Discovery · Nature
Immersive Journey: Tsingy, Culture and Adventure
From the Tsingy de Bemaraha to the wild beaches of the south-west, from coastal tracks to the rainforests of Ranomafana: a grand tour of Madagascar off the beaten track, where nature, culture, adventure and human encounters are experienced to the full.
- 19 days
- West, South & Highlands
- Quote within 48 h
At a glance
Trip highlights
- A true grand tour of Madagascar, off the beaten track, balancing adventure, nature and culture
- The legendary Avenue of the Baobabs, at sunset over the red earth of Menabe
- Exceptional biodiversity, from the Tsingy de Bemaraha to the rainforests of Ranomafana
- A spectacular overland journey along the west coast, discovering the wild shores of the south-west
- Immersion in the life of coastal villages, rich in genuine encounters
- Well-earned beach breaks at Belo-sur-Mer, Salary and Ifaty
- Zafimaniry heritage in Ambositra, a woodcarving tradition recognised by UNESCO
Your route
- Antananarivo
- Morondava
- Tsingy de Bemaraha
- Belo-sur-Mer
- Salary
- Ifaty
- Isalo
- Ranomafana
- Ambositra
A flight from Antananarivo to Morondava (not included), then a private vehicle with a French-speaking driver for the rest of the tour.
Day by day
The itinerary
A 19-day itinerary that can be fully tailored: every stage can be adapted to your pace and wishes.
Day 01
Arrival in Antananarivo
Welcome to Madagascar! You are met at Antananarivo airport and transferred to your hotel. Your grand tour of the island begins here.
Overnight at the Royal Palissandre, bed and breakfast
Antananarivo
Day 02
Antananarivo – Morondava
After breakfast, and depending on the flight schedule, transfer to the airport for your flight to Morondava, on the west coast. You are met on arrival and settle into your hotel.
Overnight at the Palissandre Côte Ouest, half board
Morondava
Day 03
Morondava – Bekopaka
200 km, about 8 hours on dirt tracks
A very early start, after breakfast, for the journey to the village of Bekopaka. You stop at Belo-sur-Tsiribihina for lunch at your own expense, then cross the Tsiribihina by ferry to the right bank.
The track continues to the foot of the Tsingy de Bemaraha, at the entrance to the national park. Arrival in the late afternoon and check-in at the hotel.
Overnight at the Olympe du Bemaraha, half board
Tsiribihina River · Bekopaka
Days 04 – 05
Bemaraha National Park
Two days in the heart of the park. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990, the tsingy cover part of the Bemaraha limestone plateau and lie within the national park of the same name, created in 1997. With their network of rifts, crevasses and blocks carved into razor-sharp blades, they form one of Madagascar’s most spectacular landscapes. The park, which borders the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, centres on two formations: the Great Tsingy and the Little Tsingy.
This mineral world is home to remarkable biodiversity, rich in endemic species: nearly 400 animal species (mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians) and no fewer than 900 native plants have been recorded here.
With your guide, you glide by pirogue down the Manambolo, between steep gorges and the jagged pinnacles of the tsingy. For those who wish to explore the underground galleries of the canyons, caving trips are also available.
Two nights at the Olympe du Bemaraha, with dinner
Tsingy de Bemaraha
Day 06
Bekopaka – Morondava
190 km, about 9 hours on bumpy tracks
On the way back, the track passes through the Avenue of the Baobabs, 15 km from Morondava. With its massive trees, this unmissable site offers a magnificent landscape, especially when the sun sets over the red, dusty earth of Menabe.
Morondava is also a land of distinctive customs: here you discover Sakalava funerary art, known for its erotic frescoes and sculptures, which tell the stories of the dead and symbolise life and procreation.
Overnight at the Palissandre Côte Ouest, half board
Avenue of the Baobabs
Day 07
Morondava – Belo-sur-Mer
100 km, about 4 hours on sandy tracks
After breakfast, you meet your guide at around 8 am for a briefing on the journey, then set off along the great coastal track. On arrival, a lazy half-day awaits you before the great expedition begins.
If you wish, you can visit the salt pans, the boatyard and a village of Vezo fishermen, the people of this region.
Overnight at the Ecolodge du Menabe, full board
Day 08
Belo-sur-Mer
A free day by the sea, to enjoy Belo-sur-Mer at your own pace.
Overnight at the Ecolodge du Menabe, full board
Day 09
Belo-sur-Mer – Morombe
305 km, about 6 hours on sandy tracks
A real day of adventure: through salt pans, river fords and bush, the track takes you all the way to Morombe.
