Expedition to Makay Massif
Localisation
Fianarantsoa-Ranohira-Morafeno-Nosilahy-Ifaty
Duration
14 days
Reception on your arrival at the airport. Settling at the hotel. Overnight in BB
Breakfast at the hotel. Then you will leave the capital and head for the South. You will travel along the RN7 Road. You will have a stop at Ambatolampy to visit a workshop of pots and other kitchen utensils made of salvaged aluminium. You will journey through mountain chains, ricefields and typical villages of the high plateaux.
Then you will continue the journey to Antsirabe which you reach at the end of the morning. Antsirabe is a town called “The City of water” because of its thermal springs with therapeutic properties.
Discovery of Antsirabe in the afternoon. Overnight in BB
After breakfast, you will continue the trip towards Ambositra, situated at 90 kilometres southward from Antsirabe.
Ambositra is the capital of Malagasy craft industry.
Here you will have the opportunity to discover the works of the Zafimaniry, an ethnic group living in that area and whose members are skillful woodcarvers. You will visit some workshops of sculpture and marquetry. Then you will continue the journey towards Fianarantsoa, the “Town where people learn what is good”. Arrival in the afternoon. Overnight in BB
Breakfast at the hotel. Then you will continue the journey towards Ambalavao. You will visit a workshop of hand-crafted Antemoro paper. Made with the bark of a tree named Avoha, once dried, the paper is decorated with natural flowers to make envelopes, albums, lampshades and other decorative items.
Then you will journey to Ranohira where you will see the National Park of Isalo by crossing the plateau of Horombe. Arrival at the end of the afternoon. Overnight in BB
You will leave Ranohira very early in the morning and head for the North along the Massif of Isalo up to the River of Mangoky. It will take 6 hours to go along the 165 kilometres’s track as it is not in a fine state. The route is through savannah dotted with small baobabs.
Then you will cross the River of Mangoky on board a motorizes ferry to get to Beroroho, the administrative centre of this region and the place where you will see the last signs of civilization before getting into wild area.
You will take a quick lunch. Then you will continue the trip northward along a 65 kilometres’ track to get to Beronono where we will meet a team of porters. Settling in bivouac by the River of Makay.
We will start trekking through Makay. Total immersion in the massif for 4 days. The massif is little known and little paced up and down. It is a genuine sanctuary for a set of fauna and flora which has not yet displayed all their secrets.
Departure for the cave of Mahatiny to discover cave paintings. Then continuationto the peak of this eroded massif composed of yellow and red ruiniform sandstone mostly largely covered by dry vegetation.
Night under tents by the River of Makay.
After breakfast, you will go to discover the narrow canyon of Ambinanitelo. Then, you will continue to the peak to discover the crest and the plateau of this massif and enjoy the view of the lakes of Nosilahy.
Night and bivouac under tents at Nosilahy.
Day for trekking through canyons.We will cross the gorges of the canyons of Nosilahy where crystal water is flowing. Then we will walk along the streams steep-sided at the bottom of the canyons, some of which are hundreds of metres tall and shelter humid vegetation.
Water is omnipresent in these canyons. We will enjoy the view of the forest of Behetaheta and then continue our trek to the second canyon of Sakamanitra. Night under tents.
Visit of the Lake of Sariaka and trek to the peak to enjoy the impressive view of the two lakes of Sariaka and Nosilahy. Then, return to the village of Beronono.
Journey back to Ranohira by the same route as at departure. Overnight in BB
You will have breakfast at the hotel and then continue the trip towards Tuléar through a desert landscape. All along the way, you will see the Mahafaly tombs and their decorations. You will get to Tuléar at the end of the morning.
Tuléar is a quiet town, crossed by the tropic of Capricorn. It’s also the starting point for all the excursions in the other surrounding villages.
You will leave Tuléar and continue the journey to Ifaty, a fishermen’s village by the sea. Overnight in BB
Free time. Optional visits and excursions. Overnight in BB
Transfer to the airport of Tuléar. Flight to Antananarivo. Reception on arrival and transfer to your hotel. Overnight in BB.
Depending on the flight hours, transfer to the airport for your flight back home
– End of services –
Price per person from 1825€
– The accommodation in rooms and breakfast in the named hotels and similar places
– The full board during the trekking in the massif of Makay from the lunch on the 5th day to the breakfast on the 10th day.
– The equipment and materials for camping
– The guides, the porters and the cook
– All the fees for camping and when crossing the villages
– The all-terrain vehicle with the driver and the fuel
– The park tickets and the guide fees
– All the visits and excursions mentioned in the schedule
– Transfers to the airport and the hotel
– All the meals not mentioned and the drinks
– The visits not mentioned in the schedule
– The personal expenses and the tips
– The local and the long-range flights
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