Trekking in Betsileo country and the Andringitra summits

Through the patchwork of terraced rice paddies and diverse crops where all shades of green are displayed, head to Ambalavaoknown for its vineyards.

Continuation to reach the Anja Village Reserve. nestled between two gigantic granite monoliths.

In this green paradise live in small colonies these ring-tailed lemurs which are almost the emblem of the Great Island, the ring-tailed lemurs. They spend a lot of time on the ground, are not too shy and are therefore easily observable. The revenues from the Anja site are managed by the AMI (Anja Miray) association and returned to economic and social projects aimed at improving agricultural yields, developing craftsmanship, health and education for the benefit of the surrounding villagers.

We set up our camp at the edge of the forest.

We will start by crossing the rice fields and villages before climbing to higher altitude. A day of hiking through Betsileo landscapes. The scenery is dominated by agriculture, livestock farming and even herds of zebu cattle trails will be encountered along the way. We pass through the shepherd village of Manampotsy. We set up our first bivouac not far from the town, on the next hill.

For our second day, we hike through a landscape dominated by large granite massifs. In a desert setting, we find a whole collection of succulent plants such as Kalanchoes, Aloes and Pachypodiums, accompanied by small forests nestled in the depths of the valleys.

In the distance, the highest peaks of the Andringitra appear. At the end of the day, we arrive at the Belambo camp. We are now in the Andringitra National Park.

Setting up our campsite for the night.

On the third day, we depart early in the morning to reach Andriampotsy, located at 2,000 m altitude. This will be the starting point for our hike the next day, towards Madagascar's 2nd highest peak: the Pic Boby, culminating at 2,658 m.

The landscapes here are lunar, the Malagasy call this place "the plateau of Extra-terrestrials". A short detour to admire more closely the two sacred waterfalls: Riambavy (female waterfall) and Riandahy (male waterfall), passing through the Jajofo Cave.

We set up our camp at Andriampotsy, at 2,050m altitude, ready for our ascent of the Pic d'Imarivolanitra the next day.

Early in the morning, we head towards the 2nd highest peak in Madagascar, the Pic Bobyor Imarivolanitra, reaching an altitude of 2,658 m.

This beautiful hike is a round trip on a well-maintained trail. We leave very early to enjoy the view from the summit. If the sky is clear enough, we can see the East coast.

We retrace our steps back to the Andriampotsy bivouac site where we will spend a second night. We deserve some rest after climbing Pic Boby.
We resume our Adventure starting tomorrow!

We begin our descent towards the West side of the park.
We find the surreal lunar plateau that deserves the nickname of "extraterrestrial " as the erosions are so fantastical.
We then cross the forest of Ravenea glauca palms, endemic to this region, until we reach our bivouac site at Iantaranomby, on the edge of a beautiful river where we can cool off.

Our final trek takes us to the heart of the Tsaranoro valley, where we arrive late in the morning. This superb valley is dominated by immense cliffs, highly prized by climbing enthusiasts. We encounter the Lemur Catta again here, living in the preserved forest areas. The valley is vibrant, and the villages scattered throughout it are magnificent. The simplicity and warmth of the people who inhabit them give the places a magical atmosphere.

In the afternoon, we will drive to Ambalavao, known for the famous artisanal Malagasy Antemoro paper factory which has existed since 1936 and is world renowned.
This craft, of Arab origin, uses the bark of a shrub called the avoha, imported from the South region of Madagascar. It is transformed in Ambalavao to obtain a unique paper decorated with flowers or paintings.