Toamasina and the Northeast - Madagascar - page 502

Tampolodge m 033 11 338 70/032 40 217 98; e [e-mail] ;
www.masoalamadagascar.com & http://tampolodge.marojejy.com . Maroantsetra office
near Coco Beach. This Italian-owned collection of rustic huts boasts a superb location at
Tampolo. Fairly basic accommodation; excellent food. €€€€
Chez Arol Ecolodge (9 bungalows) m 032 40 889 02/033 12 902 77;
e [e-mail] ; http://arollodge.free.fr . MaroantsetraofficenearCocoBeach.Comfort-
able palm-thatched huts, mostly en suite, set back from the beach. Fairly simple: cold wa-
ter, 3hrs electricity each eve & solar oven. Camping permitted (3,000Ar/person). Treks &
excursions organised. Canopy viewing tower in the forest. €€€
CAP EST The most easterly point of Madagascar, Cap Est is gradually opening up to ad-
venturous travellers. It can be accessed via boat and on foot from Maroantsetra or Anta-
laha. It takes about three hours to reach the town nearest to the cape, Ambodirafia, from
Antalaha by taxi-brousse , including two river crossings by ferry.
The littoral forest inland from Cap Est is part of Masoala National Park and an excellent
placetoseetheinsectivorousMasoalapitcherplant.CapEstisalsotheclosestaccesspoint
onthecoasttotheimpressive Bevontsira Waterfall, twotothreedays'walkinlandtowards
Maroantsetra. Avoid hiking during periods of high rainfall because river crossings may be
a problem.
Where to stay
Résidence du Cap (5 bungalows) m 032 04 539 05. Once an upmarket hotel, it was
virtually destroyed by the cyclones of 2004, then rebuilt only to be wiped out by another
cyclone 3 years later. Impressively they are again open for business & no doubt praying
there's truth in the saying 'third time lucky'. €€
Voyageur (16 bungalows) A straightforward setup of huts with beds, mosquito nets &
buckets for washing. No electricity. €
MAROANTSETRA TO ANTALAHA THE ADVENTUROUS WAY Guided treks
offeredfromtouroperatorsinMaroantsetraincludetoAntalaha(fourdays),toCapEst(six
days), and to Andapa (eight days). It is also possible to hike right round the coast of the
peninsula. You will need the relevant FTM map (number 4), best bought in Tana. As most
of these routes pass through parts of the national park, you are obliged to take a guide and
buy a park permit.
MaroantsetratoAntalaha:acrosstheneckofthepeninsula I have heard mixed reports
of this five-day hike. The distance is 152km, and in the heat it is very strenuous. Consid-
ering that you are mainly passing through secondary forest and cultivated areas, it doesn't