Zafimaniry Antoetra trekking tour

Overview

The Zafimaniry trekking allows you to discover the Zafimaniry people and them way of life, they are intelligent, a whole tribe who has inherited know-how unique in the world. The zafimaniry art of carved wood is an atypical architectural style of the habitat of these villagers. Now Zafimaniry art is classified Madagascar world cultural heritage of UNESCO, a sacred original craft, a must-see place, which offers you a stage both cultural and sports.

Details

Departure city

Antananarivo

Duration

Type

Axis

Level

Availability

5days/4nights

Trekking

Highland

1

All the year

Itinerary

Day 1: Antananarivo / Ambositra

On the way to Ambositra, passing through Antsirabe a city of colonial architecture. Arrived in Ambositra we already find some exhibitions of carved wood in stores.

People, culture, landscapes

Overnight hotel accommodation

Day 2: Ambositra / Antoetra / Sakaivo

Beginning of the hike from 5 to 6 hours walk from the village of Antoetra. Go through forests, Catholic construction that was a rocky platform before, but it was formed into a large cross and not to forget the beautiful view.

Overnight bivouac

Day 3: Sakaivo / Ankidodo

Continue the hike for 6 to 7 hours through rice fields and some forests before arriving at Tetezandotra, a village of sculptors. And further afield are Vohitrandriana, an other steep zafimaniry village with a beautiful view and Faliarivo. To end the day, go down to the village of Ankidodo where you will spend the night at the camping site.

Overnight bivouac

Day 4: Ankidodo / Ifasina / Antoetra / Ambositra

A last step of 5 to 6 hours of walking. Pass through mountains and valleys to regain Antoetra via some original villages and typically zafimaniry especially the village of Ifasina.

Overnight hotel accomodation

Day 5: Ambositra / Antananarivo

Back to Antananarivo

End of the tour

The highland and the Fianarantsoa Côte Est old train FCE

The highland and the Fianarantsoa Côte Est old train FCE

Overview

THE HIGHLAND AND THE FIANARANTSOA COTE EST OLD TRAIN (FCE)

This excursion less than one week or Antananarivo to Manakara tour offers you retro feeling.It allows you to explore the highlands of Madagascar from Antananarivo to Fianarantsoa and the east coast to Manakara.After discovering the highlands where most of people are farmerand trader, you will get in the old train FCE or (Fianarantsoa Côte Est). The old train of fianarantsoa awaits you through the steps of cliffs in a rainforest down to the pangalanes channel and the Indian Ocean. Then we ascend to the Ranomafana National Park.One of the most visited parks and home to an astonishing biodiversity.

Pass by Antananarivo-Antsirabe-Ambositra-Fianarantsoa-The railway of Fianarantsoa Côte Est-Manakara-Ranomafana-Antananarivo

Details

Departure city

Antananarivo

Duration

Type

Axis

Level

Availability

6days/5nights

Discovery

tour

South-east

1

All year

Itinerary

Day 1: Antananarivo / Antsirabe

Along the road on 168km length, you will meet local artisans before arriving in Antsirabe, a lovely city of colonial architecture and you will visit craftsmen’s workshops, precious stonecutting.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel

Day 2: Antsirabe / Fianarantsoa

After breakfast, we leave Antsirabe on road to join Fianarantsoa via Ambositra that is a Zafimaniry’s arts capital, an unavoidable visit. Arriving to Fianarantsoa, check in our hotel.

Diner and overnight at the hotel

Day 3: Fianarantsoa / Manakara (Departure FCE Train: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays)    

Early, after breakfast, departure for the unforgettable retro trip by train dated in 1936. Only 170km on rail way but it will be a long journey (17 stops with loading goods). Adventurers will be filled as they wind through green carpets, cascades, torrents, to be between hills with lush vegetation.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel

Day 4: Manakara / Ranomafana

After breakfast, we leave Manakara on good road to visit National Park of Ranomafana that is one of the most visited Madagascar’s parks and classified World Natural Heritage. Forest is dense and cutting by beautiful cascades, one can find many species of lemurs and you could enjoy the water of thermal station.

Swimming allowed

Dinner and overnight at the hotel

Day 5:  Ranomafana / Antananarivo

After breakfast, we go back to Antananarivo on road, have launch in Antsirabe

People and culture

Dinner and overnight at the hotel

Day 6: Antananarivo/ Ivato airport

Visit guided of Manjakamiadana king’s palace; one of the 12 sacred hills of merina, then finalize on shopping souvenirs before to be transfered to the Ivato airport.

