REMOTE RIVER EXPEDITION

Departure from Barcelona or Madrid on Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul or with Emirates via Dubai (depending on departure). Arrival, transit and connection with flight to Antananarivo. Short stop (1h), no stopover, in Mauritius or Seychelles. Overnight on board.

Arrival at the capital’s airport, visa formalities, reception by IndigoBe’s Spanish-speaking guide and transfer to the hotel. Brief briefing of the route and delivery of the informative material.

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  • AU BOIS VERT LODGE 4*.

Breakfast and departure to the town of Miandrivazo. Through the “Malagasy Highlands” we will reach the colonial city of Antsirabe where we will make a brief visit of the historic center. From this town and up to

Arrival at Miandrivazo, we will be accompanied by an unusual landscape, the “lavaka” deep gullies of uncertain cause: overgrazing, deforestation, road construction… Arrival at Miandrivazo, on the banks of the Tsiribihina river. Expedition preparation formalities and installation at the hotel.

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  • PRINCESSE TSIRIBIHINA 2*.
  • TSIRIBIHINA EDEN 2*.
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  Breakfast

Breakfast and transfer to the Miandrivazo jetty, where we will take our motorized chaland with a Sakalava crew to start our expedition on the Tsiribihina River.

The leisurely pace of the navigation invites us to calm and contemplation during the three-day descent of the Tsiribihina River. A conscious journey in which we lose ourselves among the fluo green of the rice fields, the reddish of the cliffs that border the river at sunset and the aroma of stew prepared by the cook while our chaland navigates in the gentle waters of the “tsy-robohina” river, and the crew tunes melodies about slavery and the origins of these ethnic groups. During the evenings, camp fires, starry skies and the anecdotes of our guides, as well as the pleasant conversations of the travelers preside over the evenings. These are days dedicated to descending one of the largest rivers in Western Madagascar in the traditional way and in the company of fishermen of the Sakalava-Menabe ethnic group.

The Tsiribihina river has changing landscapes where the foothills of the Bongolava mountain range stand out. A brutal natural and cultural immersion: Nosin’ampela waterfall, lemurs of the species propithecus verreauxi, herons, kingfishers, robins, bats, baobabs, chameleons, crocodiles, sakalava-menabe villages… An unforgettable experience.

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  CAMPING (DOUBLE TENTS)

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  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

After breakfast we will embark again on this adventure and continue descending the course of the river in chaland. We will enjoy a well-deserved swim at the Nosin’ Ampela waterfall where we will have lunch. In the afternoon we will enter the Tsiribihina river gorges and we will be able, if we are lucky, to observe lemurs, crocodiles, bats…. We will have a short break on the mainland to meet the Sakalava-Menabe ethnic group. A pleasant evening around a campfire under the starry sky awaits us, where incredible stories will preside over the evening.

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  CAMPING (DOUBLE TENTS)

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  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Breakfast and last stretch of river navigation to the pier of the authentic town of Belo sur Tsiribihina. Lunch during the navigation. From here, 4×4 route through the dusty tracks of western Madagascar, to arrive in the afternoon at Bekopaka, at the gates of the Tsingys of Bemaraha, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At this stage we will cross the Manambolo River by ferry as it passes through Bekopaka. Installation at the lodge.

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  • ORCHIDEE DE BEMARAHA LODGE
  • OLYMPE DU BEMARAHA LODGE
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  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Breakfast and canoeing in the gorges of the Manambolo River and its imposing cliffs. We will stop at two caves, one of them with beautiful formations of stalactites and stalagmites. We will also be able to observe on a vertical wall an ancient Vazimba tomb, the first settlers of the island. Lunch in a popular restaurant and in the afternoon visit of the “small” Tsingy of Bemaraha. This visit will serve to test our fitness and our reaction to heights and narrow passages. A magnificent preamble to tomorrow’s stage. Return to the lodge.

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  • ORCHIDEE DE BEMARAHA LODGE
  • OLYMPE DU BEMARAHA LODGE
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  • Breakfast
  • Dinner

Today we have an extraordinary discovery in store for us. After breakfast and equipped with our harnesses, we will travel by 4×4 to the natural entrance to the “Great Tsingy of Bemaraha”, where the visit of these unique karst formations will begin. We will make the Andamozavaky circuit of ± 4h (medium difficulty), in which we will cross various labyrinths and caves, as well as gorges and suspension bridges. After a free picnic lunch, we will do the Ranotsara circuit of ±2h duration (medium difficulty), where giant limestone cathedrals, deep crevasses and a new suspension bridge will take us to the top of the tsingys. This is a via ferrata where we will walk all the way secured by harnesses. Return to the lodge in the afternoon.

Trekking is strictly forbidden for people with vertigo or fear of heights and not recommended for people who are not in good physical shape or suffer from obesity.

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  • ORCHIDEE DE BEMARAHA LODGE
  • OLYMPE DU BEMARAHA LODGE
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  • Breakfast
  • Dinner

Breakfast and departure to Kirindy Reserve. We will cross the Manambolo and Tsiribihina rivers by ferry. Arrival and visit of the Kirindy Reserve during an easy walk of ± 2h through the dry and dense forest typical of the Menabe area to observe baobabs of the species Adansonia Rubrostipa and Za as well as diurnal species of lemurs such as the eulemur rufifrons or the propithecus verreauxi and the elusive “fosa”, the largest carnivorous mammal of the island, the giant jumping rat or the tiny lemur microcebus Berthae. Continuation by 4×4 to Morondava on the dusty track of western Madagascar, visiting the sacred baobab and the baobab amoroso. At sunset we will experience one of the most awaited moments of our expedition, the encounter with the famous “Avenue of Baobabs” of Morondava. We will enjoy the sunset accompanied by these imposing trees of the species Adansonia Grandidieri. Installation at the hotel located on the peninsula of Nosy Kely.

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  VEZO BEACH 3*.

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  Breakfast

Breakfast and departure to Belo sur Mer by 4×4 crossing sandy tracks to the fishing village of Belo sur Mer. Small village located 80 kilometers from Morondava, in front of the Mozambique Channel. Land of the Vezo ethnic group, nicknamed “the last nomads of the wind” and famous for being the place of construction of the famous Malagasy butres and schooners. In the afternoon we will be able to observe the traditional manufacture of butres as well as the village of the Vezo ethnic group. The village is also known for its salt mines. Numerous families are responsible, generation after generation, to extract salt in order to preserve the food of the population in the absence of refrigeration.

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  • BELO BEACH
  • ECOLODGE DU MENABE
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  • Breakfast
  • Dinner