Western Madagascar Adventure – Tsingy, Baobabs and Lemurs

Nature
The wow factor for nature - does it show nature at its best? Doesn't need to be the wildebeest migration or diving with hundreds of hammerheads. Rather make you pause as you realise just how awesome the natural world can be
9
Culture
How much does this experience showcase some of the better and finer things that us humans can offer? Sure, it can be ancient ruins and renaissance churches, but it can also be festivals or soaking up some of the great modern cities of the world
6
Fun factor/activity
Very simple - was it fun? This is usually linked in with doing some kind of activity - i mean, walking along some cliffs is nice, but paragliding from them, now that is fun. Its a vastly underrated factor in a truly great experience
8
Avoid the crowds
Big tour groups and being surrounded by loud fellow tourists can sap the life out of even the greatest of travel experiences. This score is to reflect just how much you can avoid this. But. . . The score also takes into account if the crowds actually add to the experience, such as with a party town or a bustling local market
8
World famous
How world famous is the experience?
5
unique
How hard is it to have a similar experience in other places round the world?
9
Overall TE Score
The overall travel experiences score:  fun factor + avoid the crowds + (best of nature or culture) + (best of world famous or unique). Then convert into a score out of 100
85 *What the scores mean and where do they come from
RANKING
How this travel experience ranks compared to all the other experiences on this site, based on the travel experience (te) score
20th/454
Top 5%
continent
Africa
country
Madagascar
Length of time
Around a week
Typical daily price
This gives you a rough idea of the daily price based on 2 people travelling where they can split costs like accommodation. It excludes travel there and back, and factors in inflation the numbers in brackets show the price range for the full time of the experience (so not necessarily daily). It is a range to reflect different budget vs higher end
$140 ($600-$1,000 in 2024 prices)
Time of year visited
November
Primary Tags
Click on any of the tags to see all travel experiences with the same tag
4WD Adventure Wildlife - Lemurs
All Tags
Beaches Bird spotting Canyons Caves Cliffs Climbing Driving Ferry Forests Hiking Local villages Restaurant recommendations River Experience Sunsets UNESCO world heritage site
Wow Factor
The wow factor reflects just how much you’re likely to say “wow”. As there’s a lot of experiences in the world, and a lot of wows, i’ve gone with a simple ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ to ⭐️ score, and a separate category for the truly "gash"
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary

The journey from the small town of Morondava north into the wilderness towards Bemaraha National Park and the Tsingy is a real adventure, and the highlight of a trip to Madagascar.

You crawl along some of the worst roads in the country – sometimes in the world – cross wide tropical rivers on small ferries, and slowly make your way deeper and deeper into one of the least developed and most remote parts of Africa. Along the way you see the famous baobabs, remote villages, and some of the best places in Madagascar to see lemurs. And at the end of it all, you reach the extraordinary Tsingy – vast forests of sharp limestone pinnacles and a UNESCO World Heritage site that looks like nowhere else on Earth.

This is not easy travel. Transport takes forever, plans change, you are heavily reliant on local guides, and there is often no WiFi, limited electricity and very little sense of control over the schedule. It really does feel like stepping back in time.

But that’s exactly what makes it so good. This is proper adventure travel. If you are willing to put up with the discomfort and the long days of travel, this is 100% worth it and is, in my view, the best and most memorable part of Madagascar.

Need to do a bit of prep before you go, so I’ve listed out key tips in the section below.

 

Western Madagascar Itinerary – adventure, Tsingy, Baobabs and Lemurs

Table of Contents

Highlights

Western Madagascar Adventure - Grand Tsingy National Park

#1 The views from the top of the Grand Tsingy out across the seemingly endless peaks and across the distant jungle. Yes, its has a bridge at the top, but FML it was one hell of a way down onto the fangs of the sharp rocks and, despite the harness, those wooden slats didn't scream secure. Still . . . adventure!

Western Madagascar Adventure - climbing to the top of Grand Tsingy National Park

#2 Climbing up there! The Grand Tsingy is way tougher and dangerous, so you have a harness most of the time. Great fun though and adds to the adventure

Western Madagascar Adventure - lemurs in Kirindy

#3 Getting lucky and spending some time with the Red Fronted Lemur and Sifaka at Kirindy Reserve. One of the coolest animal experiences I think I've ever had - they are wonderfully gentile whilst being super playful seeing what you've brought with you!

