Madagascar's north: Ankarana, Amber Mountain and Nosy Be

1. Day 1: Arrive in Antananarivo

   Ivato International Airport to your hotel in central Antananarivo

   • Drive about 1 h
   • Dinner
   • Stay in Antananarivo
   Day 1 details

   Fly into Ivato International Airport (TNR), about 15 km north of central Antananarivo, where a driver meets you in the arrivals hall. The drive into town can take up to an hour in traffic, past rice paddies, brick kilns and the red hills the capital is built on. This is a night to rest before the flight north; plan to land by about 5 pm to join the briefing, and the latest arrival time is confirmed with your final itinerary. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group at the hotel to go through the trip: the flight to Diego Suarez, what to wear in the rainforest and on the tsingy, why we carry ariary in cash, and how the boat days on Nosy Be work. Then we sit down to a welcome dinner of Malagasy dishes such as romazava, a beef and greens broth, and zebu brochettes with rice.

   Included

   • Pick-up at Ivato International Airport (TNR)
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Welcome dinner

   Free time: Free until the evening briefing

2. Day 2: Fly north to Diego Suarez and the French Mountain

   Antananarivo to Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) by air, then the French Mountain

   • Drive about 1 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Antsiranana
   Day 2 details

   After breakfast we drive back to Ivato for the domestic flight north to Antsiranana, still called Diego Suarez by most people, about two hours in the air over the highlands. The airport sits about 10 km south of town. We check in, then sit down to lunch in the centre, where the cooking mixes Malagasy, French, Indian and Comorian food. The town was a French naval base, and its wide streets still have colonial buildings, some restored and many crumbling. In the late afternoon, once the heat drops, we drive about 10 km east to the French Mountain, the Montagne des Francais, and walk up a stony path through dry forest to a viewpoint over the bay of Antsiranana, one of the largest natural harbours in the world. The walk is about an hour up with steady climbing; there are baobabs and lizards on the way. We stay for sunset over the bay, then drive back for a free evening in town.

   Included

   • Domestic flight from Antananarivo to Antsiranana (Diego Suarez)
   • Sit-down lunch in Antsiranana
   • Sunset walk on the French Mountain (Montagne des Francais) with your guide

   Easier option: Walk the first, gentler part of the path to a lower viewpoint over the bay and wait for the group there.

   More active option: Continue with the guide to the higher ridge above the main viewpoint, time and light allowing.

   Free time: Evening free in Antsiranana; dinner on your own

   Activity: About 1 hour uphill on a rocky path in the late afternoon; take water and closed shoes.

   

3. Day 3: A boat to the Emerald Sea

   Antsiranana to Ramena, by boat to the Emerald Sea, then back to Antsiranana

   • Drive about 1 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Antsiranana
   Day 3 details

   A day on the water. We drive about 20 km to Ramena, a fishing village on a sandy point at the mouth of the bay, and board a boat to the Emerald Sea, the Mer d'Emeraude, a wide, shallow lagoon outside the bay where the water over the white sand is a pale green. The crossing takes about an hour and can be choppy where the bay meets the open sea, which is why we go in the morning, before the trade wind picks up in the dry season. On the far side we land on a beach of one of the small islands, swim and snorkel in the lagoon, and sit down to a lunch of grilled fish, rice and fruit prepared on the beach. In the early afternoon the boat brings us back to Ramena for a swim or a coffee by the sea, and we are in Antsiranana by mid afternoon. The rest of the day is yours: a walk through the old colonial streets, or a rest.

   Included

   • Boat from Ramena to the Emerald Sea (Mer d'Emeraude)
   • Swimming and snorkelling in the lagoon, snorkel gear included
   • Beach lunch on the Emerald Sea

   Easier option: Stay on the beach and in the shallows rather than snorkelling; the boat waits for everyone.

   More active option: Snorkel the edge of the lagoon with the boat crew.

   Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Antsiranana; dinner on your own

   Activity: The boat crossing is about 1 hour each way and can be rough; if the wind is too strong we swap this day with the French Mountain and the town.

4. Day 4: Montagne d'Ambre rainforest

   Antsiranana to Joffreville and Montagne d'Ambre National Park

   • Drive about 1 h
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Joffreville
   Day 4 details

   We leave Antsiranana after an early breakfast and drive about 35 km south and uphill, roughly an hour, to Joffreville, an old French hill station at the edge of Montagne d'Ambre National Park. The mountain is an old volcano covered in montane rainforest, and at about 1,000 m it is cooler and often misty, a sharp change from the dry coast. With a national park guide we walk the main trails from about 8:30 am, when the forest is most active: to the Grande Cascade, a waterfall dropping into a fern-lined pool, to the Sacred Waterfall, and to a crater lake viewpoint. We look for crowned lemurs and Sanford's brown lemurs, the blue-nosed chameleon, leaf-tailed geckos pressed flat against the bark, and the tiny Brookesia leaf chameleons in the leaf litter. Lunch is a sit-down meal in Joffreville. The afternoon is free at the lodge, and after dinner a local guide leads a short night walk on the forest edge for chameleons, frogs and mouse lemurs.

