Discussion · VoyageForum

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Rotsaka

Globetrotter3,407 posts

2024-10-12

Oh, the good news—the site is back up after such a long closure. I think many of us were really missing it, though some have moved on to other forums like Routard. Hopefully, activity will pick up little by little. Travel habits have probably changed post-Covid, and some regulars won’t be coming back for all sorts of reasons. But for the rest of us, the forum is here for travel journals and pre-trip questions. Anyway…

Back to the main point: my last trip to Madagascar was a while ago now—about a year—on the High Plateaus during the austral winter. It was really chilly, and to be honest, my feelings were mixed between the joy of returning to Madagascar and the sadness of seeing the state of the country. The infrastructure is crumbling, and the population is sinking into poverty at unprecedented levels. The country’s closure likely had immeasurable consequences, compounded by destructive cyclones. Even secondary cities have seen large numbers of rural people arriving in search of work, while some rural areas barely allow survival. I’ve never felt such despair over the situation in 20 years.

From Tana to Fianar, it was nothing but heartbreaking observations. Probably made worse by the drizzle and cold typical of that season in the region.

In a few weeks, I’m planning to return to the High Plateaus and also Sainte Marie. On that note, a few questions: has anyone stayed at Samaria Cosy Lodge, and what did you think of it? On Île aux Nattes, which hotel would you recommend for a few peaceful days, ideally on the coast best suited for snorkeling?

Thanks in advance

Djackx67 Veteran ·2024-10-14

Hi there, for Île aux Nattes I recommend Kintana Lodge—you’ll be right by the water. For snorkeling, I suggest swimming near the Fafana restaurant (plus, the food there is really good). Otherwise, head to the passage between Île aux Nattes and Île Sainte-Marie.

(I spent a month and a half there last year.)

I don’t know Samaria Lodge, but given its location, I’d recommend checking out the big beach on the other side—huge waves and almost untouched.

Rotsaka Globetrotter ·2024-10-14

Thanks Djack for the quick reply and tips. I’d noted Kintana without really knowing much about it. But mainly because it’s on the side of the island I found best for snorkeling when I toured it in 2019. Does Kintana open directly onto the lagoon and have a restaurant?

Good point about the North, but big waves mean snorkeling probably won’t be great and swimming might be tricky. Is it fairly easy to get to the west coast of the island from there?

Thanks again

Djackx67 Veteran ·2024-10-14

Yes, getting to the other side of the island by taking the small paths that cut through it is quite tricky. I went there by scooter—some sections you have to do on foot, pushing the bike. The Kintana Lodge doesn’t have a restaurant, but the place at Ibrahim’s (where you eat really well) is just 20 meters away. That said, I prefer the restaurant at Fafana’s, especially for its beach—one of the most beautiful on the island, plus deep water and no sea urchins. Yes, at Kintana Lodge, you step out of your bungalow and you’re right on the beach. Watch out, though—there are a lot of sea urchins in the lagoon. For the big beach on the west side of Sainte Marie, obviously, you don’t go there for snorkeling :) and yes, the waves are strong and the current is powerful—be careful. But the beach is just huge and beautiful.

Filanzana Regular ·2024-10-21

First off, congrats! Kudos for bringing VF back to life, and for your tenacity!

Back to the topic—Saint Marie, I know Samaria Lodge, which is located in the middle of the island, on the west coast, facing the mainland... well, how can I put it, I wasn’t exactly blown away by the service, the welcome, or the food... On the other hand, I can confirm that Kintana, in the south of Île aux Nattes, is perfectly located. It’s spotless and well-run since the change of ownership.

For Île aux Nattes, I recommend "Chez Sica"—it’s my top spot: great, clean, affordable, unbeatable, and authentic without being pretentious... You can find it on FB.

If you love that *old-school, old-school, old-school* vibe, head north and come visit us at Cap Masoala Ecolodge—you won’t be disappointed. But it’s worth the effort! !

Luc au cap Masoala, "là où la forêt tombe dans la mer"

Djackx67 Veteran ·2024-10-22

Hmm, Sica didn't really convince me... sure, it's cheap, but it's really only if you're looking for the bare minimum comfort—just a bed, basically. On the other hand, I just checked out your lodge's page, and it looks really great!

Rotsaka Globetrotter ·2024-10-23

Thanks Filanzana for your insights and info. Noted for Samaria—it looked really beautiful and nice, but given what you said. Otherwise, this magnificent region of Madagascar where you are has been on my itinerary for so many years, yet I still haven’t made it. Since I’m more into the highlands, it feels a bit far, and it takes time to dedicate to it—I still haven’t taken the plunge. Not for lack of wanting to, though.

Thanks Djackx67, I’ve checked Kintana

SA Sawadeebaht Regular ·2024-10-24

When you see Madagascar’s potential, it’s enough to make you pull your hair out. They’d need a great leader to emerge. What’s going to stop this country from sinking into the worst?

Toujours une fois. Au moins.

Rotsaka Globetrotter ·2024-10-24

If anyone knew... I’d like to be optimistic, but Madagascar has had democracy, dictatorship, socialism, liberalism, an autocrat, then his opponent, stability, and coups... in short, what hasn’t been tried? One constant through all of this—beyond the few post-independence years—is the kleptocracy of "elites" whose bellies are far bigger than their eyes. A relentless downward spiral that the population keeps enduring without knowing what to do anymore.