A canoe up the Manambulo River, Western Madagascar

#4 A canoe up the Manambulo River - we were blown away by how "Jurassic Park" it all felt with the Tsingys towering over the side whilst the local people slowly make there way to their fishing spots

Avenue of the Baobabs, western Madagascar

#5 Wandering along the Avenue of the Baobabs - aim to avoid the super busy dusk period and have the place all to yourself

IMG_2661-compressed-aspect-ratio-900-675

#6 Getting lost in the full-blown labyrinth that is the smaller Petite Tsingy. If you look at one of the photos above, you can see just how narrow it can be

Sighting some of the cautious Sifaka, western Madagascar

#7 Sighting some of the cautious Sifaka as you walk through the Petite Tsingy

IMG_2706-compressed-aspect-ratio-675-900

#8 The Mangos! The trees are EVERYWHERE and so good! Be that weirdo wandering around picking them up off the floor

IMG_2513-compressed-aspect-ratio-900-675

#7 The ferry crossings - slightly unnerving as the car slowly makes its way over the wobbly tracks to connect from the beach to the ferry, but pretty cool once underway. The sunk cars nearby inspire confidence

Sunset and sundowners by Morondava's beach, western Madagascar

#10 Sunset and sundowners by Morondava's beach. Beautiful

The Mad Zebu restaurant in Belo Hsiribihina, western Madagascar

#11 The Mad Zebu restaurant in Belo Hsiribihina, just after the first river crossing and halfway to Bemaraha. To have such good food this remote is astounding. Must try

IMG_2637-compressed-aspect-ratio-900-675

#12 Exploring the caves along the Manambulo River and as part of the canoe trip

Route and Orientation

 

 

Orientation – -it’s basically a there-and-back route from Morondava through the Avenue of the Baobabs, Kirindy Reserve and then across the two rivers to Bemaraha National Park in the North.  Depending on your timing you may do in this order or straight up to Bemaraha and then back through Kirindy on the way back.  It’s all one route so you can’t really miss anything.

 

8 hours there, 8 hours back . .  if no problems – it’s around 180km from Morondava to the start of Bemaraha, but takes 8 hours.  Expect two ferry rides (cool), lots and lots of bumps (less cool), no aircon (even less cool), but also some very nice surprises along the way such as the Mad Zebu restaurant which is incredibly good for where it is!

 

Typical itinerary and how much time do you need

It’s a full day (8 hours driving) from Morondava to Bemaraha (you stay in or around the small village of Bekopaka) and a full day back.

You need minimum a full day in Bemaraha – you could do both the Grand Tsingy, Petite Tsingy and boat trip up the Manambulo Rover in one day, but it would be a super tiring day in between 2 already tiring days of driving. Kirindy Reserve is a night walk and morning walk (each 1-2 hours).  Avenue of the Baobab is less than an hour.

This is realistically what you are looking at:

  • Day 1 evening in Morondava
  • Day 2 drive to Bemaraha – including a brief stop at the Avenue of Baobabs and a must-do lunch at the Mad Zebu restaurant by the first river crossing.  Surprisingly good.
  • Day 3 Grand Tsingy
  • Day 4 Petite Tsingy and canoe up the Manambulo River
  • Day 5 drive back down to Kirindy Reserve for the night walk
  • Day 6 morning walk and then return to Morondava – again with a brief stop at the Avenue of Baobabs.

Travel Tips

Bemaraha National Park

Its all about the Tsingys.  You’ve got Grand to the north, which is giant Tsingys that you climb with harnesses clipped to various ropes (fun adventure) and a 17km drive to get there (1.5hour in dry weather, 2.5 hours in wet).  And Petite by the small village you stay in (super close to town, much smaller Tsingys, less climbing and more walk through a labyrinth vibe).  Prioritise Grand as it is way more impressive.

Make sure you also take a canoe up the Manambulo River to see the caves and also just generally the gorgeous views of the Tsingys leaning over the river.  One of the closest “Welcome to Jurassic Park” moments I’ve ever had.

All the hotels are just outside the small village of Bekopaka.  They’re a mixed bag, but all typically have electricity turned off at some point in the night.  We started at Tanankoay but the lack of electricity 11pm-6am was getting to me – it can be pretty hot without a fan at night.  So like a princess I moved to the Grand Hotel – no electricity period only from 12pm-5am and generally nicer.  Have low expectations of hotels.

 

Kirindy

The spot to have a chance to see / hear the fossa, but also as its one of the only forest left round here and has a heap of lemurs you can see.

