PANGALANES CRUISE

Your boat trip in Madagascar

The Pangalanes Canal, 600 km long, is a freshwater route that connects lakes and rivers on the east coast, a stone’s throw from the dangerous ocean. You cross it from Mahanoro to Mananjary, (or vice versa) for a quiet navigation to meet the villagers, delighted to meet our boat and more curious than us! The upper deck equipped with deckchairs allows bird watching (kingfishers, bee-eater, fody, egret and heron, and all the seabirds who come to make an incursion. The villagers are more curious to observe us than we are. towards them. Each village visit stop causes a crowd of curious people. The atmosphere is guaranteed!
Throughout our itinerary, we come across pirogues and bush boats overloaded with freight and travelers. For comfort, we have an equipped kitchen, WC and dining room protected from the rain by translucent curtains, but it is the “roof-deck” which makes this unique boat’s asset on the Pangalanes canal. A real “expedition” to discover a generous nature, punctuated by meetings with the Malagasy people. A complete trip off the beaten track.

Tana – Andasibe – Vatomandry

• We leave Tananarive by the national road 2 which winds between the rice fields and climbing the hills, allowing to observe the landscape of the highlands until Mandjakandrina. Lunch in Moramanga after a visit of the big market, then continuation of the road to join our stage of Vatomandry, by the sea. On the way, a short stop at the artisanal cooperative of women of the village of Ambavaniasy and fruit market Antsampanana. This is where we leave the national 2 to join the ocean by crossing the coastal plain, meandering between hills and rice fields. You reach the Pangalanes canal in Vatomandry, a small town typical of the east coast. Dinner and overnight at “Casadoro” hotel.
• Night in bungalows (“comfort” category DBL or TWN with bathroom and wc).
• Meals: lunch / dinner
• Transfer distance by road: 250 km – duration: +/- 6h00

DAY 2

Vatomandry – Mahanoro – Andranotsara (Pangalanes Forest Lodge)

• Vatomandry – Mahanoro – Andranotsara (Pangalanes Forest Lodge)
  Transfer by road to Mahanoro, visit of the market and lunch on board, during the start of the cruise which crosses the marsh very interesting for its birds, then the estuary of the Mangoro river and the ascent of the narrow channel to the large lake of Ampanalana , before joining the village of Amdranotsara and the wild site of the forest lodge nestled in the coastal forest between ocean and canal. At sunset, you will enjoy the terrace under the pandanus trees and in front of the ocean.
• Night in an ecolodge (TWN bungalow) with outdoor shower and dry toilet (outdoor).
• Meals: breakfast / lunch / dinner
• Transfer distance by road: 90 km –
  Duration: +/- 2 hours
  Cruise duration: +/- 3h00
  Walk: +/- 1 hour

DAY 3

Pangalanes Forest Lodge –

Pangalanes Jungle-Camp

• Breakfast on site. This part of the canal is wide, allowing you to sail to the town of Masomeloka, which you can visit while the crew loads the kayaks on the service boat. Indeed, from Masomeloka to Lake Analampotsy, the canal is narrow and the landscape quite monotonous.
  We avoid this tedious part by a transfer to return to the water at the big lake and enjoy a very beautiful crossing, pushed by the wind.
  The stage ends in Nosy Varika, a languid small town that lies between the canal and the ocean. The canal winds through the rice fields and we come across canoes and “bush boats” equipped with noisy engines (rice husker adapted on a propeller shaft. They are called “katakataka” because of the sound they produce. The more we progress, the more dense and dense the vegetation becomes. The last five kilometers before approaching the Andranobe lake system are bordered by forest and large trees that we enjoy watching while sailing. One or two stops in characteristic villages allow you to meet the population and discuss.
  The lodge is equipped with comfortable safari tents and offers a splendid view of the lake and the coastal forest.
• Night in an ecolodge (TWN bungalow) with outdoor shower and dry toilet (outdoor).
• Meals: breakfast / lunch / dinner
• Cruise duration: +/- 6h00

DAY 4

Pangalanes Jungle-Camp – Ambahy

Ambohitsara – Mananjary

• Breakfast on site. After crossing the Andranobe lake system, we arrive in the village of Ambahy to supply the dispensary (CSB2) with medicines.
  Then the canal lined with countless giant alocasias leads us to the great lake of Mahela and the curious village of Anilavinany.
  Visit the typical village of Ambohitsara perched on its clear sand dune, and meet the local population.
  We discover a curious culture of elephant (unknown to Mada) whose origin is controversial. Some attribute it to Arab travelers in the 12th century, others to Indians. A long straight section leads us to Mananjary.
• Night in bungalows (“comfort” category DBL or TWN with bathroom and wc).
• Meals: breakfast / lunch / dinner
• Cruise duration: +/- 4h00
  Walking: +/- 1 h00

DAY 5

Mananjary – Ranomafana – Ambositra

• Visit a spice plantation before taking a stroll around town and strolling under the Araucarias and filao trees which lead to the mouth of the canal, where fishermen, washers and youngsters rub shoulders. We leave Mananjary to go up to the highlands via the station of Ranomafana which allows to have lunch. It still takes a few hours to reach the town of Ambositra, known for its marquetry crafts.
• Night in bungalows (“rustic” DBL or family category with bathroom and wc outside).
• Meals: breakfast / lunch / dinner
• Transfer distance by road: 250 km
  Cruise duration: +/- 6h00
  Walking: +/- 3h00

DAY 6

Ambositra – Antsirabe – Tana

• We take the national road 7 north. The landscape is dotted with hills with characteristic rocks (granite) of this region (vatos) and the road winds to reach the pretty Mamovoka pass (1503m) before switching to the rice valley of Ambohimanjaka. Free lunch in Antsirabe also allows you to make a few visits before continuing the road and reaching the bottled capital in the middle of the afternoon.
• Meal: breakfast / lunch
• Transfer distance by road: 240 km
  Duration: +/- 5h30