Things to see and do Northern Route

Mahajanga is one of the few towns in Madagascar with a beach right in the center of town, at the end of the corniche road: it's known as the "tourist village". The beaches of Amborovy (about 8 km to the north), Grand Pavois (10 km) and Ampazony (15 km) attract all the tananarivian tourists in August. Numerous hotels, restaurants and small bars have sprung up, especially on Amborovy beach. Ideal for a Sunday out with the family. Further afield, the marvellous site of Antsanitia (pronounced: "antsanti", 40 min runway from the airport), is more unspoilt.

Departure by canoe from a village 20 km from the town (5 km of good track). Count 20 minutes of canoe. Observation of ducks, herons, and miners in the region. Immersion in the Malagasy daily. Swimming and fishing possible.

Mado la Camerounaise offers a truly fascinating tour of the Millot plantations, created by Lucien Millot at the beginning of the ^20th century. The French chocolate maker Valrhona bought 40% of the plantation and mainly grows cocoa, which is exported to the best restaurants in the world, but also spices (pepper, allspice, combava, etc.), vanilla, lemongrass, patchouli, vetiver, ravintsara and ylang-ylang. It is possible to have lunch on the spot (La Maison du Planteur): table d'hôtes atmosphere and meal according to the inspiration (fish with combava, chicken coconut, chicken carry, ravitoto and dessert... with chocolate of course!) Mado also offers simple but comfortable guest rooms. The visit is very enriching and allows you to meet the employees and to see the different stages of the cocoa harvest, from the tree to the finishing (just before exporting) through the drying and maceration... This is why the visits take place in the morning. You will also have the opportunity to discover the process of distillation of essential oils. We do not hide it to you, Mado has a sacred character (that passes or that breaks, we adore it!). She has the merit of employing 600 people (and covering the social benefits of their families) and just to support this sumptuous social and economic life, a stop in the Millot plantation is particularly recommended!

18 km north of Mahajanga (same departure route as for the Cirque rouge), this small lake with its crystal-clear waters is sacred to many locals, who come here to make wishes by throwing coins into the water. The carp and moray eels that inhabit it are exceptionally large. Tuesdays and Thursdays are "fady" (no offerings possible). A good place for a picnic. An access fee of 10,000 Ar is charged for tours: visit to the sacred lake, the sacred tamarind tree, a crocodile enclosure, the baobab and the white lemurs.

Small and simple museum. History of the region, old photographs, presentation of the fauna, the flora and the economy of the Middle West, selection of handicrafts. The paleontology section is interesting with its impressive fossils and dinosaur bones discovered in the Mahajamba valley. The museum is far from everything, so if you go by cab, it is wise to ask the driver to wait. However, the walk back along the cornice gives the opportunity to appreciate the landscape, provided to avoid the hot hours.

At the end of the day, make your way to the "plateau of tombs", where villas shelter between trees and flowers. From the top of the administrative block building, you have a panoramic view of the eastern districts: a white, ochre and vermilion city, lost in an ocean of greenery. We also love Amborovy beach. The seafront promenade, known as "le bord", is very lively and crowded during the vacations. Everyone loves to meet up on this local "croisette", in front of the old baobab tree (which takes on unexpected colors).

On 85 000 ha, this protected natural area comprises 22 mangrove covered islets in the heart of the sumptuous Betsiboka delta. There will be a quantity of mangroves where a abonde rich: is abundant: 60 species of aquatic birds, including sacred ibis, pink flamingos, spatulas, crested, ducks, herons or Eagles of Madagascar… Moreover, a 3-hour hike from the village of Mahataitromby allows to discover fragments of dry forests and their habitants inhabitants, les (crowned propithèque, Eulémur rufus, Eulémur mongoz, microcèbes…). Lunch break in the village of Mahataitromby, for example.

A recent botanical and zoological refuge at the entrance to the city, along the Bombetoka bay and its mangrove. This 25 ha space concentrates the different representatives of Malagasy fauna in captivity. Among them, four species of lemurs, including the Eulémur and the Propithèque, four species of turtles, boas, crocodiles, and Ankoay in a vast aviary… Birds, chameleon and other aquatic animals evolve in freedom. You can also admire some ostriches, in pens for the time being. Ideal for families.

