VisitMasoala

18/06/2020

10 great things to do in Madagascar!

https://www.facebook.com/othersideofthetruth/videos/1684094341740795/

14/08/2018

Thanks so much to Allison for sharing your pictures with us! After spending some days in Tampolo, Allison and Christopher hiked southwards following the coast. The rain didn't spoilt their fun ;)

14/02/2018

Famadihana, the feast of the dead

If you happen to visit the area between May and September, you might be lucky enough to witness a Famadihana festival in a local village. Let us know in advance so that we can find a festival taking place while you are here. We will provide accommodation at a local house and help you understand all the rituals you will see in this intense and unforgettable event. Of course, you will also take part in the community meal and party!

The Famadihana festival is a funerary celebration. It takes place four years after a member of a family dies. The relatives congregate and exhume his body. They dance with the co**se to live music and bury him again in fresh cloth. After, they sacrifice some cattle (typically zebu) and eat it all together. They drink the local beer Betsabetsa. The folkloric dancing and singing continues until the morning.

This festival has several purposes:

It proves that the family still remembers their loved one. This is not a memorial day but rather celebration.
It gathers all members of the extended family so that they know one another, because it is taboo for this ethnic group to marry any member of the extended family.
Since we believe that a dead person serves as intermediary between God and the human beings, taking care of the dead ones is considered as a source of blessings.

Contact us for further details:
https://visitmasoalablog.wordpress.com/contact/

14/02/2018

NEW AYE-AYE TOUR in Farankaraina!!!

The aye-aye is the world’s largest nocturnal primate. Traditionally, people in Madagascar are scared of him, and popular belief is that if he appears in a village, an inhabitant will die soon. A way to prevent this would be to kill the aye-aye, and that is why they got almost extinct. However, there are still a few of them left. A great place to see them is the Farankaraina reserve, not far from Maroantsetra.

Since the aye-aye is active after it gets dark, you should spend one night in Farankaraina. We provide transport and organize your accommodation, food and a guide.

It is possible to combine this tour with a multi-day visit to Masoala, so let us know if you have an extra night… and pay a visit to the aye-aye!

Contact us for further details:
https://visitmasoalablog.wordpress.com/contact/

06/09/2017

Check out the amazing pics that Gabriel and Franziska took on the RN5! They enjoyed the moto-taxi experience and the company of Claude and Fabrice ;) (Photo copyright Gabriel Savit)

08/08/2017

We have several people interested in doing a hike to Cap Masoala in October. Do you want to join the group and save some money? Let us know!

22/07/2017

Visit our new FAQ! Information on how to get to Masoala and much more!
https://visitmasoalablog.wordpress.com/faq/

How can I get to Masoala? The gateway to Masoala is the city of Maroantsetra. You can reach it by land, sea and air: Air Madagascar offers internal flights to Maroantsetra There are public boats fr…

23/05/2017

17/05/2017

Multiday hike in Masoala

Masoala is a hiker’s paradise. We will help organizing a guide, porters, the food and the accommodation. There are three main routes:

Maroantsetra – Antalaha on the inland trail: 3 – 5 days. This path crosses both patches of rainforest and farming areas.

Maroantsetra – Cap East on the inland trail: 5 – 7 days. This hike is a bit longer than the first one and spends more time in the primary forest.

Maroantsetra to Cap East – Coastal Route: 11 – 14 days. This trip takes you on local trails all around the coastline, passing through the primary forests, the marine parks and some fishers’ villages.

It is easy to reach Sambava both from Antalaha and Cap East. From Sambava it is possible to fly back to Antananarivo.

Contact us for further details: https://visitmasoalablog.wordpress.com/contact/

17/05/2017

RN5 adventure

You can come and leave Maroantsetra by air, water or land. If you like adventure, choose the third option and get ready for the infamous RN5, the worst road in the world!

DAY 1: Maroantsetra – Mananara

You leave Maroantsetra in the early morning by 4WD car, or for the most adventurous, as a passenger in a moto-taxi . You will spend the day crossing picturesque ferries (you might not believe your eyes!), driving on beaches and unpaved road. You hope to arrive to Mananara before sunset, so that you can do the night walk on the Aye-Aye island and spot the Aye-Aye lemur.

DAY 2: Mananara – Manompana

You spend the day on the RN5, driving through traditional villages and with stops at the multiple ferry crossings for pictures.

DAY 3: Manompana – Soanierana Ivongo – Tamatave

The 4WD car (or the moto-taxi) will bring you to Soanierana Ivongo. From there on, the road is asphalted till Tamatave, where you will arrive before sunset.

If you don't have a lot of time, note that the moto-taxi can cover the road in a shorter time (2 days if it hasn't rained in the last days) and it is also cheaper!

Contact us for further details: https://visitmasoalablog.wordpress.com/contact/

17/05/2017

Masoala in Lodge Accommodation

Find below our proposal, but don’t hesitate to send us your own if you have something else in mind.

DAY 1: ANTANANARIVO – MAROANTSETRA – Nosy Mangabe

Your guide will pick you up at the Maroantsetra airport. Transfer to Maroantsetra, from where you will take a motorboat to Nosy Mangabe. Guided tour in the forest, visiting ancestral tombs and looking for animals. Full board and accommodation in a tent, just some meters away from the beach.

DAY 2: Island Nosy Mangabe – Masoala National Park

In the morning, motorboat to Masoala (about 1 hours and 30 minutes, depending on the weather condition). After leaving the luggage in the lodge, guided visit to the primary forest trying to see the famous red ruffed lemur (found only in Masoala), other lemurs and reptiles. Stay overnight at lodge in full board.

DAY 3: Masoala National Park

Full day in Masoala National Park. Guided visit through the primary forest looking for animals. Possibility to snorkel in the afternoon. Stay overnight at lodge in full board.

DAY 4: Masoala National Park

Daytrip to the Tampolo Marine Reserve, visiting the mangrove forest and the beautiful beaches. Stay overnight at lodge in full board.

DAY 5: Masoala National Parks – Maroantsetra

Transport to Maroantsetra by motorboat. This is the end of the tour



Contact us for further details: https://visitmasoalablog.wordpress.com/contact/

17/05/2017

In the 2300 square km of rainforest and 100 square km of marine parks of the Masoala National Park (Madagascar) live more than 2% of the Earth biodiversity. Enjoy its unique coastal primary forest, mangroves and marine reserves.

“Visit Masoala” is located in Maroantsetra, the gateway city to Masoala. Let us know if you have questions regarding the planning of your visit and we will answer them. Tell us how your dream holiday looks like and we will make it come true!