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Madagascar Bicicletta
Duration
19 days
Site savings
$52
From
$2,504 USD
Cycle from Antananarivo to Mananjary on the east coast of Madagascar, and take advantage of the opportunity to see the diverse wildlife at Ranomafana National Park along the way over 19 days. Please bring a sense of adventure when travelling to Madagascar. It is a developing destination and you will be cycling through remote areas where hotels, infrastructure and travel services are often basic. Be prepared to go outside your usual comfort zone and you will be richly rewarded. Discovering the real Madagascar at close hand is what this challenge is all about.
- CategoryAdventurous
- TypeFully Guided
- Duration19 days
- Culture LevelOut There
- Skill Level3 - Intermediate
- Activity Level3 - Active
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainMixed
- Distance462.9 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance35.4 miles
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Quick Stats
- Duration19 days
- Main DestinationMadagascar
- Distance462.9 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance35.4 miles
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainMixed
Itinerary Details
- Day 1Arrival
- Day 2Antananarivo – Miarinarivo
- Day 3Miarinarivo – Ampefy
During today's bike tour you'll have a fantastic view of the landscape on the way to the volcanic area around Ampefy. The route is a challenge. The car won't be able to follow the group. You'll see the farmers and families who work in the rice fields. You will cross a river on a narrow bridge and come to some small villages and can see the rural lifestyle.
In the afternoon you will discover the region by cycling along the 13-village path. This leads you around the Itasy lake with a wonderful view of the landscape. The car cannot follow. At the end you'll drive to Ilot de la Vierge, where you can enjoy a 360 ° panoramic view of the lake and the region.
- 34.2 miles
- The Kavitaha hotel, Ampefy
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 4Bike Tour around Ampefy
Ampefy is a typical town on the banks of the Itasy, it is the third largest lake in the country. The area is of volcanic origin with craters, lakes and rivers. Due to its height, Ampefy offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The region grows vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, tobacco, apples, avocados, cassava and much more. In the lake there are many fish such as tilapia or carp and quite a few inhabitants of the region live from fishing. The bike tour today is challenging and you should not be fooled by the distance of only 30 km. You're going to the Lily waterfall. This spectacular waterfall, 23 m high and surrounded by numerous legends, is located in a beautiful place surrounded by green grass. Then you'll return to Ampefy in an arc. If time is up, we'll visit the geysers of Analavory.
- 18.6 miles
- The Kavitaha hotel, Ampefy
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 5Bike Tour Ampefy – Faratsiho, to Antsirabe
The first section will be driven by car. There is very little traffic there and you will have fantastic views over the landscape. You can easily meet the local people, talk to them and have a close look at their daily life. The highest point you reach is 2180 meters (7152ft). This is one of the coldest regions of the country.
You'll continue on the bike on a good dirt road. There is very little traffic and you'll have fantastic views of the countryside. You can easily meet the Malagasy people, talk to them and have a look at their daily life. The last 37 kilometers you will cycle downhill on asphalt until reaching Antsirabe.
- 49.7 miles
- Des Thermes, Antsirabe
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 6Antsirabe – Lake Andraikiba – Lake Tritriva – Betafo – Antsirabe
Today has about 63 km of biking including 30 km dirt road, transfer from / to hotel about 2 km, 10 minutes.
In the area around Antsirabe, the Vakinankaratra, there are numerous crater lakes. The two most famous are Andraikiba and Tritriva. On the way you'll see and enjoy the typical landscape of rice fields, fruit and vegetable plantations and grazing cattle. First, you will cycle to Lac Andraikiba. In the past, the lake was a recreational area and a center for water sports activities. Today it serves as a water reservoir for Antsirabe.
You'll continue on a good dirt road and pass through several villages until you reach Lac Tritriva. Of course, there is a lot of history around the lake. The whole area is of volcanic origin. You'll have a beautiful view of the villages and fields of the grain farmers working for the brewery in Antsirabe. After lunch you'll continue cycling to Betafo. The name means ‘where there are many roofs’. There you'll take a look around and visit the market. You will stop here and there to talk to people. The last 22 km you'll drive on tarmac. In the afternoon you’ll be back in Antsirabe.
- 39.1 miles
- Des Thermes, Antsirabe
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 7Antsirabe - Fandriana - Ambositra
Today is a challenging cycling day. You will start early in the morning by bus to join a good dirt road trail for about 35km (21mi). Here you will reach the small village of Soanindrariny, where you will get on your bike and the adventure can start. The next 50km (31mi) you will have to be self-sufficient, as the car cannot follow. During today, you can expect great landscapes, great views, and rural life of the Malagasy population. In addition, there will be lots of uphill and downhills until you arrive in the town of Fandriana. There the support car will wait. The bikes will be loaded and you'll drive for another hour Ambositra where you will stay the night at a nice hotel.
