Madagascar’s Wild West
€1200 per person
A truly magnificent tour from the capital to Toliara, descending the wild isolated river Tsiribihina to reach one of the wonder of Madagascar, the Tsingy de Bemaraha and the famous Baobabs Avenue. We travel southwards along the western coast, driving through incredible unique landscapes like sahavanas, swamps, white sandy dunes to end the tour in one of the most idyllic beach.
Highlights
Antsirabe, Tsiribihina River, Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, Baobabs Avenue, Belo sur Mer, Nosy Andrahovo, Andavadoaka, Salary
Departure/Arrival
Antananarivo/Toliara
When to Go
June - November
Included
Private Car Throughout The Tour | Driver/Guide from Antananarivo to Toliara | Private Chaland for the River Descent on Full Board basis (3 lunches) | Entry Fee of Mentioned Excursions | Hotels on Dinner and Bed and Breakfast basis | Transfer to Toliara Airport
Not Included
Domestic flight Toliara - Antananarivo | Lunches | Drinks | Personal Expenses | Anything not Mentioned in Included
What to Bring
Comfortable athletic clothing, hiking shoes, sleeping bag, hat and warm light jacket and light trench coat.
Options
Add an expert guide for €450, from day 1 to day 16 | Return to Antananarivo by car in 2 days (1 night HB in Fianarantsoa) from €30 pp based on 2 ppl
Prices per person
- 2 Travelers €1850, 1 tw/dbl
- 3 Travelers €1675, 1 tpl
- 4 Travelers €1425, 2 tw/dbl
- 5 Travelers €1300, 1 tw/dbl + 1 tpl *
- 6 Travelers €1200, 3 tw/dbl *
For more options, please contact us
* Please note the our 4WDs have 6 places but the 2 arrear seats (1 in front, 3 in the middle and 2 in the back) have very small leg room. It is ok for people not over 170 cm and thin body.
15 Days
From Our Gallery
Be our guest and see it for yourself
Some of the sights waiting for you
1
Day 1 Antananarivo – Antsirabe 180 km, 4 hours' drive
Depart after breakfast from your hotel towards Antsirabe. After about 60 km we will visit to one of Ambatolampy´s pot casting factory. Here you will see how time hasn’t gone forward very much from the 19th century. We should arrive in Antsirabe by midday. After a lunch break, we will begin the visit of the “Vichy of Madagascar” for its many thermal springs. We will tour Antsirabe on a rickshaw, to discover local traditions of silk-weaving, stone cutting and zebu horn carving. Hotel H1 Antsirabe or similar.
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Day 2 Antsirabe – Miandrivazo – Masiakampy70 km, 2 hours' drive
In the morning we will take the scenic drive and a short hike to Lake Titriva, a beautiful lake that fills the extinct crater of a volcanic cone surrounded by majestic metamorphic cliffs. By 10 AM we will begin our drive west to Miandrivazo. In Miandrivazo we can stop for a lunch break. Then we continue towards Masiakampy. We should arrive at Masiakampy by late afternoon. Hotel Eden de la Tsiribihina.
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Day 3/4 Descent Trisibihina
After breakfast we’ll board a motorized boat and begin the descent to the river Tsiribihina. With luck, we will be able to spot crocodiles sunbathing on the the river banks and also see other wildlife like turtles, bats on the gorges and cliffs and especially birds such as herons, teals and humpback ducks. In addition, you will discover in a series of very varied landscapes like picturesque villages, vast cultivated plains, a tobacco concession in the village of Begidro, magnificent natural pools fed by waterfalls and much more. Camping on full Board Basis.
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Day 5 Belo sur Tsiribihina - Bekopaka 110 km, 4 hours' drive
As we enter the last stages of the descent small villages, mainly inhabited by fishermen and farmers, enliven up the already beautiful scenery. Our car is waiting for us in Belo-sur-Tsiribinha to take us to our next stop, Bekopaka. We will arrive in Bekopaka by sunset. Hotel Olympe de Bemaraha or similar.
