English 
Helinirina Raharomanana – Madagascar Tours Guide
Sainte Marie Madagascar Tour
- 10 days / 09 nights
- Antanarivo
- Minimum age: 10 years
- Availability: All year
- Sainte Marie
- Maximum number of persons: 40
Sainte Marie Madagascar Tour - Itinerary
Circuit : Antananarivo – Andasibe National Park– Tamatave – Foulpointe et Mahambo – Ste Marie – Iles aux Nattes.
- Day 1 – Arrival in Antananarivo – Visit of the city of thousands
- Day 2 – Andasibe National Park
- Day 3 – Departure for Tamatave – visit of the city
- Day 4 – Tamatave – Foulpointe and Mahambo
- Day 5 – Mahambo
- Day 6 – Departure for Ste Marie – Visit from North to South, from West to East
- Day 7 – Free day in Ste Marie
- Day 8 – Ste Marie – Iles aux Nattes
- Day 9 – Return to Ste Marie – Return to Antananarivo
- Day 10 – Country of origin
Sainte Marie Madagascar Tour - Details of the itinerary
Just landed on the island of dreams, heading to the paradise island of eastern Madagascar ! This is possible thanks to the Sainte-Marie Madagascar tour proposed by Madagascar Tours Guide. The objective is to visit this pearl of tourism in the east of Madagascar in 7 days and realize the dream of visitors to spend an unforgettable moment in the Big Island of the Indian Ocean. This 7 days tour will make discover the beauty of the east coast of Madagascar from the capital to the island of Sainte Marie.
Day 1 - Arrival in Antananarivo - Visit of the city of thousands
On the first day of your arrival in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, the team of Madagascar Tours Guide welcomes you at the international airport of Ivato and installs you in your hotel.
In the afternoon, your guide will accompany you for a tour of the unavoidable places of the capital such as the district of the upper town, the district of Antaninarenina, next to the presidential palace, the market of the Analakely pavilion… Towards the end of the afternoon, you will join your hotel to rest while waiting for the departure towards the eastern part of the island.
Day 2 - Andasibe National Park
After a crossing of a central highlands landscape from the capital, the adventure begins on the descent of the escarpment of the eastern part of Madagascar to reach the intermediate plateau before joining the park of Andasibe at 140 km from the capital along the National Road 2.
On the program, visit of the lemurs’ islet, visit of the crocodiles’ park in canoe, discovery of the reptiles’ species. The park in two big parts : the Park Mantadia and the Reserve of Indri of Analamazaotra for a total surface of 16 000Ha. Discover in the sector of Indri of Analamazaotra the biggest species of lemur known under the name of Indri Indri as well as a variety of vegetable species of which ferns, medicinal plants and woods of precious essences. As for the Park of Mantadia, the ornithologists will find there their account thanks to the various species of birds, rare insects, reptiles and some varieties of lemurs. To better discover this vast park of Andasibe, travelers do it through the Madagascar tour accompanied in small group. At the end of the visit, you will be driven to your hotel in Andasibe.
Day 3 - Departure for Tamatave - Visit of the city
Early the next day, after a day rich in discovery of fauna and flora, direction the city of Tamatave. The adventure towards the east coast continues by criss-crossing the ravinala landscape (traveler’s tree) along the winding route of the National Road 2 to the big city of Tamatave, the capital of the Atsinanana region. Tamatave being also the arrival point of the Pangalanes canal tour which begins in the south-west of the island by following the Pangalanes canal on board the motor boat.
After a late lunch in the middle of the afternoon, it is time to visit the old colonial city, the Bazary Be (big market) or the visit of the first big port of the country. This walk can be done on foot to the places not far away or on board of rickshaws to go further. Visitors can take advantage of the evening to experience a festive atmosphere with kabob vendors in the vicinity of the big port and in the neighborhoods before returning to the hotel. This itinerary is also common for the other circuits such as west to east tour which reserves a discovery along the axis that crosses the island in its width.
Day 4 - Tamatave - Foulpointe
On the fourth day, after breakfast, your guide will drive you to Foulpointe at 60 km from Tamatave. Foulpointe is known for its lagoon allowing visitors to enjoy swimming and canoeing on a site well protected by the coral reef.
