Hey again everyone! Just got back from the trip and thought I'd follow up and share our experience, in case future travelers stumble across this thread. Having traveled extensively and independently all over the world, we found Madagascar was one of the toughest destinations to research and wrap our heads around in advance, so we hope this account can be of some assistance to others who are planning similar trips!
We built the trip around a skeleton of pre-booked internal flights: Tana to Maroantsetra at the beginning, Ile Sainte Marie to Tana in the middle, and Tulear to Tana at the end. Amazingly, in contrast to what sounds like most other peoples' experiences, none of the three flights was cancelled or significantly changed/delayed. Our one flight with Madagasikara Airways from Sainte Marie to Tana had a schedule change (afternoon to morning departure) and this was communicated to us via email around a week in advance, so no worries.
We figured out the rest of the transport as we went and would definitely recommend that approach wherever possible, for flexibility; there was only one case where an advanced reservation could have helped us secure a preferable option.
A note about guidebooks: we carried the latest (8th) edition of the Lonely Planet guide and found it useful for getting a general sense of things, and for some accommodation/food recommendations, but otherwise it was poorly organised and not very helpful. In speaking to other travelers it seemed that the Bradt guide was an improvement, but I wouldn’t rely too heavily on any of the books.
Masoala
The first part of the trip was spent in Masoala National Park. We booked an organised trip with a local guide who was recommended to us by a friend, although he ended up sending us with a different and quite mediocre guide, so no specific recommendations there. If you're flying up from Tana, your guide will generally pick you up at the airport and you'll spend the night in Maroantsetra before departing to the park early the next morning. There are a few accommodation options in Maroantsetra and you can book through your guide, although we booked ad hoc. We stayed at the Coco Beach Hotel which is nicely situated on the river but otherwise nondescript, with average food.
We spent three nights in a small fishing village inside the park and one night on Nosy Mangabe on the way back. The village experience was interesting and remote, but we weren't overly impressed by the rainforest walks we did. We much preferred our night on Mangabe, as it lacks any permanent human presence (you must camp there) and still offers nice walks and beaches. If we were to do it again, we would perhaps add another night on Mangabe.
If you can, definitely come here during Humpback season - we had a number of amazing whale encounters during our boat rides out to and back from the park! Also note that it is super wet out here, even in the drier season, so bring good wet weather gear!
Masoala to Ile Sainte Marie
This was one of our trickier transfers, with no straightforward options. Flights from Maroantsetra are irregular and there's no direct option, so you would have to fly to Tamatave and take one of the land/sea options from there, or fly back to Tana and connect to another flight to Sainte Marie (likely with an overnight layover). Alternatively, there are a few boats that go from Maroantsetra to Soanierana-Ivongo (the coastal town from which the majority of boats to Sainte Marie depart). However, the schedules for all of these are also very irregular/sparse and apparently weather can often wreak havok. We pursued the boat options extensively but came across very little definitive information and when it seemed that no boats would be leaving for at least a few days, we abandoned that approach. Nonetheless, if your dates are flexible, the boats seemed like the best combo of shortest and cheapest trip. The two main operators to look into are Melissa Express and Savannah IV, but there may be others.
With air and sea out of the question for us, that left road. Maroantsetra and Soanierana-Ivongo are connected by the infamous RN5. Hilariously designated a national highway, it's an absurd multi-day journey along sandy, rocky, muddy "road" punctuated by many rickety "bridge" and "boat" crossings (quotation marks used very emphatically). There are some taxi brousses that ply the route, but you'd definitely need to be flexible with timing if you choose that option. Or, you can hire a 4WD, but even then I would go into the experience expecting things to go wrong: of the only 10 or so cars we saw along the whole way, nearly half were broken down, and the rest were stuck waiting behind them because the route is mostly too narrow for passing!
We opted to rent motorbikes with drivers. This is definitely the best terrestrial option in terms of cost/time balance, although it is still by no means comfortable and we would only recommend it to hardier travellers! You’ll spend at least two very long days bouncing along, squeezed between driver and your bags tied on the back (we had relatively large backpacks and were able to fit them, so you shouldn’t need any extra bikes unless you want more space). It’s also not really the safest option, by developed-world standards at least, as we didn’t have helmets and cruised through some of the flatter/better sections (most of which are sandy) at quite some speed.
But despite all of that, the journey really turned into one of the highlights of our trip! It’s such a cool way to experience this part of the country - which we found to be more remote, untravelled and friendlier than elsewhere - and we really enjoyed the company of our drivers, Claude and Fabrice. They spoke little English or French but we managed to have fun with them along the way. We also felt that they were genuinely on our side and were looking out for us, which was a feeling notably absent from other interactions throughout the rest of our trip. We found them through a Maroantsetra-based guide named Lauriot, who speaks great English and was very helpful (
https://visitmasoalablog.wordpress.com/).
