Madagascar – Across the Mikea Land

Madagascar – Across the Mikea Land

DAY 1: Sunday, ARRIVAL IN TANA (International flight)

Fight to Antananarivo. Upon arrival at the airport, you’ll be met and greeted by our English-speaking driver. Then 3 minutes transfer to a hotel where you will spend the night on B&B 

DAY 2:  Monday, TANA – MIANDRIVAZO:  385KM – 7HOURS

Enjoy a fresh breakfast at hotel. Then our representative will meet you with the driver for a briefing of the whole tour. Ready, you’ll take the National 7 and drive southward. Our first direction is to Antsirabe that we reach within 3 hours, we cross the highland landscape with its beautiful terraced rice-fields along the hill, Arrival in Antsirabe by noon. Founded by Norwegian in 1856, it is an elegant city, which really feels and looks like European city. Dotted with cool climate and thermal spring, it is one of the most attractive regions in Madagascar for its clement climate. Afternoon, we head on westwards to Miandrivazo, leaving the National 7 and drive the National 4. The landscape is gradually changing, leaving the highland behind and giving place to savannah, empty hills, valley, and big hole called “lavaka”, resulted from erosion. Also the climate is changing as we are now in the hottest city of the country. Arrival in Miandrivazo by the end of afternoon, we check in and overnight at a hotel on B&B.

DAY 3:  Tuesday, MIANDRIVAZO – KIRINDY:  290Km: 6 hours

Short city tours of Miandrivazo, then departure for 4 hours’ drive to Morondava, then take the road to Kirindy, 60 km of track from Morondava. As we come close to Morondava, the landscape is now changing a bit, giving place to flat rice fields, decorated with baobabs.  We need to arrive in Kirindy before 04.00pm, to be in time to spot the fossa. After check-in, we will have 1-hour hiking in “Kirindy Park” with a guide. Rich on wildlife and home to 8 species of day active lemurs, Kirindy is also home to “the Fossa” the only predator for lemurs and the “Giant Jumping Rat” and the world’s smallest primate as well as dozens of amphibian and reptile species (and no poisonous snakes). At around 6pm, we meet our guide again for a night walk to see night actival animals, night at a lodgeon B&B. 

DAY 4:   Wednesday, KIRINDY – BEKOPAKA 140 km: 5 hours’ drive;

The Kirindy boasts more than 60 species of birds, so early morning we have 2 hours hike to look for birds before we take our breakfast. Then around 9.00am, with a 4X4 car, 2 hours’ drive to Tsimafana through the Baobabs forest and the red soil of the west. We take a Ferry boat transfer to reach Belo. Then head on to Bekopaka for another 4 hours adventure in a dirt track. This drive brings us to Madagascar profound, the bush African side of the country with its dry and red soil. One can experience the real life of Malagasy people in the driest part of the country. Arrival in Bekopaka by end of the afternoon, check-in and overnight at a hotel on B&B.  

DAY 5: Thursday, BEKOPAKA: NATIONAL PARK of TSINGY DE BEMARAHA  

Morning, after breakfast, 6 hours hikes wild and sharp limestone mountain. The flora consists of a dry western deciduous forest, plants typical of these dry limestone areas, such as to the “Big Tsingy”, a limestone mountain classified as an international heritage. This massif is spectacularly eroded into a chaos of karsts pinnacle which gives it a very strange form. Here nature seems to be in perfect harmony with this species of Aloe and baobab Andasonia, the red-flowered flamboyant tree Delonix regia which is so widely planted in the tropics. Madagascar’s sole native banana Musa perrieri also occurs. Regarding flora, we can see typical plants growing in the rocky area such pachypodium, orchids. Concerning the fauna we can see the stump-tailed chameleon Brookesia perarmata known from only a handful specimens, the bird list contains 53 species, 7 species of lemurs including Decken’s sifaka Propithecus verreauxi deckeni.  Night at the same hotel on BB.

