The North - Madagascar - page 554

John Grehan is the author of The Forgotten Invasion; see Click Here .
Chez Grand-mere Jeanette Very simple cheap excellent food. accommodation. Food
on request. €€
Emeraude Restaurant & bar right on the beach. Internet (200Ar/min). €€
Gargotte Chez Marie Small place with cheap but excellent food.
DIVING Based in Ramena, MadaScaph ( m 032 48 012 52; e [e-mail] ;
www.madascaph.com ) offers PADI-accredited scuba diving in the bays of the region.
MINI-GOLF ( m 032 02 010 66 ) About 1km from the centre of the village, on the road to
Antsiranana, is a new French-owned 14-hole mini-golf course, which costs 10,000Ar per
person. There is also a grill restaurant and swimming pool at the site.
BAIE DES DUNES A walk here makes a nice excursion from Ramena with good bird-
watching prospects. Since part of the route passes through a military zone you will need to
buy a permit from one of the sentries (take your passport).
From the village of Ramena, walk along the metalled road towards the headland -
straight on from the bungalows rather than down to the beach - which will take you to the
military installation where you show your pass at the gatehouse. Follow signs to the light-
house/dunes past the barracks then along an open stretch to the hillside. The track contin-
ues past some ruined buildings and there is a signpost to the lighthouse. Carry on along the
track, and the view opens up seaward as you approach Baie des Dunes.
The bay itself is overlooked by an old gun emplacement. On the beach to the right of
this there is a stretch of white sand gently sloping to the sea; to the left there is a remnant
reefwithpools,thenasteepdropoffintothewater;excellentforsnorkelling.Infrontofthe
emplacement there is a small island which is accessible from the beach.
Thewholeareaisexcellent forwildlife,especially thepools,andthereisthepotential to
spend the whole day here exploring if you bring a packed lunch.
SAKALAVA BAY On the far side of the Ramena peninsula is the beautiful and isolated
Sakalava Bay. The turn-off is 8km beyond Ramena, after which it is a further 6km. A taxi
here from Antsiranana should cost around 75,000Ar return.
On the 5km-long beach are the bungalows of Sakalava Lodge ( 82 907 95; m 032 04
512 39; e [e-mail] ; www.sakalava.com ; where you will find a wind-
surfing and kitesurfing school. There is now also smarter mid-range accommodation at
RoyalSakalava ( 82 926 36/22 207 88; m 032 05 777 05; e [e-mail] ;
www.royalsakalava.com ; €€€€).