This 15-day Western Madagascar rafting and trekking adventure takes you to the incredible massif across the western region of this island nation. Imagine a river cruise with your tent and all of the amenities you need for an unforgettable camping experience. The sun is setting over the horizon, casting a beautiful orange glow across the Tsiribihina River cruise campsite. Explore the spectacular Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, a natural treasure known for its carved-in-blade limestone cathedral. Spot lemurs, reptiles, and several bird species. Proceed to Morondava, passing through the renowned Baobab Avenue. Trek the Makay Massif, one of the island's last unspoiled areas, comprised of hundreds of convoluted gorges that have been home to an abundance of unique biodiversity for millions of years.
Highlights
Discover the amazing diversity of Madagascar highlands
Explore the diverse landscape of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park
Visit the famous Avenue of the Baobabs
Hike the remote parts of the Makay deep forest canyons
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
After breakfast, meet your guide and continue your journey to the south passing through Antananarivo. See rice fields and typical villages of the Highlands. Ambatolampy is an excellent place to see how aluminum is used to build a pot for the entire country. In the afternoon, continue your journey towards Antsirabe. Experience "pousse-pousse" (Rick-Shaw) riding the primary mode of transportation for residents on a leisurely city tour.
After breakfast, meet your guide and continue your journey to Miandrivazo village. Make a quick stop at Mandato village to have a look at gold washers from the bridge. Embark on Masiakampy pier. Be ready to explore the Tsiribihina River by boat, a relaxing opportunity to see Malagasy wildlife in a quiet and peaceful environment. Stay overnight in small tents on the riverbanks, with a campfire and kids from a nearby village. This trip is an excellent way to travel from Miandrivazo to nearby the Tsingy National Park rocks.
Imagine a river cruise with your tent and all of the amenities you need for an unforgettable camping experience. The sun is setting over the horizon, casting a beautiful orange glow across this river cruise campsite. Witness the Malagasy wildlife as the rustling of trees in their natural habitat came to life with each gentle breeze and different kinds of birds.
Distance: 270 km with 30 km of track Duration: +/- 5h
After breakfast, continue your journey cruising along the Tsiribihina River. Following lunch, be ready to navigate the roadways that can be quite an uncomfortable experience going to Bekopaka and Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park.
Continue your tour after breakfast by visiting the little town of Bekopaka. Witness the incredible Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, a natural wonder featuring a limestone cathedral, a network of faults and cracks, and blocks of limestone carved into blades. Hike to the stone forest and wind your way through the park, along swinging rope bridges, climbing over jagged peaks, and squeezing through narrow crevices. At Tsingy de Bemaraha, the giant rocks are not the sole attraction. Spot lemurs, reptiles, and several bird species. Additionally, it is the home of one of the world's tiniest chameleons, the "Brookesia Perarmata."
After breakfast, drive to Morondava and cross the Manambolo and the Tsiribihina rivers by ferry. Pass through the famous Baobab Avenue or "Allée des Baobabs." Settle and rest at your hotel located in Nosy Kely on the large beach of Morondava.
Distance: 200 km Duration: 7hours and 2 ferry boats -- in total: 9 hours
Day 8: Tsiazorambo Village
1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Leave Morondava after breakfast and continue driving towards Tsiazorambo village. Spend your time traveling through lovely Savannah villages with postcard-perfect views. As you proceed through this off-road, take in the stunning views and lush flora. It's incredibly relaxing to look at the beautiful environment, seeing peaceful fields and green trees for miles!
Stay overnight in small tents and a campfire. It's also an excellent opportunity to get plenty of exposure to outdoor nature while under the stars.
Distance: 170 km + 30km of track Duration: 7hours
Day 9-13: Trekking Makay Massif
5 Lunches, 5 Dinners
Prepare to explore and trek the Makay Massif following your breakfast at the campsite. It is one of the island's remaining untouched places, consisting of hundreds of intricate canyons and a natural labyrinth, and has been home to an abundance of unique biodiversity for millions of years. There is so much to discover on this rocky peak. The view from up there is breathtaking, and the uncertainty of what lies ahead on each side or in front only adds to the fascination. Explore the interior of those massive straight faults with your guide, where the sun rays rarely penetrate, resulting in high plateaus that are still partially covered in forest or bushy growth.
Cross the Sakapaly river, which winds its way through the mountains, and enter the deep canyons and gallery forests teeming with lemurs, crocodiles, and frogs. Discover several traces of massive crocodiles while observing different kinds of birds living inside the endless canyons. This trekking exploration allows you to discover unspoiled nature and wildlife. Continue to navigate inside those canyons and stay overnight in small tents and a campfire on the white sandbanks.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for Feb 3, 2025 not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for Feb 3, 2025 are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$6,1732 travelers
$5,3504 travelers
Notes
Rates are guaranteed for a minimum of 4. Pricing for less than 4 people, please contact us for a custom quote.
Initial deposit is 30% plus 100% of internal flight costs are due at the time of booking, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days prior to departure by Bank Transfer
This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Jane Packer, our advisor, took care of all of our questions and our booking details. Great job!
Joe Swety
3 hours ago
We had an amazing trip. The accommodations of our hotel first 3 nights and the accommodations of the ship were perfect. Our guides were amazing. They went snorkeling with us everyday and took amazing pictures and pointed out various species of fish. On the land adventures, they explained everything about the islands and animals that we were looking for and seeing. They also took amazing photos and videos that they shared with us in a whats app group with the entire ship. This gave us the ability to upload our own video and pictures along with other shipmates so we all got these great photos from everyone. It was a once in a lifetime trip that left us with many amazing memories and very possible we would consider going back.
Kevin Vance
8 hours ago
Very willing to help and please!
Jan Ellmer
1 day ago
Our regular rep knows us very well and responds quickly
Kathryn Jones
2 days ago
Mary Curry identified a great deal on Greenland trips which she shared. I had the last single berth within 4 hours. Always happy to return to Adventure Life for travel in the northern hemisphere,
Elizabeth McCallum
2 days ago
Jane Packer, our advisor, took care of all of our questions and our booking details. Great job!
Joe Swety
3 hours ago
We had an amazing trip. The accommodations of our hotel first 3 nights and the accommodations of the ship were perfect. Our guides were amazing. They went snorkeling with us everyday and took amazing pictures and pointed out various species of fish. On the land adventures, they explained everything about the islands and animals that we were looking for and seeing. They also took amazing photos and videos that they shared with us in a whats app group with the entire ship. This gave us the ability to upload our own video and pictures along with other shipmates so we all got these great photos from everyone. It was a once in a lifetime trip that left us with many amazing memories and very possible we would consider going back.
Kevin Vance
8 hours ago
Very willing to help and please!
Jan Ellmer
1 day ago
Our regular rep knows us very well and responds quickly
Kathryn Jones
2 days ago
Mary Curry identified a great deal on Greenland trips which she shared. I had the last single berth within 4 hours. Always happy to return to Adventure Life for travel in the northern hemisphere,
Elizabeth McCallum
2 days ago
Jane Packer, our advisor, took care of all of our questions and our booking details. Great job!
We use cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Continue browsing the site if you're ok with this. For more info, please see our privacy policy.