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Day 6 Bekopaka
Great day ahead as we will visit of the famous Tsingy de Bemaraha – a national park set in the UNESCO list of world natural heritage composed of sharp fluted and laminated limestone up to 50 mt. high, home to endemic animals and plant species in Madagascar (lemurs, birds, plants). According to many of our visitors, this is one of the most beautiful sights of the whole of Madagascar, but believe me, there are many more to come. We suggest to wear hard comfortable shoes and wear long jeans (despite the usually high temperatures) to avoid cuts. Our visit should take about 5/6 hours. By mid-afternoon we are back at the hotel. Possibility to add the Petit Tsingy de Bemaraha. Hotel Olympe de Bemaraha or similar.
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Day 7 Bekopaka - Morondava, 220 km, 8 hours' drive
We´ll leave after breakfast, as early as possible, as we have 8 hours' drive to our next stop, Morondava. In 4 hours, we reach Belo sur Tsiribihina where we could have a fantastic lunch. We cross the River Tsiribihina with a barge to reach the RN8. By sunset, we will be at the Avenue of Baobabs. Overnight stay in Morondava. Hotel Maeva Beach or similar.
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Day 8 Morondava - Belo sur Mer 90 km, 4 hours' drive
We continue south on the very remote area of Madagascar, our next stop is Belo sur Mer. It will be a 4 hours' drive of spiny forests, baobabs, rice fields and tiny villages. Belo sur Mer is famous to be the shipbuilding center of Madagascar and here you will see how locals still making boats like they used to two hundreds years ago. Afternoon at leisure by the beach. Hotel Ecolodge du Menabe or similar.
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Day 9 Belo sur Mer
We will spend most of the day at sea. Belo-sur-Mer, is the base for visiting a cluster of 9 beautiful interesting islands, Nosy Andrahovo. Fantastic snorkeling opportunities here! Hotel Ecolodge du Menabe or similar.
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Day 10 Belo sur Mer - Manja - Morombe 270 km, 12 hours' drive
Tough day ahead! Early in the morning, we drive southeast to Manja, then southwest to Morombe. We will cross desert areas, passing by traditional Sakalava tombs decorated with the famous “aloalo”, a symbolic representation of the deceased person’s life. The bush is full of spiny plants and trees endemic to Madagascar. In time for lunch we should arrive in Manja, the capital of a former Sakalava kingdom, today only known to travelers that go from Morondava to Tuléar or vice-versa. After Manja, we will see only a few villages, and the road is more difficult than the previous days. The wild landscape is very nice and makes you feel so far away everything! Today’s drive is minimum 10 hours, we should arrive in Morombe before sunset. Hotel Chez Katia or similar.
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Day 11 Morombe - Andavadoaka 45 km, 2 hours' drive
Today, we will head south to Andavadoaka. This fishing village, is one of the nicest of the whole of western Madagascar. It is so remote that just getting here makes it rewarding. If that’s not enough, marine life is so rich that is second to no other place in Madagascar. Hotel Laguna Blu or similar.
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Day 12 Andavadoaka
Whole day at leisure. We recommend a nice walk in the afternoon to explore the beautiful dry deciduous forest that surrounds this peninsula or just walk along the coast to visit some of the beautiful sheltered coves that dot this beautiful Vezo village. Hotel Laguna Blu or similar.
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Day 13/14 Andavadoaka - Salary 60 km, 4 hours' drive
After breakfast, is the turn of Salary Bay. This must be the best looking beach on the west of Madagascar. Enjoy this incredible beach, you will really love the feel of the incredibly fine sand under your feet. But, it will take more than 4 hours to cover 60 km. Hotel Salary Bay.
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Day 15 Salary - Toliara 120 km, 5 hours' drive
Last leg of this amazing coast before catching the plane direct to Antananarivo (not included). The transfert to the airport is our last service.
