Itinerary
Canoeing Tsiribihina
From Antananarivo / to Antananarivo, 9 days / 8 nights, February to November
Highlights:
Canoeing down the Tsiribihina River in a traditional wooden boat –
Anosin’ Ampela waterfall –
Andranomena Special Reserve –
Avenue of the Baobabs –
Walks and Exploration of the baobab forest –
Towns: Antananarivo – Antsirabe – Miandrivazo – Belo sur Tsiribihina – Morondava
An adventurous pirogue (canoe) tour, through beautiful landscapes, camping on the shores of the Tsiribihina River. Visiting waterfalls, and gorges. Maybe have the opportunity to spot some birds, lemurs and other animals along the way.
Day 1
Pick-up at Antananarivo airport or your hotel. Drive to Antsirabe. The drive takes us across the highland landscape with its beautiful rice fields and its spectacular eroded hills called ‘lavaka’ and through a lush green landscape where vegetables and fruits are farmed. We will take a tour of the city, wandering through wide, palm-lined boulevards. Also we visit some artisan production. Night in colonial style des Thermes hotel where, in earlier years, farmers from the East coast relaxed.
Included meals: lunch, dinner
Day 2
Antsirabe, from where we start, is a lovely town and a stroll around its streets will bring you in contact with some fantastic little shops selling Malagasy artefacts and handicrafts. It is a very peculiar town because of its charming characteristics. Industrial town – agricultural town – tourist town. After a short visit of the town we drive to Miandrivazo, about 220 km. We pass a moonlike landscape. Here is the starting point of the pirogue tour. Hotel Le Gîte de la Tsiribihina.
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3
We begin our calm water river journey on the majestic Tsiribihina River. We travel approximately 160 km’s on the river, using traditional boats made out of one trunk of wood. Those trees are endemic to Madagascar or the region. Nowadays pirogue builders are rare as more and more motorboats are coming up. The trip is slow and you can relax and enjoy calls of birds such as bee-eater, coucal, pied crow… We will occasionally work together to lift the boat over high sand banks. Our trip will take us about 160km along the river, finally arriving in Belo sur Tsiribihina, a city 100 km north of Morondava. Three nights in tent, meals are served on the shore; campsites on the Tsiribihina River are usually large sandbars with smooth and clean tent sites.
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4
On the river we pass several ranges of wooded hills on our way. Today we continue passing the Gorge of Bemaraha with its steep rocks before we stop at Anosin' Ampela, a wonderful waterfall where we can refresh ourselves. Also cloth washing is fast done. We will see dense vegetation along the riverbanks, towering cliffs and baobab forests. Water birds, fruit bats and lemurs will accompany our journey.
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5
This morning we rise early for our relaxing boat trip downstream along the Tsiribihina River. Passing through diverse landscapes, isolated natural wilderness beside the Tsiribihina River, reminding us how far away we are from home. We continue to pass by some villages where on the way long the river kids wave their hands with their smiles saying: hello.
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6
A last day on the Tsiribihina before we say ‘Good bye’ to the Tsiribihina. Also this last part of the pirogue trip leads us to beautiful landscapes with rice fields on banks. We arrive at Belo sur Tsiribihina in the afternoon. We have a 10-minutes walk to the hotel after an oxcart loaded of our luggage. Once arrived we enjoy a welcome drink in the hotel du Menabe.
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7
We travel south by 4x4 vehicles to the Andranomena Special Reserve. The Reserve is a wonderland of baobabs, like a triple baobab, a manlike baobab and a womanlike baobab as well as lemurs and lakes. We enjoy a picnic lunch in the forest and walking in the Reserve. We try to catch sunset at the ‘Avenue of the Baobab’ between Belo sur Tsiribihina and Morondava. More than a dozen majestic old giant baobabs (Adansonia grandidieri) growing next to the track. The day's last golden rays strike the bloated trunks from the west. Night in Morondava Beach.
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8
After the strain of the last days, depending on your flight schedule, you can relax in at Morondava Beach hotel in Morondava. Transfer to the airport of Morondava, pick-up at Antananarivo airport, transfer to Le Relais des Plateaux hotel, overnight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 9
Transfer to Antananarivo Airport. – End of service. –
Included meals: breakfast
Complementary information:
Duration of tour: 9 days
Car: 2 days
4WD: 1 day
Pirogue tour: 4 days
Trekking: 1 tour of two hours
The pirogue or ‘lakana’ how it is called in Madagascar is a wooden boat made out of one trunk. They are made out of endemic hard wood like Soarafo or Arofy. They are 9 to 11 metres long and 50 to 60 cm large. Mostly are two persons in a pirogue. Of course there is a boatman who rows and navigates the pirogue.
Campsites on the Tsiribihina River are usually large sandbars with smooth and clean tent sites. All camping equipment is provided (spacious tents, 3-cm self-inflating mattress, blanket, sleeping bag, pillow).
Included services: overnight in the hotels in double room, during the river tour in tent, meals as mentioned, including 1 ½ l of mineral water per person per day, going by traditional pirogue, car or 4WD, all transfers, all entrance fees, English speaking tour leader, local guide at the visited park, tip for drivers, local guides, porters, waiters etc. The tour can be changed according to circumstances.
Not included: flights, drinks except mentioned, private expenses.
Requirements: you should like camping, teamgeist.
Please note: for this tour is one inbound flight required that is not included in the tour price.
This tour is customisable.
2 persons - 1150 Euro per person
3 persons - 1140 Euro per person
4 persons - 980 Euro per person
5 persons - 950 Euro per person
6 persons - 895 Euro per person
7 or 8 persons - 795 Euro per person
9 or 10 persons - 750 Euro per person
11 or 12 persons - 700 Euro per person
Single room surcharge - 140 Euro
Group departures 2008, guaranteed with a minimum of two persons, 700 Euro sharing:
Monday,
11th and 25th February
10th and 24th March
7th and 21st April
12th and 26th May
9th and 23rd June
7th and 21st July
11th and 25th August
8th and 22nd September
6th and 20th October
3rd and 17th November
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
2 persons - 1150 Euro per person
3 persons - 1140 Euro per person
4 persons - 980 Euro per person
5 persons - 950 Euro per person
6 persons - 895 Euro per person
7 or 8 persons - 795 Euro per person
9 or 10 persons - 750 Euro per person
11 or 12 persons - 700 Euro per person
Single room surcharge - 140 Euro
Single room supplement 50 Euro
Departure with a minimum of two persons guaranteed on:
24th April 2007
22nd Mai 2007
19th June 2007
10th July 2007
31st July 2007
21st August 2007
25th September 2007
23rd October 2007
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Madagascar
Canoeing/Kayaking/Rafting
Birdwatching
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