ACROSS AFRICA TOURS & TRAVEL 2035 Sunset lake Road Newark Delaware 19702 | (+1)800-205-5754 | Fax 1 (424) 333-0903 | [email protected] Madagascar Signature 22Days /21Nights ( Comfort) Embark on 22 days circuit for an in-depth breakthrough of western and south of Madagascar, from the capital and lulled by the rhythm of agricultural activity to the wild territories of the West. Walks and explorations in many parks, reserves, and beaches follow one another for total immersion in beautiful nature. Exceptional landscapes throughout the circuit. The Customs and Traditions of the different Ethnicities of Madagascar. Don`t forget the joining of two far-famed national parks (Tsingy of Bemaraha and Isalo). Itinerary Day 01 Arrival in Antananarivo Arrival at the international airport of Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar, also called “the big island” or “the red island”. You will be given a warm welcome. Management of airport formalities and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation on Bed and Breakfast basis for at 3Metis Hotel. Day 02 Antananarivo After breakfast, we set off to discover the capital of MADAGASCAR, ANTANANARIVO: a beautiful city tour: it begins in the avenue of Independence, proceed to the railway station with its history, passing through the ANOSY lake. Free lunch “, we recommend having lunch at a restaurant GRILL DE LA ROVA. After lunch, walk to ANTANINARENINA, where all the shops and the Bijouterie in gold and silver are located and old colonial houses, now they have become Banks, Il Palace of the President, etc. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation on Half Board basis at 3 Métis hotel or similar Day 03 Antananarivo/ Ambatolampy/ Antsirabe(168 km +/- 3 hours) Breakfast at the hotel, then en route to Antsirabe. It is a journey through the Malagasy highlands characterized by rice fields and typical villages with houses made of red bricks like the color of the earth. On the way, stop in Ambatolampy, a typical city of the Merina ethnic group at the foot of the Ankaratra massif, famous for its cool and temperate climate and the artisanal production of aluminum tools, utensils and art objects. Short walk to visit the artisan shops. The visit will also be an excellent opportunity to connect the local population. Free lunch. Continue to Antsirabe, which is located about 1500 m above sea level in the middle of a volcanic landscape, and is considered the city of salt thanks to its various sources of mineral and thermal water. In this city, invaded by the colorful pousse pousse (typical local means of transport similar to the rickshaw) you can also have a first approach with the precious and semiprecious stones of Madagascar. Indeed, Antsirabe boasts the best stone carvers on the island. Visit the city of Antsirabe in Pousse Pousse, then transfer to the hotel. Accommodation on Half Board basis at PLUMERIA hotel or similar Day 04 Antsirabe - Miandrivazo (246 Km- +/- 5 hours) After breakfast at the hotel, a nice visit to the VOLCANIC LAKE TRITRIVA, very famous for its history and existence, we found out about the program because it is worth a visit, all the details tell and explain the local guide, on the site, to respect everything, we avoid bringing something to eat based on pork which is forbidden. Free lunch, after lunch immediately continues to Miandrivazo, one of the hottest and driest cities on the island, where tobacco is grown and where the waters of the Tsiribihina river flow calmly, like those of an equatorial African river. Along the way, you cross the village of Betafo (“the many roofs”) located on the shore of the volcanic Lake Tatamarina and the capital of one of the ancient kingdoms of Madagascar. All around the landscape is specified by fascinating terraced rice paddies, so much so that in 1997 the rice and hydraulic cultural landscape of Betafo were included by UNESCO in the Candidature to the List of World Heritage Sites. Towards the evening we arrive in Miandrivazo. According to a legend, the name “Miandrivazo” would come from a statement by King Radama I called “The Great”, king of the Merina and first King of the United Kingdom of Madagascar. During a campaign against the Sakalava kingdom, he had agreed to marry the daughter of King Ramitraho and announced that in the place where the city of Miandrivazo was to rise, “he was expecting his wife” (“misandry valid” in the Malagasy language). Accommodation on a Half Board basis at LA PRINCESSE TSIRIBIHINA hotel or similar. Place at Accommodation: Pietraapital view. Remaining time of the day is free Day 05 Miandrivazo - Masiakampy ( Tsiribihina River) -Nosy Ampela After breakfast at the hotel, a transfer with the car of the hotel to the place of boat, then the whole team (skipper, cook, etc. you probably