ETHNICYTY AND HANDICRAFTS, TOUR OF THE SOUTH OF MADAGASCAR

 8 days / 7 Nights - MINIMUM 2 PERSONS

1St Day: INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

Departure from Milan or Paris with destination Antananarivo.

2° nd Day: ANTANANARIVO > AMBATOLAMPY > ANTSIRABE

Breakfast and departure on the street connecting Antananarivo to Tulear on the Mozambique Channel. The street goes through landscapes, rice fields and hills made of the typical red soil, with characteristic villages surrounding the "hauts plateaux" (the high lands). We will stop in Ambatolampy, a town which is extraordinarily perfumed with spices, eucalyptus, filaos, pines and giant cypresses. Ambatolampy is in the centre of a region which is rich in beautiful and interesting sites. Thanks to its elevation, the town benefits of a mild climate all year. Lunch in the restaurant «RENDEZ VOUS DES PECHEURS». The locals cultivate the soil turning it with large buckets preparing the rice fields for the rain season. The fields are literally hanging from the hillsides, the house walls are build with red soil bricks or dried zebu excrements which, with aclay coat, guarantee a good thermal insulation all year. Here, the material world has another meaning. Along the street, kids sell mini-cars handmade with recycled cans. Suddenly a herd of zebu and the pastors appear, after hundred of kilometres they will reach the markets. Some Bara, a Southern ethnic tribe, are marching to reach the market of Antananarivo.

3° rd Day: ANTSIRABE > AMBOSITRA > FIANARANTSOA

Departure in the direction of Ambositra, whose name literally means "where there are many oxen." The landscape is more mountainous. These hills are populated by the ethnic group of Betsiléo. Women wear colourful costumes. We stop and shopping in one of several workshops specializing in engraving and wood carving. In general the craftsmen working in small and cramped premises to house them, and sometimes even in the courtyard, under a tree or a little protection from the sun. The proximity of the Zafimaniry and great region of the East have made it the capital of wood (boxes and paintings engraved and inlaid with a mosaic of different coloured Woods representatives of ancient and modern figures. Continuation on the path.The villages that we offer us the spectacle of houses carved into wood or bamboo topped by granaries built on long poles. A room with a brazier and a bed is the house and, above, a major granary for storing supplies intended for men and animals.Lunch between Fanya and Ambohimahasoa. In the countryside around scenes of life that we have, we suggest that the time has literally stopped. Continue by road to Fianarantsoa discovering large hills cultivated with vineyards and landscapes that sometimes make incredibly remember the Tuscan countryside. Dinner and overnight at TSARA GUEST HOUSE or similar.

 4° th Day: FIANARANTSOA > AMBALAVAO > RANOHIRA 

Departure towards Ambalavao. This region of highlands is the main place of worship for the unveiling of the dead. It is a religious celebration during which you can talk with elders, a typical Malagasy cultural tradition. The spirit of the dead live agai, although they are in the grave. The Malagasy ask their ancestors the blessing for anything. Some people have the power to communicate with them. When certain spirits have to say that medium cold means that the moment of unveiling has arrived. You must extract the body clean and change the shroud that surrounds, and make the body a tour of the village. It is a mystical ceremony. This day should only be a great day of celebration for all: musicians, dancers, friends, relatives are all invited to participate. These ceremonies are common for all Malagasy, Catholics, Muslims or Protestants. The ancestors gathering in I think all the Malagasy, who venerate them with devotion and respect. Arrival in Ambalavao, situated in the Centre of a ' Circus ' Rocky buttress of the Andringitra massif.Buildings style ' Betsiléo ', are a highly original architecture with large balconies and roofs covered with open roof in wood. Visiting a factory, paper craft, typical of the region: Ambalavao has developed traditionally in a single system of making paper called "Antaimoro" very well known in the country. It collects the bark of a particular tree called Havoa, which is then cooked for some time in the water, mixed and packed in large wooden containers. After some time the sheets of paper are recovered in the raw state, decorated with dried flowers and herbs and put to dry in the Sun. Picnic lunch at Malailay and subsequent departure direction to Ranohira, small village at the foot of the Isalo massif. This is the starting point for beautiful walks within the National Park. Passage through the famous "plateau du Horombe» which is a unique and spectacular morphological conformation, where large towers of rock rise from nothing and hit the blue sky. Arriving in late afternoon and Ranohira, weather permitting, we can admire the sunset through the famous Isalo. Dinner and overnight stay at the RELAIS DE LA REINE or similar.

5° th Day: ISALO NATIONAL PARC

Open in 1962, Isalo (pronounced ' ichalo ') is a massive Jurassic formation of 81540 ha.which extends over 180 km in length and an average of 25 km wide. Breakfast and departure for a walk in the National Park of Isalo. After a morning alarm much, transferring about an hour through a secondary road to reach Ranohira located at the entrance of the Canyon. Start trekking through the canyon (to not forget shoes, hat and Sun) to discover the charming landscape of rock formations, isolated trees and tussocks of endemic flora and fauna of this fascinating region. Lunch at the Toiles de l'Isalo or similar.Relaxing afternoon or chance to make another trip (depending on the individual physical resistance) towards the famous "piscine naturelle". Bugged by numerous colonies of lemurs jumping around among rocks and spikes (1.5 hours walk), we will be rewarded for the walk with a bath in the fresh crystal-clear waters surrounded by Pandanus trees. Dinner and night at LE RELAIS DE LA REINE or similar.

6° th Day: ISALO National parc > TULEAR 

BREAKFAST and departure for Tulear "the arrival place", crossing Ilakaka, a small village which become, after 1998 a "far-west" town after the discovery of a major sapphire mine. The Antandroy and Mahafaly tumbs represent the southern funerary art, the 1st are made of a "valavato", rock creating a square of 50 metres, 1,5 m. high, (especially for Royalties). The bodies are buried into a ring made of 2 carved trunks. On the sides of the Valavato, 2 standing rocks represent the man and the woman, the Vatolahy and the Vatovavy (male and female rocks). The Mahafaly tumbs are also called Valavato can reach 10-15 metres width and be 1 m. tall, with a Aloalo on top, large wood decorations, always in even number, facing the East, positioned in a specific order. The landscape changes again and the dry land surrenders to the Baobab forest. This tree is the symbol of Madagascar, with its trunk and large fruits, it seems to be planted upside-down. There are 7 different species here, some trees are more than 1000 years old. The small "Andosonia fony", «only» 5m high,grows near Morondava, while the biggest, the "Adansonia Grandidieri", can reach 30/40 metres. Arrival in Tulear, lunch at the restaurant. Afternoon: city tour, shell market and Navy Museum, the strets, full of colourful "pousse pousse" will seduce you. Dinner and night at Hotel LE PAILLE EN QUEUE or similar.

7° th Day: TULEAR > ANTANANARIVO

Breakfast and transfer to the airoport to fly to Antananarivo.
Transfer and welcome to the hôtel ROYAL PALISSANDRE or similare. According to flight details, lunch at Restaurant Villa Vanille or similar.
Dinner and night at Hotel ROYAL PALISSANDRE or similar.

8° th Day:  INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT   

Breakfast and transfer to the airoport to final destination.

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