Lonely Planet Madagascar

291 Pages·2016·18.77 MB·English

by  Lonely Planet

P
D
F
Madagascar
PDF ebook
Edition 8th Edition
Release Date June 2016
Pages 288
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4 easy-to-use How to Use This Book
sections
Look for these symbols to quickly identify listings:
1 4
Sights Sleeping
1
r 5
Beaches Eating
2 6
PLAN YOUR TRIP Activities Drinking
C 3
Courses Entertainment
Your planning tool kit
T 7
Photos & suggestions to help Tours Shopping
you create the perfect trip.
z Festivals 8 Information
& Events & Transport
All reviews are ordered in our authors’ preference,
starting with their most preferred option. Additionally:
2 Sights are arranged in the geographic order that we
suggest you visit them and, within this order, by author
preference.
ON THE ROAD Eating and Sleeping reviews are ordered by price
range (budget, midrange, top end) and, within these
Your complete guide
ranges, by author preference.
Expert reviews, easy-to-use
maps & insider tips.
These symbols and abbreviations give vital
information for each listing:
Must-visit recommendation
Sustainable or green recommendation
3
No payment required
% Telephone number f Ferry
UNDERSTAND h Opening hours j Tram
p Parking d Train
Get more from your trip n Nonsmoking a pt apartments
Learn about the big picture, to a Air-conditioning d double rooms
make sense of what you see. i Internet access d m dorm beds
W Wi-fi access q quad rooms
s Swimming pool r rooms
v Vegetarian selection s single rooms
E English-language menu ste suites
4
c Family-friendly tr triple rooms
# Pet-friendly tw twin rooms
g Bus
SURVIVAL GUIDE
Your at-a-glance reference For symbols used on maps, see the Map Legend.
Vital practical information
for a smooth trip.
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Madagascar
Northern
Madagascar
p122
Western
Madagascar
p100
Eastern
Madagascar
p158
Antananarivo#_
p28
Central
Madagascar
p48
Southern
Madagascar
p73
THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY
Emilie Filou, Anthony Ham, Helen Ranger
P LAN
ON THE ROAD
YOUR TRIP
Welcome ANTANANARIVO . . . 28 Faux Cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
to Madagascar . . . . . . . . . 4 Around Antananarivo . . . 44 Ambovombe . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Madagascar Map . . . . . . . .6 Lemurs’ Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Réserve Privée
de Berenty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Madagascar’s Top 10 . . . . .8 Ivato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Parc National
Need to Know . . . . . . . . . .14 Ilafy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 d’Andohahela . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Ambohimanga . . . . . . . . . . 46 Fort Dauphin
If You Like… . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
(Taolagnaro) . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Month by Month . . . . . . . . 19 CENTRAL Around Fort Dauphin . . . . . 98
Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 MADAGASCAR . . . . . 48
Regions at a Glance . . . . 25 Ambatolampy . . . . . . . . . . . 50 WESTERN
Antsirabe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 MADAGASCAR . . . . 100
Ambositra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Boeny Region . . . . . . . . 101
Ialatsara Lemur Majunga (Mahajanga) . . . 101
Forest Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Around Majunga . . . . . . . . 106
Parc National Katsepy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
de Ranomafana . . . . . . . . . 58
Mahavy-Kinkony
Ranomafana . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Wetland Complex . . . . . . . 107
Manakara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Parc National
DANIELE ROMEO – PHOTOGRAPHER & TRAVELLER/GETTY IMAGES © NOSY BE P123 SFAMTPIPSMlaiaahamOaaAkrrhensccbaUa Dsa DakmNNirTfAlaeaa aabHd . nsGvtta .eeaiitEooAvs . orlRnnyo . .t’S A . . . . aaaNn .C . . . .ll .d . . . . d A . . . . .rei . . . . .Rn l . . . . .’g .I . . . . .si . . . .t . .ar . . . . . .al . . . .o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7866667730549835 dTRMTBMPTRdMsss’eaéeiAiaoiivia rslrnrnnKorecineigboka- ibrrdrNysian mviihrRu nhraeddiiabverdnti ae-nFfaiogTyaoav ozalsBi nnao . oroRi eer . .at niRRism . .svlb i itee . .dk .ivaih . .rgèaee .r . . . . iris ar .no . . . . .e h .a . . . . . n a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111111101100111111009549811
Zombitse-Vohibasia . . . . . .80
Morondava . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
The Great Reef . . . . . . . . 81
Belo-sur-Mer . . . . . . . . . . . 119
DANITA DELIM TNuolrétahre (rTno Rliaereaf .) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8862 Pdea rKc irNinadtiyo-nMailt ea . . . . . . . . 121
ONT/GETTY IM STAhomuept Cahneairphney R . .e . .e . .f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .999033 NMOARDTAHGEARSNC AR . . . . 122
AGES © Lavanono . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Nosy Be . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Réserve Spéciale de Hell-Ville (Andoany) . . . . . 129
Cap Sainte Marie . . . . . . . . 94
Ambatoloaka . . . . . . . . . . . 131
PARC NATIONAL DES
TSINGY DE BEMARAHA P111
Contents
UNDERSTAND
Nosy Be’s West Coast . . . 133 Parc National Madagascar Today . . . . 194
Mt Passot & Andasibe Mantadia . . . . . 162
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Crater Lakes . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Parc Mitsinjo . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Islands Around Réserve de Malagasy Life . . . . . . . .203
Nosy Be . . . . . . . . . . . . .135 Torotorofotsy . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Nosy Komba . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Mahay Mitia Ala . . . . . . . . 165
