Madagascar

PLACES/TRIPS

Antananarivo Airport

I arrived at 11.30 at night on a plane carrying 450+ passengers and it took me over two hours to clear immigration, find my luggage and go through customs. There are no signs to tell you which of the several queues you should join and very few officials to deal with the simultaneous arrival of so many people. The result was chaos as people went from one queue to another trying to work out which one they should be in. When I finally found the right one I had to wait an hour and a half while a handful of immigration officers laboriously wrote out each visa by hand and stamped each passport. Having finally completed these formalities, it took another hour to drive to my hotel in downtown Tana. So be warned! Not a very encouraging introduction to the country!

Ialatsara Lemur Forest Camp

This reserve is a good place to break your journey if you’re travelling between Ambositra and Fianarantsoa. The owners are very welcoming and you can do a game walk on the property to see lemurs. There is also a small restaurant (www.madagascar-lemuriens.com/).

FCE train from Fianarantsoa to Manakara

The FCE train at Fianarantsoa

(Click on the photos to make them bigger)

My train left fairly punctually (at 8am, only one hour late) and took 12 hours to get to Manakara, which is pretty good going compared with some people’s experiences. Apparently it has arrived as late as midnight on some days. The journey is interesting (I wouldn’t use the LP guide’s word: “fascinating”, especially if you’ve done other scenic train rides). The scenery is attractive, but not spectacular. Perhaps the most interesting part are the stations where the train stops and where you can get off to stretch your legs and buy food or drinks and chat with the local people. It’s OK for the first 4 or 5 hours, but then becomes a bit repetitive and monotonous. Tourists usually travel in the best carriage, though local people can also book seats in it, so this is another opportunity to talk to Malagasy people. The carriage is very dilapidated and extremely cramped, however, and there’s very little legroom, so it’s a rather uncomfortable ride. If you can arrange to be picked up at one of the stations down the line after a few hours and then continue your journey by 4X4, you won’t really have missed much.

Ranomafana National Park

Quite a scenic park with a river running through it and clearly-marked trails that are quite steep in places. Apparently there are 11 species of lemur living within its boundaries, though I only saw a couple of them plus a tenrec and a giant jumping rat.

Anja Park

Ring-tailed lemur at Anja Park

This small park is well worth a visit. If my experience is anything to go by, you are guaranteed to see lots of ring-tailed lemurs very close up, so plenty of opportunities to watch their antics and take photos - it’s hard to put your camera down as the lemurs are so photogenic. You can see them feeding in the trees, gambolling about on the ground or sunning themselves on the large white rocks that make up the attractive landscape. If you stay at La Varangue Betsileo, you only have a short drive to the park in the morning and will be able to see the lemurs before the arrival of groups that have stayed the night in Ambalavao.

Tsiribihina River Trip

Riverboat on Tsiribihina River

I think I would recommend this trip to those who haven’t previously done any river trips in other parts of the world, but if this is not the case it is unlikely to be very interesting or memorable. The scenery is not unattractive, but at no point is it spectacular. There are some herons and kingfishers to see and one or two sections where cliffs rise up on both sides of the river, but apart from that there’s not a lot to see or do. Soon after leaving Miandrivazo on the first day my boat stopped at a waterfall with three small natural swimming pools and a troupe of brown lemurs. On the second day I visited a small, virtually deserted, village. And that was about it. To be honest, I was looking forward to the end of the trip from about halfway through the second day. Like the FCE train trip, I think it would be better if it were shorter. The whole trip could be done in two days (one night) if you left Miandrivazo early in the morning and arrived at Belo-sur-Tsiribihina late on the second day. The boat I was on was basic, but comfortable and the meals were very good. I spent the first night on the boat, but I wouldn’t recommend this as it can be uncomfortable and it gets very cold just before dawn. The second night was spent in a very small tent on a sandbar and although a bit claustrophobic was much warmer without being too hot. The other problem is that for some unknown reason the boats that do this trip have no toilet facilities of any kind, so you have to ask the captain to pull over to the bank every time nature calls. I fashioned a temporary solution to this problem by cutting the top off a litre-sized plastic bottle and this worked quite well. To conclude, perhaps the best thing I can say about this trip is that it gives you a break from the interminable hours spent on the road.

Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

Grand Tsingy de Bemaraha

This park is divided into two parts.The Petit Tsingy part is next to Bekopaka village where most of the hotels are located and a typical visit involves being paddled up the Manambolo river past some impressive cliffs where you can visit some caves. Then you paddle back to Bekopaka and take one of the trails to climb up on top of the limestone pinnacles for good views of the surrounding area. The Grand Tsingy is an hour’s drive away over a bumpy dirt road (like all the "roads" in this area). When I arrived there was a group of sifakas in the trees nearby. They didn’t seem to mind our presence and I was able to get some good close-up photos. We then followed the trail into the park and eventually reached the point where we had to put on the harnesses. Climbing up to the top of the pinnacles on the via ferrata wasn’t as difficult as the guidebooks say. As long as you are in reasonable shape and don’t suffer from vertigo it’s not a particularly difficult climb. And it’s worth the effort in order to walk on the strange landscape on top of the tsingy and admire the panoramic views. On the way back to the 4X4 we saw two subspecies of coua and a ring-tailed mongoose.

Île Sainte Marie Island

This is a nice place to spend a few days. I didn’t see all the island because it rained for the first two of the four days I was there, but for me the highlight was the Île aux Nattes. It’s a short pirogue ride away at the southern-most tip of the island. A good walk is to go from where the pirogue drops you off to the pretty village (Aniribe) at the centre of the island. From there you can walk up to the lighthouse, which has good views over the island and out to sea. You then backtrack to the village and turn left to walk through fields to the western side of the island, where there are some nice beachfront hotels where you can stop for a drink and a snack. Another interesting place is the pirates’ cemetery just outside the rather run-down main town on the island: Ambodifotatra. For a small fee a guide takes you to the cemetery and tells you about some of the people buried there. The grave with the skull and crossbones is particularly evocative. I also visited the Parc Endemika, where a guide shows you a variety of animals like lemurs, chameleons and snakes.
 

