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9-Day Great Western Madagascar

Customisable Itinerary
4.0 • (1 review)

Trip Overview

This original and adventurous trip will drop you in the heart of Great Western Madagascar!

You'll go off the beaten track to discover the natural sites of this great red island, passing by high plateaus of the Imerina region with Antsirabe and its desert rice paddies carpets before arriving in the mysterious Tsingys of Bemaraha.

Onboard your motorised barge for three days, you will cross the Tsiribihina River and admire the Manambolo gorges with all the charming typical villages and the endemic fauna and flora of this great island.

Your trip will end at the Baobabs’ Avenue - all the more beautiful at sunset.
Outdoors & Nature
Culture & Arts
Sightseeing

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Itinerary

Day 1

Begin Your Great Western Madagascar Tour & Travel from Antananarivo to Antsirabe

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Begin Your Great Western Madagascar Tour & Travel from Antananarivo to Antsirabe

Today, you'll journey from the capital of Antananarivo to Antsirabe to begin your great western Madagascar tour. Along the way, you'll discover the central highlands with their paddy fields and the traditional architecture with an added French influence. In the afternoon, you'll tour Antsirabe in a colourful rickshaw, an iconic characteristic of this city. You'll tour around the city, crossing the large avenues lined with jacarandas, to see the main sites such as the train station.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Couleur Café4 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Aluminum Smelter in Ambatolampy

    Rickshaw Tour of Antsirabe

    Antsirabe Train Station

    Antsirabe Cathedral

    Andraikiba Lake

  • restaurant icon
    Restaurants

    Couleur Café

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Private Driver from Antananarivo to Antsirabe

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Dinner

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Ambatolampy

    Antsirabe

    Antananarivo Province

Day 2

Antsirabe Sweets & Workshop Tour then Travel to Miandrivazo

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Antsirabe Sweets & Workshop Tour then Travel to Miandrivazo

After touring the delights of Antsirabe in the morning, you'll journey towards the middle-east of Madagascar through the mountain chain of Bongolava. As you enter Miandrivazo, you'll see that the massive granite gives way to sedimentary rocks. The city is wedged between the chain of Bongolava to the east and the plateau of Bemaraha west, which makes the city one of the hottest Madagascar with an annual average of 28°C.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Princesse Tsiribihina3 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Chez Marcel Bon Bon Factory

    Miniature Workshop Chez Mamy

    Zebu Horn Workshop

  • restaurant icon
    Restaurants

    Princesse Tsiribihina

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Private Driver from Antsirabe to Miandrivazo

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast and dinner

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Antsirabe

    Toliara Province

Day 3

Miandrivazo to Tsiribihina River & Begin Your Three-Day River Camping Experience

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Miandrivazo to Tsiribihina River & Begin Your Three-Day River Camping Experience

This morning, you'll transfer to Masiakampy's jetty, located about 30 kilometres from Miandrivazo. The trip is about two hours long. When you arrive, you will board the motorised barge and start your three-day cruise down the Tsiribihina River, discovering the many flora and fauna that have made the river their home. Each night, you will anchor at the river side and the cruise staff will assemble your camp for the night.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Bivouac on Tsiribihina River Bank3 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Tsiribihina Three-Day River Trip

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Private Driver from Princesse Tsiribihina to Masiakampy

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast, lunch and dinner

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Toliara Province

    Belo Tsiribihina

Day 4

Tsiribihina River Trip: Anosiampely Waterfall & Traditional Villages

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Tsiribihina River Trip: Anosiampely Waterfall & Traditional Villages

Today, your river trip on the Tsiribihina continues. You will make a stop for a visit to the foot of a huge waterfall and stroll through the forest to reach the natural pool, where of course you can swim. In the afternoon, you'll also step off the barge to visit some small traditional villages like Berevo. In the evening, you'll have the chance to attend a Sakalava village animation before retiring to your camp.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Bivouac on Tsiribihina River Bank3 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Tsiribihina Three-Day River Trip