DAY 6: Friday, BEKOPAKA – MORONDAVA 210km  

Breakfast at s hotel then we drive back to Morondava. Stop in Belo and cross the Tsiribihina River with the ferryboat.

We arrive by 4.00 pm in « ALLEE DES BAOBABS » and have time to do our optional environment project, which is planting baobabs around area. This is to embellish the place, to raise the local village’s awareness on the importance of protecting the baobab and of course to get more baobab trees after the fire happening in the area few years ago. This project takes about half an hour, depending on the number of the baobab everyone wants to plant. The money collected is to fund the protection of the site.

Afterwards, we will have plenty of time to enjoy the area and take our beautiful sunset photo. This is the region of splendid Grandidier’s baobab, Andasonia grandidieri. Night at a hotelon B&B.  

DAY 7:  Saturday, MORONDAVA – MANJA: 120 km: 6 hours  

After breakfast, we drive southwards to Manja via the road “Mon ami”, a private road owned by Kanto Hotel where we overnight.  We’ll drive across thorny bushes, savannah and typical western villages with small wooden huts. From time to time, we will meet a group of women going to or coming from the local market, bringing goods on their head, many children waving hands to the tourists driving along. We cross the big river of Kabatomena where the car has to drive through the river. Estimated arrival in Manja by the end of the afternoon. It used to be one of the main districts of the west during colonial time as the region is very fertile for corn, rice, beans. Until now we can see some colonial ruined buildings in the centre of Manja.  Overnight at a hotel on B&B (a very simple and basic hotel but with toilet and shower).

 DAY 8: Sunday, MANJA – IFATY: 160 km: 8 hours

After breakfast, we will continue our drive. After 30 km, 1 hour drive after Manja, we arrive in Tanambao village where our secondary school project is located. We started our support since May 2019. The idea is to use tourism as a tool for developing the education in Madagascar. Visitors will not have to pay anything, but are welcomed to participate. The project is split into 3 phases, the first one to supply the basis, which means school furniture. The second phase is to provide equipment: blackboard, school benches, cementing the floor and the wall and building toilet, bringing clean water for the children to wash before going to school. The last phase will be to instill work ethic: educating children, parents and the whole village about being self-sufficient by making first a vegetable garden in the schoolyard then teaching them another possibility. The stop takes about 1 hour during which tourists will visit the evolution of the project, exchange with the children and the village.

After a good interaction with Tanambao village, we head on to Bevoay, one of the most important cities where a big dam has just been built to water all the fertile plains, the rice and vegetables fields surrounding. We take another ferry and cross Mangoky River.   From there we take the National road 11which leads us to Ifaty that we will reach by the end of afternoon. On the way, we will see different species baobabs, the “Za”, the “ Grandidieri”, the “fony”, spiny forest, and thorny bushes. Few kilometers ahead, we will be in tar road till Ifaty, a seaside resort north of Tuléar. Arrival in Ifaty late in afternoon, check-in and night at a hotel on B&B.

DAY 9 – 10: Monday, Tuesday: IFATY  

Day at leisure in Ifaty. Located on one of the best lagoon of the south west, with very nice beach, Ifaty is also protected by a large coral reef which makes it an ideal for diving and snorkeling. Many excursions can be arranged on the spot at your own expenses, like visiting a Vezo village to experience the Fishermen’s life, visit the reserve of Reniala with 2 species of baobabs, the spiny bush and many reptiles.  From June to September, humpback whales come and give birth on the temperate water of Ifaty so you can enjoy the spectacle of whales watching. Overnight at the same hotel.

DAY 11:  Wednesday, IFATY – ISALO:  230km  

After breakfast, we are on the tar road again, and left behind the dirt track of the west. Our first stop is in Tuléar and have a short city tours.