We paid 850,000 Ariary per bike/driver for the full trip, which we thought was totally worth it given the length and difficulty of the route and the fact that we were paying for an awesome experience, not just transport. Depending on your agreement with the drivers you may pay for some or all of the crossings, and there are random tolls levied by villagers holding sticks across the road (Claude and Fabrice managed to talk our way out of many of these), so plan for some additional expenses along the way. It took two full days, with an overnight stop in Mananara. Accommodation is not included in the trip cost of course, but you are not responsible for the drivers’ accommodation. We stayed at Chez Roger which had large, simple rooms, friendly owners and decent food.
You arrive in Soanierana-Ivongo in the evening on the second day (if all goes well) and given that the boats across to Ile Sainte Marie all leave in the morning, an overnight stay is required. The town is a bit rough with a seemingly poor selection of accommodation. We opted for Les Escales, which is conveniently located right by the docks and serves decent food but is otherwise a bit dingy and smelly (the neighbours own pigs…). We passed by the Concorde Hotel, in the middle of town but a bit away from the water, which seemed like it could have been another reasonable option but we can’t confirm.
It’s worth booking tickets for the boat across to Sainte Marie as they can fill up; stop by one of the companies’ offices down by the docks, or try giving them a call. There are a number of operators and no big differences between them, it seemed.
Ile Sainte Marie
I probably don’t need to elaborate too much on Sainte Marie. It’s one of the “easier” spots in Madagascar, with lots of nice accommodation options and straightforward intra-island transportation. We decided to rent bikes (i.e. human-powered bicycles) and used them to explore the full length of the island. It’s a really nice way to get around, but the distances and hills can be deceiving - only recommended if you’re reasonably fit and would enjoy the workout!
Obviously, come here during whale season if possible and if you do, go whale watching. We also really enjoyed a day trip over to Ampanihy on the east side of the island: head to Le Mangrove Gourmand and take a pirogue from there through the mangroves and out to the beach while Nono cooks you an amazing meal (fresh crab and whatever other seafood is available that day; definitely call ahead!). For food, we also enjoyed Hotel Idylle Beach, and the breakfast buffet at Princess Bora was a nice European-ish interlude.
Tana to Morondava (via Antsirabe)
We returned to Tana from Sainte Marie via an uneventful flight with Madagasikara Airways. Our task now was to get ourselves to Morondava, which would serve as the starting point for our journey down the southwest coast. There are easy direct flights from Tana to Morondava but it’s also one of the less imposing overland routes, so we decided on the terrestrial option.
You can make the entire trip in a day (Cotisse Transport is one of a few “premium” daytime choices) or a night (normal taxibrousses), but we thought it might be nice to break up the journey with a stop in Antsirabe, which lies along the route.
It seems that taxi brousses depart Tana for Antsirabe from a few different stations, because our taxi driver from the airport took us to some alternative to the main southern station. It was a bit closer to the outskirts of the city so a more efficient departure point, in theory, but it also seemed even sketchier than necessary. As soon as we approached, touts started banging on the car, trying to open the doors, and shouting at us. This continued as we gingerly got out, ignored everyone and headed for the fullest taxi brousse in the lineup (as a general rule, there’s really no difference between taxi brousses - just choose the fullest one because it will likely depart soonest!). In the middle of the scrum that followed us, we somehow paid the correct person (in retrospect, we had no idea who we were paying) and got our bags loaded onto the roof. Other guys kept insisting, quite aggressively and physically, that we needed to pay them more for our bags. We realized that this was a total scam and managed to fend them all off. Sadly, not a single bystander on our taxi brousse said a word or helped us out, an apathy we’ve not experienced before. Moral of the story: keep your wits about you at Tana taxi brousse stations, make sure you pay the right person, and refuse everyone else.
We were mostly underwhelmed by our stop in Antsirabe. It was dirty and plain - and not in the charming way you often find in the developing world - and if you look like a foreigner, you’ll be solicited rather relentlessly by bike-taxi drivers and guides. To be fair, though, we didn’t spend much time there and we heard there are some very nice excursions outside of the city. The two brights spots for us, though, were accommodation and food. We stayed at Chez Billy, a local institution, and really liked our simple room on the top floor, facing the terrace (I would avoid the interior rooms, which seemed quite dark); we got breakfast at Mirana (remarkably good croissants, nice outdoor upstairs) and had a few meals at L’Insolite (a bizarre mix of dishes from around the world which are executed surprisingly well, salads with real leafy greens, and some delicious local cheeses).