Malagasy Cuisine . . . . . 210
Nosy Tanikely . . . . . . . . . . 136 Réserve de
Nosy Sakatia . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Maromizaha . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Environment . . . . . . . . . .213
Nosy Mitsio . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Vohimana Forest . . . . . . . . 165 Parks & Reserves . . . . .220
Nosy Iranja . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Pangalanes Lakes . . . . . 165
Wildlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Lac Ampitabe
Ambanja Region . . . . . . 137
(Akanin’ny Nofy) . . . . . . . 166
Ambanja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Lac Rasobe
Ankify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 & Manambato . . . . . . . . . . 168
Antsiranana Region . . .138 Ambila-Lemaitso . . . . . . . 168
Diego Suarez Tamatave
(Antsiranana) . . . . . . . . . . 140 (Toamasina) . . . . . . . . . . 169 SURVIVAL
Baie des Français . . . . . . . 144 North of GUIDE
Ramena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Tamatave . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Les Trois Baies . . . . . . . . . 146 Parc Zoologique
La Mer d’Emeraude . . . . . 147 Ivoloina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Directory A–Z . . . . . . . .250
Foulpointe
Joffreville Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
(Mahavelona) . . . . . . . . . . 175
(Ambohitra) . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Mahambo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Parc National
Montagne d’Ambre . . . . . 148 Fenoarivo-Atsinanana Language . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
(Fénérive Est) . . . . . . . . . . 176
Réserve Spéciale
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Ankarana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Soanierana-Ivongo . . . . . .176
Ambilobe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Manompana . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . 287
Sava Region . . . . . . . . . . 152 Île Sainte Marie . . . . . . .177
Vohémar (Iharana) . . . . . . 153 Ambodifotatra . . . . . . . . . 180
Sambava . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 South of
Ambodifotatra . . . . . . . . . 182
Parc National
de Marojejy . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Île aux Nattes SPECIAL
(Nosy Nato) . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 FEATURES
Antalaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
North of Ambodifotatra .185
Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Baie d’Antongil & the
EASTERN
Masoala Peninsula . . . . 186 Malagasy cuisine . . . . . 210
MADAGASCAR . . . . 158
Mananara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Parks & reserves . . . . .220
East of Antananarivo . . 160 Maroantsetra . . . . . . . . . . 188
Lac Mantasoa . . . . . . . . . . 160 Réserve de Colour wildlife
section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Moramanga . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Nosy Mangabe . . . . . . . . . 190
Andasibe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Parc National
de Masoala . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
4
Welcome to
Madagascar
Lemurs, baobabs, rainforest, desert,
hiking and diving: Madagascar is a
dream destination for outdoors lovers –
and half the fun is getting to all these
incredible attractions.
Wild World Island Adventures
Madagascar is unique: 5% of all known Making the best of Madagascar can be
animal and plant species can be found challenging (and expensive): it is the world’s
here, and here alone. The island’s signature fourth-largest island and its roads are
animal is the lemur of course, but there are dismal. For those who relish an adventure,
many more weird and wonderful creatures: however, this is a one-of-a-kind destination:
the eerie-looking fossa (a cat-like predator), the off-road driving is phenomenal, and
colourful and camouflaged chameleons, there are national parks that only see a few
oddly shaped insects, vivid frogs, graceful hundred visitors a year, regions that live in
rays and turtles, several species of sharks, autarky during the rainy season and re-
and humpback whales during the winter sorts so remote you’ll need a private plane
months. Trees and plants are just as im- or boat to get there. There are also more
pressive, be they the distinctively shaped activities than you’ll have time for: hiking,
baobabs, the fanning ravinala (travellers’ diving, mountain biking, kitesurfing, rock-
palm), the hundreds of orchids or the spiny climbing, you name it. Oh, and there are
forests of the desert south. plenty of natural pools, beaches and ham-
mocks on which to recover, too.
Epic Landscapes
Cultural Insights
The remarkable fauna and flora is matched
by epic landscapes of an incredible diver- Madagascar has been populated by suc-
sity: you can go from rainforest to desert in cessive waves of migrants from various
just 300km. Few places on earth offer such corners of the Indian Ocean. This cultural
an intense kaleidoscope of nature. There melting pot has evolved into an intricate
are sandstone canyons, limestone karsts, set of beliefs and rituals that revere ances-
mountains, fertile hills cascading with ter- tors’ spirits. For travellers, attending a
raced rice paddies, forests of every kind – famadihana (traditional exhumation and
rain, dry, spiny – and a laterite-rich soil reburial when relatives can communicate
that gave the country its nickname of ‘Red with their forebears) can be the highlight
Island’. With 5000km of coastline, the sea is of a trip. There is much history to discover,
never very far away, turquoise and idyllic in too, from Antananarivo’s sacred hills to the
some places, dangerous in others. pirate history of Île Sainte Marie.
