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Cycle Madagascar: The Last Eden
Duration
15 days
Site savings
$50
From
$2,442 USD
This 15-day tour is designed for cyclists who are looking for distances of 59 –110 km (36-68mi) per day. Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, lies in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique. The international conservation community has singled it out as one of the most ecologically rich countries on the planet –the last Eden. 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.
- CategoryCultural & Historical
- TypeFully Guided
- Duration15 days
- Culture LevelOut There
- Skill Level3 - Intermediate
- Activity Level3 - Active
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainCoastal
- Distance403.9 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance36.7 miles
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Quick Stats
- Duration15 days
- Main DestinationMadagascar
- Distance403.9 miles
- Avg. Daily Distance36.7 miles
- Elevation2 - Moderate
- TerrainCoastal
Itinerary Details
- Day 1Arrive in Madagascar
- Day 2Antananarivo
On your first day in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, you will have a bike fitting in the morning. Afterwards, you will make a small excursion by bike to the surroundings of Antananarivo. After driving on a bypass road, you will head west, for a good 20 kilometres (12.4mi) until you reach a private park. Here you will see for the first time on the tour lemurs and other animals.
- 40.4 miles
- Motel Anosy, Antananarivo
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 3Antananarivo –Lac Mantasoa
You will start by cycling out of Tana on a busy section of road with a slight bit of uphill. Once out of the city, the roads become much quieter and for most of the day, you will be cycling on good tarmac roads, undulating through villages and lush green rice paddies. You will then come to a dirt road section, starting with a few km of cobblestone. It will mostly be uphill for a few km until you reach the top, where there are great views of the surroundings of Tana before retracing your route back to the main road and continuing on towards Lac Mantasoa. As you cycle past highland villages, the scenery changes and roads are lined with grey eucalyptus trees contrasting against the bright red earth. After 48km (29mi) you will turn south in the direction of Lake Mantasoa. From here you will cycle 13 km (8mi) on dusty dirt road trails to the small village of Mantasoa. From here you will follow a bumpy road which is, for the most part, broken up tarmac with potholes and sharp ascents and descents. The hillsides are covered with eucalyptus and pine trees and as you cycle up to a height of 1300m (4265ft) the views across the lake are worth the effort. You will reach the lake and skirt round the shores to your overnight hotel overlooking the lake.
- 43.5 miles
- Ermitage, Mantasoa
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 4Mantasoa –Moramanga
- Day 5Moramanga –Andasibe
In the morning you will visit the Museum of the National Gendarmerie. The back to the saddle. You will cycle up a long hill followed by a zigzagging downhill stretch of road. The next stretch is gently undulating. You will cycle through the village of Andasibe then the final few kilometres area beautiful dirt road trail through the forest to your overnight stay.
- 21.7 miles
- Lemur Lodge, Andasibe
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 6Andasibe-Mantadia NP
You will begin with a very early morning breakfast and cycle a few km to the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. You will change into your walking shoes for a guided walking tour around the forest to visit the Indri Lemurs and enjoy the flora and fauna. You will follow the strange cries of the Indri and hope to see the whole family. You will also have the opportunity to see many plants and other lemurs as well as birds. After lunch, you will cycle by bike in a different part of the park called Mantadia. Here you can take a walk in the primary rainforest before cycling back to the hotel.
- 21.1 miles
- Lemur Lodge, Andasibe
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 7Andasibe –Ranomafana-Est
- Day 8Ranomafana-Est –Manambato, approximately 60 km including 7 km dirt road with some difficulties
Today you will cycle to the little hamlet of Manambato. First, you will cycle on tarmac until you pass through the larger town of Brickaville. The last 7 km (4.3mi) you will make a final push to come over the bumpy dirt road through the village Manambato to the shores of Lake Rasoabe. You will stay here for the night.
