Bonjour,
nous préparons notre voyage de noce à Madagascar du 15 au 30 jullet cet été.
nous voulons aller sur 2 jours à Ambohimahamasina.
Mais je ne parviens pas à trouver des infos sur les trajets à partir de ce village.
Combien de temps il faudrait pour faire en 4x4 avec un guide Manakara à Ambohimahamasina? (10h?)
et pour le retour Ambohimahamasina à Andasibé? (15h?)
et entre Fianaratsoa et Ambohimahamasina? je crois que c'est totu proche (1-2h?).
merci de vos renseignements, cela nous permettra d'affiner notre itinéraire et peut être pouvoir incorporer cette pause dans ce village.
si on n'y parviens, on ne pourra pas aller au marché du samedi matin de Ambrosita, et c'est dommage je pense, (on adore les marchés) mais bon.
Bonjour
J ai été plusieurs fois a Ambohimahamasina. Maintenant cela remonte a un peu d années car c etait vers 2003/2004 a l epoque ou la piste n etait pas finie depuis bien longtemps. Elle etait tres bonne et je ne sais pas si c est toujours le cas.
Je ne comprends pas bien les indications de temps de parcours que vous souhaitez connaitre : Manakara-Ambohimahamasina ou Ambohimahamasina-Andasibe, vous comptez faire Manakara-Ambohimahamasina puis 2 jours sur place puis direct Ambohimahamasina-Andasibe (enorme sans étape et encore plus si en outre vous comptez vous arreter pour le marché d Ambositra) ? est ce cela ? si c est le cas, il me semble que ca fait bcp de route en peu de temps et que l etape d Ambohimahamasina fera un sacré détour. Bcp de kms et d heures de route. Mais bon, c est votre choix.
De souvenir, de Fianarantsoa jusqu au début de la piste (dans Ambalavao), disons que ca fait une grosse heure. Puis la piste en elle meme doit encore faire une bonne heure. A Ambohimahamasina meme, en general il reste encore du 4x4 et de la marche pour rejoindre des genres de chambres d hotes ou les sites de rando. Bref le tout n est pas faisable sur 1h et meme difficile sur 2.
Le site est magnifique, pas loin de l Ambondrombe, la montagne sacrée, et du corridor dans lequel on peut voir une foret sympa, plus belle que celle de Ranomafana de mon point de vue, mais animaux difficiles a voir (pas habitués, c est aussi ca qui est plaisant). Tres belles orchidées quand c est la saison.
La piste est aussi splendide, longeant cours d eau et sous de belles collines. Coin où pas mal de cultures de tabac mais aussi de rongony. Le marché est pas mal aussi avec des produits des hauts plateaux et des produits de la foret (miel, ecrevisses, champignons...).
Sur la piste, pas tres loin d Ambalavao, si je me rappelle bien, vous passerez aussi juste sous le rocher d Ifandana. Historique car il a vu le suicide des derniers résistants betsileo à la royauté merina. Site impressionnant. Les ossements ont été volés il y a bien longtemps par le Dr Catat lors de son voyage a Mada. Mais le site reste sacré. Un peu de rhum...
Bref une belle étape mais attention simplement à ne la faire que si coté temps de parcours et kms, vous ne vous envoyez pas dans quelque chose de beaucoup trop chargé.
tu penses que fianaratsoa Ambohimahamasina il faut un peu plus de 2 h, étant donné que manakara fianaratsoa en 4x4 il doit en avoir pour 8h ça fait un trajet de 10-12h ce qui est possible pour l'aller du coup,
on partirai de Manakara un jeudi matin pour être jeudi soir à Ambohimahamasina
maintenant pour le retour c'est plus compliqué car nous voulons rester à Ambohimahamasina jeudi soir, vendredi et le samedi et partir le dimanche matin (tôt) être à Andasibé le dimanche soir.
à moins de partir d'Ambohimahamasina samedi aprem pour commencer la route et la finir le dimanche mais bon... ça a l'air un peu trop
le descriptif que tu en fait ça donne trop envie d'y aller, il faut que l'on regarde l'itinéraire global de notre séjour mais il y a tant de chose à voir en si peu de temps,
bon je me remet en réflexion,
Effectivement Manakara-Ambohimahamasina doit pouvoir se faire sur une journée. Mais prévoyez juste de partir tres tot pour manger par exemple sur Ranomafana et profiter du site qui est tres beau (tres encaissé et belle cascade) car je suppose que vous aurez été sur Manakara par le train et que vous n aurez pas vu la route a l aller.