5
CULTURA RM
EXCLUSIVE/ROM
ONA ROBBINS PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IM
AGES ©
Why I Love Madagascar
By Emilie Filou, Writer
Madagascar is unlike anywhere else I have been to – fantastically beautiful, amazingly
diverse for its size (similar to France) and still so unspoilt. Vast tracts of the country are
virtually uninhabited and seldom explored, and nothing comes easy. But that’s what makes
it so unique and rewarding. Plus the fact that after a day of bumping around in a dusty 4WD,
or fighting off leeches on muddy trails, you can be served a meal worthy of a fine European
restaurant, capped with exquisite rum – that’s definitely my kind of travel!
For more about our writers, see page 288
Above: Allée des Baobabs (p119)
emk0020#selim0010 E°0Cap d'Ambre5 Diego Suarez(Antsiranana)Parc Nationalotte#÷Montagne d'Ambre Réserve Spéciale#÷AnkaranaAmbodibonaraNosy Be/·VohémarNosyAmbilobeve, snorkel, sail and RN6Hell-Ville(Iharana)Beexplore (p123)AnkifyParc National de MarojejyAmbanjaHike in pristine rainforestTsaratanana (p155)MassifMaromokotro(2876m)SambavaBéalananaParc National#÷de MarojejyMarojejyAndapaAntsohihyMassifAntalaha15°/·SRN6 MaroantsetraCap EstSoMajungafiMasoalaaBoriziny(Mahajanga)RPeninsulaivNosy(Port Bergé)e/·rKatsepy#÷Parc NationalMangabeRN4/·de MasoalaMandritsaraRN5MarovoayParc National#÷MananaraTravel the infamous RN5d'AnkarafantsikaLacParc National de#÷Classic 4WD adventureKinkonyMananara-NordAmbondromany (p177)MraeÎle Sainte MariehSoanierana-Ivongovra(Nosy Boraha)eijRvaAmbodifotatraMaevatananaimRybvaaakvRoaorgyMahamboniinbhLacavMireeaviRsAlaotrarMteAmbatondrazakaB#÷/·VohiojalaTamataveRN4Parc National(Toamasina)de Zahamena
E°54 May Di Soalala nal des#÷moroka
r COMOROS Anjouan Mohéli mbiquennel Parc NatioTsingy de NaBesalampy Tambohorano Maintirano
ca GrandeComore MozaCha ae
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daga BIQUE y de Bemaraurreal limestonacles (p111)
M gsn
Ma OZA S°51 TsinScale pi
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N C
/·MRN2aTsiroanomandidyRn#÷Parc National desiaBrickavilleANTANANARIVOvMarovoay/·Tsingy de BemarahameMiarinarivorRN2bAmbila-LemaitsooBekopakaMoramangaLacloLac ItasyMantasoareVatomandryAnkaratrav/·iMiandrivazoLacBelo-sur-RMassifRN7oTsiazompaniryliTsiribihinajahaAmbohimangaMTrImmerse yourself in seivriRibiahinAntsirabeMahanoroMalagasy history (p46)Réserve#÷ForestièreMade KirindynMorondavaiaRrevi Nosy-VarikaAmbositraBelo-sur-MerParc National de#÷Kirindy-MiteaatsMiatELEVATIOra RMandabeiveIfanadianaMananjaryr2250mParc National des s#÷eRanomafanae2000mndManjaa l1750mrlFianarantsoaeavZoiaRmambényknogdg1500mnaaaMonAmbalavaoCRai1250mvIPerhRmarivolanitraPic ILac1000mokaisParc National(2643m)vIhotryManakaray750me#÷de l'IsalorAnkazoaboIhosy0¸/·#÷500mVohipenoParc NationalRN7G250mRN25Parc Nationald'AndringitrarZombitse-Ranohira#÷0e0¸aVohibasiaFarafanganaIlakakat RRN13SakarahaeeINDIANfBetrokaTuléarnOilahyOCEANRiveToliara)rRéserve Spéciale#÷TropicAnakao of de Beza-MahafalyBetioky ParcNationalde #÷TsimanampetsotsaParc National de l'IsaloBeraketaBekilyrrDesert playground of canyons,eevviParc NationalRiridges and plateaux (p75)aRd'Andohahelatna#÷AmpanihyirLdRéserve deItampoloRéserve PrivéenNahampoanaa#÷#÷de BerentyraFort DauphinrAndrokaeMAmboasary(Taolagnaro)BelohaE°0Faux Cap5Cap Sainte Marie
Manambolo RiverFloat among majestic gorgesand rural landscapes (p111) S°02 Allée des BaobabsTake Madagascar’s most iconic photo (p119) Moro Andavadoa (nrocirpaC fo ciporT The Great ReefDive and whale watch on theworld's fifth largest reef (p81) S°52
©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
8
Madagascar’s
Top 10