Environment and People of the East

This trip is a combination of calm, discovery and adventure, and focuses on the Pangalane Canal excursion. In addition to our Tsingy and baobabs in the West, our islands in the North and our Isalo limestones in the South, you will discover what makes us famous in the eastern part of the island. We will show you along this crossing, the houses on stilts that border the canal. Secondary forests abounding with life.
It should be noted that the Pangalane Canal was built in 1896 because the Indian Ocean was impassable. To better allow communications, this canal had to be dug, in addition to the creation of the train linking Fianarantsoa-Manakara

  • Itineraries
  • Dates and prices
  • Notes

  • Day 1

    • ANTANANARIVO
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    Arrival in Antananarivo, personal welcome by our team and transfer.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 2

    • ANTANANARIVO
    • ANTSIRABE
    • BETAFO
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    Departure for Antsirabe 170 km from Antananarivo. Crossing the landscapes of the Highlands by a winding road lined with small waterfalls extending the view on rice paddies arranged in terraces. We pass by Ambatolampy the city of artisanal foundries: visit a small factory of aluminium pots. This trade supports several families in the region. Arrival in the afternoon. Visit of the city and its craftsmen working with the zebus horn..... In the early afternoon, we continue to the village of Manandona in the heart of the rural countryside. Dinner and overnight stay with local people.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 3

    • BETAFO
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    We leave for a walking tour in the rural countryside of Vakinakaratra. We cross the rice fields and the small villages typical of the region. Depending on the period, visit of small village schools and schoolchildren. Meeting with the farmers of the Highlands who will introduce us to their culture and daily life... Dinner and overnight stay with the locals.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 4

    • BETAFO
    • 262 km about 2.3 h
    • FIANARANTSOA
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    We take the road towards Fianarantsoa, capital of the Betsileo Highlands. Stop in Ambositra to visit Zafimaniry workshops specialized in marquetry and precious wood carvings. A know-how that was added in 2008 by UNESCO to the list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. In the afternoon, we continue the road towards Fianarants
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 5

    • FIANARANTSOA
    • MANAKARA
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    (163 km parcours en train) Très tôt le matin, embarquement à bord du train. Du temps de la colonisation, cette voie a été créée pour désenclaver les quelques milliers de populations qui vivent dans cette zone. Le parcours traverse : 17 gares, 67 ponts, et 47 tunelles et nous emmene à traverser de belles forêts tropicales et de beaux paysages propres à cette région. Par ailleurs chaque passage du train dans la journée est toujours très attendu par les riverains dont le survi en dépend. Le temps d‘arrêt dans chaque gares est rythmé par la durée des chargements et déchargement des marchandises : fruits, legumes, …. Ce qui nous permet de déscendre du train et de faire une visite éclaire du village tout près et de son marché. Un voyage unique qui vous baigne dans une ambiance très folkorique. Arrivée à Manakara dans la soirée suivant la durée du voyage.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 6

    • MANAKARA
    • 196 km about 4 h
    • MANANJARY
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    Morning drive to Mananjary. You will cross different typical villages in the shade of the badamiers, with their colourful markets, women with multicoloured lambahoany (pareos) hips wandering with nonchalance in this welcoming environment... Free lunch in Mananjary. In the afternoon, courtesy visit of the village Antemoro and its market. Dinner and overnight stay in an inn in the heart of the village.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 7

    • MANANJARY
    • NOSY VARIKA
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    In the morning, we embark on board a barge and start sailing on the Canal des Pangalanes. We will discover all along the navigation: a luxuriant vegetation, some villages that live at the rhythm of the water. We cross the taxi-brousse canoes, the transport rafts loaded with fruits, vegetables,... which ensure the connection and supply of the villages on the banks... We resume our navigation on the Canal. We stop along the river to visit small plantations of vanilla, cinnamon, coffee, cocoa... Picnic lunch on the beach by the lagoon and then we go on a hiking excursion in the thick forest populated by: bamboos, palm trees, ferns, pandanus, a few species of orchids... For bird lovers, wild birds can be observed throughout our trip: fishing martins, parakeets, or herons... We arrive in the village of Nosy Varika where lemurs once lived before the arrival of fishermen.night in a bush lodge. (4 hours of navigation)
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 8

    • NOSY VARIKA
    • MAHANORO
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    Last morning of navigation on the canal, the water hyacinths cover almost the entire canal up to the mouth of Mangoro before reaching the small town of Mahanoro after lunch. By road we drive to Vatomandry. (70 km approximately 3 hours of navigation)
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 9

    • New location
    • VOHIMANA
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    Drive towards Ambavaniasy through the lush and green landscapes typical of the East Coast. Lunch along the way. In the early afternoon, we take a track to reach our cottage. Welcome drink and presentation of your activity program. First approach to discover the nocturnal fauna of the Vohimana reserve. Vohimana is a reserve in the heart of the forest corridor of eastern Madagascar created by the NGO L'Homme et l'Environnement which, in order to protect the forest, decided to engage in participatory tourism so that villagers could directly benefit from the resources derived from the forest. Arrival at the end of the day. Installation in your small bungalows. Dinner and overnight stay.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 10

    • VOHIMANA
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    Visit of the Relais du Naturaliste estate...Swimming in a natural swimming pool. Then discovery of the basketry workshop: learning and making a personal object. At the end of the day, return to the cottage.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 11

    • VOHIMANA
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    Discovery day and visit of the experimental farm and the nursery. Departure on a walking tour in the heart of the primary forest, Indri-Indri territory (largest species of lemurs) to the great waterfall... discovery of a varied flora... Visit and discovery of the functioning of the distillery: initiation to the manufacture of essential oils.... Return to the cottage at the end of the day.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 12

    • VOHIMANA
    • ANTANANARIVO
    • ANJOZOROBE
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    Early morning departure, stop in the village of Ambavaniasy for a visit to the health centre and school. Then drive towards Antananarivo. Arrival in the late morning. In the afternoon, we continue towards Anjozorobe, one of the last remnants of the dense tropical rainforest of the highlands. Installation at Mananara Lodge at the end of the day at the edge of the forest.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 13

    • ANJOZOROBE
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    2 days of hiking in the primary forest of Anjozorobe, which to date is known for its remarkable biodiversity: more than 423 plant species have been counted within the forest, 65% of which are endemic; 11 species of lemurs have been recorded (Indri, Propithecus Diadema, Microcebus...), 82 species of birds (43 of which are endemic)... We will also have the opportunity to visit a typical village and discover their daily life...
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 14

    • ANJOZOROBE
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    2 days of hiking in the primary forest of Anjozorobe, which to date is known for its remarkable biodiversity: more than 423 plant species have been counted within the forest, 65% of which are endemic; 11 species of lemurs have been recorded (Indri, Propithecus Diadema, Microcebus...), 82 species of birds (43 of which are endemic)... We will also have the opportunity to visit a typical village and discover their daily life...
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

  • Day 15

    • ANJOZOROBE
    • ANTANANARIVO
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    In the morning, return to the capital. Visit of the Upper Town and then the artisanal market of the dike in the late morning. Transfer and assistance for international correspondence.
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dîner
    • Accomodation
    • Activity
    • Photo

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