Cycling tour - Madagascar

On this tour, you’ll see some of the highlights of Madagascar. First you’ll drive through the highlands with a lot of terrace ricepaddies. Later on, we’ll see two national parks and reserves with a lot of endemic fauna and flora. In the end, we’ll kick back and realx on the beach.  Some of the distances are a bit long, but since there’s no accommodation around en route, we’ll go until the next destination, but you can cycle less and drive the rest of the distance in the bus.

Day 1:    Home-Antananarivo

Arrival in Antananarivo. Meet and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Accommodation: Résidence Lapasoa  or similar

Day 2:    Antananarivo – Ampefy 153 km

Car transfer to Lemur’s park ( about 20 km far from the city centre ) – a private park where you can see a few species of lemurs such as Bamboo lemurs, Sifaka lemurs, brown lemurs,… living freely in a forested area. After the visit of this park , car transfer until PK 35 where, after fitting up the bikes, you begin the bike tour on a tar good road until Ampefy ( about 65 km far from there ). We can optionally visit the Geysirs in Analavory. Overnight at the hotel.

Accommodation: Kavitaha hotel or similar

Day 3:    Ampefy – Faratsiho – Antsirabe 149 km

After the morning visit of Lily waterfall the Geysers, cycling for about 25 km (as there are steep mountains) through a scenic landscape until Faratsiho (about 72 km). From here, the road is flat and straight, we cycle until Antsirabe (about 52 km far from Faratsiho). Overnight at a the hotel.

Accommodation: Les Chambres du voyageur or similar

Day 4:    Antsirabe – Ambositra 92 km

After breakfast , we continue our cycling to Ambositra ( about 92 km far from Antsirabe ). Here, you have to do a long distance but you can get in the car whenever you feel tired.  In Ambositra, visit to some Zafimaniry woodcarving workshop. Overnight at the hotel.

Accommodation: Artisan hotel or similar

Day 5:    Ambositra – Ambohimahasoa – Ranomafana 132 km

From Ambositra to Ambohimahasoa ( about 50 km in continual ups and downs  ) , it is not possible to cycle. From Ambohimahasoa, we can cycle again until Ranomafana ( about 32 km), at the end only going downhill fast through the ravine canyon and a tremendous view of Namorona River and the rainforest. Overnight at the hotel.

Accommodation: Centrest hotel or similar

Day 6:    Ranomafana

Today , we spend our day visiting  Ranomafana National park – a rainforest national park which is home to various species of lemurs such as the golden bamboo lemurs, brown lemurs, birds, chameleons, frogs. Then exploring Ranomafana village or  taking a thermal bath . At night fall , we do a nocturnal  walk on the road  to see nocturnal animals . Overnight at a the  hotel.

Accommodation: Thermal hotel or similar

 Day 7:    Ranomafana – Ambalavao 122 km

We drive the 66 km to Fianarantsoa by bus, and then start cycling on a curving road about 56 km to Ambalavao. In Ambalavao we can visit a hand made paper factory and a wine factory. Overnight at the hotel.

Accommodation: Tsienimparihy Lodge or similar

Day 8:    Ambalavao – Ihosy-Ranohira 247 km

We start  very early today for  our long cycling and driving to Ranohira ( about 155 km far from Ambalavao ).  We stop 12km after Ambalavao for visiting a small reserve to observe Ring-tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) in their natural surroundings. Then continuation on straight and good road, rights and lefts great hills and mountains. We bike as far as we can ( about 60 km of  cycling ) till a very impressive rocky mountain, called “Bishop’s hat” .We drive until Horombe plateau ( about 60 km far Ihosy ) as it is too mountainous for us to cycle on . From here,we cycle on a very good and straight tar road until Ranohira ( 32 km ) on the savannah plateau Overnight at the hotel.

Accommodation: Isalo Ranch or similar

Day 9:  Ranohira

Today, we do a full day trek inside Isalo National Park to discover the massif of Isalo, its ruine-like rocks, canyons, endemic fauna and flora such as Lemurs , plants such as Pachypodiums, aloes,  Satrana,… then swim in the natural swimming pool. Overnight at the same hotel.
Accommodation: Isalo Ranch or similar

Day 10: Ranohira – Tuléar  – Ifaty 265 km

After breakfast, we do our last day of cycling on this straight tar road , from Ilakaka  to Zombitse NP  ( about 65 km ).After a few hours visit of Zombitse NP, we drive until Tulear .The landscape is composed of high bushes, thick gallery forests and some proudly decorated Mahafaly tombs. After a short tour of  Tuléar, transfer to Ifaty – a seaside beach resort , protected by coral reefs . Overnight at a standard beach hotel.

Accommodation: Hotel de la plage or similar

All the bikes will be transported back to Tana by our bus

Day 11: Ifaty

Relax day. Optional aactivities. Overnight at a beach hotel.

Accommodation: Hotel de la plage or similar

Day 12 Ifaty – Tulear – Antananarivo 27 km then domestic flight

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Antananarivo. Meet at the airport then transfer to the city .

Overnight at a standard hotel.

Accommodation: Résidence Lapasoa or similar

Day 13  Antananarivo  – Home

Visit to the artisan market to buy some souvenirs if time allows. Transfer to the airport for the flight home.