Here we propose a complete tour to West of Madagascar. According to your taste, your time and\or your ideas, you can obviously modify it...
We can take care with making the reservation in the suggested hotels

Itinerary : Antananarivo - Antsirabe - Tritriva lake - Betafo - Miandrivazo - Tsiribihina river - Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park - Kirindy nature reserve - Baobabs avenue - Morondava - Antananarivo / 15 days

Click on the map to enlarge it !

Program :

Nina, Tô or one of our other drivers can look for you at the airport upon your arrival and drive you to your hotel.


Suggestion
- Hotel Shangai, cca. 20-25 euros/room of 2-3 beds

Programs
- Visit of the district where you find the President's residence and the Palace of the Queen.
- The driver will suggest a restaurant in a nice district, not far from hotel Shangai.
- Visit of a market which is safe.
- The driver drives you to the office of the agency for the confirmation of the services, the finalization of the contract and the payment.

Remarks
- There is not so many things to do in the capital. The poverty, as in all the big cities of the world is omnipresent. At the arrival to Antananarivo, the city can constitute a shock at first sight if you have never travelled in Africa or in a poor country.
- Pay attention not to walk in the streets with jewels or other visible valuables (chaine, ring, camera, detachable handbag, etc.) and do not make long walks around in the evening, except in the upper part of the town (the district of the suggested restaurant). Avoid the avenue of the Independence and the markets!

Vue d'Antananarivo depuis la rue de l'hôtel Shangai

Suggestions
- Green Park Hotel, cca. 20 euro/room of 2-3 beds
- The driver will suggest you good restaurants (foie gras for approximately 6 euro for example)!

Programs:
- The first day of this stage takes place on the road of Antananarivo to Antsirabe (cca. 170 km) on the highlands. You stop on the roadside at local craftsmen's displays, to eat a pineapple, to look at a river or a  waterfall and to make photos.
- The 2nd day you make an excursion towards a lake of the crater of Tritriva and its neighborhood.
- The 3rd day you visit factories and handicraft workshops (candy store, precious stones, embroidery, ox horn, aluminum).

Remarks
- During your journey, you will meet thousands of children, all smiling, cute and friendly, but obviously very poor. If you buy in advance candies from the candy store to give to them, they will appreciate it a lot. But if you are more sensitive to this question, to protect the health of the kids, it is better to take with you pens, exercise books, toys for present, or to give them fruits bought on the spot.
- In the bungalow, the room and the bathroom are sometimes separated only by a simple curtain, but it is generally very clean.

Pineapple sales woman on the roadside

A highland river

Typical house of highland villages

landscape between the capital and Antsirabe

Tritriva lake

Panorama from the hill of the lake

Antsirabe, the city of the push-push (the rickshaws)

Traditional aluminum factory

Green Park, suggested hotel in Antsirabe

Suggestion
- Hotel Baobab in Miandrivazo, cca. 20 euros/room of 2-3 beds

Programs:
- The distance to be droven is about 220 km. The landscape changes, you leave terrace cultivations for bald mountains, savannah fields, you meet shepherds in the middle of their ox herds, villagers carrying water pails on the head, the children who play with absolutely nothing... scenes of life on the road, out of people's houses.
- In Betafo, you go to admire a waterfall and to visit a thermal health resort.
- By descending towards the valley of the Mahajilo river (a branch of Tsiribihina), you can see a magnificent sunset along the river in the city. The suggested hotel is just near the bank.
- The driver returns to the capital and Vévé, your second guide comes to look for you at your hotel to give some details for the next day.

Remarks
- The driver will remind you on the spot : we recommend to buy of foods for the day (cheeses, biscuits, bananas, etc.) because throughout this road, you will not find restaurants safe enough for your stomach.
- In the suggested hotel, certain rooms are not equipped with bathroom nor with private toilet. These services are collective at the corridor of the floor. It can happen that at the reservation there is no more equipped room available. On the other hand, rooms are attractive and appropriate. In the city there are no opportunities (a single cybercafé with restricted open hours, law-speed internet line with one accessible post).
- To Betafo, the thermal bath is not really to bathe but especially for the curiosity!