Kirindy Mitea vs Kirindy Reserve. There is Kirindy Mitea National Park – way to the south of Morondava and less accessible. And Kirindy Reserve – on the standard route and far more accessible.  Don’t get mixed between the two – you want Kirindy Reserve.

You’ll realistically need to stay at the Relais du Kirindy as there isn’t much else around.  Book ahead – the various booking sites seem to always be full so either contact them direct on whatsapp (+261 341740740) or just ask your guide to help sort if get stuck.

Best tip – don’t follow the crowds into the nearby Reserve.  Instead, aim for the Akiba Lodge Marofandilla.  Way fewer fellow tourists and we were blown away by the lemurs.

 

Avenue of Baobabs

It really is beautiful, but don’t stress so much about timings.  Dawn and Dusk would be great, but very busy.  Midday has no one there, so really nice to walk through and have it all to yourself.

There are HEAPS and HEAPs of Baobabs all the way on the first half of the road between Morondava and Bemaraha, so don’t dwell to much on the famous avenue.

 

Morondava

You’re here for the stuff to the north, but Morondava has a few attractions that justify a chill out night there, in particular the walk along the long beach and a quick sundowner at Blue Solei.

For accommodation, we liked the Baobab Cafe.  25% of the price of the nearby Palissandre resort and still has the all critical 24hr electricity for the air con at night – an absolute life saver after the 4 days of bad sleep!. Restaurants wise – wonderful food at Hotel Sun Beach.

 

General Tips

Sleeping – Morondava is fine as electricity through the night, but just be prepared for mixed sleep when in Bemaraha and Kirindy.  Key thing is the lack of electricity (so no aircon or fan) at night combined with the heat (and likely noises from dogs etc).

Who to go with – just have a quick scan on google for the best rated guide (don’t just rely on your hotel). We contacted 6 who were recommended, got a reply from 3 and went with Naina (tsingynaina@yahoo.com). Would highly recommend him – his team were wonderful and Naina was really flexible to what we needed, and helped with all bookings etc … plus a lot of advice, which is what you need in western Madagascar.

Bring cash – there are no ATMs outside of Morondava and it is very rare even for the good hotels to take cards (either they don’t or they don’t have the connection to do so). We didn’t bring enough and had to rely on IOUs via our guides, which wasn’t ideal.

Prices for 5 days / 4 nights (in 2024): guide + driver + car + petrol €665. Ferries €40 (2 there and 2 back). Park entrance and guide for 2 days for 2 people to Tsingy €130 (for 2). Park entrance and guide for Kirindy €45 (for 2). Food and drinks (9 meals, typically 70k Ariary each) €150. Hotels typically €50 per night.  Tips €160.  Total for 2 people: €1440 / US$1510

 

Deforestation and general plight of the country

As you drive up to Bemaraha NP, you will see scrubland and savannah style landscapes either side.  This used to be forest.  The destruction is as result of the “slash and burn” technique for cutting down the forest, burning it and planting crops for 2/3 years before moving on to the next patch of forest for the same.

It’s a real lose-lose situation, but the people – typically migrating from the south – need to eat and have no incentive not to slash and burn.  The local people are typically passive, so typically don’t stop the migrating people slashing and burning.  And the government doesn’t care – it is one of the poorest countries in the world (#186 / 192) so corruption comes with this. To give you an idea – 50% of the entrance fee for the NP is supposed to go to the local village.  None does.

 

Experiences Nearby

The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences

Other Proper Travelling Experiences

Hiking the Lost City Trek
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hiking and zip-lining in the Colca Canyon
⭐⭐⭐

Exploring Northern Burma by boat and train from Myitkyina to Mandalay
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chiang Rai overnight trek into the nearby hills
⭐⭐

Central Kalahari Game Reserve with the San People
⭐⭐⭐

Hanging out with the Masai in the Masai Mara
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hiking near the hot springs of Altyn Arashan near Karakol
⭐⭐⭐

Hiking, horse-riding and staying in yurts in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
⭐⭐

Score Detail

The scores above are the real point of this site.

Over 20+ years and 100+ countries, I’ve tried to rank the world’s best travel experiences — from genuinely mind-blowing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to the properly gash.

Every one of the 500+ places on this site has both a Wow Factor rating and a more analytical Travel Experience (TE) score based on the things that actually make travel memorable.

If you're curious about the thinking behind it, head to the About page.

Otherwise, explore the map above or on the Home page and see which places truly deliver maximum wow.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *