Explore western Madagascar - 7 day roadtrip

Start: Ivato
Destination: Antsirabe
Drive: 190 km | 5.5 hours

On the road to Antsirabe, a nice colonial town. Expect windy roads passing rice paddies and small, highland villages. You can have a terrific lunch stop at Coin de Foie Grass in Behenjy, or try a  good paella (we're not kidding), at El Torro in Ambatolampy.

In Antsirabe, take a pousse pousse (the Malagasy version of the Asian rickshaw) tour to the craft workshops which are otherwise hard to find on your own. 

Restaurant tips: Chez Jenny (pizza, lively), Trianon (classic French), Vatolahy (classic French) 

Start: Antsirabe
Destination: Miandrivazo
Drive: 220 km | 5 hours 

The only road to take to Morondava is to branch off the RN7 at Antsirabe and continue on the RN34 and RN35, via Miandrivazo and Malambandy. Google Maps will suggest following the RN35 up to Malambandy. However, the RN35 takes much longer, and at the time of writing (January 2024), the bridge on the RN35 is broken, making the road inaccessible. There are no plans to repair the bridge anytime soon. Don’t follow Google Maps. 

Miandrivazo is a small, sleepy inland town where it can get very hot.

Start: Miandrivazo
Destination: Kirindy Reserve
Drive: 300 km | 8 hours 

The RN34/RN35 is an asphalt road and in a reasonable state. En route, you will pass the Avenue de Baobabs and the Baobabs Amoureux.

Kirindy Reserve is a nice stopover before heading to the Tsingy. The sky fossa can be spotted and you'll be surrounded by many, many baobabs. 

Start: Kirindy Reserve
Destination: Tsingy de Bemaraha
Drive: 140 km | 6 - 8 hours 

It's a full day travel on a dirt road from Kirindy to the Tsingy de Bemaraha. 

Make sure to have lunch at Mad Zebu. The Malagasy chef used to work at a 3-star Michelin restaurant in France and now runs a restaurant in the middle of nowhere - pretty surreal!

Enjoy: Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

There is nothing else on earth like the limestone pinnacles of the Tsingy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Given the time and effort needed to get to Bemaraha, we recommend that you spend at least two full days in the Tsingy to enjoy the various circuits that have been put in place with phenomenal expertise, consisting of Via Ferratas (fixed cable routes), rope bridges and ladders.  

Enjoy: Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

There are over a dozen circuits, ranging from an hour to a full day hike. For the most dramatic views, you need to do the difficult Ankeligoa circuit in the Petit Tsingy and the Andamozavaky in the Grand Tsingy. For both, you need to be fairly fit and not fear heights. A pirogue trip up the Manambolo River provides a nice relief from the heat in the Tsingy. 

Start: Tsingy de Bemaraha
Destination: Morondava
Drive: 200 km | 10 hours 

Return to Morondava. You can hand over your car in the evening. Before you fly back to Antananarivo, you can enjoy a few resting days by the sea at Morondava or visit Belo sur Mer by boat from Morondava. It’s a short boat ride, which can be arranged from the hotel you are staying at or through Entremer, the best place to stay in Belo sur Mer. 

Visiting Belo sur Mer by car is only allowed when travelling with our driver-guide or pisteur. To reach Below sur Mer you have to cross a salt plain. The surface is dried out, but beneath it's like quicksand, so you quickly get stuck if you don't know which track to follow.