Ambohimahamasina et Ambalavao sont de tres beaux endroits, une belle région. C est un coin qui vaut vraiment le coup et avec le temps que vous prévoyez pour cela, pour ma part, ca me semble faisable.
Juste un point, partez plutot samedi apres midi que dimanche pour Andasibe. En incluant une etape soit a Ambositra, soit a Antsirabe, soit a Ambatolampy en fonction de votre heure de départ. Ca permet de faire un dimanche moins "hard".
Bonne préparation. N oubliez juste pas que les kilometres sont longs et ereintants a Mada. Limitez les étapes trop longues et restez longtemps sur les sites : vous ne pourrez pas tout voir de ttes manières. Et ce qui vaut le plus le coup, ce ne sont pas les "spots" touristiques mais plutot les rencontres et le temps passé dans un endroit pour s en imprégner, meme juste un peu.
PS : les marchés de brousse, hebdomadaires, sont tout aussi, voire plus, "intéressants" que les marchés des villes importantes.
Pour avoir une petite idée de la piste et des points d interet le long, vous pouvez faire un petit check sur Google Earth :
- coordonnées du rocher d Ifandana : 21°52'58.40"S et 46°59'52.53"E
- coordonnées des rapides en contrebas de la piste et qq tournants ensuite d'une l'étendue d eau (ou possible de voir des oiseaux d eau par exemple) : 21°56'26.96"S et 47° 7'3.02"E
Ambohimahamasina vient pas loin apres avec belle ligne de foret au loin vers l Est.
Bonne préparation
bonsoir Rotsaka,
merci pour tes précisions,
je n'avais pas google earth, je viens de le mettre du coup ça aide bien pour voir les distances.
ça fait une sacré boucle quand même Manakara - Ambohimahamasina mais surtout Ambohimahamasina - andasibé ça fait long aussi.
on se demande si on ne peut pas trouver un village comme Ambohimahamasina (avec du tourisme solidaire, un coin tranquille, belle balade) où se poser 2 jours sur la route vers andasibé au départ de Manakara vers la Rn7 autour de Ambositra pour pouvoir faire en une journée rejoindre Andasibé le dimanche
Bonsoir
Ambohimahamasina a pas mal d atouts car c est a l ecart des sentiers battus, peu connu et au milieu d'une zone splendide tout auprès de la foret. Bref plein plein de points positifs.
L inconvénient c est le détour que ca impose si vous souhaitez faire la cote est (pas seulement Andasibe ?).
Alors je ne suis plus trop a la page mais plus directement sur votre route, il y a d autres possibilités :
1- le lemur forest camp a coté d Ambohimahasoa au bord de la RN7. Un campement assez roots au bord d une foret préservée ou il y a des lemuriens et autres animaux. Tenu par un couple franco malgache. C est au niveau de la foret de Ialatsara (tapez sur google Ialatsara lemur forest camp pour plus d infos type prix/activités...).
2- gérez des ballades depuis une gare sur la ligne de train Fianarantsoa-Cote Est (FCE) à Tolongoina par exemple. Village au creux des collines, en bas de la falaise. Pas loin on peut voir une belle chute d eau, se ballader dans les plantations de cafe/bananes. Assez roots surtout pour trouver a se loger (faisable depuis Fianar eventuellement). Possible de retrouver un véhicule la bas qui vous ramenera vers Ranomafana par une relativement bonne et surtt tres belle piste (mais vous ne verrez pas Manakara) ou de poursuivre vers manakara avec le prochain train. Possible aussi depuis d autres sites, des agences organisent des treks depuis les gares vers Ranomafana a travers la foret. Tres sympa.
3- aller au pays zafimaniry pres d Ambositra. Perso pas trop mon truc car pas mal touristé et donc pas forcément l ambiance que j apprécie. Mais ca depend des gouts.
4- se poser a Antsirabe et viser les ballades vers les lacs et le village thermale de Betafo. Jolies vues des hauts plateaux et région agricole par excellence. Une maison d hotes assez classe organise des visites de sites d orpaillage et/ou de recherche de pierres.
5- viser Ampefy a l ouest de Tana vers les lacs, geysers, chutes d eau mais c est un détour. Pas énorme mais détour.