know each other the day before) after starting the boat trip on the Tsiribihina river. During this first day of navigation, you can observe beautiful tree-lined savannas, the time to take photos as much as possible. Arrival in the first camp in the late afternoon Full board treatment and night in a tent. Best safaris in Africa … live the dream © 2021 https://www.acrossafricatours.com ACROSS AFRICA TOURS & TRAVEL 2035 Sunset lake Road Newark Delaware 19702 | (+1)800-205-5754 | Fax 1 (424) 333-0903 | [email protected] Day 06 Nosy Ampela- Village Begidro- Berevo: (Discea of the Tsiribihina River) Breakfast at the camp then is sailing again. On this day you will pass from more gentle and calm waters to currents and rapid gorges where the river creeps with high vertical walls and lush vegetation where it will be easy to identify families of lemurs. During navigation, it will be possible to spot many species of birds such as herons, kingfisher, birds of prey, etc. Stop for a short hike to reach a waterfall on foot which originates from a large “natural pool” where you can swim. Arrival at the second camp at the end of the day. Meals on board (included) and overnight in bivouac. Day 07 Berevo – Belo - Bekopaka (110 Km +/- 5 Hours) Breakfast at the camp, then sailing again. On this last day on the river, you will be able to observe tree-lined savannas and lush vegetation that will gradually give way to the Sakalava villages, located on the banks of the river, to the savannah and to the baobabs. Lunch on board. End of navigation and disembarkation in the early afternoon. Meet the driver and the off-road vehicle that takes you to BEKOPAKA, where you can have a first approach with the famous “Tsingy”. Accommodation on Half Board basis for 2 Nights at ORCHIDEE DE BEMARAHA hotel or similar Day 08 Bekopaka After breakfast, departure to visit the Tsingy National Park of Bemaraha declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. With its 152,000 hectares of surface, it continues to visit the Grand TSINGY, more difficult to reach but also more spectacular. In both areas, the big attraction is an immense karst forest (Tsingy means “needles” in Malagasy). Some of these pinnacles, whose shapes have been shaped by winds and water over the centuries, rise to the sky for several hundred meters. In the region, there is also the Manambolo gorge, where you can see waterfalls, dozens of species of lemurs, including the black-headed lemur and the Decken sifaka, as well as birds (so far identified a hundred species) and numerous reptiles. Free packed lunch. In the afternoon visit of Petit TSINGY or “Pic TSINGY” and Les Grands TSINGY or ” Grand Ttsingy” in the north. Visiting the small Tsingy will allow you to observe closely the slow erosive work of rainwater on limestone rocks. The place, inhabited since prehistoric times, has clear evidence of its past in the caves and caverns that open into the rocks. Over Day 09 Bekopaka - Morondava (210 Km +/- 8 Hours) Breakfast at the hotel, then return to Morondava. Free lunch. Towards the end of the afternoon, we pass by the charming baobab sentinels, the famous “Avenue of the baobabs”. The Avenue of Baobab is one of the most photographed places in Madagascar. It is a splendid avenue about 15 km north of Morondava, flanked by imposing specimens of “Adansonia Grandidieri”. The most suggestive moments to admire it are sunset and sunrise when the colors of the trees change and their long shadows are accentuated. Morondava, located in the heart of the Sakalava territory, is known for the tombs of the Menabe ancestors (their erotic sculptures are famous). The city has one of the mildest climates in all of Madagascar: in fact, there are 10 months of hot and dry sunny days, tempered by the sea breeze. Accommodation on Half Board basis at KIMONY RESORT or similar. Day 10 Morondava- Belo Sur Mer (100km +/- 5 Hours) Breakfast and departure for the typical fishing village of Belo Sur Mer overlooking a splendid slightly jagged bay. The village is famous for the presence of numerous artisans expert in the construction of elderberries and schooners (boats of Arab and Breton origin), thanks to which the economy of the west coast of the country has been able to develop. Visit Kirindy Mitea National Park before arriving in Belo/Mer . Possibility to visit also the salt pans, another important source of income for the local population. Free lunch. Accommodation on a Half Board basis at ECOLODGE DU MENABE or similar. Day 11 Belo Sur Mer –Manja (105km +/- 6 Hours) Early in the morning departure for the village of Morombe through changing landscapes, initially characterized by the presence of large rice fields and fruit trees and then, along the sandy coastal path, dotted with the typical thorny forest and huge baobabs.