Sambava

Sambava is a town and district on the east coast of Madagascar and the capital of the SAVA region. Along with Antalaha, Andapa and Vohemar, Sambava is the centre of vanilla production and the source of most of the world's vanilla export.

Almost half of the population in the Sambava region live from farming and raising livestock. The most common agricultures are vanilla, coconut and rice farming.

Activities include a visit to a vanilla plantation and one of the many processing facilities to learn about traditional vanilla production, a guided tour of the Soavoanio coconut plantation, a visit to Antongompahitra and Bemanevika. Small boats leaves from behind Maison Ravelo/Tandramena at Antaimby and costs 1,000 Ar across the creek where "taxi motos" (motorcycle bike drivers) are offered. This is a shortcut to reach Bemanevika and Bemarivo.

There are three main market places in different areas of Sambava with each of the market places extended in the mornings once a week: Antaimby on Tuesdays, Ambodisatrana on Fridays and Antanifotsy on Saturdays.

Every Sunday from early afternoon close to there is a beach party with several beach bars, small hand powered ferris wheels, gambling stalls etc. Some Sundays there is Moraingy in Analamandrorofo along the road between Antaimby and Antanifotsy.

A domestic airport is approximately 1 km from the town centre with flights connecting Antananarivo, Toamasina (Tamatave), Maroantsetra and Diego Suarez. Scheduled flights are operated by Tsaradia and Madagasikara Airways.

Transport to/from Sambava

• Scheduled flight connections are opereted by Madagasikara Airways and Air Madagascar.
• Samy Express Head Office - boat transfers to/from Diego Suarez (during rain season only).

Places

• Ambodisatrana market place and Taxi-brousse station direction Antalaha.

Vanilla exporters

• Madagascar Spices
• Biovanilla
• Bemiray
• Madagascar Flavors
• Madex Vanille

Souvenirs

• Mme Olivia
• Madacrafts

Medical

• Pharmacie Manantenasoa - Sambava-Centre
• Pharmacie Janga - Ambodisatrana
• Pharmacie MEVA - Antanifotsy
• Besopaka Hospital

Restaurants, cafes and bars

• Soa Sakafo Gasy
• O'Delice de Mily
• Chez Sophie
• Sunset Bar Ampandrozonana
• Gargotte Sylvia Sambava in the Ampandrozonana district
• Happy Sambava - pastries
• Le Capricorne - restaurant and event location
• Epi-Bar La Vanilla - bar, shop and restaurant
• Resto Mimi - popular with visitors to Marojejy
• Orchidea Beach II - popular with tourists and expats
• Carrefour - popular with vanilla traders
• Chez Orlance - restaurant and juice bar
• Gargotte Camila
• Le Baladin - restaurant, bar and night club
• Gargotte Ezaka - breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Antanifotsy district of Sambava
• Tasty Box - burgers, fries, coffee, cupcakes, donuts - opened in 2020 it is the first fast-food restaurant in Sambava
• La Rosace - simple roofed outdoors breakfast and lunch eatery in central Sambava
• Bar Bleue - outdoors dinner restaurant in Sambava centre
• Zaza Mila Vola - large menu with only Malagasy food, open daily

Beach

Hotels and restaurants

Hotel Sky Blue
Ambodisatrana

Hotel Hazavola
Sambava-Centre
Tel: +261 (0) 32 03 002 08

Hotel Carrefour
Sambava-Centre
Tel: +261 (0) 20 889 2060

Mimi Hotel or Resto Mimi (16 rooms, 4 bungalows)
Tel: +261 (0)32 0761028 or +261 (0)32 04028855
Email: mimi.hotel.resto@gmail.com

La Paillotte - Chez Jo (4 bungalows)
Tel: +261 (0)20 88 998 94 or +261 (0)32 21 221 21 (mobile)

Las Palmas (6 bungalows, 3 rooms)
Tel: +261 (0)20 8892087 / +261 (0)32 4007372
Email: laspalmas.hotel@gmail.com
www.laspalmas-hotelsambava.com

Hotel l’Ambassadeur - Chez Zoé
Tel: +261 (0)32 0292745 or +261 (0)32 0211347
Email: razafizoe@yahoo.fr

Hotel Orchidea Beach II
Tel: +261 (0)32 0438377
Email: orchideabeach2@yahoo.fr

Florencia
Tel: +261 032 0246621

Hôtel Cantonnais
Tel: N/A

Hotel Melrose
Tel: +261 33 1457479 or cellphone: +261 (0)32 04572

Hôtel Paradis
Tel: +261 208892297 or +261 324012689

Hôtel la Romance de Jupiter
Tel (cellphone): +261 (0)32 0463389

Hotel Noumea
Tel: +261 032 0263586

Hotel le Giroflier
Sambava-Centre
Tel: +261 32 97 792 10

Various

• École de coupe et couture - Rollina's tailoring school
• Dr Gervais
• Prulab - vanilla analysis laboratory
• Tsara Lay - bespoke mosquito-net tailoring
• CLUE - Center for Learning and Understanding English
• Alliance française de Sambava - French alliance of Sambava
• Post Office
• Colis Express S.A. - courier service by land and air
• DHL Sambava
• Telma Sambava
• ProGym - well equipped fitness centre
• François' bike repairs
• Madabike rentals
• 3J Electronic - PC and parts store
• Zcom Sambava - printing service
• Photo SAVA - photographic prints and cameras
• KOM’SEC - sale and repair of IT equipment, PCs, laptops, etc.
• Soamazava supermarket
• Rambo - camping equipment store and more.
• Soavoanio - coconut plantation and producer of various coconut-based products
• Andron'ny vehivavy Sambava - Women's Day
• Duke Lemur Center SAVA Conservation - project dedicated to preserving the natural biodiversity of Madagascar
• Lemur Conservation Foundation - conservation of Marojejy National Park and critically endangered lemurs
• Sambatex - general store, hardware, electronics, household goods etc.