Betafo

Betafo - thermal bath

between Antsirabe and Miandrivazo

Bald mountains

Shepherds of the savannah

The descent into the valley towards Miandrivazo

Peaceful sunset in Miandrivazo

Suggestion
- Camping in the wilderness, there is no other solution, and this is what "spices" the journey!

Programs:
- The first day, you must begin to buy bottled water ( 2 bottles / day / person ), the toilet paper, and it is necessary to go to be registered in the city hall, together with your journey partners if there are some.
- You go to embark into the pirogue a few hundred meters away from the hotel. The team does the best to organize your seat, with your rucksack and folding mattresses, most comfortably possible.
- In some moments, when you approach the river bank, it is better to be silent to be able to observe an extraordinary fauna : Nile crocodiles, chameleons, lemurs, bee-eaters, kingfishers, herons and much other species...
- You will meet people who live at the bank of Tsiribihina. It happens that some young people appear when you dine, to play the music and dance.
- Sunsets are magnificent and mysterious, it is among the most majestic moments!
- In the third day, you stop at a waterfall hidden in the forest, where finally you can take a shower, if you are lucky (you do not need to be a lot) you can see makis (lemurs). You lunch on the spot. The hen, taken living from Miandrivazo, finishes its life on your plate.
- To finish the journey, ox carts are waiting for you, taken you to the village called Antsirarake (4 km).

Remarks
- Vévé do not abandon you for administrative procedures, there will be somebody to accompany you to the city hall.
- Bivouacs will be installed on sandbanks on the river side, tents are clean and well-isolated against insects (there is few of insects in the dry season). Vévé gives you clean sheets and blankets, but if you take a sleeping bag, it can be useful ! To sleep on the ground (on fine foam mattresses) is not evident, but tents are set up on fine sand, and it is completely bearable. The evenings and the nights are enough fresh between June and August, do not forget to bring long pants and pullovers with you.
- Vévé cooks carefully and prepares dishes tastefully. Certain Parisian restaurants could take example on him ! He serves apéritif, peanuts and rum are arranged on a tablecloth put on the sand, and the dinners are taken at romantic candle lights. And sometimes in a more romantic moon light.
- If some children make some music and dance for you, do not be surprised when they will ask few money for it. During the journey, youngs ask if you have empty bottles, pens, candies, presents, they accept even food. The adults are more respectful, but with dignity, as the children, they also accept some food.
- The bungalow to Antsirarake is rustic, they serve electricity with economy, by a generator with fuel, on a short time slot. You have to take advantage of it for charging your battery of your cameras, mobil phones. Otherwise, they give candles to those who go to bed late in the night. The flush of toilet does not work all the time, but there is always a bucket of water in the bathroom to avoid the awkward breakdown. Do not grumble please, you are in countryside somewhere in Africa, you do not find better services in this region.
- Do not bathe in the river, even if we do not hear about schistosomiasis (bilharziosis) at present, or about attacks of crocodiles. Even though you see other tourists or people in the water, prefer the zero risk!

Embarkation

Life at the river side

Nile crocodile, you can see more the smallers, but do not forget that where you can see small one, there are big one too !

Vévé's team help you for the maximum !

A huge number and species of birds you meet...

Vévé did not choose an easy job

Bucolic image of lunch time

Dawn at the camp

In the 2nd day, the landscape changes, you approach to the mountains...

...and in the 3rd day you will find yourself in the middle of a dry subtropical forest.

Finally, a shower !

You are not obliged to assist in the kitchen !

This is not a retouched photo, the sunsets are like this !