6- faire 2 jours en micheline a partir de la gare de Tana en allant vers l Est. C est sur votre chemin et c est assez unique.
Voila qq idées en vrac, ce n est pas la meme chose qu Ambohimahamasina, des propositions. A vous de voir et d autres forumeurs auront suremment d autres idées a proposer.
Hi there,
I’m planning a trip to Russia and Mongolia, starting from France.
Crossing the border at Poland/Belarus or Georgia/Russia—other borders seem either closed or complicated.
Tourist visas for 3 months with multiple entries.
Do you have any info on Russian companies that cover a 4x4 vehicle for 3 months, and what prices in rubles or euros you’ve paid?
Which bank did you use for expenses? (EuroMastercard and Visa cards no longer work.)
Regarding Russian SIM cards, a new system called "Gosuslugi" has been introduced. How long did it take you to get one, and what steps did you follow?
Hi,
we’re planning to visit a park again.
Could you point us toward the camps in Gonarezhou Park?
>We’re traveling completely self-sufficiently.
We love wildlife.
Thanks for any tips you can share!
JP
Hi there, we’ll be in Mozambique in early December 2026 and we’d like to travel from Vilanculos to Beira by car or bus to reach Beira airport. After that, we’re planning to visit Gorongosa National Park before flying back to France from Beira. From what we’ve heard, the road to Beira is tricky, especially at this time of year (start of the rainy season). Could anyone share their thoughts or suggest a solution? Thanks so much for your help!
Anne
Hi there,
I’m heading to Lesotho in a few days and I’m struggling to find info on the best route between Katse Dam and Sehlathebe National Park. There’s a fairly "direct" route from Thaba Tseka, but the roads seem rough, and we’re not exactly 4x4 pros. Anyone have any tips to share? Thanks!
Hi everyone,
We’re heading to Mozambique in October and are looking for either a 4x4 or 4x2 rental in Maputo, or a driver transfer option to reach:
- Ponta Do Ouro
- Tofo
- Vilankulos
The idea is to be self-sufficient for sightseeing and stops while still being able to access certain lodges or beaches that require a 4x2.
Do you have any contacts, addresses, or ideas to share?
Thanks in advance,
Hello,
We're hitting the road again in 2027 to discover new countries and cultures.
Could anyone give me some tips on driving from Ulaanbaatar to Lake Baikal and the route to take?
Thanks, and safe travels to those who are setting off!
We’re planning a 4x4 trip from Belgium to Central Asia, passing through Georgia, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
For these countries, our national insurance obviously doesn’t cover the vehicle, so we’ll need to get local insurance.
Will it be a problem if the vehicle is registered under person A and the national insurance is under person B? Both A and B will be in the vehicle, and both will be listed as drivers on the insurance.
When we get the local insurance, if we again list A and B as drivers, does the order matter? Could we get stuck at the border for this reason?
Hi,
For those who’ve driven on Iceland’s gravel roads in their own or a rented Duster, could you tell me what tires were fitted on the vehicle?
Were they All Terrain tires or more "standard" ones like all-season tires, for example?
Follow-up question: if they were "standard" tires, did that cause any issues on the gravel roads and rough terrain?
Thanks so much for any info you can share.
Best,
Marc
Hi there,
I'm planning a 4x4 road trip from Darwin to Broome with a rooftop tent in July 2026.
I'd like to know if I need to book overnight stops in advance or if I can just wing it and stop wherever I feel like it?
Some evenings, we'd like to stop and make use of campsite facilities (restaurant, shop, showers, toilets).
What do you recommend?
Do I need a permit?
My rough itinerary looks like this:
Darwin - Kakadu
Kakadu - Nitmiluk
Nitmiluk - Kununurra
Kununurra - Purnululu
Purnululu - El Questro
El Questro - Mt Elizabeth - Bell Gorge - Broome
I’m planning a trip to Iceland for next July-August, with a car and tent, and I’m wondering about booking campsites.
From your experience, is it necessary or even essential to book campsites in advance, or do you always manage to find a spot to pitch your tent?
We’ll also have the option to sleep in the car without pitching the tent.
Does that give us the flexibility to stay outside a campsite for a night here and there?
Hi,
I’m planning a road trip in the Middle Atlas, starting and ending in Fez and heading down to the south of Midelt, the Assoul Massif.... We’ll be traveling with two small 4x4s.