Overnight at the Palétuvier, full board
Day 10
Morombe – Salary
165 km, about 4 hours on sandy tracks
A long day’s crossing along the coastal track, which winds at times between villages and dunes.
Overnight at the Mamirano Lodge, full board
Salary
Day 11
Salary
A well-deserved lazy day after the long days on the track. An optional boat trip out to sea is available.
Overnight at the Mamirano Lodge, full board
Day 12
Salary – Ifaty
105 km, about 4 hours on sandy tracks
Depending on when you wake up, you head for the village of Ifaty for one last lazy day.
Overnight at the Vovotelo Lodge, half board
Ifaty
Day 13
Ifaty – Toliara – Ranohira
220 km on tarmac, about 5 hours including stops
Breakfast at 8.30 am, then you meet your guide for a briefing on the journey. Orientation tour of Toliara, the “City of the Sun”, and lunch at your own expense.
You then take the RN 7 towards the village of Ranohira. Along the way, erosion has carved sandstone and rock into a fantastical world amid unusual vegetation: natural sculptures you could admire for hours. Arrival in the late afternoon.
Overnight at the Relais de la Reine, half board
Toliara · Ranohira
Day 14
Isalo National Park
A day devoted to exploring the park (lunch at your own expense). Several trails are offered on site to suit your fitness level, taking in sites such as these:
- The Canyon des Makis and the Canyon des Rats
- The Cascade des Nymphes (Nymphs’ Waterfall)
- The Piscine Naturelle (Natural Pool)
- The Grotte des Portugais (Portuguese Cave)
Overnight at the Relais de la Reine, half board
Isalo National Park
Day 15
Ranohira – Ranomafana
After a hearty breakfast, you set off for Ranomafana by way of Fianarantsoa, where you enjoy an orientation tour of the old town. Lunch on the way, at your own expense. You then descend gently to Ranomafana National Park, arriving in the late afternoon.
Overnight at the Thermal Hôtel, half board
Fianarantsoa
Day 16
Ranomafana – Ambositra
A morning in Ranomafana National Park, deep in the tropical rainforest of south-eastern Madagascar. Created in 1991 to conserve the unique biodiversity of this ecosystem and ease human pressure on it, it is part of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana World Heritage Site. The forest is home to several rare plant and animal species, including the golden bamboo lemur, the greater bamboo lemur, the black-and-white ruffed lemur and Milne-Edwards’ sifaka, as well as more than 130 species of frog.
After lunch at your own expense, you continue by road to Ambositra.
Overnight at Chez Victor l’artisan, half board
Ranomafana National Park
Day 17
Ambositra – Antsirabe
90 km of winding road, about 4.5 hours
After a leisurely start and a hearty breakfast, the morning is devoted to Ambositra’s precious-wood carving workshops. This Zafimaniry art is an ancestral skill handed down from generation to generation, inscribed by UNESCO in 2008 on the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Its mortise-and-tenon joinery, without nails or screws, is unique.
This heritage lives on in the architecture of traditional houses, where every geometric motif carved on shutters, doors and furniture carries deep symbolic and spiritual meaning, reflecting Zafimaniry culture and its relationship with nature.
After lunch at your own expense, you head for Antsirabe, a spa town nicknamed the “Malagasy Vichy”. Arrival in the late afternoon and check-in at the hotel.
Overnight at the Arotel, half board
Ambositra
Day 18
Antsirabe – Antananarivo
After breakfast, you explore Antsirabe, regarded as the capital of the pousse-pousse (the local rickshaw), not forgetting its workshops for embroidery, miniatures and handmade sweets. Lunch at your own expense, then back to the capital.
Overnight at the Royal Palissandre, half board
Antsirabe
Day 19
Antananarivo – Departure
Depending on your flight schedule, a vehicle is at your disposal for an orientation tour of the “City of the Thousand” and some last-minute souvenir shopping. Transfer to the airport and flight home. End of our services.
Antananarivo
Clear and simple
What the price includes
The price includes
- Hotel accommodation throughout the trip
- Breakfasts and dinners as stated in the programme, except on the first day
- All transport by private vehicle with a French-speaking driver, including fuel, road taxes and parking
- All activities mentioned in the programme (entrance fees, local guides in each park and reserve)
The price does not include
- Lunches and dinners not mentioned or left free throughout the trip
- Activities not mentioned in the programme or taken on free or leisure days
- Tips, drinks and personal expenses
- International and domestic flights
- Insurance
Good to know BEMIRAY Tours’ insurance does not cover clients for repatriation or illness.
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Immersive Journey: Tsingy, Culture and Adventure
Ask for a detailed, no-obligation quote or book your dates straight away: we reply within 48 hours.
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