Experience extraordinary

In our regular touring program, in addition to classic tours undertaken by car, we have for some years now also included many canoe tours an. In most cases, these prove to be even more more natural and extraordinary and are especially popular with individualists among travelers to Madagascar.

come, particularly popular. For this very reason, we have now also put together a tour that is even more clearly more than just a classic canoe tour is. Instead, we offer a total package in which Hikes, the river trip on the Manambolo as well as a trip to the Tsingy of Bemaraha and the Baobab Alley are on the program. For your Madagascar vacation you could not put together a more exciting travel package. Below we would like to show you what we have come up with for the proposed tour. We would like to arouse your interest and at the same time give you a Foretaste of the numerous incomparable impressions which you can find on this Journey through Madagascar will collect. If you would like to make a booking directly afterwards, just write to us. And if you need more information in advance, we are of course also at your disposal.

General information about the tour

On this tour, large parts of the route are covered on the water, but there are also hikes and excursions by car on the plan. In this way, we ensure that you will have a Maximum variety presented and that you Insights into regions of Madagascar get that far off the tourist mainstream lie. The tour starts in Antananarivo, takes you through Tsampoketsa, to the gorges of Manambolo to the Tsingy of Bemaraha and then to the famous avenue of Baobabs, the impressive Aggen bread trees. This tour we offer between April and November and also recommend it to all people with an average physical constitution. There are as with all our offers numerous combination and extension possibilities, depending on how much time you want to or can spend on the wonderful island of Madagascar. After the following, where we present the different way stations and daily schedules, you will receive from us a List of costs and services for this trip. This way you can keep track of exactly what's in store for you.

Day 2: The journey begins with the trip to Tsiroamandidy

The second day of this trip is all about the Drive to the starting point of the tour and unfortunately offers only a few exciting experiences in itself. Early in the morning you start by car on the well-built RN 1 towards the west. Lunch is served either directly on the banks of the river, which spoils with tempting views, or in one of the local restaurants in Tsiroamandidy. From there it goes once again about 40 kilometers further west, where you are now moving over a rather humpy dirt road. The ride ends a few kilometers from the Beloboka village away, where the camp is already waiting for you. In this part of the country there are few people on the road and the unique atmosphere of this region will surely win you over immediately. Have a good rest from the exhausting and tedious drive here, because already tomorrow the adventure of this impressive tour will finally begin.

Day 3: The leap into the unknown begins with a hike

On the third day of this tour, you will now begin an adventure that is most likely far from anything you have experienced in your life so far. First, your porters will arrive early in the morning. So that they can cope well with the luggage, there is a maximum Weight limit of 10 kilogramwhich you should absolutely adhere to. If this is not possible for you, you should be prepared for repacking, where part of your luggage may already be sent ahead.

The journey now begins first on foot with a hike that leads further and further west. The landscape in this part of Madagascar is hilly and characterized by a rather sparse grass growth. Original forests can usually only be found in the lowlands and in larger hill valleys. The rest of the landscape was devastated by man decades ago. Be sure to view the amazing erosion scars, which have eaten into the various hills in the area and also let you Hospitality of the people living here inspire. Although there are not many Madagascans who still make it in this rather unpromising area, those who live here in the villages you will meet friendly and with great interest. You will camp for the night very close to the river, under the red hills, where you will also have a good dinner.

Day 5: The Manambolo River Cruise Begins

After breakfast, your journey will take you directly down to the river in just under three hours. There, a fortifying lunch awaits you, while the team is already working on the logistical and organizational tasks for the Start of the boat tour takes over. Due to the sometimes not so easy conditions, traditional dugout canoes are not on the plan for this tour and you will exclusively underway with modern boats be. The first stage on the Manambolo River has it then also immediately in itself: Although they do not have to work with the paddles for the entire time, but still some minor challenges await you. Especially during the period from August to November the river carries relatively little water. This can make it necessary from time to time to get out of the boats and push them into deeper water. Special highlight: Even before you begin your trip, a traditional madagascan ceremony carried out, which is also known as fomba is called. Here you secure the benevolence of the ancestors, so that the upcoming river trip is under a good star. After just a short drive, you will notice that the landscape around you is changing significantly. The hills are now getting higher and higher and at the same time have a richer and richer color. People, on the other hand, are now less and less common. Also the end of the plain suddenly becomes visible - a massif moves closer and closer to the shore and exactly this massif will be our next stop. On today's day there are additionally a few exploration trips into the local landscape on the plan. Meet lemurs, wild boars, crocodiles, chameleons and various other animals and go in search of impressive plants that make it only to be marveled at on Madagascar there. Today we will spend the night in a camp near the river.

Day 8: The river leads back to civilization

While the last few days were characterized by an almost unbelievable tranquility and plenty of distance from civilization, the environment around the Manambolo now transforms once again. You get more and more people to face and after a few relaxing hours of driving is Bekopaka in sight. Here you will leave your boats and go back to a civilized and human environment. Cold drinks and rich food await you. The exact time when you will reach Bekopaka can usually not be predicted exactly, as this depends on the current water level. Up to the middle of the year, good progress is usually assured, but in the second half of the year, the boats often have to be pushed over water points that are too shallow. Arriving in Bekopaka, you will not only enjoy the Human civilization comfort and maybe let a cold beer spoil your throat and a real bed your limbs - depending on the time of arrival you may also have the opportunity to still have a look at the so-called small Tsingy that stretch up into the sky in the area around Bekopaka. These are more or less pointed needles of rock that grow upward from the earth into the air. The little Tsingy from Bekoapaka can be seen as a kind of foretaste of what you can expect tomorrow.

Day 9: The Tsingy of Bemaraha await you

On the ninth day, you will be accompanied by the "stone forest"You will get to see something truly extraordinary. First, you can expect a relatively short, but all the more bumpy ride by four-wheel drive car, which will take you from Bekopaka directly to the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park brings. This national park is really something unique and so it is also since the year 1990 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site guided and protected in a special way. The karst landscape of this park delights with striking limestone formations, which the Malagasy Tsingy are called. These limestone formations rise like sharp needles from the ground emerge and grow from there into the air. Visually, this is reminiscent of a forest of stone, which thrives powerful, imposing and exceedingly versatile. Contrary to popular belief, the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park by no means without exception from stone trees. On the contrary, numerous mangroves, lakes and plants extend in the deeper areas of the park. Here so far 650 different plant species cataloged, of which more than 85 percent are endemic. Also the animal diversity can be seen in this national park. With a little luck you will come across red macaws, gray mouse macaws, a Madagascar sea eagle, numerous amphibians and more than 60 different species of reptiles. Of course it is worthwhile in this national park a guided tour to undertake. This will turn the already unique experience into a true adventure, as the guide will lead you through canyons via narrow paths and suspension bridges and will be able to show you the numerous inhabitants of this park in their favorite places. In the evening you will return to Bekopaka, where you will stay at your hotel dreaming about the experiences of today can.