Your transport from the river bank upto your bungalow

The bungalow

Nothing luxury, but after three days of camping you will love the bed

Suggestion
- restaurant for lunch in Belo-sur-Tsiribihina

Programs
- Travelling, travelling and travelling... you will feel in a safari without elephant and lion. You have to make 100 km by a jeep on a sandy track with ostrich nest sized holes during 4 hours, cross two rivers by ferry. You avoid being burned in a bush fire, you look at eucalyptus forests, you see birds of prey over your head, you are in the middle of an invasion of grasshoppers (more preciselly locust)... Boring, the long journey? I do not think so...
- Have lunch to Belo on Tsiribihina, if you eat in the suggested restaurant, you do not regret it, just watch out for the crocodile which is in its cage some meters from your table !
- Accommodation is in a camping in your tent as at the river.

Remark
- The remarks are already in the program !
- Moreover, showers and toilets are clean in the camping, there are wall-sockets to charge your batteries, electricity works in certain hours as everywhere in this region.

Ferry

What circle over your head

Video library in Belo

"Technical" stop

The 2nd river, Manambolo, the other side is Bekopaka, the door of Tsingy

Suggestion
- the same restaurant in Belo sur Tsiribihina on the backway

Programs
- First day you fetch at first your official guide of the park, then you visit the big Tsingy. There will be three "chapters": you begin at the low level between rocks and tree roots, you observe the vegetation and the huge snails (Tropidophora Cuvierana) which exists only here, you squeeze yourself through a tight rift between two cliffs, you visit a cave and you are rising little by little by walking sharp and pointed stones.
- You pass into the second "chapter" where it is necessary to rise more in higher by the help of two cords, attached to a strong safety metal wire. There are stairs which are well built by rocks, but if you have too much dizziness, do not turn and look behind. Then you must cross a suspension bridge, if you make it, you won, you can pass in the belvedere where the panorama is not comparable to what you ever saw in your life before !
- In the 3rd "chapter" you cross the forest and with a bit of luck you can perceive a chameleon or diurnal lémurs, as the sifaka or the red-fronted lemur, it is possible also to see a Malagasy mongoose and of course, birds.
- Lunch is on a rock by eating your sandwich which Vévé prepared.
- Still in the same day, when you return to Bekopaka, the other side of the village you continue to the small Tsingy. The same story in small. You try to finish in the belvedere at the time of the sunset, I hope it is not going to become too banal for you !
- In the 2nd day you wake up early, as usually, because you travel, travel and still travel... let's see the totality of the description of the 9th day, it is the same now, just in the backway. You are obliged to return on the same road, crossing two rivers, having lunch in Belo and then you arrive exhausted in the nature reserve of Kirindy.
- But the day is not finished, we hope that you arrive to this subtropical dry broadleaf forest before night because in that case you can have a chance to see a fossa. If not, you will see the next day around the camp. You settle down in your bungalow, then...
-...you leave to a night-expedition. You watch for some night-animals with a professional guide of the reserve. If you are lucky and you have good eyes, you can find a mini maki of 9 cm, more professionally said : a Madame Berthe's Mouse Lemur or rather Microcebus Berthae. 

Remarks
- Better if you bring a torch with yourself in case if the guide has no more.
- The bungalow is charming, on the other hand it is equipped only with toilet in outhouse without sit. If you have no water in the shower, it happens in a certain time, know that you are in the middle of a forest, there is nothing to do. But no panic please, the next day you are going to have a bit of luxury : warm water and sweethome kind wc !!! On the other hand, there is a restaurant in Kirindy where you can buy bottled water or even a Coke.

The guide explains the history, the fauna, the flora and more

The start : at down

With roots

Another view

The cave

...then you rise higher in higher.

The suspension bridge

What you will see down

What you will see around

The forest - parasite on the tree

Sifaka

Pachypodium

Small tsingy

Sunset in the viewpoint

Charming bungalow in Kirindy

Probably you will have the same mass in your room after an exhausted journey.

