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This wonderful trip to Canal des Pangalanes, with wild and splendid spectacles along it, connects two national parks of Madagascar – the Ranomafana National Park located in the Highlands of the Red Island and the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park in the East of Madagascar through Mananjary, Nosy Varika and Mahanoro. Mahanoro also enables you to continue your Madagascar holidays with us while enjoying the places that the East of Madagascar can offer or to return to our capital - Antananarivo.
The Canal des Pangalanes is a series of sweet water lakes and lagoons parallel to the coast of the Indian Ocean, separated by a narrow stretch of land. The lakes are connected by a man-made channel system that forms an inland waterway from Tamatave through to Farafangana, making it the longest canal in the world. This trip offers you to live along the spices road from old times!
This 4-day trip Ranomafana National Park - Andasibe-Mantadia National Park (trip can be done both ways – same stops): The river trip from on the Pangalanes Canal in 180 km, и 280km by land, 2 days of cruise, 1 night in bivouac, and 2nights in a hotel. Discover a wonderful nature, a magnificent spectacle, wild and luxurious. We will use motor pirogues made of wood, 10m length and covered by a removable roof for the part of the channel where nature is boundless. Maximum capacity is 6 passengers. Meals are served hot, made of fresh products.
Do not hesitate to visit villages to discover the daily life of the villagers turning mainly on the fishing but also the braiding of mats and the construction of canoes and new huts. On board a traditional dugout canoe, discover a luxuriant and wild vegetation dotted here and there with fruit trees and in the air exotic perfumes mixing coffee, lemon grass, mango, vanilla...
ENJOY THIS... Cruise on the Pangalanes Canal via Mahanoro:
Day 1: Ranomafana - Mananjary. Meeting at 9-00 am at your hotel. In the morning we continue our trip to Mananjary, a tropical green environment about 3 hours away. The road is lined with the travellers palm and the area we drive through is famous for the mining of gold. In the villages you will see women with gold teeth; the sign of wealth. In Mananjary we stay in cottages near the beach. For your accommodation in Mananjary, we suggest you rooms at Hotel Jardin de Mer or Hotel Vahiny Lodge. These hotels offer services which will meet your expectations. A veritable garden of exoticism, Mananjary will delight nature lovers. Mananjary is home to Lake Mahela directly overlooking the sea. To satisfy your escape desires, lose yourself in the plantations of coffee trees and clove trees, and then learn about the region’s biodiversity! Located away from the hustle and bustle of large cities, Mananjary is the perfect place to go for an innovative trip. On the edge of the Canal of Pangalanes, this small village in the southeast of Madagascar will answer all your desires. Enjoy a refreshing treatment at the beach of Sidi Eden! During your visit, you will always be welcomed by the local people with a smile which you will find nowhere else. These people with their exemplary kindness are always ready to serve you. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2: Mananjary - Nosy Varika. Departure at 7 am from Mananjary pier. Today begins the cruise on the "Canal des Pangalanes". This channel was built at the end of the 19th century by the French, using Chinese prisoners. The channel was used to transport coffee, bananas, vanilla, pepper and other spices along the East Coast from Farafangana to the port of Tamatave, so it could then be exported abroad. Today you sail between 8 and 12 hours. En-route you meet some small villages on the banks of the canal. First stop at Ampadimanana for a visit.
The second stop at Ambohitsara. Here you will find a stunning sculpture called "Vatolambo" (the stone boar), cut in a white stone by Indians from Mangalore in the early twelfth century. You will be surprised of the statue of the “white elephant”, its origin isn't clear, the archeologists have different opinions about it. Others defend that statue dates back to the time of Arab and Persian immigrations around the year 900. Some say that the ancestors brought it from Mekka. A German researcher says that the statue is not an elephant but a special kind of pig, and that it has been made locally from a stone found nearby, by Chinese adventurers who came there before Jesus Christ was born. The statue is enclosed in a wooden gate which is locked. The village head requires an entrance fee for the open and tell his story.
Next stop at Nosy Varika, which is, in fact, not a real island, it's a small village, where you visit a “Betsabetsa” fabric. Then you continue the cruise to Ambohimahatsinjo, where you will have bivouac close to the mouth of Sakaleona river. Those who are looking for a big adventure can head for Sakaleona Falls. For this you need 3 days of trekking. These are the highest and most spectacular falls of Madagascar (with a height of 200 m). They do deserve a real expedition of a few days. From Nosy Varika, should drive to the village of Ampasinambo in all-terrain vehicle about 60 km. From here there is 30 km walk to the falls (we will have to hire a local guide and porters in Ampasinambo). Bivouac near the falls.
Day 3: Ambohimahatsinjo – Mahanoro: Today we sail between 7 and 9 hours through the channels. We will stop at Masomeloka and Asohihy, between Indian Ocean and Pangalanes Channel. You can swim! Along the way you'll meet local fishermen and families who may be travelling by pirogue to go do their shopping. Sometimes the low water level in the canal means that you may have to give the boat a push! Along the way you see women doing laundry or washing the dishes, or even taking a bath. Children are swimming and the geese and ducks are at play. The men go fishing with large nets. Without roads in this area, the channels are the only way to get anywhere. By the evening we arrive in Mahanoro. The cottages where we stay are close to the beach. Swimming is possible but only where the current is not too strong.
Day 4: Mahanoro - Andasibe. Today will be a long travel day through stunning natural scenery on very beautiful paved roads, you make your way to Andasibe, the base for discovering the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Overnight at hotel. As already mentioned, the road from Mahanoro opens the way to all the wonderful places of the East of Madagascar. It is a very landscape and photographic paved road which leads to Tamatave.
NOTE: The cruise depends on the weather! The guide is the only one to decide to change the program in case of bad weather. As for all river tours, unusual weather conditions can constraint us to change the itinerary to ensure safety for all. If there is too much wind or too much rain, there may be delays.
About meals: Full Board (except breakfast at D1 and dinner on the last day) with wine and aperitif during cruise. Meal plan: generous and well-balanced meals with fresh food mixing savors and spices. Meals are served hot. Aperitif and snacks. Generous dinner for a deserved rest. Beverages: bottled water, juice, tea, coffee, wine and aperitif, rums, beer.
About accommodation: In tents, mattress and blankets provided in bivouacs/camps; at hotels. Our team takes in charge almost everything in the camp. However, your help may be needed if late arrival during the tour.
This package includes: Full Board (except breakfast at D1 and dinner on the last day) with beverages: bottled water, juice, tea, coffee, wine and aperitif, rums, beer; Accommodation in bivouacs/camps; The crew: 2 guides, cook, skipper during the navigation, porters; All the camping equipment; 4×4 car transportations.
About safety: We always brief our customers before we go on a trek. We strongly advise you to subscribe to an individual insurance more efficient than our local insurance.
Not included: Sakaleona Falls hike; Personal expenses, tips, phone; Sanitary evacuation policy. In option: to be specified during your order.
Member of the Tour Operators Association «TOP Madagascar»
INBOUND TOUR OPERATOR OF EXCEPTIONAL TRIPS TO MADAGASCAR. WE CREATE MEMORABLE WILDLIFE TOURS AND BEACH HOLIDAYS. SALE OF MADAGASCAR SPICES, VANILLA BEANS, CHOCOLATE AND COCOA PRODUCTS
NDAO I-TRAVEL, Madagascar, Antananarivo, LOT VR 30 Ambohidraserika Mahazoarivo
+261 34 50 18 975
ndao-i-travel
info@ndaoitravel.com