- 37.3 miles
- Les Acasias, Manambato
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 9Manambato –Toamasina (Tamatave), approximately 104 km (7 km tough dirt road)
You will cycle back to the main road, this time uphill and on a poor-quality dirt road. For the next 30km (18.6mi) the road is mostly flat, straight and lined with lychee trees and bamboo forests. As the day progresses, the road begins to gently undulate. You are now deep in the lush eastern plains of Madagascar as you cycle through palm tree plantations and an array of tropical fruits –banana, mango and papaya. For the last 20km (12.4mi), the road levels out and you will approach Madagascar’s second largest town, Toamasina (often still called Tamatave) –a lively port, buzzing with life. In the suburbs, you will regroup and cycle together on a badly maintained tarmac road packed with markets, cyclists, cars and pedestrians. Then, you will turn off onto a quiet road which leads to your overnight stop.
- 64.6 miles
- Sunny Golf, Toamasina (Tamatave)
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 10Toamasina (Tamatave) –Mahavelona (Foulpointe), approximately 57km
The road is flat, quiet and rural with little traffic. It will be another hot day so there will be plenty of water stops throughout the ride. Eventually, you will reach sand dunes and follow the beautiful coastline northwards, passing modest resorts and the occasional village. As you cycle up the coast, you will continue crossing the river; a Laguna separates the road from the coast. The final kilometre cuts across a dirt road trail to the beach and to your resting place for the night.
- 35.4 miles
- Manda Beach, Mahavelona (Foulpointe)
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 11Mahavelona (Foulpointe) –Mahambo, about 25 km –Ferry to Ile Sainte Marie –1 or 2 hours, depending on sea conditions, on arrival cycling Ambodifotatra –Maromandia (18 km) in total approximately 43km cycling
You will be driving very early today. You will experience the country waking up, seeing the farmers go to work, the students go to school. Housewives are already busy and the market traders build up their stands. You are aiming to reach the ferry to Nosy Boraha (Ile Sainte Marie). It is located at the pier of Mahambo. The bikes are loaded on the ferry. Before you leave, however, the registration has to be done, at the local gendarmerie office. The crossing takes about one or two hours depending on the weather.
Arriving on the harbour side of Nosy Boraha, you will swing back on the saddle for the last section of the day trip of today. You will have to conquer the 18 km (11mi) up to your accommodation on a paved road, usually along the coast. At first, the road is level but after a while, it winds uphill, curving towards the north. From the road, you will turn into the access leading to the hotel.
- 26.7 miles
- Masonadro Lodge, Nosy Boraha (Ste. Marie)
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 12Nosy Boraha (Ile Ste. Marie), approximately 42 km dirt road
Your final day will be one of mixed emotions! A real treat as you cycle across and around much of this beautiful, virtually untouched island for the whole day, but on the flipside, the dirt road terrain will be gruelling, and you will have to negotiate lots of sharp ups and downs, deep potholes, rocks and sand. You will set off early, heading north and uphill towards Ankirihiry. The first few km of the day are on tarmac but you will soon come to the challenging dirt road which stays with you for the rest of the day.
On reaching Ankirihiry you will turn inland for 5 km (3.1mi) to cross the island from one side to the other. With the Indian Ocean now on your left you will cycle south towards Anfiafy and Marofilao eventually reaching the port of Ambodifotatra. You will continue south to your finish line at your hotel which will be your base for the next two nights. After celebrating the finish line, you will enjoy a well refreshing drink next to the glittering Indian Ocean. What better way to complete this spectacular challenge in Madagascar. This evening you will celebrate the end of the challenge and toast your achievement.
- 26.1 miles
- Soanambo, Nosy Boraha (Ste. Marie)
- Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Day 13Nosy Boraha (Ile Sainte Marie)
Free day to relax at the tropical island of Ste. Marie. Swimming pool, tennis, mountain biking, beach volleyball, badminton, ping pong ... visit to the pirate cemetery on the island or islet Iles aux Nattes. Even a small nature park is located not far from the hotel. From June to October you may observe whales.
- Soanambo, Nosy Boraha (Ste. Marie)
- Breakfast and Dinner
- Day 14Free day
Free day to relax at the tropical island of Ste. Marie. Swimming pool, tennis, mountain biking, beach volleyball, badminton, ping pong ... visit to the pirate cemetery on the island or islet Iles aux Nattes. Even a small nature park is located not far from the hotel. From June to October you may observe whales.
- Soanambo, Nosy Boraha (Ste. Marie)
- Breakfast and Dinner
- Day 15Ste. Marie –Tana