West of Madagascar Tour

Helinirina Raharomanana – Madagascar Tours Guide

West of Madagascar Tour

West of Madagascar Tour - Itinerary

Circuit : Antananarivo – Antsirabe – Miandrivazo – Tsiribihina – Morondava – Kirindy

  • Day 1 – Antananarivo
  • Day 2 – Antananarivo – Antsirabe
  • Day 3 – Antsirabe – Miandrivazo
  • Day 4 – Miandrivazo – The Tsiribihina river tour
  • Day 5 – Tsingy de Bemaraha
  • Day 6 – Morondava
  • Day 7 – Kirindy
  • Day 8 – Kirindy – Morondava
  • Day 9 – Morondava – Antananarivo
  • Day 10 – Return to the country of origin

West of Madagascar Tour - Details of the itinerary

In addition to the various circuits particularly elaborated to make you discover the main tourist routes of the Big Island, Madagascar Tours Guide continues to make you dream through many other circuits such as the Madagascar circuit in small group, Madagascar circuit in 10 days, Nosy be Madagascar tour, personalized circuits or cheap circuit in Madagascar. Our car rental service in Madagascar also remains available for those who already have enough experience on the roads in Madagascar.

 

This time, our guide will take you to visit the wonderful places of the western part of the island through the West of Madagascar Tour.

Day 1 - Antananarivo

The day of your arrival, after your installation at the hotel, your guide will make you visit the City of the Thousand from which the name Antananarivo and its famous traditional houses built on the hill of Analamanga, the Queen’s palace, the district where the Anosy lake is located as well as the famous avenue of the independence in Analakely.

 

In the afternoon, you will be driven to some historical places like the Rova (former royal palace) of Ambohimanga in the north of the capital, the one of Ambohidrabiby and llafy. The capital is often the starting point of many tours such as the north of Madagascar tour, the southern circuit, east, west or other custom tours in Madagascar.

Day 2 - Antananarivo - Antsirabe

The next day, you will head towards Antsirabe, the capital of the Vakinankaratra region by traversing the magnificent landscape of the central highlands along the National Road 7. Upon arrival, the visit of the city by rickshaw, the one of the big market of Asabotsy and some old buildings of the colonial period like the hotel of the Thermal baths is essential.

 

In the afternoon, your guide will drive you to the lake of Andraikiba and the lake of Tritriva, about ten kilometers from the city of Antsirabe. You will be installed in your hotel in Antsirabe in the evening.

The bypass road to the National Road 7

Day 3 - Antsirabe - Miandrivazo

On the third day of your tour in the West of Madagascar and after a busy day in Antsirabe, head for Miandrivazo, a stopover town before the great adventure in the Tsiribihina River. On 220 km of journey from Antsirabe by taking the National Road 34, you will cross a vast expanse of golden savanna which constitutes a semi-desert landscape of the middle-west which one qualifies as the Malagasy Far West.

 

Arrived at Miandrivazo, a very quiet city in general for the part a little far from the market. It is also one of the hottest cities in Madagascar. Take advantage of the time of day to take a walk on the heights of the city, on the Mahajilo river while waiting for the dinner and the installation in your hotel.

Une vue superbe sur un pont entre Antsirabe et Miandrivazo

Day 4 - Miandrivazo - The Tsiribihina river tour

Early the next day, you will get ready to join Masiakampy, the pier for the Tsiribihina river tour in traditional canoe 137 km long. It is both an adventure and the discovery of a breathtaking landscape where live a fauna and flora endemic to the region. Throughout the descent, you will witness the magic of the landscape in perpetual change, from a lush vegetation to the progressive presence of forests.

 

The Tsiribihina river tour is particularly marked by enormous cliffs which overhang all along the river. During your passage on the waterfall of Anosiampela, you will be able to indulge in swimming, surrounded by a natural and picturesque setting. In the evening, you will spend the night in a bivouac under a festive atmosphere animated by the pirogues.

The pier for a descent of the Tsiribihina river
The turquoise water on the waterfall of Anosiampela

Day 5 - Tsingy de Bemaraha

Arriving at the 5th day of your West of Madagascar tour, you will join Bekopaka, a first stage of the journey to the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park at 110 km on board an all-terrain vehicle. The next step consists of a pedestrian incursion in the site of the Tsingy (a karstic landscape constituted of limestone massifs shaped by erosion whose whole reminds a landscape of the Jurassic). For a few hours, you will admire the whole of the fairy landscape of the Tsingy, walk through the mazes forming underground labyrinths, enter the caves that testify the traces of ancient presence of marine elements.

 

This route is worthy of a hiking tour in Madagascar. Do not miss the magnificent view on the limestone cathedrals, the observation of endemic fauna and flora including lemurs, spinescent and dwarf vegetation. The visit of the small Tsingy will close your day in the Tsingy of Bemaraha before going to join the lodge to spend the night.

Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park in the West Madagascar tour

Day 6 - Bekopaka - Morondava

After this day very rich in discovery, you will leave Bekopaka to join Morondava, the capital of baobabs. The journey will consist of a transfer in 4×4 on a sandy track of 240 km and two ferry crossings on the rivers of Manambolo and Tsiribihina. The journey will last about 12 hours through a landscape of contrast, laterite soil and savannah trees … Throughout the journey, you will meet everywhere smiles and warm welcome of the population of the region. You will arrive at Belo sur Tsiribihina halfway to Morondava. By taking the National Road 8 and 38, you will head towards the capital of the baobabs.

 

In Morondava, don’t miss to immortalize your passage on the baobab avenue and to attend the unique spectacle of the sunset on this mythical place of the west of Madagascar. In the evening, you will have the right to a well-deserved rest in a hotel in Morondava.

Day 7 - Visit of the Kirindy reserve

The next day, your guide will make you visit the Kirindy Mitea National Park located 70 km south of Morondava. This site was classified as a RAMSAR site and biosphere reserve in 2016 by UNESCO. The Kirindy reserve is the fusion point between the biodiversity of southern and western Madagascar. The park is populated mostly by dense dry forests, thorny bushes and scrub as well as a brackish coastal lake… This ecosystem is home to endemic species such as lemurs, reptiles, birds

 

In the afternoon, you will be free to take a tour of the surrounding village or rest in your hotel in Kirindy.

Chameleon that you can discover in the Reserve of Kirindy
Species of lemur in the reserve of Kirindy

Day 8 - Kirindy - Morondava

The next morning, you will go back to Belo on Tsiribihina before going back to Morondava by taking the National Road 38 and 8.

 

Arriving in Morondava in the late afternoon, your driver-guide will take you to your hotel where you will spend the night before heading back to the capital. By adding some itineraries according to the traveler’s wish, it is possible to organize a 15 days tour in Madagascar by opting for the Malagasy west.

Direction to Morondava
Hotel in Morondava

Day 9 - Morondava - Antananarivo

The day before your return to the capital where you will take the flight back to your country of origin you will take again the National Road 34 to reach the capital through Miandrivazo and Antsirabe.

 

On the way back, your guide will not fail to drive you to the handicraft markets on the side of the road to allow you to bring souvenir items of your stay in Madagascar. Once you arrive in Antananarivo, you will be settled in your hotel awaiting your departure for the next day.

The beauty of the city of Morondava

Day 10 - Return to the country of origin

At the end of your western tour of Madagascar, our guide will take care of your transfer to the international airport of Ivato to return to your country of origin.

Road to the international airport of Ivato Antananarivo
A small collection of handmade products as souvenirs
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West of Madagascar Tour - Map

West of Madagascar Tour - Video