Located 6 km south of Katsepy, the New Protected Area (NPA) of Antrema is the sanctuary of the Crowned Sifaka, which embodies the ancestors in the Sakalava culture. The area is occupied by an ecosystem composed of a dry forest on dunes, rainforests, tides and lakes but also a marine park and its mangrove (20,300 ha). The site has 153 species of plants, 75 species of birds, 23 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 4 other types of lemurs. Three circuits are proposed: lemur circuit, bird watching and discovery of the marine park.

The beautiful beaches - white sand, turquoise water - that surround Maintirano stretch for miles, offering a vision of infinite languor. Ask the fishermen to show you the appropriate places for swimming.

Nosy Androtra, Nosy Lava, Nosy Maroantaly: to the south of Maintirano, a string of islands surrounded by coral reefs will delight lovers of the "desert island" atmosphere. Nothing is organized: it is necessary to inquire at the port of Maintirano or at the village of Soahanina, which can be reached from Antsalova, on the southern track.

At the end of the road leading to Majunga airport, Avenue de Mahabibo gives access to an extremely lively district that's a pleasure to stroll through. It's all the more lively for being home to several large, colorful markets and two major mosques. At the end of the day, men in finely embroidered blue and white djellabas cool off next to the high walls of these religious buildings, in a very Comorian atmosphere. At siesta time on Fridays and Sundays, the murmur of the suras lulls you to sleep. As you stroll along, guided by the muezzins' call to prayer, you'll come across one of the eight mosques dotted around the town, including the old Indian mosque and the graceful Comorian mosque. These two buildings bear witness to the influence of Islam in this region. The central city is also home to a number of elegant buildings dating from the colonial period. These include the Androva hospital, the old post office, the residence, the courthouse and an insanely large cathedral that seems to have landed in the middle of town like a meteorite. On the way up to the barracks, on the hill overlooking the town of Majunga, the surrounding wall opens onto a doorway decorated with flowers carved in stone. Here stood the rova that dominated the town. Without the means to restore it, this monument is in danger of disappearing, which would be a real shame. The gate is the last vestige of the Merina fort where Radama ^I established his headquarters.

The Doany is an important site in the Sakalava cult of Boina, where the relics of kings Andriamandrosoarivo, Andriamisara, Andrianamboniarivo and Andriamihanina are preserved. These relics - moustaches, fingernails and incisors - were richly decorated by Arab goldsmiths. The hut in which they are kept contains cult objects and belongings that once belonged to the sovereigns. People come to pray before the royal reliquary, especially on Mondays and Fridays, the other days being fady. Having been moved three times after the reign of the Sakalava kings, the monument - a hut - is currently located in Tsaramandroso. It can be reached by turning right onto the road leading to the regional university center. Entrance to the Zomba Be (sacred royal enclosure) is subject to rites and prohibitions that are not displayed at the entrance: bare feet, no glasses, braided hair for women (a lady from the village will take care of this), being dressed in a lamba (kitamby for men, kisaly for women). It is highly recommended to bring rum and candles (one box). The donation for the keeper is at your discretion (around 2,000 to 4,000 Ar). The keeper will invite you into his hut for a few words of welcome and to undress and dress. It's a good idea to be accompanied by a guide familiar with the local customs. Once a year, in July, the royal relics are bathed in a grandiose ceremony attended by thousands of people in a festive, musical atmosphere.

Mahajanga is a great place to stroll around. If you want to visit the city center (restricted area), walking or taking a tuk-tuk is the best way to go. But don't forget that it's hot almost all year round, so don't go out during the hottest hours of the day! The old town is concentrated in a rectangle formed by boulevard Poincaré, avenue de France, quai Orsini and rue du Maréchal Joffre. It's worth taking the time to stroll through this center with its right-angled streets and fortified houses, vestiges of the Arab presence in the ^18th century. The district is especially fascinating when the shadows lengthen and the elegant ladies, draped in gold, emerge from the bougainvillea-lined courtyards, at a time when people gather around the vendors selling kebabs, cooked manioc and fried food. You'll see the remains of centuries-old Arab trading posts: carved wooden doors, arabesques and the old Indian mosque. Colonial-style houses (almost all in disrepair), tinted in different varieties of ochre, display their balusters, varangues and columns. In the windows, embroidered white cotton sails flutter in the wind, revealing a look, a smile. The port is extremely busy in the morning and at the end of the day. Rice, cotton, wood and cement are loaded and unloaded from red, blue and green dhows and cargo ships. Further along the Quai Orsini, past the customs building, the boat graveyard offers an impressive sight of wrecks of all shapes and sizes, pirogues and rusty sheet metal.

