Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Antananarivo
Departure from Europe and after approximately 15h of flight, we will arrive at the capital of Madagascar: Antananarivo. Our driver service will transport us from the airport to the hotel. Our first night will be in a hotel close to Antananarivo. (due to restrictions we might need to spend one extra day at this point for us to comply with the quarantine before getting a negative antigenic COVID test at the airport)
Day 2: From Antananarivo to Fianarantsoa
We will have breakfast at the hotel and arrive at the School Farm at lunchtime. The organizers will use the day to prepare the bikes. We will have dinner at the farm with the NGO’s staff and the beneficiaries of the social home. You have to start getting used to eating rice.
Day 3: From Fianarantsoa to Ambalavao. Stage 1: 40km
Throughout the shorter first stage you will be biking through beautiful tea fields. The forecasts states a possibility of rain at he start of our trip, which is very typical of the area, so don't forget your raincoat!
There will be a refreshment before lunch and the group will have a picnic at the highest point of the stage. Upon arrival in Ambalavao, you will have the opportunity to visit silk and papercraft workshops and stroll through the abundant city market. For dinner and sleep arrangements, the group will head to park Anja by bus and stay at the Park Hotel which offers shared rooms with individual toilets and restaurant service with European food.
Day 4: ANJA National Park. Stage 2: 40km
This next stage you will be around the Anja Nature Reserve. It is one of the smaller protected areas, but it offers an abundance of diverse flora and fauna. This adventure at the reserve will last around two hours, therefore making it a busy day enjoying the riches the country has to offer. This afternoon we will be visiting the park for about two hours, therefore making it one of the busiest days of enjoying the beautiful riches the country has to offer.
Day 5: From ANJA National Park to Isalo by bus. 215km
After a scenic ride, we will arrive at the mountainous landscape of Isalo Park, where we have time to visit the historical museum of the park. In Ranohira, there is a wide variety of hotels and restaurants for being a tourist site.
Day 6: Around the sandy park. Stage 3: 30km
This stage is one of the hardest stages, consisting of some significant hills and a sandy area, but none the less worth it! Here, the climate constantly changes due to changing sun exposure! The road crosses over all of Madagascar’s major mining areas and the group will be able visit one of the closest mines or one of the rivers where people work (which is easily accessible by bicycle!) We will stop halfway through and enjoy a picnic and later we will be provided with dinner by the the NGO people. You will be have access to toilets, electricity and water. Sleeping arrangements will be in the classes of the same school with some bunk beds and mattresses on the floor, and even have the opportunity to watch a movie in the evening!
Day 7: Day in Antsohamadiro at the Zafir school. Stage 4: 35km.
On this day, you will head out on an excursion to the mines with some of the local people and NGO people. Here, you will learn about the region and get to know the villages that have a lot of mining activity. After, you will have to chance to participate in many activities with the beneficiaries of the school such as sports, animation, reading etc. After, you will enjoy meals of classic Malagasy food organized and prepared by the logistics team in the same school. After a day full of activities, the group will take a bus ride (a distance of about 173km) and head to Tulear. As we arrive, we will be welcomed by a beautiful sunset before heading to bed to end our day!
Day 8: The Tulear headquarters. Stage 5: 40km
Stage 5 is one of the longer stages but is mostly flat terrain with some little hills! As we continue on our way, we will encounter semi-desert terrain that is mostly an uninhabited landscape that surrounds Tulear. We will then get experience many amazing projects throughout the day such as visitnig the schools, surrounding villages, and salt mines, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges the surrounding region faces. Upon arrival in Tuléar the groups of beneficiaries will be waiting to welcome us at the doors of the NGO. You will have the opportunity to rest and settle in the hotel. Then at night, we will have a meeting with the girls from the social home before going out to dinner which consist of a diverse selection of European and Malagsy food.
Day 9: Last but not least. Stage 6: 32km.
The last stage on the bike is one of the lightest stages, due to the terrain being mostly downhill. Throughout this journey, you will start to smell the fresh ocean breeze and be welcomed by unforgettable scenic views. By this time, the air may begin to get hotter, therefore you will be provided with more stops for refreshments until you arrive at the final destination. You will then visit to a protected area of mangrove reforestation of the NGO. Then we will begin our journey to the Hotel Solidaire Mangily. This hotel offers many amenities which you will have time to enjoy, such as taking a refreshing dip in the pool or enjoing the delicacies the restaurants have to offer. Hotel bungalows can be double or family bungalows and are fully equipped.
Day 10: Day in Mangily
Visit of the farm school and the environmental projects of the NGO.
Today you will have the option for some free time or you will be able to participate in one of the offered NGO projects. Tonight, you will have be able to spend your afternoon and enjoy your dinner at the hotel in Mangily.
Day 11: From Mangily, Tulear to Antananarivo
You will be provided with breakfast in the morning and the free time to go to the beach or enjoy the pool before you begin your journey home. Our first leg of the trip will be a shorter flight from Tulear to Antananarivo before departing on our next flight in the later that evening. This day will be full of bittersweet goodbyes, but nonetheless Time to say goodbye and remember the amazing moments we shared with our new friends before heading back home.