The East Coast of Madagascar will surprise you by its richness and variety! With family, your mate or friends, this is the tour that will enchant your trip to Madagascar. From the Alaotra Mangoro (Moramanga), and its primary forests, to the coast, which combines the pleasures of the seaside and those of river cruises on the Pangalanes, there are many historical and cultural discoveries to make, and also village meetings and immersion within a lush nature.
Located at less than 2 hours from the capital, the dizzying falls of Andriamamovoka will highlight your eastern Madagascar’s tour. We recommend you to spend several days for this excursion which will take you through unusual villages and rice fields to reach sumptuous waterfalls. Nearby, you can visit Moramanga, a historic town punctuated by the incessant flow of rickshaws. From here, you can take a train “from another era” towards Lake Alaotra. This lake is home to the “bandro”, an adorable lemur endemic to this region. The most courageous will continue their tour by visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Zahamena National Park to meet the propithecus diadema, a beautiful lemur with an orange coat. You can reach the East Coast in several days and bivouacs: unique experience and adventure are guaranteed !
If you wish a less hectic experience, the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is easier to ride. The jewel of the region owes its reputation to the presence of the biggest lemur, the indri-indri or “babakoto”, which is easy to watch and whose cries awaken the whole forest. You will enjoy an exceptional show by discovering whole families and their young ones in a vegetation rich in pandanus and tree ferns.
The Pangalanes of Madagascar are an over 400km uninterrupted succession of natural lagoons and lakes, rivers and mouthpieces along the shores of the Indian Ocean. Live this experience alongside a welcoming local population. Take advantage of this continuous waterway to begin a cruise to discover the hectic life of the canal! This cruise along the Pangalanes promises you an ubiquitous spectacle and many discoveries: an artisanal distillery, to witness the return of the fishermen, tasting of freshly caught camarons … The Pangalanes is one of the most relaxing tourist routes in Madagascar, yet totally different: perfect after other more athlectic excursions! The discovery of the landscapes and local populations along the canal will make you live upsetting emotions.
During your tour, you must stop in Toamasina, the big port of the Eastern region of Madagascar. Its architectural heritage, its large and lively markets, but also its sacred corners such as the famous “place bien-aimée” and its imposing ficus religiosa trees will delight you! Toamasina is ideal for party makers as you will find there several excellent restaurants, lively bars, cabarets evenings, night clubs …Want to awaken your senses? Enjoy a circuit from Toamasina heading towards the Palmeraie, about twenty kilometers, to feel ylang ylang, niaouli, vanilla, ravintsara … Ten kilometers to the north of the city, there is the Zoological Park of Ivoloina where you can see 10 species of lemurs, reptiles and batrachians, and thanks to an observation station, you will catch a glimpse at a lot of birds, as well as indigenous plants.
To rest from your escapade on the East coast of Madagascar, enjoy the calm and charm of the seaside resorts of Foulpointe and Mahambo. These fishing villages have kept their authenticity. Take the road from Toamasina which is punctuated by artisanal stands and slips between sea and lagoons leaving beautiful plantations (litchis, cloves, coffee …).Foulpointe, the most popular seaside resort on the east coast, boasts beautiful beaches and a shallow lagoon. It features a golf course and the remains of a fort built in the early 19th century. Mahambo is an extremely preserved little Eden, hemmed with immense beaches and coves almost virgin but very easily accessible. It is the ideal place to rest or practice surfing.
To reach the biosphere of Mananara from Toamasina, take the National Road, which is an entire show. This track dominates beautiful sea shores, gets lost on beaches, and allows you to cross (by means of ferries) rivers and mouthpieces to reach places simply magical and populated with many birds. If paradise exists, it must not be very far from these enchanting landscapes of Madagascar! The particularity of the North Mananara Biosphere Reserve is to be composed of a lowland wet forest and a coral reef. On the land side, well-equipped paths lead to the encounter of a fauna and flora of an extreme biodiversity. The rocky coasts present their collection of living corals, all immersed in translucent waters where abounding “coral browsers” fishes .
