Precious stones, 3 Days camping canoe trip, Baobab alley, Lemurs, Bats, Guided forest walk.

TOUR ROUTES : 

ANTANANARIVO - ANTSIRABE - MIANDRIVAZO - BELO SUR TSIRIBIHINA - TSINGY OF BEMARAHA - MORONDAVA .

Day 1 : CAR FROM ANTANANARIVO TO ANTSIRABE .

Start the tour from tana to antsirabe with your personal driver . This drive will take 3 hours with tar road but lots of twist . when you arrive in antsirabe, you can relax for a while after the drive and you can visit around the town by your self with rickshaw or by walk as the town of Antsirabe is very beautiful .

THINGS TO SEE AND DO :

* The shops that sell many different precious stones .
* The factory where you can watch how they clean and cut the stones then fit them into luxury items at chez JOSEPH * The hot spring bath . Watch the locals bath in the medicinal, natural spring water that comes from deep within the ground.
* The beautiful lake Andrakiba where you might take a 20-minute horse ride around the lake or simply walk around the shade of the trees and visit the open market for the precious stones along the side of the lake .

ACCOMMODATIONS : ( Hotel is included ).

* hotel villa camellia : [ Semi Luxury hotel ] .
* Hotel Hasina : [ Mid range hotel ] . 
* Hotel le Trianon : [ Mid range hotel ] . 

Day 2 : CAR FROM ANTSIRABE TO MIANDRIVAZO . 

Most of the day is spent in the car traveling through the changing Malagasy countryside. When you arrive in Miandrivazo there is no real reason to stay here long as it only serves as a place to organize a trip along the Tsiribihina River. The river trip lasts for 3 and a half days by pirogue (dugout wooden canoe) or you can choose to pay more and travel instead in a comfortable motor boat that takes 1 day less.

ACCOMMODATIONS : ( Hotel is included ).

* Hotel La Pirogue : [ Mid range hotel ] .
* Chez La Reine Rasalimo : [ Mid range hotel ] .

Day 3 - 4 - 5 : THE RIVER ADVENTURE BEGINS .

FIRST LEG :

Start the day with your pirogue paddle and personal guide on the impressive Tsiribihina river as it cuts it’s way through the rugged mountains that in places tower 600 meters above you. See different kinds of birds and many species of large chameleons on the riverbank. Late afternoon your guide will pitch a tent on a secluded island in the middle of the river. He will build you a fire and cook your dinner.Then sit back and enjoy your meal listening to the sounds of the river and watch the sun go down . Camping at night. ( Full board is included ) .

SECOND LEG :

Start the morning with a cooked breakfast as your guide packs up the camp. Then continue your adventure as the river winds through thick forests full of wildlife. Float peacefully by undisturbed the many different colours and types of lemurs that you will see playing in the tree branches that hang over the river. Your guide will stop the pirogue for a 2-minute walk to see a fabulous, secret waterfall. This is a great place to rest and eat a cooked lunch.
Camping at night as before. ( Full board is included ) .

THIRD LEG :

Start the morning with breakfast as before. Then it’s back to the river passing tobacco farms and waving to locals as they collect their water. Then stop at a traditional Malagasy village. Isolated and hidden in the jungle this village can only be reached by riverboat, as it’s a 2-day walk to the nearest road. Watch how the villages work and live in their hand built wooden houses. Then back to the river and a surprise as you pass right next to some open caves. This is where hundreds of bats sleep through the day hanging upside down from the ceiling of rock. Next you will see many Baobab trees on the riverside. These unusual but beautiful trees can only be found in Madagascar.
Camping at night as before. ( Full board is included ) .

Day 6 : 4WD FROM THE RIVERBANK IN TSIRARAKA VILLAGE TO TSINGY PARK .

When you arrive at the riverbank, you and your assistance guide will be collected with 4wd to tsingy of bemaraha national park then relax for the rest of the day in your hotel or visit the village of Bekopaka by walk , which will be your base for exploring both the Grand and Petit Tsingy. This region is famed as one of the finest climates in all of Madagascar. 10 months of dry sunny weather.

ACCOMMODATIONS : ( Hotel is included ) .

* Hotel OLIMPYA .
* Hotel tanankoay .
* Hotel Relais Des Tsingy .
* Camping is possible which offers you less price .

Day 7 : TREKING TO THE SPECTACULAR GRAND TSINGY PARK WITH YOUR PERSONAL LOCAL GUIDE .

After your hotel breakfast , you and a local guide will spend the morning trekking through Tsingy National Park . Do not forget to order your picnic food from the hotel before you leave and this is Not included in the tour .
Tsingy means needles in Malagasy and you will see why when you see this vast forest of rugged and eroded rocks . Some of the needles are several hundred meters high . This area was once an ocean and the rock formations have been made by a combination of water and later wind erosions . It can only be described as a scene from another world . After you are finished exploring you will hike back to your hotel where you are free to relax.

ACCOMMODATIONS : ( Hotel is included ) .

* Hotel OLIMPYA .
* Hotel tanankoay .
* Hotel Relais Des Tsingy .
* Camping is possible which offers you less price .

Day 8 : VISIT PETITS TSINGY AND THE GORGE OF MANAMBOLO BY PIROGUE .

After your hotel breakfast you and a guide will walk for few hours to the Petit Tsingy . Although this Tsingy is a lot smaller compare the Grand Tsingy but it is still impressive and very much worth the short walk .
In the afternoon you will go down the Manambolo River in a pirogue (dugout wooden canoe) with your guide and a paddle . After about 30 min you will stop and get out to walk around Manambolo Gorge . There are many more interesting rock formations here including stalactite caves .
At the top of the gorge are the ancient tombs of the Vazimba tribe . These ancient people where the first and original inhabitants of Madagascar and were no more than 1 meter tall. See their child sized wooden caskets often with visible skeletal remains . Then return by pirogue to your hotel where you are free for the rest of the day.

ACCOMMODATIONS : ( Hotel is included ) .

* Hotel OLIMPYA .
* Hotel tanankoay .
* Hotel Relais Des Tsingy .
* Camping is possible which offers you less price .

Day 9 : 4WD FROM TSINGY PARK BACK TO MORONDAVA . 

After your hotel breakfast , 4WD from tsingy park to Morondava via Belo-sur-Tsiribihina . On the way you will pass the Sakalava tribe tombs . They are known for the very unusual paintings and carvings that decorate the outside of their tombs . The decorations are mainly of an erotic nature included male and female sexual body parts . Then around 5 pm you will stop to watch the sun set at the famous Baobab Alley . This is the best time of day to see the trees as their colours change and their long shadows are most pronounced . Then arrive at Morondava where you are free to relax for the rest of the day .

ACCOMMODATIONS : ( Hotel is included ).

* Hotel Chez maggie .
* Hotel baobab cafee .
* Hotel Renala du sable d' or .

NB : The next day your guide will transfer you to the airport where you can take a plane to Tulear or Tana or simply relax on the beach here until you are ready to move on.
Please note it is advised that you purchase your air tickets before you start the tour to avoid delays although arrangements can also be made here .
If you want to stay more days in morondava and have fun with nice beach, we suggest you to take a 4WD from morondava to belo sur mere and do diving and snorkeling or any sea sport .

This area of Madagascar can only be visited during the months of April till November. This is because many of the rivers in the region are uncross able for the rest of the year due to heavy rainfall in the mountainous rainforests to the east .