This is not a joke, its official name: Red-tailed Sportive Lemur

Suggestions
- Hotel Bougainvilliers in Morondava, cca. 20 euros/room of 2-3 beds
- suggested restaurant by Vévé in Morondava for the diner

Programs
- Have a tour in the forest of Kirindy as in the previous evening, but diurnal at this time. Fossa and lemurs are in the menu.
- You will have a quiet trip towards the Baobabs avenue because you have time until the sunset for what you wait. But first you go to visit the lover baobabs, you are wondering on seeing the local people passing with their ox cart, you can taste a baobab fruit and you can meditate on the idea how it is possible to be so lucky beeing in this corner of the World. And at sunset you will have a special moment in this mysterious and spiritual place.
- At your arrival to Morondava, you are some meters from the sea!

A group of Red Lemurs

The fossa

Lover baobabs

Do you feel Africa ?

Baobab fruits

Baobabs avenue

It is not difficult to make this photo, you just need the decoration for it.

Morondava - Hotel Bougainvilliers

View from the terrace of the restaurant of the hotel

View from the terrace to the other direction

Suggestions
- Hotel Bougainvilliers just as usual
- the same restaurant as usual

Programs
- The village is situated on a sand bank surrounded with mangrove swamp and with the sea at high tide. The visit can be made according to the water level, in the morning or in the afternoon.
- At the arrival to the village, Vévé buys one hen and coconuts picked freshly in front of you or carries other fruits, according to the season. The women of the village are going to prepare the meal.
- At the same time you walk up to the desert beach, it is just your partners, the fine white sand, the sea, the wind and you what exist. Jean-Claude, Vévé and the kids of the village are going to prepare coconuts to let you taste its juice and its delicious white "meat".
You bathe a little bit with some kind sharks (well, I am joking, I have never heard about accidents on this coast), then take a rest on the sand.
- Vévé gives sign when the meal is ready, you return to the village where the women serve you traditionally.
- Return to Morondava, rest on the coast, on the terrace of the hotel, meal in a suggested restaurant or somewhere else but mainly take a rest please because you have two days of return on 700 km.
Remarks
- "To serve the meal traditionally" means you will have a picnic on a tablecloth on the floor. There will be no knives, bring one with you if you want. 
- As I explained, the visiting hours depend on the tide, the fruits of the meal depend on the season... 

A little walk

Women of the village

Women of the village with masoanjoany and her children

Fresh coconuts

Rest

Juste the coast and you...

Suggestions
- Hotel Green Park in Antsirabe, juste like before
- Hotel Shangai in Antananarivo juste like before
- a restaurant around noon before Mirandrivazo
- a restaurant for diner in Antsirabe
- a restaurant around noon between Antsirabe and Antananarivo

Programs
- 1st day Vévé accompanies you with the jeep within 40 km on the outskirts of the town where the road becomes normal. Good bye for Vévé, that will be hard!!! Nina or Tô waits for you in a meeting place. After all, it will be only the journey... in the evening you have spare time in Antsirabe.
- 2nd day Travelling, travelling and still travelling and by arriving to Antananarivo, you say good bye to Nina, to Tô or to your guide with whom you were.

Remark
- You can make the return during a single day, but I do not recommend it for your security. The road is tiring with a lot of bends, people, children, ox on the edge, 700 km can become dangerous for a driver.
- It is hard, the end of the holidays, no? 




Tarifs :


Car   315 euros/1-4 persons
Travel   635 euros/person

Payment :
- 100 euro in advance by cash, cheque or by bank transfer in Paris
- the rest should be payed by cash in the Antananarivo office


Details
1 day in Antananarivo
3 days in Antsirabe
1 day in Betafo/Miandrivazo
3 days of descent on the Tsiribihina river
2 days in the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park
1 day in the Kirindy nature reserve
1 day from Kirindy to the Baobabs avenue
1 day in the fishermen's village near Morondava
+ the journeys