- 31.1 miles
- La Piscine Escapade, Ambositra
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 8Ambositra – Fianarantsoa
- Day 9Fianarantsoa – Ambalavao
- Day 10Bike tour Ambalavao – Anja villagers Park – Tsaranoro, about 54 km, 20 km dirt road
After breakfast you'll visit the traditional Antaimoro paper production. The origin of the copper-coloured paper, which feels like a fine, silky rough fibre wallpaper, goes back a long way to the past.
Bizarre landscapes await you in Anja Park. This small park is a good example of the self-administration of a village and the development of tourism. At the entrance to the small park a small information hut was built in which you can find out about the project. You'll see many Katta (Lemur Catta) here. These Lemurs are very enjoyable to watch. You'll take a short tour of the site.
South of Ambalavao the area changes. The rice fields and green areas disappear more and more and change to steppe and savannah. You'll cross the border from the highlands to the south. Huge granite massifs alternate with a grass steppe landscape. It is an intoxicating landscape between red earth and small picturesque villages.
- 33.6 miles
- Tsara Camp, Tsaranoro
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 11Hike into Andringitra massif and region
Today you will take a hike climbing to the ‘chameleon’ mountain, with its shape of a chameleon in the rock. After villages, rice fields and hills you will reach some forests with gnarled trees. Maybe you'll see lemurs. The mountain with its steep cliffs is of volcanic origin, consisting of highly fissured granite. The height is between 650 (2132ft) and 2600 meters (8530ft). Andringitra extends over a length of 100 km (62 mi). You will appreciate spectacular views over this ancient landscpe, and can discover many of its historic places.
- Tsara Camp, Tsaranoro
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 12Tsaranoro – Ambalavao
- Day 13Bike tour Ambalavao – Sahambavy
Another challenge. First, you'll take the bus north to Talata-Ampano. That's where you'll get on your bikes. The first 20 km are often undulating, then after it is mostly downhill. You will cycle on a dirt road through many small valleys and farms filled with rice and cassava. There are not many tourists here; children have rarely seen white people and are curious. The car cannot follow. You will end up at a lake surrounded by tea plantations.
- 43.5 miles
- Lac Hotel, Sahambavy
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 14Sahambavy – Ranomafana
It’s possible to visit the Sahambavy Tea Estate, the only tea plantation in Madagascar. The tea estate created in 1970, set in a pretty valley beside Lake Sahambavy, produces large quantities of tea for both exports to Mombasa in Kenya and for local consumption.
Then you'll cycle along a dirt road without an escort vehicle before you start again on tar. Towards the end you'll have an almost 10 km long descent.
- 41 miles
- Cristo, Ranomafana
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 15Hike in Ranomafana National Park
Today you will be taking a break from the bike tour. You will discover the Ranomafana National Park by foot. On the hike through the tropical park made up of rainforest, you will discover the interesting, endemic animal and plant world closely. In Ranomafana, there are 12 species of lemurs, Geckos, Chameleons, and toads and more than 96 birds whose 68 endemic. You can find orchids, large bamboos and bracken. You may hope to see different lemurs, for example, Diadema Sifaka. If there is the chance you will see different species of Lemurs, one of which, the bamboo lemur. You will have a possibility to go to the swimming pool with the natural warm water.
- Cristo, Ranomafana
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 16Ranomafana – Mananjary
For the last section you'll cycle on an asphalt road towards the coast to the end of National Road 25. Mananjary is a quiet and relaxed town on the Indian Ocean and a peaceful and authentic place in the southeast of the country. The region invites you to discover its plantations with spices such as vanilla, cinnamon or cloves. There are also plantations with cocoa, coffee, olives and of course rice. Here is a hot and humid region. You may discover the customs and local culture of the Antambahoaka ethnic group. Or take the opportunity to visit the market with its many local products.
In the city centre you can see some colonial houses. The originally 600 km long Canal des Pangalanes Canal runs here. The warm, tropical Indian Ocean invites you to enjoy one of the beautiful beaches. The sea is rough and the seabed is littered with reefs and rocks and you'll have to expect strong breakers. In the evening you will leave the physical tiredness behind and celebrate the end of your bike tour.
- 80.8 - 37.3 miles
- Sorafa Hotel & Bungalows, Mananjary
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 17Mananjary
- Day 18Mananjary – Ambositra
Today you'll say ‘Good bye’ to the Indian Ocean and drive to Ambositra, the main town of the Zafimaniry ethnic group (,about 280 km car transfer). You'll spend the night there.
- La Piscine Escapade, Ambositra
- Breakfast and Dinner
- Day 19Ambositra – Antananarivo