At the end of Avenue de France, here's a place for a family stroll. Acting as a traffic circle, an enormous multi-century baobab tree over 20 m in circumference adorns the end of the avenue. To pay homage to the ancestors, every newcomer is expected to walk around it 7 times. Don't hesitate! Under the roots of this tree lies the treasure hidden by the Sakalava kings when they arrived from the Menabe. On the right stands a colonial-style building. The walk continues along Boulevard Marcoz (preferably in the cool).

Eight different circuits are available to visitors to Ankarafantsika National Park, including the following:

Circuit Coquerelli (maximum 5.1 km loop, 2-hour walk): lots of lemurs (including the endemic Propithecus verreauxi coquereli), birds (including the rare and endemic Vanga de Van Damne) and reptiles. Beautiful panoramic view of the forest. A shorter tour is also available.

Circuit Canyon (7.4 km round trip, 3h walking time): starts at the edge of the dry forest and winds through the savannah. It leads to the famous Ankarokaroka lavaka, the result of enormous erosion. It's an almost dreamlike, lunar landscape, offering an extraordinary view of the canyon. You'll come across lemurs, birds (including the Newton falcon) and reptiles.

Circuit Haut du Lac (7 km, approx. 3 hrs.): panoramic views over the lake, and a fine sampling of local flora and fauna: birds such as the flycatcher, dyal malagasy, bulbul de Madagascar, coua and drongo, as well as chameleons, snakes, lizards and medicinal plants such as adenia, vanilla madagascariensis and tamarind.

Baobab tour (3 km round trip, approx. 1 hr.): footbridge over rice fields, suspension bridge and Adansonia boeniensis, endemic baobabs.

Retendrika and Pachypodium circuits (6.6 km, 2 hrs. walk, and 9.2 km, 3 hrs. 30 min. respectively): a flora rich in medicinal plants, large trees and precious woods (ebony in particular), as well as terrestrial orchids. You can also spot the Assity bird and, from November to April, the brookesia, the world's smallest chameleon.

Tour of the lake by boat: Lake Ravelobe gives you the chance to get to know the Ankoay fishing eagle and the Nile crocodile. The Sakalava practice a ritual ceremony here, called Joro, to bless the ancestors (in July). It is said that the ghost of the highwayman Ravelobe still haunts the area. Women are forbidden to wash in the river. Fishing is permitted on the shores of the lake.
The park is home to two endemic species of lemur: the Eulemur mongoz (known here as Dredrika), whose tail is longer than its body (35 cm for its size, 50 cm for its tail), and the Cheirogaleus medius (or Matavirambo), a small 22 cm animal that hibernates from April to September and only comes out at night... The park also offers a fascinating cultural tour of Sakalava culture: tombs of kings (Doany) at Andranomiditra, Doany de Betsioka at Bealana, Doany d'Ambalabongo and Doany de Ravelobe.

If you take the road from the airport and continue for 3 km (12 km north from the city center), at the Grand Pavois, you will come to a surprising landscape. A natural cirque, carved by the winds and the waters, forms a kind of canyon of a surprising color: the limestones and the sands are pink, burgundy, carmine. Walking along the river, you reach the sea after a nice walk. The sunrise and the sunset on the red circuses are magical moments. Further, the red circus of Ampazony makes the joy of the amateurs of quad.

Let's meet on the Orsini quay, early in the morning or late in the day. The dockers doze in the shade of the old Arab counters, the rickshaw drivers rest in their vehicles, the sambo sellers seem to be waiting... Suddenly a dhow arrives and a feverish agitation takes over the quays. Semi-trailers loaded to the brim with cotton rub shoulders with rickshaws crumbling under the weight of fabrics. The dhows painted in red and blue, green and yellow remind us of all the journeys to Zanzibar and Moroni, according to the winds...

Information on city, leaflets, maps and guided tours of the city (2:30 a. m.), the sacred lake (1/2 day), the Belobaka caves (1/2 day), the red circus, the new Antrema protected area and many others.

Admission tickets, park information. Visit the park from 6:30 am to 6 pm under normal circumstances, and from 5:30 am to 6 pm during bird watching season