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 Safako 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 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

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

Women decision-makers can improve conservation and agriculture ... - Mongabay.com

25-May-2023 16:05

Madagascar's 1st tropical storm of season floods 700 houses, 1 missing - Preliminary reports - Africanews English

21-Jan-2023 08:00

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

16-Mar-2023 07:00

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

17-Feb-2023 08:00

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

15-Mar-2017 07:00

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

25-Jan-2023 08:00

Vanilla brings cash and crime to Madagascar - The Seattle Times

28-Sep-2018 07:00

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

27-Jan-2023 08:00

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

23-Oct-2018 07:00

It Takes a Village: Conservation and Research in Rural Madagascar - Duke University

14-Aug-2022 07:00

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

31-Mar-2018 07:00

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

27-Oct-2020 07:00

MADAGASCAR: a 1.8 MWp solar PV power plant goes into operation in Antalaha - AFRIK 21

02-Feb-2023 08:00

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

08-Mar-2023 08:00

Win-win opportunities combining high yields with high multi-taxa ... - Nature.com

26-Jul-2022 07:00

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

21-Jan-2019 08:00

Tropical Cyclone Herold forms off the coast of Madagascar - Al Jazeera English

14-Mar-2020 07:00

Lone Star Reptile Expo showcases scales and tails - The Shorthorn

22-Mar-2023 07:00

Cyclone Batsirai: At least 20 dead in Madagascar - The Washington Post

07-Feb-2022 08:00

Young people to fight impunity in Madagascar - OHCHR

29-Aug-2022 07:00

Moraingy: Madagascar's centuries old version of mixed martial arts - Bloody Elbow

06-Nov-2018 08:00

Marojejy National Park, Madagascar - Worldatlas.com

02-Dec-2017 09:41

Cyclone Kills at Least Five People as It Slams into Madagascar - Voice of America - VOA News

08-Mar-2017 08:00

Is world's largest vanilla market on verge of collapse? - CNN

09-Jul-2010 07:00

Once famous for bamboo products, this Kerala village is losing its tradition - The News Minute

29-Jan-2020 08:00

Muslim parents break Kerala school's 'Dalit only' tag - Deccan Herald

28-Jun-2019 07:00

Ukrainian Millionaire Joins Evangelistic and Social Projects in ... - Adventist Review

25-Jun-2019 07:00

Call for hartal in Kottayam by CSDS on dalit issue - Times of India

16-Jan-2017 08:00

Kozhikode: Educated state fails, Kerala school struggles to break ... - Daijiworld.com

10-Oct-2017 07:00

Elizabeth Cook, Anna Prow - The New York Times

07-Jun-2015 07:00

Lemur on the menu: most-endangered primates still served in ... - Mongabay.com

15-Nov-2017 08:00

Madagascar's vanilla farmers face volatile times after poor harvest - The Guardian

21-Jun-2016 07:00