoe intended for transport and freight for local products. Throughout the day, you will visit three villages: Begidro, known for its fairly old tobacco concessions where tobacco is still cultivated in an artisanal way, Berevo and Ambatomisay, where you will admire some Baobabs. The crew of the barge will set up camp on a beach and after dinner, you will participate, around a campfire, in a small family show of traditional dance.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5: Belo-sur-Tsiribihina-Bekopaka
The Tsiribihina river landscapes merge with mango trees, tamarind trees, castor oil palms, jujube trees, sensitive mimosas, date palms and balsas. During this last day of your cruise, take time to greet once again the drongos, the grey herons, the fishermen, the green bee-eaters, the humpback ducks or the teals. Around 11 a.m, you will disembarkation at Belo sur Tsiribihina, which marks the end of the Tsiribihina river cruise.
Now, you will drive to Bekopaka village. Lost in the bush, this village has a big surprise in store for you: the Tsingy du Bemaraha. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these rock formations are simply unmissable. After a half-day of driving, here you are in Bekopaka.
Meal included: Breakfast and lunch
Day 6 and 7: Two days to explore the Tsingy of Bemaraha: Big Tsingy, Little Tsingy and Manambolo gorges
You will spend two full days in Bekopaka to discover every facet of the Tsingy du Bemaraha National Park. This is a true national natural heritage as the park is mainly composed of pointed clay-limestone formations called Tsingy (coming from the Malagasy ‘to walk on tiptoe’). In addition to their geological singularity, the Tsingy are also real places of life for a rich and unique biodiversity composed of birds, lemurs and reptiles. First, board canoes to discover the natural and cultural wonders of the Manambolo gorges and then begin the visit of the Small Tsingy. The next day, take the time to admire the Big Tsingy in height from the belvedere and overcome your fears by crossing the famous suspension bridge of the park.
Meal included: Breakfast
Day 8: Bekopaka-Morondava
This day marks the end of your adventure in the deep West of Madagascar. You leave the village of Bekopaka to return to Morondava. Nicknamed the Malagasy Venice, this small coastal town is dynamic and endowed with a unique cultural richness that the inhabitants want to preserve. Capital of the Menabe region, the city of Morondava is located on the banks of the Mozambique Channel and is particularly famous for its alley of Baobabs, an avenue filled with gigantic Baobabs (Adansonia Grandidieri). Today, you will have time to admire it at sunset, a truly unforgettable spectacle!
Meal included: Breakfast
Day 9: Free day in Morondava
After these many days on the road, you will spend one relaxing day in Morondava to rest. There are plenty of activities here. For instance, you can book an excursion to visit the village of Betania, to navigate the city’s mangroves and to visit the Kirindy forest well-kinown for its lemurs and Fosa. You can also go to Belo-sur-Mer to discover how the large dhows, used for fishing and for goods transport, are made, or just relax and chill by your hotel’s swimming-pool.
Meal included: Breakfast
Day 10: Morondava-Antananarivo-Departure
Today, you will leave the Morondava coastal city in order to take a flight, which will bring you to Antananarivo into one hour. There, you will have a day-use in a hotel before taking the international flight, which will take you back home. Veloma! See you soon. End of our services.
Meal included: Breakfast
What's included in the trip
-All airport transfers
-Private 4-wheel-drive transportation with an English-speaking driver-guide (fuel included) on Day 2 and from Day 5 to Day 8
-All accommodation
-All breakfasts
-Breakfasts, lunches, dinners during the Tsiribihina river cruise
– Canned water (1l per person per day) during the Tsiribihina river cruise
-Tents, sleeping mattresses, pillows and all camping materials during the Tsiribihina river cruise
-All village and sites’ visits during the Tsiribihina river cruise
-Entrance fees to the Tsingy of Bemaraha national park (two entries)
-Domestic flight from Morondava to Antananarivo
EXCLUDED
-International flights
-Visa fees
-Personal travel insurance
-Tips
-Drinks
-Beers and soft drinks during the Tsiribihina river cruise
-Lunches not mentioned in the inclusions
-Dinners not mentioned in the inclusions
-Guiding fees in the Tsingy of Bemaraha National Park (Guiding fees depend on walk type and duration)
-All activities and transport during the free day in Morondava (Day 9)
-Personal expenses and souvenirs
-Any activity not mentioned in the inclusions
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