   Included

   • Montagne d'Ambre National Park walk with a national park guide, park entry included
   • Sit-down lunch in Joffreville
   • Night walk on the forest edge with a local guide
   • Dinner at the lodge

   Easier option: Walk only the short, flat trail to the Sacred Waterfall and back, about 1 hour, then rest at the lodge.

   More active option: Add the longer trail towards the crater lake of the Petit Lac with the park guide, where it is open.

   Free time: Afternoon free at the lodge

   Activity: About 3 to 4 hours of walking on forest trails that can be wet and slippery; some steps. A light rain jacket and a warm layer help.

   

5. Day 5: The red tsingy and south to Ankarana

   Joffreville to the Tsingy Rouge, then Ankarana

   • Drive about 4 h
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Ankarana
   Day 5 details

   A last early walk in the forest near the lodge for anyone who wants it, then we drive back down to the RN6 and head south. About 45 km south of Diego we turn off onto a dirt track of about 17 to 20 km to the Tsingy Rouge, the red tsingy, where rain has cut the soft rust-coloured and cream earth of a valley into pinnacles and fins. A short, easy path of about an hour leads along the rim and down among them. We continue south on the RN6 through dry country of zebu, cashew trees and small towns, with a sit-down lunch on the way, and reach the east side of Ankarana National Park in the mid afternoon. The whole day is about four hours of driving, and that includes the bumpy track in and out of the red tsingy; if you would rather skip it, wait with a coffee at the turnoff village or ride on with the driver to the lodge. We settle into the lodge near the park gate and watch the late light on the grey limestone wall of the Ankarana massif. Dinner is at the lodge.

   Included

   • Tsingy Rouge (red tsingy) walk with a local guide, entry included
   • Sit-down lunch on the way
   • Dinner at the lodge

   Optional experiences

   • Early walk on the forest edge near the lodge at Joffreville before we leave

   Easier option: See the red tsingy from the rim viewpoint without walking down among the pinnacles, or skip the dirt track to the Tsingy Rouge and wait at the turnoff.

   Free time: Late afternoon free at the lodge

   Activity: Easy 1 hour walk at the red tsingy on a dirt path.

   

6. Day 6: The tsingy and caves of Ankarana

   Ankarana National Park: the tsingy, the suspension bridge and the caves

   • Drive about 1 h
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Ankarana
   Day 6 details

   The day the north is known for. We set out from the lodge at about 8 am with a national park guide, before the heat builds on the limestone. Ankarana is a plateau of limestone cut into tsingy, the grey, razor-edged pinnacles also found at Bemaraha in the west, with dry forest growing in the canyons between them and rivers running underground. We walk through the forest to the tsingy viewpoints and cross the suspension bridge strung over a chasm between the blades, then go underground into a cave, which one depending on the park's rules that day, with stalactites and colonies of bats; which caves are open depends on the season and the park's rules. On the way we look for crowned lemurs, Sanford's brown lemurs, the Ankarana sportive lemur dozing in tree holes, and lizards and birds in the canopy. We are back at the lodge for a sit-down lunch, and the rest of the afternoon is free to rest, swim where the lodge has a pool, or sit on the terrace.

   Included

   • Ankarana National Park circuit with a national park guide, park entry included
   • The tsingy viewpoints and the suspension bridge
   • A cave visit with stalactites and bats
   • Sit-down lunch at the lodge
   • Dinner at the lodge

   Easier option: Walk the shorter forest loop to a tsingy viewpoint near the gate, about 2 hours, and skip the bridge and the cave.

   More active option: Ask the park guide for the longer circuit to the Grand Tsingy section where it is open, about 6 hours with a packed lunch.

   Free time: Afternoon free at the lodge

   Activity: About 4 to 5 hours on foot on rocky paths, sharp limestone and steps, with a suspension bridge over a drop. Closed shoes with grip and a head torch for the cave.

   

7. Day 7: Cocoa country and the boat to Nosy Be

   Ankarana to Ambanja and Ankify, then by boat to Nosy Be

   • Drive about 4 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Nosy Be
   Day 7 details

   We leave after breakfast and drive south on the RN6, about 170 km and close to four hours, through Ambilobe and the Sambirano valley, where the dry north turns green with cocoa, coffee, vanilla and ylang-ylang plantations under tall shade trees. The day is broken in the middle at Ambanja, where we visit a cocoa plantation to see how the beans are grown, fermented and dried; Sambirano cocoa is used by fine chocolate makers. Lunch is a sit-down meal in Ambanja. It is a short drive on to the small port of Ankify, where we say goodbye to our driver and board a boat for the crossing to Nosy Be, about 45 minutes across a calm channel with the island's green hills ahead. A driver meets us at the landing and takes us to the hotel by the beach, where we stay for three nights. The evening is free: a walk on the sand at sunset and dinner on your own.