From there, we take the National 7 and head northwards on to Isalo.  This step brings us to the interior part of Madagascar, the land of Mahafaly. Along the way we’ll see many tombs of these tribes. We enter the Andranomaintso zone and we pass through the national park of Zombitse, a remaining of the western semi dry forest which serves as a transition zone between the dry south and the land of Isalo, a formation of continental sandstone rocks. Arrival in Isalo by the beginning of the afternoon. Settling and overnight at a hotel on B&B.  

DAY 12:  Thursday, NATIONAL PARK OF ISALO

After breakfast, we will have a guided half-day or full day excursion in the National Park of Isalo, to the famous «Natural swimming pool» or the “canyon” depending on our wishes. This park is very famous for its strange geological formation. Composed with sandstone and eroded by the rain and the wind, this mountain offers the most spectacular scenery of the country. This is also a place where the BARA tribes used to bury their dead until they have enough money to buy a silver coffin. If we are lucky, we will see the lemur catta during this walk.

On our way back to the hotel, we will visit our second school project, which consists of providing school furniture, benches, and some foods for the day care school. This project started in 2014 and visitors are welcomed to participate if they want.

Around 16.30, we’ll drive to the “The Natural window” where we see the beautiful sunset between rocks which look like window. Night in the same hotel on B&B.

DAY 13: Friday, ISALO – RANOMAFANA  285Km: 4hours

After breakfast, we head on to Ihosy the capital of Bara tribes which are shepherds of Zebu.  We pass through the huge “plateaux de Horombe”, with its very spacious red soil which reminds us of “the no man’s land”. This is a huge savannah and empty grassy plain.  From one place to another we can see some droves of zebus, accompanied by a Bara man with his rifle.  We arrive in Ihosy, the land of Bara who are darker – skinned with African features if compared to Merina.  They are cattle-raisers and many activities during their life are associated with Zebu. For instance, to get a wife, a man has to steal few zebus to show his strength and virility. When they die, they have to kill many zebus as well. The landscape is becoming more and more grandoise. Huge Granite Mountains are imposing themselves in the spacious and empty plains. We feel like being swallowed by this emptiness, by this tranquility.  From a long distance, we can already spot a huge imposing rocky hill called “Bishop’s hat”. This is a sacred place for the local people, noon ever ventures to walk down there though it is nice area for trekking as it is a burial site and was a place where the local people’s ancestors preferred to make a collective suicide rather than to render to Merina’s domination. Then we will see the “3 hillocks” which area also among the imposing rocky hill.  Another spectacular is the huge granite dome with twin rock towers called: “the gate of the south” which marks the beginning of the highland and the end of the south.Then continuation to Ranomafana, we pass through Fianarantsoa the capital of Betsileo tribes. Called “the gate of the South”, Fianarantsoa is the capital of Betsileo tribes. A very catholic city, this is the seat of Jesuits and the best university is found there. Besides, stop in Anja, a park run by the village where part of the income serves to pay the teachers of the local school. The walk will bring you to the forest of Anja where we can admire a large family of lemurs.   We continue our drive to Ranomafana. Night at a hotel on B&B.  

DAY 14:  Saturday, RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK

After breakfast, drive to the entrance of the Ranomafana National Park. Then we start our half a day exploration of one of the remaining tropical rain forests of Madagascar. Located in the eastern part of the country, Ranomafana National Park was created in 1991 to protect this primary forest and its rich biodiversity.  This expedition in the forest with special guide enables us to see 12 species lemurs, the most important one the “golden lemurs” which has been discovered 20 years ago, more than 100 birds, reptiles, butterflies and other insects are seen in the park. The area is covered with forest, in the higher areas the trees are festooned with mosses, lichens, and orchid.  Afternoon free.  Apart from its huge tropical forest, Ranomafana meaning “hot water”, is also a thermal city where visitors can relax in its hot spring water. For those who are keen on culture and interaction with locals, your driver will bring you to the village of Ranomafana and have some chats with local people. Night at the same hotel

