Tropique du Capricorne

Itinerary :

17 days / 14 nights

Day 1 : Paris - Antananarivo

Flight to Antananarivo.

Welcome at the airport. You will take the road south. Lunch in Ambatolampy, visit to craft workshops. Arrival in Antsirabe and visit to the spa town and its colonial remains.

Walk to discover the rice fields and drive to Lalatsara. Stop in Ambositra to visit the artisans’ village. In Lalatsara, check into the eco-tourism lodge. Night walk in the forest in the hope of seeing a microcebus, or nocturnal lemur.

Morning visit to the Ialatsara forest (private environmental conservation project): 3 to 4 hours of easy walking to discover the high-altitude tropical rainforest (ferns, orchids, precious woods, and several species of lemurs). Then you will take the road to Fianarantsoa, have lunch, and continue to Ambositra.

Visit the village of Ambalavao and its vineyards, silkworm farming, the “southern gate,” and the Horombe plateau. Drive to the village of Bara and discover the “zebu civilization.” Upon arrival in Ranohira, you will stop at the Isalo National Park office to meet the park guide and plan the next day’s hiking itinerary.

Hiking day to discover one of the oldest geological formations in the country: Isalo stretches for nearly 100 km. Made entirely of sandstone, it is carved with deep canyons and bristling with peaks. On the program: canyons, lemurs, panoramic views, botanical trails, and natural pools.

After breakfast, cross the sapphire village of Ilakaka, baobabs, and the southern savannah. End of National Road 7. Turn off at Andranovory and begin crossing National Road 10, in the middle of the bush, through thorny forests and Mahafaly villages. Arrival in Betioky in the late afternoon: the first small town on this southern trail and capital of the Mahafalys region.

Departure to explore Tsimanapetsotsa National Park, rich in many species of animals and plants: walk along the flamingo lake and discover the baobab forest. Continue to Ambola for the night. Picnic lunch.

Drive to Itampolo. Free afternoon in Itampolo to enjoy its beautiful sandy beach on the lagoon, explore the fishing village and tombs on foot.

After breakfast, departure for Ampanihy, renowned for the manufacture of mohair wool carpets made from Angora goats. Ampanihy also marks the border between the territories of the Mahafaly and Antandroy ethnic groups.

Continue your journey to Lavanono, still through typical southern landscapes: thorns appear to signal your arrival in the land of the Androy, “the land of thorns.” Pass through Belo sur Androy. Arrive in Lavanono in the late afternoon.

After breakfast, continue south along the trail via Ambovombe. You will then cross a vast landscape of sisal and didieraceae plantations. Discover the life of the people of the south, where the problem of water is a major part of their daily lives. In the afternoon, arrive at Tsimelahy, one of the three sites of Andohaela National Park.

In the morning, discover Andohaela National Park. Located in a mountainous area, this park has two different types of vegetation: tropical rainforest on the eastern slope and semi-arid on the western slope. You will then reach the town of Fort Dauphin. Check in at the hotel for two nights.

Free day to explore Fort Dauphin, with a car at your disposal.

Depending on the flight schedule: free morning in Antananarivo or Fort Dauphin. Transfer to the airport and flight to Antananarivo. Possibility to visit the craft market if the flight schedule allows.

Transfer to the airport and return flight to Paris. Arrival in the evening.

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