Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Joffreville
3000
1½
All day
Ambilobe
15,000
3
All day
Ankify
30,000
5
All day
Sambava
50,000
15
All day
Majunga
50,000
18
Afternoon
Antananarivo
50,000
24
Afternoon
GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airport
Diego's Arrachart Airport is 6km south of the town centre. Taxis charge Ar10,000 to get
from there to town; otherwise, you can walk out to the main road and catch a taxi-be
(Ar200).
Taxi
TaxijourneysinDiegocostaflatAr1000,Ar1500atnight.Tuk-tuks(motorisedrickshaws)
are Ar700.
A popular alternative to expensive 4WD is to charter a taxi to the Trois Baies (Ar60,000)
and Parc National Montagne d'Ambre (Ar80,000).
Diego to Ramena
The road between Diego and Ramena hugs the coastline of the Baie des Français, part of
the immense Baie de Diego Suarez. The sea is an ethereal turquoise colour that contrasts
beautifully with the ochres and browns of the towering Montagne des Français.
The bay and mountain were named so in memory of the Malagasy and French forces
killed in 1942 in Allied resistance to the pro-German Vichy French forces. The
Montagne
des Français
is now a protected area, with abundant birdlife; it's a hot, two-hour climb
to the summit, with spectacular views for reward. Unfortunately, there have been repeated
muggings on the trail so guides and agencies have stopped offering the excursion for now;
check with operators for the latest on security.
NOSY LONJA
The small island of Nosy Lonja in the middle of the Baie des Français is known
in French as Pain de Sucre (Sugar Loaf) for its supposed resemblance to the
