Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TSIRIBIHINA RIVER REGION
This region, between Antsirabe and Morondava, is home to the beautiful Tsiribihina River
andspectacular ParcNational desTsingydeBemaraha, aUnescoWorldHeritage Site.Tours
of the park are often combined with boat trips down the Tsiribihina River.
TSIRIBIHINA RIVER BOAT TRIPS
Drifting down the Tsiribihina
(Tsi-ree-been)
has become a popular organised
tour, and for good reason: the trip between Miandrivazo and Belo-sur-Tsiribihina
allows you to see a bit of the country where life is ruled by the river, not the
roads, and at a pace more in tune with local life than hectic Western schedules. It
is a rare moment of utter relaxation, where admiring the landscape, reading a
book, chatting with the crew or sitting in quiet contemplation by the campfire are
the main occupations.
THE TRIP
Trips generally start close to Miandrivazo and cover 146km of lazy bends all the
way to Belo-sur-Tsiribihina. It takes about 2½ days to cover the distance at a leis-
urely pace. The scenery is beautiful and varied: the river is in turns broad in the
plains and narrow through the Tsiribihina Gorges, with vast sandbanks converted
to paddy fields alternating with tall, red cliffs and beautiful deciduous forest.
There is excellent birdwatching along the river, as well as lemurs, crocs and
chameleons. You'll also see Malagasies going about their daily life: men fishing
or attempting to cross the river with their loaded zebu carts, women washing
clothes by the riverside, and children playing and swimming.
Day One generally finishes with a visit to lovely waterfalls, where you can
have a paddle (this will be your shower for the day). Camp is set on sandbanks
every night, complete with campfire and prime viewing of the Milky Way; most
operators will organise short walks and visits to local villages. In some cases,
they'll invite local musicians and dancers to provide entertainment one evening,
which can turn into quite a party if villagers join the festivities!
Most trips arrive at Belo-sur-Tsiribihina by lunchtime on Day Three.
PACKAGES: PIROGUE OR MOTOR BOAT?
The main time for river descents is from April to November. Travel operators
have been running trips on the Tsiribihina for some years now and the packages
are generally very well organised. They include all camping equipment, food,
(nonalcoholic) drinks, a guide and, of course, the boat. You have two options: tra-
ditional wooden pirogue or motorised boat.
