Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Visit the sapphire mines of
Ilakaka
(
Click here
)
: that ring will never look
the same
Drive the coastal sand track through the spiny forest north of
Tuléar
(
Click
Arrive in style: take the speedboat from Tuléar to
Anakao
(
Click here
)
Stand at the very tip of the 'eighth continent' at
Cap Sainte Marie
(
Click
Hang out with the surfers at
Lavanono
(
Click here
)
See elephant bird eggshell fragments in
Faux Cap
(
Click here
)
Take a dip in the Piscine Naturelle at
Parc National de l'Isalo
(
Click here
)
Say hi to the lemurs at
Réserve de Nahampoana
(
Click here
)
Lunch by the mouth of the Onilahy River in the remote town of
St
Augustine
(
Click here
)
Getting There & Away
Fort Dauphin and Tuléar are the two hubs of the south, both served by Air Madagascar.
Tuléar is easily reached from Antananarivo (Tana) by taxi-brousse (bush taxi) or private
car via the paved RN7, and is the gateway to the Great Reef. Fort Dauphin and the cape
can only be reached by 4WD.
GETTING AROUND SOUTHERN MADAGASCAR
Travel in cities is an easy matter of taxi or
pousse-pousse
(rickshaw). Travel
between towns is another matter entirely. If you wish to go by road anywhere
off the RN7 you will need either a 4WD or, if there happens to be public trans-
port, a very strong stomach. Taxi-brousses can be brutal in the south.
At the time of research (September) the state of some major routes was as fol-
lows (many of these routes are impassable in rainy season):
RN7 to Tuléar
Excellent paved surface, no 4WD necessary.
Tuléar to Ifaty/Mangily
Firm dirt road, 4WD in rain.
Ifaty to Andavadoaka via coast road
Sand track, mostly good but deep sand in
spots, requires 4WD.
Ifaty to Andavadoaka via RN9
Reportedly worse than coast road.
Tuléar to Itampolo via coast road
Excellent sand track, but requires 4WD.
Itampolo to Ampanihy via Androka
Very bad, often rocky road, confusing
tracks, maps not accurate. Use local guide.