« Reptiles Park ( Madagascar exotic ) , National Parks , Indri indri ( biggest lemurs ) , local people, nature, motor boat, and beach»
TOUR ROUTES :
ANTANANARIVO – MANJAKANDRIANA – MORAMANGA - ANDASIBE NATIONAL PARK - TAMATAVE - MAHAMBO BEACH - SAINTE MARIE ISLAND ( nosy Borah ) .
Day 1 :
ANTANANARIVO - ANDASIBE NATIONAL PARK .
Day 2 :
TREK TO MITSINJO PARK AND VISIT VAKONA RESERVE ( lemur's island ) .
After breakfast, drive to the park gate and meet your personal local guide and walk into the park . It hosts 11 species of lemurs of which the biggest, the Indri Indri, is easily spotted because of its impressive shrieks. It cannot bear being in captivity, so it can be admired only in its natural milieu. The park also shelters several species of birds, reptiles, insects and batrachians. After visits, drive back to the hotel and have lunch. During the afternoon ,explore lemur's island or known as vakona reserve . This reserve contains 60 groups of lemurs, terencs birds, crocodiles. Close photographs are guaranteed. After the visits, back to the hotel and will stay at the same place.
Recommended accommodation : overnight at hotel analamazaotra , hotel feon'y ala or grace lodge hotel for midrange option and at sahatandra hotel , vakona lodge , andasibe hotel and Mantadia lodge for luxury option . ( bed and breakfast are included )
Day 3 :
ANDASIBE PARK - TAMATAVE - MAHAMBO BEACH .
We start our route to tamatave then will continue to Mahambo beach after breakfast . The distance from andasibe park to mahambo beach is 319 km and it takes about 5 hours along sea side. Here bathing is safe and fishing and diving are possible activities.
Recommended accommodation : overnight at hotel la pirogue. ( bed and breakfast are included )
Day 4 :
MAHAMBO BEACH TO SAINTE MARIE ISLAND.
Here in Mahambo beach where you will take your motor boat trip to saint Marie and it's start at 09:00 am from Mahambo to Sainte Marie island at 16:00 pm or you can drive from Mahambo beach to Soanierana ivongo where you will get short boat trip to Sainte Marie which starts at 10:00 am to Sainte Marie at 13:00 pm . While you arrive in Saint Marie Island, Your tour with us ends here and you will now be independent. There are many taxi drivers and hotel representatives working on the pier. Generally the south and the north of the island have the best beaches. We suggest you to hire a motorbike or bicycle to visit around the island and since the island is quite small, it can be visited in one or two day. It will be your choice where and how long you stay here. The main way of leaving the island is by plane to Tana. The season of whales is From August to September.
Note : This trip can be organized on backward if you would like to relax in saint Marie first.
PRICE FOR MID RANGE HOTEL OPTION : 1 150 Euro for 2 people . ( one double or twin room sharing option )
AND
PRICE FOR LUXURY HOTEL OPTION : 1 400 Euro for 2 people . ( one double or twin room sharing option )
INCLUDED:
EXCLUDED :
MANJAKANDRIANA : This is a largish town 48 km from tana heading to Moramanga. The town also has a BOA bank, a hospital, a pharmacy and petrol station.
MADAGASCAR EXOTIC : Formerly known as Mandraka reptile’s farm, this place is well signposted at Marozevo on the right side of the road. Madagascar Exotic is a park which was owned by a prominent naturalist to help preserve many species of reptiles and chameleons, but now is more of a viewing/display area for these exotic reptiles. It's really fantastic to see the large variety of reptiles up close and to be able to walk in the woods and see different species of lemurs. Also all the beautiful chameleons, geckos, frogs and other reptiles were brought out of crowded cages so we could photograph them closely.
MORAMANGA : is a city (commune urbaine) in Madagascar. The name Mora-manga literally means “cheap mangoes”. The city of Moramanga has an important place in the history of Madagascar. It was in Moramanga, on the night of the 29th of March 1947 that the Malagasy uprising against French colonial rule started. Moramanga is also the capital city of the Bezanozano tribe (one of the eighteen tribes in Madagascar). The market town of Moramanga lies along the Antananarivo–Toamasina road, 112 km east of Antananarivo and 26 km west of Andasibe. The BNI-CL and BFV-SG banks have branches with ATMs on the main road. Moramanga has different nice places to stay and Malagasy gastronomy restaurant style. Here is another option place to stay if there are no rooms available in Andasibe Park. It has about 30.000 in habitants.
