River Trip & Makay Trek
Start a thrilling adventure through Madagascar’s natural wonders, starting with a mesmerizing trip along the Tsiribihina River, passing by the majestic Tsingy of Bemaraha and the iconic Baobabs Avenue. Dive into an immersive five-day trek through the awe-inspiring Makay Mountains, where rugged landscapes and hidden treasures await discovery. Forge unforgettable connections with local guides and porters, sharing in the camaraderie and joy of exploring this remote and breathtaking terrain together, creating memories to last a lifetime.
Specification: River Trip & Makay Trek
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Travel Itinerary
DAY 1
Arrival - Antananarivo
Pick up from the airport and transfer to your hotel for an overnight on bed and breakfast.
DAY 2
Tana - Antsirabe
With our Toyota Land Cruiser we start driving South. Rice fields and typical villages of the Highlands represent the landscape right after Antananarivo. We stop in Ambatolampy to discover the rather amazing work of aluminum to make cooking pots for the whole country. Continue to Antsirabe.
DAY 3
Miandrivazo and boat
Drive to Miandrivazo via Betafo and Mandoto Villages. We take a track after Miandrivazo Village towards Masiakampy pier. Our boat and the crew are waiting for us to go down the river. Lunch on board. Night camping.
DAY 4
Tsiribihina River
It is a large and quiet river, we go forward slowly at a relaxing and peaceful pace. We stop on the way to visit villages and take a shower in a beautiful waterfall. In the evening, we set up our camp on the white sand along the riverbanks. Time is spent around the campfire and locals would often come to visit, play local music and dance for great fun. Night camping.
DAY 5
Pangalanes Channel in Mana-kara
Morning on the river. We find our 4×4 at Belo/Tsiribihina. Lunch aboard. Drive to Bekopaka, the gateway to the Bemaraha National Park. We cross the Manambolo River by local and funny ferry. Night at the hotel.
DAY 6
The Tsingy of Bemaraha
Full day exploring the park. Tsingy is a cathedral of limestone, this dense network of faults, cracks and blocks of limestone carved in blades, is one of the most spectacular landscapes of Madagascar. Exciting walk but not always easy.
DAY 7
Bekopaka - Morondava
We drive to Morondava and cross Manambolo and Tsiribihina Rivers by ferry. We pass through the famous “Allée des Baobabs”. We arrive at the right time when the sun is low, the lights are slanted, and the smooth tree trunks reflect the orange rays of the sun.
DAY 8
Morondava – Malaimbandy
Drive West to Malaimbandy and a track will lead us to the north base of the massif of Makay after a three-hour drive. It is the starting point of the expedition. It’s here where we meet our guides and porters, they will be our companions during the next wonderful days in the mountains. We set our tents at the exit of the village.
DAY 9-13
Trekking in the Makay
We enter the massif with a solid team of local guides and porters who will be our travelling companions for these few days. You only carry your small backpack with your belongings for the day, without forgetting your water supply, your camera and your walking stick. Our porters set up camp, our cook takes care of the meals. The logistics are of high quality. Let’s start the trek! We guide you inside these huge straight faults where sun rays rarely get through and amazing plants grow along the walls. We’ve discovered several traces of big crocodiles there. Sakapaly River runs right through these mountains, we navigate inside the canyons and put up our camp on the white sandbanks. Our hike takes us through the inside sections of the forest where lemurs can be observed easily. This trek is kept at a sustainable pace, there are no particular difficulties apart from the heat, the walk in the soft sand and in the water reaching up to knee-level. Trekking downhill can get quite steep and we may need to use ropes when going inside the canyons. Watch out for itchy plants, rolling pebbles under one’s shoes, numerous saka[1]saka and deep cliffs. This trek is not suitable for those experiencing vertigo. Along the way, we will pass rocks piles safely and nimbly. Apart from being isolated, we are indeed far from everything here, so these five trekking days will definitely be a lifetime experience. In addition, several evening campfires with guides and porters will also give you unforgettable moments. Nights are enjoyed in tents or under the stars of the southern sky.
DAY 14
Makay - Miandrivazo
All good things must come to an end. We leave the local crew and Makay with many memories and spectacular photos. We join back Malaimbandy on the track, then on to the main road to Miandrivazo where we’ve been for quite some time. We are back in our little bungalow by the pool.
DAY 15
Antsirabe - Tana
Drive to Antananarivo via Antsirabe where we visit local artisans. See the work of zebu (cow) horn, shaping and polishing, transformed to tat jewelry and home decors. Visit a miniature workshop for bicycle, cars, recycled tins and cans. Lunch in town and drive along Ankaratra massif towards Antananarivo.
DAY 15
Tana -Departure
After breakfast, transfer to Ivato airport for your outbound flight.
What´s included
- Private tour
- 7 nights accommodation in hotels/ lodge
- 8 nights camping – Camping equipment
- English-speaking guide
- Transport in air-conditioned vehicle
- Park entrances fees + local guide in the park
- Guide & porters during the trekking
- Unlimited mineral water in the car
- Meals as indicated
Excluded
- Any Personal Expenses
- Tips and Gratitudes
- Any other meals than mentioned
Additional Information
All prices exclude airfares (unless specified), visa fees, travel insurance and any additional personal expenses.
Prices are per person sharing a double room. Single and triple rooms rates are available upon request.
Dates, itineraries and prices are indicative and subject to change based on the season.
Hotels mentioned in the itinerary may change due to availability, but will always be of equivalent or higher category.
Some countries charge additional destination taxes per person or per night that can only be paid directly at the location.
All displayed tour maps are originated from Google Maps and are only indicative. They are not representative of the exact travel routes of the itinerary.
For more details please visit our booking conditions page.
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