   Included

   • Cocoa plantation visit in the Sambirano valley near Ambanja
   • Sit-down lunch in Ambanja
   • Boat from Ankify to Nosy Be

   Free time: Evening free on Nosy Be; dinner on your own

   Activity: About 4 hours on the road, broken by the plantation visit and lunch, then a 45 minute boat crossing.

8. Day 8: Nosy Komba and Nosy Tanikely by boat

   Nosy Be by boat to Nosy Komba and the Nosy Tanikely marine reserve

   • By boat
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Nosy Be
   Day 8 details

   A full day on the water. We leave the beach by boat at about 8:30 am for Nosy Komba, a steep, forested island between Nosy Be and the mainland. In the village of Ampangorinana, where people live from fishing, embroidery and wood carving, we walk up to a patch of forest where black lemurs come down to the trees around visitors; the males are black and the females russet brown, and in this village they have been protected by local custom for generations. We then cross to Nosy Tanikely, a small island in a protected marine area, to snorkel over coral in clear water with reef fish and, often, sea turtles, and walk up to the old lighthouse. Lunch is grilled fish or seafood on the beach. We are back on Nosy Be by mid afternoon with the rest of the day free; in October and November the boat crew will tell you how the whale shark season is going.

   Included

   • Boat day to Nosy Komba and Nosy Tanikely
   • Ampangorinana village and the black lemurs, Nosy Komba
   • Snorkelling in the Nosy Tanikely marine reserve, snorkel gear and marine park fee included
   • Beach lunch

   Easier option: Stay on the beach at Nosy Tanikely and swim in the shallows instead of snorkelling.

   More active option: Snorkel a second time on the far side of Nosy Tanikely while the group has lunch.

   Free time: Late afternoon and evening free; dinner on your own

   Activity: Two boat legs of about 30 to 45 minutes each; wet landings on the beaches.

9. Day 9: Lokobe forest and sunset on Mont Passot

   Nosy Be: by pirogue to Lokobe, then Mont Passot at sunset

   • Drive about 2 h
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Nosy Be
   Day 9 details

   We start at about 8 am, while the forest is still cool, and drive to the east coast of Nosy Be, where we board pirogues, wooden outrigger canoes, for the paddle along the shore to the village of Ampasipohy at the edge of Lokobe National Park. Lokobe protects the last large block of the lowland rainforest that once covered the island. With a local guide we walk the forest trails for about two hours looking for black lemurs, the Nosy Be sportive lemur in its day roost, boas, and panther chameleons in their vivid Nosy Be colours, and the minute Brookesia leaf chameleons on the forest floor. Lunch is in the village. We are back at the hotel by early afternoon for free time on the beach. In the late afternoon we drive up Mont Passot, the island's highest point, for sunset over the crater lakes and the small islands, and finish with a farewell dinner together.

   Included

   • Pirogue to Ampasipohy and a guided walk in Lokobe National Park, entry included
   • Lunch in Ampasipohy village
   • Sunset on Mont Passot
   • Farewell dinner

   Optional experiences

   • Whale shark boat trip, October and November departures only, price shown at booking

   Easier option: Stay in the pirogue for the coastal paddle and wait in the village rather than walking the forest trail.

   Free time: Early afternoon free on the beach

   Activity: About 2 hours on forest trails, warm and humid. Insect repellent and a hat.

   

10. Day 10: Fly out from Nosy Be

    Nosy Be to Fascene Airport (NOS)

    • Drive about 30 min
    • Breakfast
    Day 10 details

    A free morning on Nosy Be: a last swim, a walk on the beach, or a visit to the market in Hell-Ville, the island's main town, with your guide if you would like company. Depending on your flight, a driver takes you to Fascene Airport (NOS), about 20 km from the beaches on the west coast and about 30 minutes by road. From Nosy Be there are international flights to a small number of hubs on some days of the week, and domestic flights to Antananarivo for onward long-haul connections; the domestic flight back to Antananarivo is in the price for every guest (if you fly home directly from Nosy Be, we take the unused fare off your price), and we help you plan the connection when you book. Because domestic timetables in Madagascar change, book an onward international flight from Antananarivo for the following day, or a flight from Nosy Be itself leaving after about midday; for anyone connecting through the capital, we can add a night in Antananarivo at cost.

    Included

    • Transfer to Fascene Airport (NOS)
    • Domestic flight from Nosy Be to Antananarivo, in the price for every guest

    Free time: Morning free on Nosy Be

    Activity: Book a flight from Nosy Be leaving after about midday, or an onward flight from Antananarivo the next day.

Wildlife and weather: The north is dry and warm from April to November, with a strong trade wind on the coast from about June to August that can make the Emerald Sea crossing rough. Montagne d'Ambre is cooler and often damp all year. Whale sharks visit Nosy Be from about October to December.

• Antananarivo1 night
• Antsiranana2 nights
• Joffreville1 night
• Ankarana2 nights
• Nosy Be3 nights