I’m looking for detailed maps of this region that include small roads and tracks.
Last year, we had a fantastic road trip in the Anti-Atlas and High Atlas using Erfahren maps, but unfortunately, they don’t cover the area we’re interested in this year.
Thanks for your suggestions!
Dominique
We’re planning a 13-day family road trip in Morocco this July, with six people in a Toyota Prado 4x4 (renting in Marrakech).
We’ll alternate between bivouacking and small hotels/riads depending on the stops.
Here’s the planned route (in this order):
Marrakech
→ Ouarzazate
→ Draa Valley
→ Zagora
→ Erg Chegaga
→ Lake Iriki
→ Foum Zguid
→ Tata
→ Tafraoute
→ Aït Mansour
→ Tiznit
→ Mirleft
→ Taroudant
→ Back to Marrakech
Our goal:
Atlas Mountains + desert + dunes + plateaus + valleys + a bit of coastline.
We’ll cover about 1,700 km in total.
We’re planning:
Bivouacking in the Chegaga/Iriki area
Flexible for the rest (booking the day before or same day)
Sand gear: traction plates, compressor, tow strap, roof rack
Questions:
Is the Zagora → Chegaga → Iriki → Foum Zguid crossing in July doable on our own (single vehicle, no guide)?
Are there any truly technical or risky sections between Chegaga and Iriki?
Does the overall itinerary seem manageable in 13 days without rushing?
Any suggestions for great bivouac spots or particularly interesting stops along this route?
The points on the route are provisional overnight stops. Some spots will include two nights in the same area.
We’re used to off-road driving, but not yet in the Moroccan desert.
Thanks in advance for your feedback and tips! 😊
Good evening
I could use some advice 🙂
Our trip to Namibia is planned for June/July 2026.
We’re struggling a bit with timing and choosing activities for the part of the trip between Sesriem and Brandberg.
Day 1: Sesriem to Mirabib
Day 2: Mirabib to Swakopmund – visit Swakopmund, overnight in Swakopmund
Day 3: Sandwich Harbour – overnight in Swakopmund
Day 4: Kayaking with the seals + the living dunes – overnight in Swakopmund
Day 5: Moon Landscape, Henties Bay + Cape Cross – overnight at White Lady Lodge in Brandberg
Does this itinerary seem realistic to you? Is Cape Cross really worth the trip? If I had to choose between Cape Cross and kayaking with the seals, which would you recommend?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hélix
My son and I are heading to Georgia this summer to explore the High Caucasus (Svaneti, Kazbek, and Tusheti regions). For this, we’re planning to rent a 4x4.
However, the rental agencies we’ve found prohibit driving on the tracks to Omalo (Tusheti) and/or Ushguli (Svaneti).
Do you know of any agencies in Tbilisi (local and reliable) that allow rented 4x4s to drive on these tracks? If so, which ones?
Hi everyone,
I’m starting to plan an itinerary for September 2027 focused on Zimbabwe and Zambia. I’d love to visit Gonarezhou National Park—I see there are two sectors: the Mwenezi Region in the south and the area around the Runde River in the north. Should I cover both sectors or just focus on the northern region?
For the parks along the Zambezi River, is it better to visit Mana Pools on the Zimbabwe side or Lower Zambezi on the Zambia side?
Thanks in advance for any tips on the parks in these two countries.
Have a great day, everyone.
We’re spending 18 days in New Zealand from 05/04 to 05/21, arriving in QUEENSTOWN and leaving from AUCKLAND.
Any ideas for a road trip that covers the highlights of both islands but only changes hotels every 3–4 nights?
Thanks.
For our trip to Georgia in July, I’d like to rent a 4x4 starting from Tbilisi.
Do you have any rental companies to recommend?
The traditional rentals like Hertz, Avis, etc. seem way overpriced compared to local companies—what do you think? Are they properly insured?
Has anyone here tried Geo Rent Car, Auto 4 Rental, or Sur Price?
Also, I’m looking for info on the condition of the Ushguli–Lentekhi track—is it passable?
Hi everyone,
A well-prepped 4x4, a travel plan across Africa in stages since I’ve got kids to see regularly and work to earn a living.