    Anosiampely Waterfall

    Begidro and Berevo Village

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast, lunch and dinner

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Belo Tsiribihina

Day 5

Disembark Your River Cruise & Travel to the Tsingy of Bemaraha

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Disembark Your River Cruise & Travel to the Tsingy of Bemaraha

Today is the last day of your boat trip on the Tsiribihina River. You will have lunch on board the barge before disembarking and hitting the road towards Bekopaka, near the National Park Tsingy of Bemaraha. Once you arrive, you'll check into your stunning bungalow accommodation and have some time to relax before dinner.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Soleil des Tsingy4 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Tsiribihina Three-Day River Trip

  • restaurant icon
    Restaurants

    Soleil des Tsingy

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Private Driver from Belo Tsiribihina to Bekopaka

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast, lunch and dinner

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Belo Tsiribihina

    Mahajanga Province

Day 6

Manambolo Gorges & the Small Tsingy Tour

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Manambolo Gorges & the Small Tsingy Tour

Today, you'll take a traditional canoe ride in the gorge of Manambolo. Then, you'll visit the cave opening of a cliff. These caves are the ancient necropolis, Vazimba, the first inhabitants of the island. You'll journey into the park, discovering the small crevices of these unique formations before taking a tour to the Small Tsingy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A journey through this park is a journey like no other.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Soleil des Tsingy4 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

  • restaurant icon
    Restaurants

    Soleil des Tsingy

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast and dinner

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Mahajanga Province

Day 7

Trekking the Great Tsingy

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Trekking the Great Tsingy

Today, the circuits in the Great Tsingy will be adjusted according to your physical condition, Andamozavaky or Ranotsara are the most difficult, with open spaces, dizziness and thrills. The hike begins 17 kilometres north of the village to join Bekopaka. Gigantic shards of limestone, dense arrays of holes, deep crevices, and limestone blocks carved blades or sharp needles are all that will define your trek today as they make the Great Tsingy.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Soleil des Tsingy4 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

  • restaurant icon
    Restaurants

    Soleil des Tsingy

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast and dinner

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Mahajanga Province

Day 8

Travel to Morondava & Sunset at Baobabs Avenue

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Travel to Morondava & Sunset at Baobabs Avenue

This morning, you'll transfer to Morondava to end your western Madagascar trip; the journey will take most of the day. Towards the end of your journey, you'll stop at the sacred baobab, along the way to the Avenue of Baobabs to catch one last sunset on the last night of your trip. The Baobab is a tree endemic to Madagascar, that has become well-known for its unique formation. In the evening, you'll have dinner at your hotel.

  • accommodation icon
    Accommodation

    Kimony Resort3 star

  • activities icon
    Activities

    Avenue of the Baobabs

  • restaurant icon
    Restaurants

    Kimony Resort Hotel

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Private Driver from Tsingy De Bemaraha National Park to Avenue of the Baobabs

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast and dinner

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Mahajanga Province

    Toliara Province

Day 9

Fly from Morondava to Antananarivo & End of Trip

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Fly from Morondava to Antananarivo & End of Trip

Today you will catch your flight back to the capital city as your great western Madagascar tour comes to an end. You'll have the rest of the day to rest after many days adventuring, or head out to explore the city.

  • transportations icon
    Transportations

    Private Driver from Kimony Resort Hotel to Morondava Airport

    Plane from Morondava Airport to Aéroport InternationalOptional Activity

  • meals icon
    Meals

    Breakfast

  • destination icon
    Destinations

    Toliara Province

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What’s included?

  • 8 nights accommodation
  • 14 activities
  • 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 8 dinners
  • Airport transfer

What’s not included?

  • Alcohol beverages
  • Domestic flights
  • Entrance fees
  • Entry visas / airport departure tax
  • Gratuities
  • Ground transportation
  • International flights
  • Laundry
  • Licensed English speaking guides
  • Personal expenses
  • Travel insurance
  • Trekking permits
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