VEZO KAYAK

Your trip in Madagascar

The plane makes it possible to reach Tulear, from where You sail a week south to join Morombe. Here is the land of the “Vezo”, the ethnic group of nomadic fishermen who travel in outrigger canoes.
Their existence is closely linked to the sea and their social and cultural particularities are fascinating, some are real sea nomads, others, remaining fishermen, have settled down. For the Vezo, the sea is life itself.
The sea ensures the whole existence of the Vezo, and all that they lack is provided by the interior villages with which they trade.
For the Vezo, a canoe (lakana) is both a working tool for eating, a means of transport and for the nomads, a tent (sail and masts in the shape of a Tepee). The Vezo canoe, carved from a light-fiber tree trunk, has a square sail and a single pendulum that indicates the Indonesian origin of the ethnic group. The route follows the lagoon, sheltered from big waves and offshore swells. It stretches over 200 km of our route and allows julilatory navigation! Festival of corals, fish, canoes and encounters, all joyful!

DAY 1

Tuléar – Mangily


• Reception at Tulear airport and transfer to Mangily at the “Chez Cécile” bungalow hotel.
  The hotel-bungalow is ideally located under a forest of casuarina trees which provide shade, the restaurant terrace offers an extraordinary sunset over the Mozambique Channel.
• Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
• Type of transfer: Vehicle.
  Transfer time: 1.30 h.

DAY 2

Mangily

• Depending on the tide, you go out in the morning for sea kayaking, paddling and sailing.
  Vezo pirogue excursion and snorkeling in the Ankaranjelita marine protected area: sea rose garden.
  Lunch in the village, return canoe.Depending on the sea and the wind, Kayak in the afternoon.
  Preparation of on-board equipment and luggage for the rest of the trip. The hotel “locks” “non-boarded” luggage.
• Dinner and overnight at the “Chez Cécile” bungalows
• Type of transfer: Vehicle.
  Duration of transfer: 2.30 h.
  Sea kayak: +/- 2 hours depending on weather conditions.

DAY 3

Mangily – Tsiandamba

• Transfer by vehicle on the sandy and sometimes chaotic track to approach the lagoon in its most beautiful part, in Tsiandamba.
  Stop at Manombo market to immerse yourself in the local atmosphere. The scenery of the route is superb: baobabs and didiaeraceae around the track, view of the blue lagoon. Crossing Vezo villages for children who shout, sing and run towards strangers. Launching of the kayaks after the village of Tsifota for a first short stage.
• Dinner and overnight in “Chez Odilon” bungalows (rustic but clean and very warm), in the heart of a typical Vezo village to discover.
  Simple bungalows with mosquito net, with outdoor bathroom and wc, double bed no twin bed, so we sometimes sleep in pairs on the same double bed – or individual tent solution if requested.
• Meals: picnic / dinner
• Transfer distance 4 × 4: 60 km – duration: +/- 3h00
  Sea kayaking: +/- 2h00, depending on weather conditions.

DAY 4

Tsiandamba – Salary


• Departure from Tsiandamba to reach Salary by sea kayak in the lagoon (14km) accompanied by a Vezo canoe (under sail) to ensure security and luggage transport. Picnic on the way. Snorkeling on the coral reef.
  Dinner and overnight in bungalows “Chez Francesco et Claire ».
  Extraordinary view of the sea from the terrace-promontory.
• Night in bungalows (“comfort” category DBL or TWN with bathroom and wc).
• Meals: lunch / dinner
• Sea kayaking: +/- 3h00, depending on weather conditions.

DAY 5

Salary – Ambatomiloha – Antsepoka


• Departure from Salary to reach Ambatomiloha (15 km) by sailing canoe and sea kayak in the lagoon. Lunch at Martine’s then navigation to Antsepoka to leave the kayaks on the beach and reach by foot the incredible ecolodge of an original who lives there on the promontory Tampolove, far from everything.
  Dinner and overnight in bungalows at « Pierrot le Suisse ».
• Night in bungalows (“comfort” category DBL or TWN with bathroom and wc).
• Meals: picnic / dinner
• Sea kayaking: +/- 6h00, depending on weather conditions.

DAY 6

Antsepoka – Andavadoaka


• The stage is carried out entirely aboard vezo outrigger canoes, because you have to get out of the lagoon in front of the “bay of the assassins” by a spectacular pass which threads between the rollers that the Vezos know how to master with skill.
  No kayaking because the route is too « technical”.
  The “Baie des Assassins” owes its name to the shipwrecks of galleons from the 15th and 15th centuries.
  The tide decides the hours of travel and we can get up early. Picnic on the beach, snorkelling, then we reach the village of Andavadoaka.
  Dinner and overnight at “Coco-beach”.
• Night in bungalows (“comfort” category DBL or TWN with bathroom and wc).
• Meals: lunch / dinner
• Vezo canoe: +/- 3 hours, depending on weather conditions.

DAY 7

Andavadoaka

• A day in Andavadoaka to explore in depth this village which represents the Vezo identity: fishing and snorkeling aboard outrigger canoes in the lagoon with our friends Vezos and overnight in bungalows at “Coco-beach” (or similar).
  Dinner facing the sunset over the Mozambique Channel. The visit to Andavadoaka allows us to observe the way of life and the particular customs of the Vezo, some families are close to us.
• Night in bungalows (“comfort” category DBL or TWN with bathroom and wc).
• Meals: picnic / dinner
• Vezo canoe: +/- 3 hours, depending on weather conditions.

DAY 8

Andavadoaka – Bevato


• Depart from Andavadoaka in a Vezo pirogue and sea kayak in the lagoon to the vezo village of Bevato (17km) via the desert island of Nosy-Ve.
  Picnic on the white beach of Nosy-Ve. The village has nothing. Our 4 × 4 cannot join him to assist us.
  The Bevato stage: the most authentic moment of this adventure. Mandatory autarky.
  You will have to be lenient on comfort and hygiene for that evening.
  This adaptation effort is offset by the village atmosphere.
• Night in bivouac (tents) and “dinner on the mat” in the vezo village of Bevato.
• Meals: picnic / dinner
• Sea kayaking: +/- 6h00, depending on weather conditions.

DAY 9

 Bevato – Morombe


• Last step in a Vezo pirogue and sea kayak to reach Morombe via the island of Nosy-Ratafanika and its vezo village in the middle of the baobabs.
  Picnic on the white beach of Nosy-Ratafanika.
  Disassembly of the kayaks.
  Dinner and overnight in “Chez Katia” bungalows.
• Night in bungalows (“comfort” category DBL or TWN with bathroom and wc).
• Meals: picnic / dinner
• Vezo canoe: +/- 5h00, depending on weather conditions. D13

DAY 10

Morombe – Mangily


• Transfer by vehicle via the track to reach Mangily.
  The route allows us to observe the bush landscape (dry euphorbia forest) and its rubrostipa baobab trees from Mikeas country, the last representatives of the Bantu ancestors.
  They are hunter-gatherers, they live hidden in the thorny forest and are very fearful.
  Picnic on the way.
  The last 50 kilometers are paved.
• Night in bungalows (“comfort” category DBL or TWN with bathroom and wc).
• Meals: picnic / dinner
• Transfer distance 4 × 4: 280 km – duration: +/- 8h00

DAY 11

Mangily – Tuléar


• End of our services at Tulear or airport, according to return flight schedule to Tana.