There is a country — the 4th largest island in the world — that stands apart from its African neighbours through its isolation but also its diversity. I am talking about: Madagascar.
Madagascar, the Red Island
This isolation — first geological (detachment from Gondwana some 150 million years ago), then faunistic and floristic (the highest endemism rate in the world at 80%) — cements the « Red Island » as a biodiversity hotspot.
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Terraced rice paddies © MahayExpedition[/caption]
The settlement of Madagascar is recent (approximately 2,000 years ago) and came about in successive waves. Some came from Indonesia and Malaysia, others from Africa or the Arabian Peninsula. And let us not forget the comings and goings of colonists (French colony from 1896 to 1960).
Antananarivo, the city of a thousand warriors, sits at altitude (800m) and is surrounded by rolling hills. The rice paddies and red laterite soil fill this panorama with shimmering colours, already giving a fine preview of the Vakinankaratra and Betsileo countryside you will discover throughout this timeless travel.
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Village of Tana in Madagascar © MahayExpedition[/caption]
Tana, as it is affectionately known, also makes clear that Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. Despite this dire economic and health situation, the Malagasy people are always active, always on the move…
Tana is a capital city that lives, moves and shines. Its chaotic architecture and many distinct neighbourhoods make this city a truly picturesque arrival and departure point!
I am a French certified Mountain Guide but I work in Madagascar, the country closest to my heart! I founded MahayExpédition with the aim of offering authentic stays close to the local population. My role on the ground covers management, prospecting and circuit planning. I travel the country to meet local guides, associations and NGOs and build connections. These journeys are my way of creating, exchanging, comparing and adapting future stays to your wishes.
Madagascar is not something you visit .... Madagascar is something you live and let seep into you at their own pace: « mora mora » ! « We have the hour ... they have the time »
The "Arts and Traditions" circuit
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Zafimaniry woman returning from the market© MahayExpedition[/caption]
This 14-day « Arts and Traditions » circuit departing from Antananarivo takes you beyond time to meet three ethnic groups among the twelve that make up the Red Island. Madagascar is deeply rooted in tradition, and the rhythm of Malagasy life reflects this.
Somewhat misleadingly named, the central highlands — ranging between 800 and 2,000m — will be your guiding thread throughout this journey. After leaving the capital, you will head south along the legendary RN7 before making a first stop at Antsirabe, the city of the « pousse-pousse »… A visit to this spa town is on the programme before heading to the village guesthouse of Ambohindranandriana, 20 km into the Malagasy countryside. (An optional 2-hour mountain biking link from Antsirabe can be arranged for those who wish.) This village is part of a Village Welcome project initiated by AVIMA, a Malagasy organisation supported by the Auvergne region for 5 years, bringing together 7 villages around the spa town. Its aim? Promoting tourisme durable as a development tool.
This first stage of the trip will allow you to make a warm first connection with the local population. A « song and voice » welcome by association members, followed by a traditional Malagasy meal, will round off the first evening. The following day offers the chance to hike to the sacred hill of Vontovorona, a 4-hour walk from the village. During this walk (with lightened packs), you will pass through several villages (including one home to blacksmith craftsmen), but it is on the way back that you will take the time to appreciate their charms (basket weavers, zebu horn sculptors…).
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Tsangam-bato © MahayExpedition[/caption]
This part of the island bears the geological traces of past volcanic activity, caused in part by the separation of India from the Great Island (90 M.A). All geological eras are present in Madagascar. You will be the first to be convinced once you reach the summit of the sacred hill… whose final ascent is as authentic as it gets!
Malagasy craftsmanship and a journey through Zafimaniry country
Ambositra, the capital of Malagasy craftsmanship, will be your next stop. You will be welcomed by Fredier, president and founder of the Ambositra guides association and president and founder of the « Vonona ao amoron'i mania » association, whose mission is to provide schooling for children in the village of Bethel. A visit to the association's achievements will fill the morning: the school and school canteen.
Then, after lunch in the village, a short 3-hour hike through rice paddies and hamlets will bring you back to Ambositra and your hotel.
The trek through Zafimaniry country will begin on the morning of day 6, with 5 days of hiking through a rolling, lush landscape where traditional Zafimaniry villages, waterfalls, terraced rice paddies and the cheers of zazakely (children) will become your daily backdrop.
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Zafimaniry Village © MahayExpedition[/caption]
The art of Zafimaniry wood carving has been listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2007.
Ambohimitombo, Faliarivo, Sahalangina, Sahatavy, Ambohibe — names that call out for travel and escape. Stage lengths vary but average around 5 to 6 hours of walking per day at a gentle pace. The hilly terrain, narrow paths, steps and ladders (which our Malagasy friends navigate barefoot, a child in their arms and a sack of rice on their head) are no walk in the park. But the exchanges and encounters in each village, along with the flora and fauna that Fredier knows so well, will soon chase away your fatigue… which is only temporary.
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Zafimaniry Art © MahayExpedition[/caption]
Each evening, you will be welcomed by the village chief, who will receive you with the traditional customs that every traveller wishing to spend the night is expected to observe. You will be housed in tents or with local families, and will eat typically Malagasy dishes. You will have plenty of time to stroll through the villages and share precious moments with the local people.
True Zafimaniry art is expressed through everyday objects (household utensils, various containers, looms, traditional lighters…) as well as through structural elements such as beams, shutters and doors.
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Child in Madagascar © MahayExpedition[/caption]
Those of you who choose to do this circuit in June will take part in the national celebration in the last village of the trek. Since 1960, every 26th June commemorates Madagascar's independence, with festivities organised in every village across the country. It is an occasion for many Malagasy people to dress in their finest attire and dance to the sound of « Hira gasy » (local folk groups): a guaranteed atmosphere.
The following day, a full-day loop hike to admire Madagascar's 2nd largest waterfall, Itazonana. Along the way, you'll meet local farmers, some of whom have specialised in making toaka gasy (pronounced tôka gach)… artisanal rum. This day will bring the Zafimaniry country trek to a close.
Then you will head back to the capital at a mora mora pace, savouring your final moments on the Great Island.
« I am the rice and you are the water; They do not part in the fields, they do not separate in the village; But each time they meet, it is a new love between them. ». Hainteny merina (poem of the Merina ethnic group).
For more information and/or to book your stay, contact me by email:
Mandrapihaona, see you soon, Stéphane.Enjoyed this article? Share your thoughts on the CimAlp Facebook page and spread the word — help more people discover your profession and your hiking adventures!
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