Arriving on site in the middle of the morning, you will visit a historical relic from the time of Radama I, king of Madagascar who built a fort north of Foulpointe. This fort was built to better see the arrival of enemy troops from the Indian Ocean and to better protect the country against invasion from the east. The Manda (fort) is equipped with cannons pointed towards the sea. In the afternoon, you will enjoy swimming in the lagoon before reaching your hotel in the evening.
Day 5 - Mahambo
The next day, you will leave in direction of Mahambo located at 90 km from Tamatave. You will start by discovering a traditional village in the form of huts whose walls and roofs are made with dried ravenala leaves (traveler’s tree). Mahambo has kept its authenticity in the middle of a well preserved ecosystem.
In spite of its large lagoon, its beaches both calm and magnificent, its dense and luxuriant vegetation, Mahambo remains less popular than Foulpointe. It is nevertheless an ideal ground for the amateurs of surfing thanks to a wind favorable to the practice and the improvement of this activity. After a pleasant day in Mahambo, you will be able to join your hotel to rest before the next stage in Sainte Marie.
Day 6 - Departure for Sainte Marie - Visit from North to South, from West to East
The day after the 6th day of your Sainte Marie Madagascar tour, you will leave for Nosy Boraha, another name of the island of Sainte Marie. It is the best choice of destination for a total change of scenery in an idyllic setting, surrounded by turquoise blue seas, beautiful beaches with white sands. This is one of the reasons why Sainte Marie remains a must in many tours such as the Madagascar Wonders Tour.
In a word, it is a real paradise lost in a remote corner of the Indian Ocean. Upon arrival, you will have the choice of transportation : cab, 4L, scooter, tuc-tuc or pirogue to visit the island from north to south and from west to east. Before reaching the hotel in the evening, a walk in the nearby beaches under the shade of coconut trees is a must to appreciate the beauty of this island. Although the itinerary is different, this destination is also in the list of places of passage of the east coast of Madagascar tour.
Day 7 - Free day in Sainte Marie
For this free day, you will always be accompanied by your tour guide who will be able to advise you on the activities to do or the places to visit. Among others, the visit of the two famous lighthouses of Sainte Marie, the Blevec lighthouse and the Eiffel lighthouse. If you are a little curious about the history of the island, the visit of the Museum of the Islet Madame as well as the Pirate Cemetery is a must.
Other magnificent places like the natural swimming pools of Ambodiatafana formed by wave basins of sea water and a barrier of black rocks or the waterfalls of Antanandava at 10 km from Ambodifotatra will not leave you indifferent. To finish this day, you can discover the fauna and flora of the botanical and zoological park of Ambodiforaha and the sumptuous beach of the bay of Ampanihy.
Day 8 – Ste Marie – Île aux Nattes
Apart from the sea trip, the scuba diving, the mountain bike or motorcycle ride, the visit of the traditional villages and the pirates’ cemetery and especially the whale safari, the visit of the “Ile aux Nattes” at the extreme south of Sainte Marie is the cherry on the cake. The journey to the island of Mats is done in a few minutes and once there, you can walk around the island along the beach.
If your Sainte Marie Madagascar tour or your vanilla coast cruise falls between the months of July and September, enjoy the natural spectacle offered by the humpback whales as they pass close to the island during this period. By taking a boat trip, you will be able to witness up close the leaps and parades of the whales that have come to the warmer sea of the Indian Ocean to mate and give birth. Towards the end of the afternoon, your tour guide will take you to your hotel in Sainte Marie.
Day 9 - Return to Sainte Marie - Return to Antananarivo
For this last day of your Sainte Marie Madagascar tour, you can still enjoy the beach in the morning depending on the time of your flight to Antananarivo. Your driver guide will then drive you to the airport to join the capital.
You will then be met at Ivato International Airport and settled into your hotel. The rest of the day, a visit to the royal palace of Ambohimanga or other relics of the history of the kingdom of Madagascar such as the Rova (Palace) of the Queen at Manjakamiadana, that of Ilafy, Antongona or Antsahadinta could be part of the program. At the end of the visit, you will relax in your hotel before your departure to your country of origin the next day.
Day 10 - Country of origin
On the day of your departure to your home country, your driver guide will meet you at your hotel to take you back to the airport. He will not fail to drive you to the craft market to allow you to buy some souvenirs of your stay in Madagascar. Your guide will then take care of your transfer before your final departure.
Sainte Marie Madagascar Tour - Map