ANDASIBE VILLAGE : Andasibe is a town and commune. It belongs to the district of Moramanga, which is a part of Alaotra-Mangoro Region in Toamasina Province. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 12,000 in 2001 commune. Primary and junior level secondary educations are available in town. It is also a site of industrial-scale mining. The majority 60% of the population of the commune are farmers. The most important crop is rice, while other important products are cassava and sweet potatoes. Industry and services provide both employments for 20% of the population.
PERINET NATIONAL PARK : In late 1990s the long-established reserve generally known by its colonial name of Perinet (but officially Analamazotra) was combined with Mantadia national park. This andasibe reserve has 810 ha protects the largest of the lemurs, indri indri. There are 11 species of lemurs altogether in Andasibe, although you will not find them all. There are tenrecs, beautiful and varied insects and spiders, as well as reptiles. This is also a great place for bird watching. Specials to look out for include the velvet asity, blue coua and nuthatch vanga. The trails in Andasibe have been carefully constructed, but nevertheless, there is quite a steep ascent (up steps). To visit the parks, you are obliged to take local guide which is finding at the entrance of the park easily and most of them are knowledgeable for wildlife and bilingual including French and English speaking.
VAKONA RESERVE : This is a private reserve and it’s known as Lemur’s island. It homes about 60 groups of lemurs, terencs, birds and crocodiles etc ………. You can discover here also some medicinal plants which are could found in Madagascar only. Close photograph is guaranteed here. They have their own private guide and their fee is already included in the price.
TOAMASINA : (commonly known as Tamatave) is Madagascar second city and with the presence of the main regional seaport has a growing potential for economical activities. It is the country’s largest port, and therefore the country’s commercial hub, handling much of the island's foreign trade. Banks and cash machine can be found here.
MANAMBATO : The village of Manambato, at the banks of the Rasoabe Lake, forms an integral part of the Pangalanes canal. Manambato where people collect motor boat to ankanin’ny nofy or to tamatave. There are some hotels around and it’s safe to swim with its white sand beaches.
SOANIERANA IVONGO : This little town is one of the starting points for the boat ride to Ile Sainte Marie. It is also the end of tarred road to the east cost of Madagascar.
SAINTE MARIE ISLAND : known (more formally) as Nosy Boraha, is an island off the east coast of Madagascar. The main town is Ambodifotatra. The city covers an area of 222 km2, and has a population estimated about 28,000. Safe from sharks, the lagoon of Sainte Marie Island is endowed with significant coralline growth. Its underwater fauna is preserved as a natural heritage and first-class diving site in the Indian Ocean. Ile Sainte Marie is the best place in Madagascar for whale watching. The island is 50 km long and 7 km at its widest point. The south and the north of the island are the best beach and there are plenty of high standing hotels.
After the morning breakfast, your personal driver will pick you up from your hotel in tana heading to Andasibe national park as known as perinet park . This park is only 138 km a way from tana which takes you about four hours driving with tar road and curving. On the way, you will visit one of the practical insect and reptiles reserve at Peyrieras or known as Madagascar exotic in Marozevo owned by naturalist Andre Peyrieras. The centre provides the opportunities for close viewing of some chameleons, leaf tailed geckos, butterflies, crocodiles, Verreaux’s sifaka and common brown lemurs that are habituated. This is an option but you can skip it if you are not keen on it. Then you will pass the next the big town called “Moramanga “ where we will stop for lunch and allow you to photograph local people at the open market .While you arrive in andasibe park , you have an option to have night walk seeing mouse lemurs and other nocturnal wonders.
Recommended accommodation : overnight at analamazaotra hotel , hotel feon'y ala or grace lodge hotel for midrange option and at sahatandra hotel , vakona lodge , andasibe hotel and Mantadia lodge for luxury option . ( bed and breakfast are included )