RIVER TRIP Tsiribihina & THE TSINGY

Meeting at Ivato international airport and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Route: Antananarivo

Overnight: antananarivo

drive) After Breakfast, drive to Miandrivazo through Antsirabe; the "Town of Water": so, called because of its numerous thermal springs and the existence of two crater lakes. Continue through a hilly and mountainous area: Plateau of Betsiriry. Arrival at Miandrivazo in the afternoon. Overnight at the hotel.

Route: Antananarivo → Miandrivazo

Overnight: miandrivazo

drive) Transfer to the river and embark in a motor barge for a two and a half days cruise along the Tsiribihina river. You’ll see some villages and kids waiving at you, and some people doing their daily labour. You might also see birds (whistling ducks, egrets, herons, helmeted guinea fowls), and probably some crocodiles. The landscape along this river is mainly composed of deciduous forest sheltering some species of lemurs. After crossing the Bemaraha gorge and its cliffs, one can see countless game birds. Camping on full board on the banks of the river.

Route: Miandrivazo → Tsingy de Bemaraha

After breakfast, the cruise goes on. The morning program includes a visit of a marvellous waterfall “Anosin’Ampela” and a natural pool where you can swim. Some miles ahead, the landscape turns into a succession of green fertile plains and baobab forests. Camping on the bank of the river

Route: Tsiribihina River → Lily River waterfall

Overnight: tsiribihina-river

drive) Continuation of this wonderful cruise: arrival in the Menabe plain and its little villages mainly inhabited by fishermen and farmers: the end of the cruise. A 4WD car is waiting for you and brings you along dry plains with some bush, palm and baobab trees to Bekopaka, you and the car will have to cross the Manambolo river on a small local ferry before getting there. Overnight at the hotel.

Route: Tsiribihina River → Belo sur Tsiribihina → Bekopaka → Manambolo River

Overnight: bekopaka

Visit of the small and the large TSINGY, rare sharp limestone pinnacles, sheltering some species of lemurs, various species of birds and many endemic plants. This Tsingy of Bemaraha are on the UNESCO list of the world nature sites, and a large part of the park is not accessible for the public. The Tsingy have been millions of years under water, and so you can also see some fossils enclosed in the limestone. Overnight at the hotel.

Route: Bekopaka → Tsingy de Bemaraha

Overnight: bekopaka

drive) After breakfast, you and the car will have to cross the Manambolo river on a small local ferry again. Drive to Belo, and after this small town, cross the Tsiribihina river on another local ferry boat, then continue to Kirindy. First visit of Kirindy reserve to try to see the nocturnal animals. Overnight at the simple lodge of the reserve.

Route: Bekopaka → Kirindy → Kirindy Reserve → Manambolo River

Overnight: kirindy

drive) After breakfast, visit of Kirindy reserve again to see lemurs (dancing lemurs), tenrecs, reptiles and birds. Drive to Morondava, on the way, visit the “Baobab in love” and stop at the Baobab Avenue (you can wait for the sunset, a magic moment in this beautiful and unique surroundings). Then drive to Morondava and overnight at the hotel.

Route: Kirindy → Morondava → Baobab Alley → Kirindy Reserve

Overnight: morondava

Transfer to the airport for flight back to the capital. Transfer to the hotel and rest of the day free. Overnight at the hotel.

Route: Morondava → Antananarivo

Overnight: antananarivo

Excursion to the historical site of Ambohimanga, where the merina Kings used to live (UNESCO world heritage site). In the afternoon, a visit to the handcrafts market with beautiful handmade items from materials like leather, stone, natural fibers, wood. Then day use in the hotel, in the evening transfer to the international airport of Ivato for flight to Europe.

Route: Antananarivo → Ambohimanga