DESCENT OF THE TSIRIBIHINA RIVER, FROM MIANDRIVAZO TO BEKOPAKA

Welcome at Antananarivo Ivato airport and transfer to your hotel.

410 km +/-7h
After leaving Antananarivo for Antsirabe on the RN7, you can admire the rural landscapes of the Malagasy highlands, dominated by granite massifs and terraced rice fields. Pass through Ambatolampy to visit the aluminum casserole factories found throughout Madagascar. Famous for its thermal springs, Antsirabe, the "Malagasy Vichy", is a charming town with colonial architecture. Nearby, Lake Tritriva and its legend offer a relaxing interlude. Take a short tour of the town, then head for Miandrivazo on the RN 34. Majestic mountain ranges sweep across the landscape, including the Betsiriry plateau. Miandrivazo is known as one of the hottest towns in Madagascar, so a few hours' rest is in order. Night in hotel

After breakfast, transfer to the pier and board a motorized barge. Along the way, you'll spot crocodiles on the islets and banks of the Tsiribihina, one of Madagascar's largest rivers, whose name means "where no one sets foot". Bordered by cliffs, the river's banks are home to turtles, bats and birds: herons, ibises, egrets, humpback ducks and teal. Picturesque villages follow, including Begidro, where you can visit tobacco concessions or bathe in natural pools at the foot of waterfalls.
Dinner Overnight under tents

You continue your descent, passing by a beautiful waterfall. If you're feeling brave, you can walk down to the natural swimming pool (1h round trip). Return to the boat and continue your descent to the foot of the great cliffs of the Bemaraha Gorge...
Dinner included. Overnight under tents.

The third day of the descent sees us enter the Menabe coastal plain. The landscape is dotted with small villages of fishermen, farmers and herders. A 4x4 car takes you across the dry plains, where baobab and palm trees emerge.
Cross the Manambolo River on a ferry to Bekopaka.

A day's visit to the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, in particular the Grands Tsingy, where you can choose between short hikes and a more challenging route. But either way, you won't miss the magnificent view of the tsingy as far as the eye can see, especially from the belvedere.
Overnight at hotel

130 KMS +/- 5h30 hour drive
We take the same track on the way back to Morondava, go across Manambolo and Tsiribihina Rivers by a car ferry; it might take sometimes a long time…
Have a free lunch at Belo.
We do few kilometres driving before we arrive at Kirindy Reserve. This dry forest has the largest number of lemurs’ species of the Island where we try to find some. There are many nocturnal animals to spot at night.
Night at the hotel

80 KMS +/- 1h30 hour drive

Have breakfast at the hotel.
Diurnal visit of Kirindy reserve ,this dry forest has the largest number of 7 species of lemurs live in Kirindy. The most common here are the brown lemurs and the sifakas. Sifakas have a white coloring with dark spots. Because of their strong hind legs they usually stand upright and move forward by powerful jumps. Their method of locomotion is therefore also called the dance of the sifakas. Most animal’s native to Kirindy, however, are nocturnal. Several bats, tenreks, mongooses and rodents are part of the mammal population as well as 40 species of birds, 50 species of reptiles and 15 species of amphibians are found in this magnificent forest.
After visit, we come back to Morondava and can take again wonderful photographs at alley of baobab.
Night at the hotel

After a final dive in Morondava, depending on Tsaradia's flight schedule, transfer to the airport for flight to Antananarivo.

Breakfast at the hotel, if we have time, a short stop at the craft market for some shopping. Transfer to the airport.