DISCOVER THE BAOBABS’LAND (12 Days)

Highlights: Baobabs, lemurs, biodiversity, landscape, culture, river-crossing, UNESCO Heritage-listed site, Tsingy, Beach and sunset

Accommodation options: from midrange to luxurious

Extension options: East

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. Also, if you have some free time ahead, you can ask your driver to bring you at your charge to some historical places where you can discover the Madagascar’s Highlands’ history and traditions.

Whether it is the Queen’s Palace or the Ambohimanga royal hill, feel free to wander in some of the Malagasy Royalty period’ remains. You can also visit a crocodile farm near the airport or a RAMSAR bird sanctuary near the city center. Overnight in a charming hotel.

Day 2 : Antananarivo-Antsirabe

Today, you start your Madagascar tour by taking the famous RN7 (National Road n°7) toward Antsirabe! You will first pass through the small town of Ambatolampy, a town known for its pots and other kitchen utensils made of Aluminum. Then, 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 3 hours of driving. Nicknamed “the city of water”, Antsirabe is home to a renowned thermal source, but also to a stone market that you can visit after you settle in a community-based accommodation.

Day 3: Antsirabe-Miandrivazo

After having criss-crossed the RN7, you branch off towards the great west of Madagascar to continue your Madagascar tour. 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. You will also stay in a hotel whose name expressly recalls this page of history: Princesse du Tsiribihina.

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, one of the authentic aspects of your Madagascar tour.

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 arrive in 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 Baobabs Avenue.

You now take a track that will cross this famous Avenue of Baobabs. After criss-crossing the Baobabs Avenue, an avenue filled with gigantic Baobabs (Adansonia Grandidieri), tracks and villages with 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. This village is home to one of the last refuges of Madagascar’s only predator: the Fosa, a half-felid, half-canine animal that you may be lucky enough to see and a must-see during your Madagascar wildlife tour.

Day 5: Kirindy

Today, your Madagascar wildlife tour will start with a visit of the Kirindy forest. In this forest, you will find the only predator of Madagascar: the Fosa. In critical danger of extinction, this species finds here a haven of peace near endemic birds, reptiles and lemurs of which it is fond. This forest is home to 8 species of lemurs (including 6 nocturnal species), 68 species of birds, 2 species of turtles, 17 species of snakes and 23 species of lizards. This forest is also home to two species of Baobabs: the Gray Trunk Baobab (Adansonia Za) and the Bottle Baobab (Adansonia Rubrostipa).

Day 6: Kirindy-Bekopaka

Here begins your Madagascar tour in the deep West of the country. 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.

Day 7 and 8: Bemaraha’s Tsingy

You will spend two full days in Bekopaka to discover every facet of the Tsingy du Bemaraha National Park. A true national heritage, 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. Take the time to admire the Tsingy in height from the belvedere and overcome your fears by crossing the famous suspension bridge of the park. Also, board canoes to discover the natural and cultural wonders of the Manambolo gorges and then begin the visit of the Small Tsingy.

Day 9: Bekopaka-Morondava

This day marks the end of your adventure tour in the great west of Madagascar. You leave the village of Bekopaka to return to Morondava. You pass by the Baobab Avenue and take the time to admire it at sunset, a spectacle that is simply unforgettable and dazzling.

Day 10-11: Morondava

After these many days on the road, you will spend two days 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.

Day 12: Morondava-Antananarivo-Departure

Today marks the end of your Madagascar tour. Indeed, you will leave the Morondava coastal city in order to take a flight, which will bring you to Antananarivo into two hours. There, you will have a day-use in a hotel before taking the international flight, which will take you back home. Here ends your Madagascar tour. Veloma! See you soon. End of our services