Radio channels

• RNA Sambava
• Radio Vanille
• Radio Fiaingana Vaovao
• Radio Beton Armé SAVA
• Radio Tropique

Map of Sambava

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Transport

• Ralph, English speaking tuktuk (Bajaj) driver: +261 (0)32 68 662 68
• Haja Rabearivelo tuktuk (Bajaj): +261 (0)32 61 052 53
• Hery's Taxi-brousse between Sambava and Vohemar: +261 (0)32 87 834 60
• Jimmy's Taxi-brousse between Sambava and Vohemar: +261 (0)32 40 200 21
• Sambava Airport

Additional information

• Sambava photos
• Sambava videos

Sambava Newsfeed

Tibetan Liaison Officer Kunga Tashi Attends Birth Anniversary of ... - Central Tibetan Administration

09-Jul-2023 07:00

Madagascar – 700 Homes Flooded as Tropical Storm Cheneso ... - FloodList

20-Jan-2023 08:00

Cyclone Cheneso hits Madagascar and destroys roads to capital - Africanews English

25-Jan-2023 08:00

US Ambassador Meets with DLC-SAVA Conservation Staff in ... - lemur.duke.edu

17-Feb-2023 08:00

Vanilla brings cash and crime to Madagascar - The Seattle Times

28-Sep-2018 07:00

Welcome aboard! LP school aims to break caste barriers - Times of India

16-Aug-2023 07:00

The sweet harvest | Correspondent - correspondent.afp.com

07-Jun-2016 07:00

Sambava - Madagascar: Wind Storm Situation as of 10/03/2017 ... - ReliefWeb

15-Mar-2017 07:00

How Do We Make Farming Better for the Planet? Ask Women - Boston University

16-Mar-2023 07:00

Chandy Oommen begins election campaign - The New Indian Express

10-Aug-2023 07:00

Tropical Storm Cheneso, ensuing rain kill 16 in Madagascar - News24

27-Jan-2023 08:00

In Madagascar, Endangered Lemurs Find a Private Refuge ... - The New York Times

27-Oct-2020 07:00

Madagascan gold: meet the vanilla hustlers – in pictures - The Guardian

31-Mar-2018 07:00

D'un fait à l'autre – Newsmada - newsmada.com

08-Sep-2023 07:00

Trajet entre Maroantsetra et Sambava à Madagascar - Forum ... - Routard

27-Jul-2023 07:00

Alphabet of Dalit pride: Reviving Sambava, a 'secret' ancient language - The News Minute

23-Oct-2018 07:00

Défi Inter Alliances : les sélections locales ce 11 novembre ... - newsmada.com

28-Sep-2023 04:34

How fortunes are being made and lost in Madagascar's vanilla boom - ABC News

21-Jan-2019 08:00

VIOLENCE POLICIÈRE À SAMBAVA - Virulentes réactions dans l ... - L'Express de Madagascar

25-May-2023 07:00

Slam national XIV : une douzaine de villes nationales et ... - newsmada.com

18-Sep-2023 07:00

Festival Waka Waka : le rayonnement de Sambava à l'international ... - newsmada.com

18-Aug-2023 07:00

Slam national : le tournoi débutera demain – Newsmada - newsmada.com

25-Sep-2023 04:41

Patrícia Poeta esbanja curvas esculturais ao sambar muito: ''Antiga paixão'' - CARAS Brasil

24-Sep-2023 07:00

Le sifaka soyeux : un lémurien de Madagascar en danger d'extinction - 20 Minutes

27-Sep-2023 05:02

Sambava : La libéralisation du secteur de la vanille confirmée par ... - madagascar-tribune.com

14-Apr-2023 07:00

À Madagascar, la vanille aura-t-elle bientôt un juste prix ? – Jeune ... - jeuneafrique.com

30-Sep-2023 16:24

La culture de vanille sous serre améliore la productivité - ecoaustral.com

15-May-2022 07:00

Vanille : Adoption de nouvelles résolutions à Sambava – Newsmada - newsmada.com

25-Mar-2023 07:00

It Takes a Village: Conservation and Research in Rural Madagascar - bassconnections.duke.edu

14-Aug-2022 07:00

MADAGASCAR: WWF alerts on wildlife trafficking in Sava cities - AFRIK 21

08-Mar-2023 08:00

Sambava: une mère et ses trois enfants périssent dans l'incendie de ... - newsmada.com

31-May-2023 07:00

No rest for farmers as gangs cash in on vanilla boom - The Times

19-Aug-2019 07:00