HOTELS

 

 

Résidence Lapasoa (Antananarivo)

A bit of a disappointment. The LP guide describes it as “exquisite”, but the first room I stayed in was rather cramped because it had lost quite a bit of space to make room for the bathroom. The second time I stayed there I was given a room on the top floor, which LP describes as the “loveliest” rooms in the hotel, but mine was poorly furnished and decorated, which made it a bit stark and depressing. Having said that, the hotel staff are very pleasant and they also run the excellent Kudéta restaurant next door (see below), so it’s not a bad place to stay, you just need to take the LP description with a pinch of salt. (www.lapasoa.com/)

L’Artisan (Ambositra)

A good option if you’re stopping for the night in Ambositra. Not a place to stay for many days as the rooms are a bit dark. The restaurant is OK as well.

Villa Sylvestre (Fianarantsoa)

This hotel is within easy walking distance of Fianarantsoa railway station, which is useful if you’re taking the early-morning FCE train to Manakara. The room I stayed in was large, clean and well decorated. The staff were extremely friendly and anxious to please. It doesn't have much character, but I would definitely recommend this hotel. (www.villasylvestre.com/)

La Vanille Hotel (Manakara)

Better to stay at the beach bungalows 8km outside town rather than in the main building in Manakara. The bungalows are adequately furnished and quite spacious. There’s also a beachfront restaurant where I was served the largest lobster I’ve ever eaten! (www.facebook.com/Lavanillemanakara)

Centrest Sejour Hotel (Ranomafana)

Not a bad place to stay if you’re visiting Ranomafana National Park. It has large, although somewhat spartan, but very clean rooms, a pleasant public area built around a garden and good views of the neighbouring national park and the surrounding countryside. The restaurant is also good.

La Varangue Betsileo (Ambalavao)

View from La Varangue Betsileo

A very good option if you don’t want to stay in Ambalavao itself. Run by a very friendly French couple who have lived in Madagascar for many years, this hotel has magnificent views over the surrounding fields and hills. The rooms are cosy and comfortable and there is a small pool. The dinner and breakfast I ate there were also good. (www.varangue-betsileo.com/)

La Résidence Camélia (Antsirabe)

In a residential area of Antsirabe, this hotel has large comfortable rooms and a dark, but cosy sitting area and dining room. The food is good and the staff are efficient and friendly. I stayed there twice and would happily do so again. (www.laresidencecamelia.com/)

Grand Hotel du Tsingy de Bemaraha (Bekopaka)

Nice hotel in extensive grounds with comfortable bungalows and a large pool. The restaurant is the only negative aspect; it is strangely decorated with a large bar in the middle of the room. The staff are very keen to please, but a bit lacking in experience. (www.vazimbahotel.mg/)

Chez Maggie (Morondava)

Situated right on the beach overlooking the Mozambique Channel, this is a highly recommendable hotel with good-sized rooms set in a beautiful garden with a large swimming pool. The restaurant serves good food in very pleasant surroundings. (www.chezmaggie.com/)

Vakona Forest Lodge (Andasibe)

A beautifully designed lodge surrounded by lush rainforest and next to a lake, this was one of the best places I stayed at in Madagascar. The bungalows are large and situated in attractive locations in the garden. There is a large pool and the public areas are in a large thatched circular building around a fireplace. (www.hotelvakona.com/)

Princesse Bora Lodge and Spa (Île Sainte Marie)

The pool at the Princesse Bora

This is one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed at. The LP says: “…it has everything you could possibly imagine and it’s all perfect” and the Bradt: “…excellent in every respect”. I couldn’t agree more. The large bungalows are situated in a perfectly maintained tropical garden. They are spacious and very well equipped. If I had one, very minor, criticism of the hotel, it would be that the bungalows are a bit dark inside. The hotel has a great position right on the beach facing west and has good views across the reef to the mainland. There is a designer pool and all the public areas are very comfortable. Half board is a good option as there aren’t many dining alternatives nearby and the food is quite sophisticated and tasty. There is a wine cellar which stocks reasonably priced wine from South Africa, South America and France. The staff are very professional and efficient. All in all, a great place to spend a few days. (www.princesse-bora.com/)
 

RESTAURANTS

 

Kudéta Restaurant (Antananarivo)

A cosy restaurant with tasteful décor serving some very nice modern dishes. In this case I agree with LP’s very positive description. (www.lapasoa.com/kudeta-restaurant-club/)

Café de la Gare (Antananarivo)

Whilst I don’t believe it deserves the LP’s description of “fabulous”, this is a very well renovated brasserie-style restaurant in Tana’s Soarano railway station (the toilet's are in an old railway carriage!). It serves large portions of international dishes and puts on live music.

Mad Zebu Restaurant (Belo-sur-Tsiribihina)

The Mad Zebu restaurant

This a very good place to stop on your way between the Tsingy de Bemaraha NP and Morondava. It’s located in Belo-sur-Tsiribihina and serves very tasty modern dishes in a spotless, atttractive dining area.

Princesse Tsiribihina (Miandrivazo)

To break the journey between Morondava and Antsirabe I stopped for lunch at this hotel. The views from the dining room over the Tsiribihina river and Miandrivazo are excellent and the dining area is very pleasant and the food good. (www.princesse-tsiribihina.com/)