West of Madagascar: From the Baobab Avenue to the Tsingy of Bemaraha (11 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. Friendly lemurs, the famous Fosa, the majestic Tsingy of Bemaraha and a stunning sunset at the Baobab Avenue are awaiting you!
Accommodation options
Midrange to luxurious
Parks and sites visited
Kirindy Forest, Avenue of the Baobabs and Tsingy du Bemaraha National Park
Price
From 1250€ per person (based on 4 people)
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-Antsirabe
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.
From there, you will drive a few minutes to arrive in a village where you will enjoy a rural walk through ricefields to discover rural people way of life. You can end this little walk with a relaxing thermal bath. Night in a hotel
Meal included: Breakfast and picnic lunch
Day 3: Antsirabe-Miandrivazo
After having criss-crossed 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. To discover the beauty of this region, you will then board a canoe to criss-cross the Mahajilo River and discover the daily life of the local residents.
Meal included: Breakfast and picnic lunch
Day 4: Miandrivazo-Kirindy
After a day of discovery in Miandrivazo, you continue your journey to reach the coastal town of Morondava. Once again, mountains, arid landscapes and grassy plains pass before your eyes. Also, pass through villages along the national road that you are taking and where weekly markets are held, combining meetings and trade. After half a day of driving, you now take a track that will cross this famous Avenue of Baobabs, an avenue filled with gigantic Baobabs (Adansonia Grandidieri). During a few driving hours in an arid environment, you find yourself in an environment that is sometimes green, sometimes dry. After two hours of track, here you are in Kirindy. Before spending the night in a hotel, you will enjoy a night walk in Kirindy to spot some night lemurs and other night animals.
Meal included: Breakfast
Day 5: Kirindy
Aujourd’hui, vous passerez la matinée à visiter la forêt de Kirindy. Dans cette forêt, vous trouverez le seul prédateur de Madagascar : le Fosa. En danger critique, cette espèce trouve ici un havre de paix près d’oiseaux endémiques, de reptiles et de lémuriens dont il est friand. Cette forêt abrite en effet 8 espèces de lémuriens (dont 6 espèces nocturnes), 68 espèces d’oiseaux, 2 espèces de tortues, 17 espèces de serpents et 23 espèces de lézards. Cette forêt abrite également deux espèces de Baobabs : le Baobab à tronc gris (Adansonia Za) et le Baobab bouteille (Adansonia Rubrostipa).
Day 6: Kirindy-Bekopaka
You are off to reach Bekopaka, a village located about a hundred kilometers from Kirindy. 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. On the way to this village, you will pass by tombs decorated with motifs and statues representing the very culture of the region. After a day of driving, here you are in Bekopaka.
Meal included: Breakfast
Day 7 and 8: 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 9: Bekopaka-Morondava
This day marks the end of your adventure in the great 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. Today, you will have time to admire it at sunset, a truly unforgettable spectacle!
Meal included: Breakfast
Day 10: 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 or to navigate the city’s mangroves. You can also go to Belo-sur-Mer to discover how the large dhows, used for fishing and for goods transport, are made. Or you can simply relax and chill by your hotel’s swimming-pool
Meal included: Breakfast
Day 11: 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)
-Accommodation during the whole stay
-All breakfasts
-Rural walk with picnic lunch on Day 2 (Antsirabe)
-Canoe trip with picnic lunch in Miandrivazo (Day 3)
-Entrance fees to the following parks: Kirindy (two entries), Tsingy of Bemaraha national Park (two entries)
-Domestic flight from Morondava to Antananarivo
EXCLUDED
-International flights
-Visa fees
-Personal travel insurance
-Tips
-Drinks
-Personal expenses
-Lunches not mentioned in the included
-Dinners
-Guiding fees in the parks (Guiding fees depend on walk type and duration)
-All activities and transportation during the free day in Morondava (Day 10)
-Any activity not mentioned in the inclusions
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