Tana to Toamasina - Madagascar - page 422

MANJAKANDRIANA (PK 48) This town has a good choice of hotelys so is an alternat-
ive breakfast stop if you have made a pre-dawn start from Tana. The small Manja Motel
on the left has basic rooms. The town also has a BOA bank, hospital, pharmacy and fuel
station.
This is also where you should turn if you are heading south to Lake Mantasoa (see Click
Here ) .
MANDRAKA PARK (PK 61) ( 22 431 27; f 22 431 27; e [e-mail] )
ThisMalagasy-runcollectionofwoodenbungalowsoffersaccommodation,outdoortables,
preparedmeals(grilleddishesaspeciality)andhikesintheneighbouringforest.Itisapop-
ular picnic spot for Malagasy families from Tana.
MADAGASCAR EXOTIC (PK 72) ( 22 321 01; m 032 04 108 87; 07.00-17.00;
entry 10,000Ar; guide 2,000Ar farm only or 6,000Ar inc lemurs ) Also known as Réserve
PeyrierasandMandrakaReptileFarm,thisisasmallfarm-cum-zooatMarozevoownedby
naturalist André Peyrieras. The centre provides the opportunity for close viewing of some
of the island's most extraordinary reptiles and invertebrates: chameleons, leaf-tailed geck-
os, butterflies, crocodiles and a few mammals.
Sadly, all this comes at a price: most of the animals are kept in crowded and stressful
conditions,andalthoughonepurposeofthecentreisthebreeding(forexport)ofbutterflies
and moths, the demand for reptiles for the pet trade is also satisfied, reportedly through il-
legal collecting from the wild.
There is an adjacent patch of forest with (relocated) Verreaux's sifakas and common
brown lemurs that are habituated. There is also a small handicraft shop, a restaurant (fixed
menu) and some mid-range en-suite rooms.
AMBODIAMONTANA (PK 73) Just beyond the farm is this village where you can have
a meal in one of the traditional Malagasy hotelys along the roadside. Rabbit is a speciality
here.
MORAMANGA
Moramanga means, prosaically, 'cheap mangoes'. The area is being transformed by the
newAmbatovynickelandcobaltmine.Asthestoppingpointforpublictransporttravelling
between Tana and Toamasina, there is heavy traffic day and night so hotels with rooms fa-
cing the street can be noisy. On the plus side you can always find an open restaurant.