Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
look for the hotel signs. Transfer costs increase the further north you go, naturally, but re-
member: once you get past Mangily you are slithering down a sandy track through a spiny
forest full of huge baobab trees and wandering tribesmen. Not your average trip from the
airport.
BIC MANAHIRA: DIVE INSTRUCTOR
Bic Manahira is the first Malagasy native to be certified as a dive instructor; he
works for Blue Ventures.
Where is the best town to dive on the Great Reef?
Andavadoaka. Perhaps I
am biased, since that's where I live and work, but I have dived all along this
coast and I think it's the best. Certainly better than Ifaty.
What makes Andavadoaka special?
We have all three types of reef: fringing,
patch, and barrier. We have a marine conservation area, too, known as Velon-
driake, so the quality of the reef is much higher here than elsewhere, both in
terms of coral and fish populations. And there's not a lot of visitors. The people
who come here really like to dive. Many have been all over the world.
Where's your favourite spot, and why?
The barrier reef. It's the best place to
see the big fish, turtles, and sometimes sharks.
AMBONDROLAVA & BERAVY
On the left 15km north of Tuléar you'll come upon a humble sign for the
Mangrove In-
formation Center
(
www.honko.org
), a 200-hectare wetland complex created by HONKO,
a Belgian NGO, in Ambondrolava. The main attraction is a 1.5km wooden boardwalk. It's
a nice place to stretch your legs on the way north, with a trail through the mangroves, edu-
cational placards, and a lovely tower overlooking a river at the end.
Two kilometres further takes you to
Le Jardin de Beravy
( 032 40 397 19;
www.hotel-jardindeberavy-tulear.com
, d €34-36, set menus from €10), a hotel and restaur-
ant on the sea. There's a nice beach here with a view of the waves crashing on the outer
reef. The rooms are a bit claustrophobic except those with a verandah, which includes the
excellent corner room. It also does transfers to the airport (€20) so if coming south you
could stay here before heading out. There's a local dive centre.
IFATY & MANGILY
Ifaty and Mangily, 27km north of Tuléar, are two separate villages 3km apart that share
the same beach, confusingly known as Ifaty Beach (the Dunes d'Ifaty, for example, is in
Mangily). Ifaty is by far the smaller tourist destination, even while its name continues to