We received very mixed advice for the trip from Antsirabe to Morondava. Some warned us against taking regular taxi brousses, which make the trip overnight, due to security concerns (bandits and/or driver ineptness, though we never really got anyone to be specific). Others said it was totally fine. As always, use your own discretion. The daytime option is with Cotisse or one of the “premium” operators, who can pick you up on their way from Tana to Morondava. We tried this but they didn’t have available seats (definitely call and reserve many days in advance!) so we opted for an overnight, regular taxi brousse. Apparently they always travel in convoy, and with an armed guard or two; we travelled with two other vehicles for only some of the way, and sans armed guards. Regardless, we survived and the trip wasn’t too arduous, thanks in part to our having gone to the station earlier in the day to reserve the two front seats next to the driver (highly recommended!).
Morondava to Tulear (via Belo sur Mer, Morombe, Salary, Ambolimailaka)
After arriving early morning in Morondava, we made a quick round trip out to see the Baobab Alley (should be easy to get an immediate ride from town) and then set about finding a 4WD and driver who could take us down the coast. There are taxi brousse options but they are very irregular and hard to rely on, especially if you want to make stops along the way; our schedule precluded us from this approach, but it seemed like an awesome adventure which we definitely would have gone for otherwise! With the private option, you generally have a choice between an all-inclusive daily rate, or a daily rate for car and driver only, with fuel paid for separately by you. If you want to stop for non-driving days along the way, you’re likely better off with the latter. In either case, you’ll be responsible for paying for the driver’s return to Morondava, usually set at two days. Also in either case, it won’t be cheap. We really didn’t enjoy our driver so no recommendation there. Just ask around in town, call some tour operators, etc, and ideally meet your driver beforehand (we organised through someone who we thought would be driving, only for him to end up sending us with someone else).
You may hear people complaining about the road being terrible. Obviously this varies depending on the season, and there are reports of it actually being impassable some of the year, but we didn’t find it bad at all, especially not compared to the RN5 (okay, maybe an unfair comparison). There are some sections of very bumpy sand, mostly between Morombe and Salary, and one (rather straightforward) boat crossing on the segment between Belo and Morombe, but the rest of the drive was pretty simple.
One thing that surprised us along the way was the magnitude of the tides. Although it was exacerbated by the particular phase of the moon when we travelled, you should expect long periods of the day when the water stays shallow and not-so-swimmable far offshore. If you can get out far enough, though, there’s some wonderful swimming - kayak recommended!
We generally enjoyed our stops and their respective accommodation/food, although our recommendations all come with caveats. A brief overview:
Belo sur Mer: it’s cool to see the large boats they build by hand there, but mind all the trash and debris at low tide. We stayed at Ecolodge du Menabe and really appreciated the location, by the water and on the edge of town, but we found the food a bit unvaried and overpriced.
Morombe: seemed like the most pleasant and low key spot, and in passing people seemed markedly friendlier, although that may have had something to do with our staying a bit out of the center. We really enjoyed a sunset stroll along the beach, watching the few evening fisherman depart. The food at Chez Laurette was delicious (perhaps one of our favourite meals!), the room large and simple, but they somehow decided to charge us nearly three times the advertised price for the room, so that left a bad taste in our mouths. Perhaps just stop by there for food and stay at Hotel Katia instead, which was recommended but full when we were there.
Salary: the ocean views were most stunning here - impossibly blue turquoise with beautiful patterns of big wavy streaks out towards the horizon, probably formed by currents - but as with everywhere else, access for swimming was tricky with the tides. We stayed at the Salary Bay Resort, which boasts a perfect panoramic view from its position on top of a large dune. The food was also some of the best we had on the trip - it was very fresh and a little more inventive than what we’d encountered at other spots, without being over-the-top. Otherwise, our room was pleasant but the place had a bit of a “past its prime” feel to it.
Ambolimailaka: we decided to spend our final three nights here so that we’d be within reasonably short driving distance from Tulear for our flight out, but further away than Ifaty/Mangily which are more crowded. Many people didn’t seem to know this place by name, but it’s pretty easy to find, situated between two large fishing villages at the start of the paved road south to Tulear. We stayed at Hotel La Plage because they offer Scuba diving onsite (our dives out by the reef were enjoyable but paled in comparison to dives we’ve done elsewhere in the world). The staff were all really friendly and helpful and we had a very comfortable stay in a bungalow situated just meters (literally) from the water. Food quality varied but was good on average.
From Ambolimailaka it was an easy hour-ish drive on paved road to Tulear airport, and from there we flew back up to Tana. Apparently the drive from Tulear to Tana isn’t too bad either.
And thus concludes our trip! Please do reach out with any specific questions as we’d love to help out!
(Some
images here if anyone is interested!)