Stories, souvenirs

End of tour

End of tour

Map

Services

Inclusion

Meet and greet service by our representatives at airports

All transfers by private air-conditioned vehicles

Assistance of our representative during your stay

Accommodation for 5 nights on Bed and Breakfast according to the program

Sightseeing tours in Antsirabe

English or french speaking tour guide throughout the tours

Entrance fees to all sites as indicated in the itinerary

Transfers APT/HTL and HTL/APT

Local guide

One way ticket FCE train

All service charges and taxes included in the package price

Transfers APT / HTL and HTL / APT

Exclusion

Entry visa to Madagascar

Any optional tours

Drinks

Personal spending

Tipping

Any other item not mentioned above

Pictures

Quote

Please mention on the object « The highland and the Fianarantsoa Côte Est railway »

Name

Madagascar south tour or RN7 tour, from Antananarivo to Toliara

Madagascar south tour or RN7 tour, from Antananarivo to Toliara

Overview

Madagascar south tour or RN7 tour, from Antananarivo to Toliara

This Madagascar south tour or the more common is « rn7 tour » offers you the beauty of the landscapes and culture varieties from Antananarivo the midle highland to the south to Toliara with its way of life, customs and colors. Pass through Antsirabe colonial town and Ambositra the Zafimaniry’s arts or carved wood artisans. Then you continue to visit Ranomafana national parc, one of the best tropical forests and beautiful parks in madagascar Following that,  Have city tour in Fianarantsoa, the capital of the Betsileo ethnic, sahambavy tea plantation and local wine provider. Continue to follow this rn7 tour, pass by a well known village by silk breeding and the manufactured Antemoro paper in Ambalavao. Then, visit of the Anja reserve, a villagers association. In addition, visit the famous and have hiking in Isalo national park with its amazing sandstone massifs. To finalize the RN7 itinerary to Toliara, pass by Antsokay arboretum and have some visits and city tour which are worth seeing in Toliara that is the capital of the south-west before joining the seaside resort of Ifaty.

Passing by Antananarivo-Ambatolampy-Antsirabe-Ambositra- Ranomafana-Fianarantsoa-Ambalavao-Ihosy-Ranohira-Ilakaka-Toliara-Ifaty

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Details

Departure city

Antananarivo

Duration Type Axis Level availability
11days/10nights Discovery South 1 All year

Itinerary

D1: Arrival in Antananarivo 

Meet and great services from our representatives

Transfer to the hotel

Overnight accommodation at the hotel San Cristobal Boutique*** or similar

D2: Antananarivo / Antsirabe (170KMS) 4/5h

Departure for the south trip of Madagascar. Go to Antsirabe or the city of water, Antsirabe is famous due to its hot spring water and its colonial architecture town and not to mention its typical handicrafts and markets of semi-precious and precious stones.

Lunch in a suitable restaurant

Landscapes, people and culture.

Overnight accommodation at the hotel Arotel**** or similar

D3: Antsirabe / Ambositra / Ranomafana (260KMS) 6/7h

Enjoy some visits of the essential of Antsirabe before heading Ranomafana. On the way, stop at Ambositra, world-renowned for its wood carving crafts and Zafimaniry art.

Lunch at Artisan, a restaurant animated by folk dances and music

Visit of some essential workshops, Miniature Mamy, Voahirana embroidery and recycling in zebu horn, the large collections of semi-precious and precious stones as well as fossils. Landscapes, visit to some craft workshops, zafimaniry art…

Night jungle walk in Ranomafana National Park

Overnight accommodation at the hotel Thermal*** or similar

  

D4: Ranomafana / Sahambavy (63KMS) 2h

Take a guided tour of Ranomafana National Park, one of the most beautiful rainforest parks in Madagascar, a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, continue to Sahambavy, or the “women’s field”, and its vast tea plantation reveal an enchanting landscape, where the gentle curves of the crops, a succession of soft and luminous green hills, create a natural harmony.

Lunch in a suitable restaurant

Hiking of 3/4h, lemurs, reptiles, frogs, chameleons… Endemic fauna and flora

Overnight accommodation at the hotel Lac Hôtel*** or similar

D5: Sahambavy / Fianarantsoa / Ambalavao (77KMS) 2.5h

Enjoy strolling between tea fields, exchange with women, taste the teas…

After that ake the RN7 towards Fianarantsoa, ​​renowned for its vineyards and unique architecture, with the lower town, the upper town and the old town dating back to 1830. On the way, have visits of Ambalavao, famous for the manufacture of silk shrouds and Antemoro paper.

Lunch in a suitable restaurant

Tea plantation of Sahambavy, City tour in Fianarantsoa

Overnight accommodation at the hotel Anja Reserve Logde or similar

D6: Ambalavao / Ranohira (221KMS) 5/6h

Don’t miss the Anja Community Reserve, where you can observe ring-tailed lemurs, making this stop a must.

