Please use the comments facility below to submit updates to chapter 11 (South of Toamasina) of Madagascar (10th ed).
To comment on other chapters visit the main Madagascar Updates page.
Please use the comments facility below to submit updates to chapter 11 (South of Toamasina) of Madagascar (10th ed).
To comment on other chapters visit the main Madagascar Updates page.
Pablo & Itziar said,
6 August 2010 at 1:55 pm
RN12A – From Vangaindrano to Taolagnaro
As the guide indicates it is not possible to all the route by taxi-brousse. It is possible, anyway, to use these means of transportation to cover the following routes: Taolagnaro to Manantenina and Manambondro to Vangaindrano. Apparently there is no taxi brousse connecting Manantenina and Manambondro so hitch-hicking or walking would be the only way to continue.
This is why we rented a 4×4 car to get to Vangaindrano, expecting to see an incredible part of the country, driving in between the mountains and the sea. The truth is that it was quite a boring journey, with quite a dull scenery. Most of it suffered from deforestation. At the same time, mountains were too far away to be enjoyed. The same happened to the sea, which we could barely see. During long kilometres we drove through grasslands, with no trees, no villages, no life, nothing really. The river crossings on the bacs (4 manual, 6 motorised) were almost the most interesting part of it all and the only moment to meet the locals.The road itself is a dirt road, most of it in quite decent condition, but some of it required a very careful drive and a high clearance 4×4. Constant repairs are being carried out by the NGO Care, replacing in their responsabilities to the Ministere des Travaux Publiques et de la Metereologie. This road is probably the fastest way of returning by car to Fianar or Tana.
We slept in the village of Manambondro, at the driver’s house. (10 hours drive from Tolagnaro). A great way to sample the life in a village (mice included) and enjoy the great cementery in the outskirts of the village. There are a couple of hotelys where to eat there, but no official accomodation. A better option would had been to split the journey at Manantenina (7 hours drive from Tolagnaro), at the nice La Pinetta restaurant & hotel. The accomodation was in simple bungalows. The restaurant offered delicious Fish Sauce for 2.000ar, plus a banana as a dessert. This would have left another 7 hours drive to Vangaindrano, instead of the 3 left by sleeping at Manambondro.
Note that this trip could be done in a very long day to go and another to return, if price is a concern. We think it would not be wise to do this: the drive is exhausting as it would mean departing around 4am from Tolagnaro and arriving Vaingaindrano around 7pm.
Note also that this trip includes 10 ferrys (they call them “bac”) crossing of rivers, 4 of which are manual. If used at daytime (6am-6pm) they are free (although our driver tipped 1.000 ar at each manual bac) but if used at night time they charge 10.000 ar per cross. We found them to be all in very good condition.
In conclusion, we did not enjoy too much the long and expensive ride. If we would have known what was to be seen, we would have flown to Tana instead, that turned out to be a cheaper option after all.