River Expedition & Tsingy
Tsiribihina River - Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park - Marofandilia Reserve - Kirindy Reserve - (Allée de Baobab) Baobab Avenue
11 days & 10 nights
Highlights
Tsiribihina River: Remote river
trip
Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park: Limestone formations and observation of the Van der Decken's sifaka
Marofandilia Reserve: Observation of the smallest primate of the world, the Madame Berthe's mouse lemur
Kirindy Reserve: Observation of the largest predator of the island, the fossa
Allée de Baobab: The national monument
Tour description
Day 1: Antananarivo (or Tana)
Arrival at Ivato International Airport. Meeting with English speaking agent and transfer to the hotel.
Day 2: Tana - Miandrivazo (D)
We leave Tana and drive to Miandrivazo (about 7 hours), from where the river trip starts the next morning. We have a quick stop in the town of Ambatolampy to visit some workshops where aluminium cooking pots are made by the skilled worker. Most of the cooking pots that we use in Madagascar come from this town. Thereafter we continue driving, after Antsirabe we’ll get a panoramic view of rice paddies, cornfields, vegetable fields and Merina family tombs.
Overnight and dinner at the hotel. (Dinner, bed and breakfast.)
Day 3: Tsiribihina River trip (B/L/D)
Boarding the local boat at the jetty of the Tsiribihina River. We slowly follow the river downstream. Although we have a busy itinerary planned, sometimes we stop and go on land to visit various villages. Lunch and dinner on the boat. When the sun goes down, we set up the tents on the sandy riverbank.
Camping on the riverside.
Day 4: Tsiribihina River trip
(B/L/D)
Continuation along this river with a stop at Anosin’Ampela, where we take a shower in a beautiful waterfall. We will have the opportunity to discover beautiful landscapes, baobab trees and steep mountains. Overnight camping on the riverside.
Day 5: Belo sur Tsiribihina - Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park (B/L/D)
Arrival in Belo sur Tsiribihina and heading towards Tsingy de Bemaraha. Check-in at the hotel, in the afternoon we walk around Bekopaka. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Bekopaka.
Day 6: Bekopaka - Small Tsingy (B/L/D)
Day visit to the Tsingy of Bemaraha National Park, which is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pirogue trip along the gorges of the Manambolo River (about 1.5 hours) to discover the limestone walls. We get out of the pirogue and walk through the forest of the Small Tsingy. Picnic lunch inside the park. Thereafter we continue our hike and walk back to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in the hotel in Bekopaka.
Day 7: Bekopaka - Big Tsingy (B/L/D)
After breakfast, we drive about 1.5 hours to reach the Big Tsingy. During an excursion of about 6 hours we cross the limestone cathedral in a spectacular natural landscape. We climb up and down between the different caves and reach several viewpoints. One needs a good strong physic to climb that steep. With a bit of luck, we may see the Van der Decken's sifaka, one of the rarest lemurs. Picnic lunch inside the park and then back to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in the hotel in Bekopaka.
Day 8: Bekopaka - Marofandilia (B/L/D)
Breakfast and thereafter departure to Marofandilia. The drive along the bulky mountain takes about 8.5 hours. The road is a true adventure with steep slopes, river crossings, and everything from dusty, muddy to even slippery after the rain. Lunch at the local hotel Belo sur Tsiribihina. Thereafter continuation to Marofandilia. Although this is a day’s drive, we do have time for a short stop somewhere for photos. Arrival at the hotel.
At sunset we go for a night walk to look for the smallest primate of the world, the Madame Berthe's mouse lemur. Possibility to see the Coquerel's giant mouse lemur (Giant dwarf lemur), Red-tailed sportive lemur and Grey mouse lemur.
Return to the camp and dinner.
Overnight in Marofandilia.
Day 9: Marofandilia Reserve - Kirindy Reserve - Baobab Avenue - Morondava (B/L/D)
After breakfast at the camp, we drive 20 min on a bumpy road to the Kirindy Reserve for a day of discoveries. This reserve is part of the dry deciduous forest of Kirindy and one can find three baobab species there. The day is dedicated to the largest predator of the island - the fossa. It is also possible to see the Verreaux's sifaka, Red-fronted brown lemur, Giant jumping rat and various tenrecs. There is a rich birdlife in the reserve, including the White-breasted mesite, Blue vanga, Coquerel's coua and Madagascar harrier-hawk.
Lunch on the way and then departure to Morondava (2 hours of bumpy road). We will have the opportunity to visit the Baobab Amoureux (two giant baobabs twisted together) and the Baobab Avenue (Allée de Baobab) at sunset. Thereafter back to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Morondava.
Day 10: Morondava - Tana (B/D)
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport for the flight from Morondava to Tana. Transfer to the hotel (half board). The afternoon is free for some leisure.
Day 11: Tana - flight out of Madagascar (B)
After breakfast and depending on the flight schedule, there might be an opportunity to visit a crafts market on the way to the airport. End of service.
Contact
For more information about this tour please contact Pascal directly:
Email: expeditionmada@gmail.com / pascalelison@yahoo.com
Tel: +261 (0)32 57 940 24
Tel: +261 (0)34 89 704 24
Maroantsetra
Madagascar