Including
- a Peugeot 406 car or another type in the same category level
- the driver in Antananarivo
- the driver from Antananarivo to Miandrivazo
- the driver from Morondava (40km) to Antananarivo
- the accommodation and meals of the driver
- the transport of Vévé from the capital to Miandrivazo
- the accommodation (tent and its equipment) and meal during the camping in nature
- the ox cart and the accommodation in Antsirarake
- the accommodation (bungalow) and the meal in Antsirarake
- the transport jeep and 2 x ferry of Antsirarake to Bekopaka (Tsingy)
- the camping and the meals in Bekopaka
- the entrance fee to the national park with guide
- the transport (jeep) and 2 x ferry from Bekopaka to Kirindy
- the accomodation (bungalow) and the meals in Kirindy
- the entrance fee in the reserve of Kirindy with guide
- the transport (jeep) from Kirindy via the Baobabs avenue Morondava
- the transport into the fishermen's village near Morondava
- the lunch in the village
- the transport in the meeting place (40 km from Morondava)


Excluding
- the fuel between Antananarivo - Miandrivazo and Morondava - Antananarivo
- Your meals and drinks between Antananarivo - Miandrivazo and Morondava - Antananarivo + 2 x Belo except the lunch in the fishermen's village
- The hotel in Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Miandrivazo and in Morondava
- Your drinks and your extra personal consumptions for the payed meals


Remarks
- You will buy the fuel during the journey, you must calculate a price equivalent of the French price.
- The optimal number of travelers in a car is 3 persons but possible 4. If you are more than 4, there is no problem, you must only reserve another car.
- For this price you won't have a 15 days holiday anywhere in Europe or in other parts of the World !



You must know :

- It is necessary to pay attention not to eat raw vegetables and raw meats, drink definitely bottled water and better to even wash teeth with this water. The drivers are going to recommend you some vazaha restaurants, the restaurants which are led by foreigners, especially by French, your stomach will stand it better.
- You have to be a bit sportish, so this journey is not recommended to handicapped persons, to travelers with children younger than 6 years old or too old people, nor to people who look for European standard or luxury.
- If you have too much dizziness (air sick), you have to ask the guide in Tsingy de Bemaraha to guide you the other direction not to rise where it is vertiginous or not to cross the suspension bridge but to bring you to the high point where you can see the magnificent panorama towards the region. Also note that it is necessary to return where you came from.
- The roads from Antsirarake to Tsingy, from Tsingy to Kirindy, in the Baobabs avenue and in Morondava are not concreted, they are long in distance, dusty and tiring, then from Morondava towards Antananarivo the first 40 km are too much damaged, thus it is necessary to take time to cross.
- The best period of this journey to the West is from February until November, it is the dry winter of this region. From November until Febryary the Tsingy national Park is closed !
- Antananarivo and the Highland are on an avarage 1500 meters height. The weather is beautiful in the day generally (sometimes it is raining but not so often) but the evenings are fresh. Antsirabe is considered as the coldest city on the island. Then, also during the camping, nights are cold. Do not forget to bring pullovers and long pants !
- In this country people know the famine, thus respect them please ! To eat a big piece of beefsteak in front of them, it is possible but not with an arrogant, cynical or phlegmatic behavior. Then you can be dissatisfied in a place but by considering the difference between your country and this one where you are, dear foreigner !
- Essential to keep the right reflex : do not drink any water other than original bottled one and use it even to wash teeth, do not eat raw fruits and vegetables (the decoration on the plate), you never know by what kind of water they washed them. Except when the driver authorizes you and except the meals of Vévé.
- Better to take pills against the malaria. It is useful to bring disinfecting / sterilizing (bétadine and alcohol for disinfection or others), antibiotic with a doctor's description knowing how it is necessary to use in case, paracetamole against pain and inflamation or others, bandage, gauze, dry soap, water cleansing in any case... and other useful medications and things.
- Do not bathe in the river, even if we do not hear about the problem of bilharziosis or attacks of crocodile, in spite of you see tourists and people in the water, avoid the risk and make it zero!