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Sunreef Travel Madagascar
EST – SUD – Tsaranoro et Ifaty SUR LA RN7
Itinerary: Antananarivo- Andasibe- Antsirabe- Ambositra- Ranomafana- Fianarantsoa- Tsaranoro- Ranohira- Isalo- Tuléar- Ifaty- Tuléar- Antananarivo
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EST – SOUTH – Tsaranoro and Ifaty ON THE RN7 – 12 days
The thousand kilometers from Antananarivo to Tuléar may not sound like Paris-Marseille, but the Nationale 7 is the most densely populated of the island's 20 million inhabitants...
As soon as you leave the capital, the "7" unfurls its black ribbon between rice paddies and villages. Opening onto breathtaking panoramas, it descends from the high plateaux to the south-west coast, revealing, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, the ways of life and traditions of the Malagasy people.
Climat:
From November to April :Rainy season
From May to October: Dry season
Period:
June to September: the ideal season for visiting these regions of Madagascar, whose weather conditions are more stable, with less rain.
International flight to Antananarivo. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel in the city.
Departure for Andasibe. Drive through a landscape of rice fields and eucalyptus forest. Visit along the way to Madagascar Exotic. This farm breeds butterflies, chameleons and endemic reptiles threatened with extinction by human activity (bush fires, deforestation, etc.).
We arrive in Andasibe in the early afternoon. The rest of the day will be devoted to discovering the Vakona Reserve. A nocturnal visit to Andasibe National Park for a first glimpse of the forest.
Sleeping at the hotel
Morning visit to Andasibe National Park, a conservation site for the Indri-Indri, the largest of the lemurs. Other animal species can be seen, including 11 other lemurs, chameleons and birds. The flora is not to be outdone, with several varieties of orchid, rosewood and medicinal plants.
Lunch, then the road to Antsirabe for Antananarivo. We pass through the highland landscapes. These take the form of a winding road lined with a mosaic of fields of various crops and terraced rice paddies. We pass through Ambatolampy. Here, we visit manufacturers of aluminium cooking pots and other kitchen utensils. Arriving late afternoon, we settle into our hotel.
Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.
In the morning, we visit a semi-precious stone workshop. We will also meet craftsmen working with zebu horn. We then set off in the direction of Ranomafana. We stop in Ambositra to visit some Zafimaniry craft workshops. They specialise in marquetry and precious wood carvings. After lunch, we leave the highlands and head into the primary forests typical of the east coast.
We start the morning on a walking tour of Ranomafana National Park. Here, we follow well-marked paths through the tropical rainforest. Along the way, we discover a varied and endemic fauna and flora. These include lemurs, chameleons, batrachians, birds, ferns, orchids and medicinal plants.
Our local guide will teach us how to identify the species we encounter. Picnic lunch in the park. In the afternoon, we drive to Fianarantsoa, capital of the Betsileo region. Visit of the historic old town.
Sleeping at the hotel
Departure for the village of Mahasoabe, some twenty kilometres east of Fianarantsoa. Meet the pirogue drivers and begin the trip down the river in a traditional pirogue. The river winds its way between rice paddies and granite mountains for 2 hours. There are plenty of stops along the way to immerse yourself in peasant life. Several species of aquatic birds can be seen.
We finish our cruise at the village of Iseta. We will then walk to the village of Sahambavy to discover the tea plantations. Here we can also visit Madagascar's only tea processing plant. Lunch and picnic. Finally, we drive back to Fianarantsoa at the end of the day.
Sleeping at the hotel
Morning departure for Tsaranoro. Stop off in Ambalavao to visit the Antemoro paper factory: an age-old process invented by the first Arab migrants to transcribe the Koran, which was badly damaged by the sea crossing, Antemoro paper is currently one of the jewels in the crown of Madagascan craftsmanship.
Historically, paper was made from the pulp of a wild mulberry tree called Avoha. In other words, its scientific name is Bosqueia danguyana. This tree grows throughout the forest corridor along Madagascar's eastern coast.
Next on the programme, a visit to the Anja village reserve. This green paradise is home to small colonies of Lemur catta, the ring-tailed lemurs that are virtually the emblem of the Big Island. Proceeds from the Anja site are managed by the AMI (Anja Miray) association and donated to economic and social projects aimed at improving agricultural yields, developing crafts, health and education for the villagers. We continue our journey towards the Tsaranoro Valley, located at the foot of the Andringitra mountain range, where we arrive at the end of the day.
Overnight stay and dinner in a lodge.
A day exploring the valley: its lemur forest, natural pools and villages. These are the focal points of the solidarity development activities initiated by the hotels in the region. These include the construction of dispensaries, schools and handicrafts.
The valley is overlooked by the Andringitra mountain range. Mountain hikes and climbing are also organised here. Tsaranoro is also one of Madagascar's most beautiful paragliding spots. Afterwards, lunch and picnic during the walk.
Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
After breakfast, we leave the valley to join the Nationale 7. Here, we head south again towards Ihosy in the Bara country (Zebu breeders). We then cross the wide open savannahs of the Horombe plateau before reaching Ranohira in the early evening.
Overnight in a hotel.
A day exploring the Isalo National Park. Transfer by car to the foot of the massif. We walk up the plateau "designed" by erosion, for a beautiful morning's hike. This sandstone massif has been shaped and sculpted into strange ruiniform forms since the Jurassic period. These lands belong to the Bara people, an ethnic group of pastoralists and zebu herders from the south.
The presence of Bara burials adds a mystical touch to the tour. This tour is also a live slide show of plants "adapted" through the geological transformation of the Isalo: Pachypodium rosulatum gracilis, a close relative but so physically distant from the periwinkle (family Apocynaceae), Aloe vera sought after for its cosmetic virtues and other varieties of plants, each as strange as the next.
Our walk will take us to the "natural swimming pool". After the heat of the day, a dip in the pool is very welcome. We'll head to Namaza for a picnic lunch. Afternoon to meet the lemurs of the site and visit the Cascade des Nymphes. Return to Ranohira at the end of the day and visit the village.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Early departure for Tuléar. Savannah landscapes, discovery of the first baobabs. Arrival in Tuléar late morning. We take a break for lunch. In the afternoon, we head for Ifaty. A small seaside resort around thirty kilometres north of Tuléar. This is where our seaside hotel awaits us.
Overnight stay and dinner at the hotel.
Madiorano, Ifaty and Mangily are small villages facing the majestic turquoise lagoon, renowned for its coral reef. Your stay will also allow you to discover the hinterland, a dry forest of Baobabs and thorn trees. Half-board accommodation at the hotel.
On arrival at your travel destination, you will have some free time to relax. Then, a private transfer will take you to Tuléar airport. You will then board your flight to Antananarivo (1 hour). On arrival, you will be met by a member of our team and taken to the hotel. Depending on your flight schedule, you can visit the Route Digue craft market. It brings together various types of craftwork representative of the different regions of Madagascar.
Free time and check-in before transferring to the airport for your international flight home.