Western Madagascar Explorer: Baobabs, Tsingy, Beaches & Wildlife

Exploring Western Madagascar's Menabe region gives adventurous visitors a wonderful taste of the 'real' Madagascar. Beginning with a flight to Morondava on the sunny central-westerrn coast, you travel northwards to the famed Kirindy Forest, one of the country's best -known wildlife hotspots. At Kirindy, you'll have the first of two opportunities for a guided night walk, in search of some of its legendary critters, such as Fosa and Fork-marked lemurs. You'll be in the land of the Menabe Sakalava people, who have a really interesting culture, which your guide will explain to you during your adventure...

From Kirindy Forest, embark on the long road journey including a ferry crossing over the wide Tsiribihina River, to Tsingy de Bemaraha, a magnificent limestone plateau which is the site of one of Madagascar's biggest national parks. Here, a three night stay will give you the chance to discover the 'Grand Tsingy'; the 'Petite Tsingy' and to make a short canoe trip on the Manambolo River to check out the gorges.

From Tsingy de Bemaraha, return back down to Kirindy, which makes for a great spot for an overnight stay and to once again break the long journey. Wildlife enthusiasts will appreciate this also because of the second opportunity for a night walk in Kirindy, to chalk up some more of its amazing denizens. The next morning, enjoy an morning walk for Kirindy's diurnal wildlife, then drive back via Alley of Baobabs to Morondava, where you stay for the night.

From Morondava, travel southwards (4hrs by road or 2hrs30min by speedboat) to remote Belo Sur Mer, a Veso-Sakalava fishing village where you can see people still building Schooners using designs taught to their forbearers centuries back by European pirates. At Belo, we'll arrange for you to visit the fabulous Kirindy Mitea National Park (not the same as the Kirindy Forest you'd have seen previously) which also has majestic Baobabs; as well as Southern Spiny Bush with an abundance of Octopus trees, a lake where seasonally, Flamingos gather, and offshore, some deserted islets where we'll arrange for you to enjoy some snorkelling. 

From Belo Sur Mer, drive or take a speedboat transfer back to Morondava, and from there, set off on the long drive to Antsirabe, where you overnight and where you can learn about Highlands culture of the Merina and Betsileo people. Your last road stint will then be the drive up to Antananarivo.

- For the itinerary, we include the 'obligatory rainforest fix' at the beginning of the trip, to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, as no first-time wildlife enthusiast visitors to the island should miss a sojourn there. It can be moved to the end of the itinerary.

COMMENTS:

WHEN TO GO: this itinerary can be done from May to mid October because from November to April, many of the roads are rendered impassable due to rains. (In 2022 and 2023, the rains arrived earlier due to climate change, so we no longer recommend trips to Tsingy de Bemaraha beyond mid October).

NOTE: For now, the itinerary is structured around the twice weekly Air Madagascar flight between Antananarivo and Morondava, which operate on Thursdays and Sundays both ways. In 2024, a Tuesday flight will be introduced. So if you prefer not to drive to Antsirabe from Morondava, it is possible to fly.