Head to Ranohira, home to the impressive massifs of Isalo National Park, famous for its wild landscapes and spectacular limestone rock formations.

Lunch in a suitable restaurant

Antemoro paper, Soalandy silk manufactured, people and cultures

Landscapes, several family of catta lemurs

Overnight accommodation at the hotel Le Relais de la Reine**** or similar

D7: Ranohira (2x7KMS)

Visit of Isalo National Park

Visit Isalo National Park with a guide for an immersive experience in the heart of grandiose landscapes. Isalo is distinguished by its incredible sandstone massifs, sculpted by erosion over the centuries. You will discover deep canyons, imposing cliffs, desert plateaus and spectacular rock formations. Among the park’s hidden treasures, do not miss the natural pools with fascinating water hues, ranging from bright blue to mysterious black, and emerald green. This unique place will offer you breathtaking panoramas and a total immersion in the wild nature of Madagascar.

Picnic lunch at the park

Practice of hiking of 4/5hrs, canyons, Pachypodiums, lemurs, aloes, euphorbias, panoramas, swimming allowed

Sunset at the window of Isalo, the Queen of Isalo.

Overnight accommodation at the hotel Le Relais de la Reine**** or similar  

D8: Ranohira / Toliara / Ifaty (267KMS) 8h

On the way to Tulear (or Toliara), nicknamed « the city that never sleeps », a lively and colorful city. Stop in Ilakaka to discover Colorline and its famous sapphire mines. Don’t miss a visit to the Antsokay Arboretum, a unique botanical park, with a wide selection of plants from the semi-arid south of Madagascar. Then continue your journey to Ifaty, where you can explore the baobab forest, a fascinating place where these majestic giant trees create a spectacular landscape. End your seaside adventure in one of the best spots in Madagascar, with its idyllic beaches and crystal clear waters.

Lunch in Auberge de la Table near the Antsokay Arboretum

Sapphire’s mines of Colorline, endemic flora of southern Madagascar, landscapes, baobab forest in Ifaty.

Overnight accommodation at the hotel Vovotelo*** or similar

 

D9: Ifaty

Explore the enchanting baobab forest with their birds and some lemurs are able to be found.

The locals will pamper you with massages, pirogue activities, and a locally prepared picnic lunch with seafood.

Lunch in a suitable restaurant

Visit of Reniala reserve, baobabs, strolling, sunset, beach, rest…

Overnight accommodation at the hotel Vovotelo*** or similar

 

D10: Ifaty / Toliara / Antananarivo (35km+1h45min duration flight)

Have a visit of the garden of the sea, lovers of the little things of the sea will be very happy.

Transfer to the airport TLE

Direct internal flight (TLE-TNR)

Lunch in a suitable restaurant

Histories, shopping souvenirs…

Overnight accommodation at the hotel San Cristobal Boutique*** or similar

 

D11: Departure from Antananarivo (20KMS)

Ambohimanga is an ancient royal city and a symbolic center of Merina royalty. It was the residence of King Andrianampoinimerina in the 18th century, an emblematic figure in the history of Madagascar, recognized as the unifier of the Kingdom of Imerina.

Today, the site remains a major pilgrimage site for many Malagasy people. Much more than a simple historical relic, Ambohimanga remains a vibrant space, where traditional rituals such as offerings, prayers to ancestors, and various sacred ceremonies are perpetuated, testifying to the continuity of Malagasy cultural and spiritual practices.

According to the international departure, shopping souvenirs at Lisy Art Gallery, have a visit of the Queen’s Palace.

Lunch in a suitable restaurant

Transfer to the airport

Histories and cultures, city tour, souvenirs, viewpoints, histories and cultures

 

End of services

Map

 

Services

Inclusion

Meet and greet service by our representatives at airports

All transfers by private air-conditioned vehicles

Assistance of our representatives during your stay

Accommodation for 10 nights on Bed and Breakfast according to the program

English speaking tour guide throughout the tours

Entrance fees to all sites as indicated in the itinerary

English speaking local guides

All service charges and taxes included in the package price

Internal flight TLE-TNR

All tansfers APT / HTL and HTL / APT

Exclusion

Entry visa to Madagascar

Any optional activities

Foods and drinks

Personal spending

Tipping

Any other item not mentioned above

Accommodations

*HERE HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS ARE STILL EDITABLE ACCORDING TO YOUR DESIRE. PLEASE INFOM US IF YOU WOULD A CHANGE

Quote

Please write to the object « RN7 1 »

Name