DAY 15: Sunday, RANOMAFANA – ANTSIRABE :250 Km: 6 hours

Departure to Ambositra after breakfast. Today we come across the highlands, characterised by its terraced rice fields beautifully arranged on the hills, its valleys decorated with wide vegetable plantation, its chilly climate and its Asian featured population. Arrival in Ambositra by noon.  Ambositra and its surroundings are the land of Zafimaniry. They are sub tribe of Betsileo who are the Third largest tribes in the country and the second tribes after Merina in the highland. Zafimaniry lives mainly in the forest and live on forest exploitation. They are the master of wood carving in the country. We stop and visit some “Zafimaniry handcrafts atelier” where we can experience this traditional “know how” of wood carving, marquetery, sculptures, which made this tribe very famous of.  Continuation to Antsirabe, arrival in the afternoon Antsirabe or “the place of salt “, an elegant city best known as the centre of beer, we can smell the Bewery as we enter the town. With its temperate climate, all fruits and vegetable which grow in cold climate are found in Antsirabe. Known as a city of handcrafts, we will visit some ateliers, like “miniature of bike, old cars of 2 CV, then the zebu’ horn workshop where we can see the transformation of Zebu’s horn into decoration.  Night at a hotel on B&B.

DAY 16: Monday, ANTSIRABE – TANA – ANDASIBE: 285 km: 7 hours  

In the morning, short city tours of Antsirabe before we head on to Tana. Then we head on eastwards to Andasibe, through the green landscape and luxuriant vegetation of the east. This second step brings us to the humid part of the country with many primary forests and lakes. Along the way we’ll see Merina village on the hill, Rocky Mountains. We’ll reach Andasibe at the end of the afternoon; Settlement at a hotel to spend the night on B&B.

DAY 17:  Tuesday, ANDASIBE SPECIAL RESERVE

In the morning, 3 to 4 hours hike to Andasibe National Park, a huge tropical rainy forest in the east. 9 species of lemurs can be spotted there. The highlight is the “Indri Indri” which is the largest lemur of the island. This 810-ha reserve is also home to numerous unique species. It contains a wide variety of orchids, canopy, endemic animals like chameleons, tenrecs, and many birds.

Just after our visit, visitors are invited to join our second environment project, which consists on planting trees in the community run forest of Mitsinjo – Andasibe. This project started in 2014 and visitors have 3 or 4 trees to plant in a specific place allocated by Mitsinjo Association.  The objective is make Madagascar green again and to plant different trees needed for the rainforest eco system.

In the afternoon, we will visit the private par of Vakona in the “islands of lemurs” which is the best spot to take pictures of lemurs. Back to your Hotel where you overnight.

Day 18:  Wednesday, ANDASIBE – TANA – International flight home:  135Km – 4Hours

Breakfast at hotel, then drive back to Tana, Stop and visit “Pyeraras Reptile farm” to see farmed chameleons and other species of reptiles. During a walk inside the forest, we can spot 2 species of lemurs: the sifaka “coquereli” and the brown lemurs “fulvus”. Arrival in Tana, Day use at a hotel then transfer to the airport for the international flight back home.

 

 

Price per person sharing in double room in a private group of:

                   2 people:                          Euro 2,230
                   3 people:                          Euro 1,810
                   4 people:                          Euro 1,405

                  Single supplement:      Euro 520

 

The price includes:

  • accommodation in guest houses, lodges and hotels according to a program,
  • B&B basis
  • all airport transfers
  • transport during the tour
  • ferry transfers in Belo and Bekopaka
  • all entry fees and guides in reserves
  • services of and English speaking guide/driver during the tour

Price does not include:

  • international flights
  • lunches and dinners
  • cool drinks and alcoholic beverages
  • activities not included in a program
  • tips


Guaranteed dates of departures for min 2 PAX:
17.09.2020 – 04.10.2020
15.10.2020 – 01.11.2020


Contact us

and our experts will work with you

to create the perfect safari.



    Social media

    Contact

    mail: safpol@safpol.co.za

    cell: +27 83 448 5351

    Tel. +27 11 706 31 84

    Fax. +27 11 463 80 38