I’m leaving in November for about a month with the goal of reaching Senegal via Mauritania. I’d love to share this trip with someone who wants to discover Mauritania and a bit of Senegal... and also experience life on board a 4x4 in the desert or bush, sometimes sleeping in the vehicle or in hostels/small hotels for comfort. I want to share this rediscovery because two’s better than one!
Just traveling, exploring, and living! !
I’m planning to explore Argentine and Chilean Patagonia for a month in December 2019.
I’m looking for a rental company (or several) that offers single-cab 4x4 pick-ups with a fitted camper cell for two people. I’m specifically after a vehicle with an indoor shower for extra comfort ;)
So, no vans—at least not from the rental companies I’ve seen so far.
While browsing the forum, I came across the Chilean rental company Holiday Rent. But do you have any recommendations for Argentine rentals?
Because, if I can’t return the vehicle in the same city as pickup, I’d prefer—and it’d likely be cheaper—to at least return it in the same country.
I’m traveling through Argentina and Chile (as well as Paraguay and Uruguay) with a 2019 Toyota Hilux Euro 6. Could anyone tell me if the local diesel is suitable for its engine, or if I need to take any special precautions (like adding an additive, for example) for these countries?
I’d also like to know if driving at high altitudes is possible, and up to what elevation—or if I should worry about the vehicle going into limp mode?
If that happens, what should I do?
Hi there,
Can you tell me if the road between Zagora and M'Gouna is easy or difficult for a 4x4? How much time and how many kilometers should I plan for? I’m traveling in May.
Thanks!
Hi there,
My trip to South Africa is starting to take shape.
However, I'm struggling to figure out the route through Kruger Park. I can't seem to find the information I need about getting around.
Coming from the south, I plan to arrive on Day 1 in the early afternoon at Malelane or Crocodile Bridge.
Do some shopping in Malelane (or Crocodile Bridge main area) and stay overnight outside the park.
Leave on Day 2 at 5 AM for the park. Explore the southern part of the park.
Stay overnight around Skukuza or Lower Sabie. (We don’t want to stay in one of the park’s big camps. We’re looking for a lodge around 200 €.
Head out on Day 3 for a self-drive safari, maybe as far as Orpen.
We’d like to stay in a private reserve on nights 4 and 5.
We’re not sure which one or how to get into a private reserve. Do we need to exit Kruger Park?
On Day 5, we’d like to leave to visit Blyde Canyon (on Day 6).
I’m planning to leave Morocco for the summer but want to leave my 4x4 there to avoid exceeding the famous 6-month limit. I’d like to park it in one of the two Spanish enclaves (Ceuta or Melilla).
Does anyone know of people or companies that handle long-term parking (preferably secure) in either place?
Once the car is parked, what’s the best way to get back to France using public transport?
Is the nearest airport Tanger from Ceuta?...
How do I get there easily, etc. etc.
hello! I’d like to go to Kazakhstan and rent a fitted 4x4 locally so I can drive off-road trails and sleep inside the vehicle... could anyone share some local rental company addresses, please? Thanks! !
I'm about to rent a self-drive 4x4 in Mongolia. Has anyone heard of GOBI.RENT?
Otherwise, do you have any tips for checking this company since there's no info on their website (e.g., registration number on the RCS)?
I’m finalizing my trip starting from Namibia.
When I arrive in Divundu, I’d like to head straight to the Khwai area early in the morning to one of the campsites in the Khwai Development Trust. Is the drive doable with a good 4x4 in a day?
We’ll spend 2 nights in Khwai, then 2 or maybe 3 nights in the Moremi area (Third Bridge/Xakanaxa/Mboma) before heading back to Maun to wrap up our journey.
Is that too much time to spend in each place?
We’d also like to do one or two boat excursions in the delta. Any suggestions for the best options and operators?
Thanks in advance for your tips and advice!
Best,
Patrick
Hi everyone,
I’m planning to explore the western part of Madagascar from May 1st to 5th, specifically to visit the Tsingy. I’ve heard different versions about the road conditions and access to the Tsingy during this time, so I’d love to hear from people who’ve actually made this trip during this time of year.
Have you traveled from Morondava → Tsingy between May 1st and 5th?
Was the journey doable and safe?
Did you have access to the Grands Tsingy, or just the Petits Tsingy?
Thanks so much for your feedback—it’ll really help me get a clearer picture! 😊
Also, if you have any recommendations for reliable and experienced driver-guides, I’d love to hear them.
Thanks again!