Jasrymn Veteran ·2024-11-09

Hey Rotsaka! Yes, great news—we’d almost given up hope! Between the totally useless Routard forum (I wasn’t even going there anymore), the other unfriendly travel forum with no participants, and the ephemeral Facebook discussions, there’s really no comparison. This place is by far the best out there! As for the situation in Madagascar, you summed it up perfectly—there’s not much to add. When you see that stunning cable car overlooking the misery of people left without water or electricity, you understand a lot. Madagascar will remain what it’s always been: a country out of time, anchored in its traditions and habits, with no evolution. I remember a photo montage—on the first image, from the early 1900s, a zebu cart and its driver, and the exact same view in the second photo taken today. Sure, it has its charm. Maybe nothing should change? Or should we put a Paul Kagame in power?

Jacques. Dix ans de bourlingues à Madagascar à voir sur : https://www.myatlas.com/jasrymn

Rotsaka Globetrotter ·2024-11-10

Hello, It’s great to see VoyageForum gradually waking up from its long hibernation and counting more and more of the historical forum members picking up threads that were interrupted so long ago.

Anyway, maybe a Kagame—yes—or at least drawing inspiration from the path Rwanda has taken after what we know. Talon has initiated this transformation in Benin, not without bumps, but it seems to be bearing some fruit.

Now, I’m a *vazaha* (foreigner), so I don’t have the right to vote. It’s up to Malagasy people to decide what they want or don’t want, to rebel or not, to be satisfied or not with the current situation, to desire changes and the scale of those changes.

It’s likely that the answers will vary widely between the capital, secondary cities, and rural areas, between young and older people, those who’ve had education and those who haven’t, those who’ve traveled and those who haven’t...

Nowadays, you can post on Instagram in areas where phones didn’t even work not so long ago, all while having to walk kilometers or endure hours—even days—of rough roads in places that were much more accessible not so long ago. You can also shop in well-stocked supermarkets while, at the same time, the number of families living in and off garbage dumps keeps increasing.

With population growth and rural exodus swelling urban areas, posing social, economic, and environmental challenges, it’s hard not to be skeptical about the ability of the authorities—still as corrupt and incompetent as ever—to tackle them.

Pretty tragic, even when trying to be as optimistic as possible.

Etranger Regular ·2024-11-22

Great news indeed! Happy to see you again and I hope other old-timers too. My last trip was in 2023, a 10+ year-old dirt track by bike 😎. It’s true that Madagascar keeps sinking deeper into hardship—this country’s incomprehensible management is becoming absurd: now there’s a wood shortage! I wrote a short, humorous book about Madagascar, and I’ll contact the admins to see if I can mention it, but I’m afraid it might be a problem. I only found out today, even though it’s clearly been back up since October. See you!

Kabary

Etranger Regular ·2024-11-22

Hi Filanzana, I was planning to come see you, but I arrived in Maroantsetra at the end of my trip—after 2½ months, my poor body gave out, and I turned back in Ambanizana. I guess I’ll never see the primary forest... Glad to see the forum coming back to life! See you,

Kabary

Rotsaka Globetrotter ·2024-11-28

Yeah, it's nice to see things gradually coming back to life and familiar names and faces reappearing on the forum. It's still pretty sluggish, unfortunately. Probably normal, given how long the forum was inactive. Strange that the restart wasn’t communicated better, though.

My last trip in 2023 was the same—high plateaus during the southern winter, brrr. Clearly not the best time, but there were still things to do. The roads had really taken a beating, and the towns weren’t much better. Fianarantsoa was pretty sad, and the evenings were so dull—so many places closed or just limping along. Wasn’t great.

We’ll see how Sainte Marie is in a few weeks. Before spending more time in Tana, which I still love just as much. Though there’s that same little pang seeing the gradual decay (oh, the Tsimbazaza zoo and its disillusioned animals).

SA Sawadeebaht Regular ·2024-12-04

it’s the downfall of a civilization.

Toujours une fois. Au moins.

Etranger Regular ·2024-12-08

It’s odd that the resumption info isn’t being communicated better, apparently.

Hey Rotsaka, It’s honestly hard to understand, especially since the new team seems focused on making the forum profitable. They could’ve done better. But word will get out eventually.

Fianarantsoa was really sad, and the evenings there were so dull—so many places closed or barely running. It wasn’t great.

Personally, Fianar’s never really filled me with joy... I just find it boring and lacking Tana’s charm. The best thing about Fianar? The train station.

Tana, which I still love just as much.

Same here—over time and multiple stays, I’ve grown to love Tana despite its countless flaws. I’m counting down the days until my next trip...

Kabary

Jasrymn Veteran ·2024-12-08

As for me, I did receive an email about the forum reopening...

Jacques. Dix ans de bourlingues à Madagascar à voir sur : https://www.myatlas.com/jasrymn

Etranger Regular ·2024-12-08

As far as I'm concerned, I did receive an email about the forum reopening...

Me too, about a week ago 😉

Kabary

Rotsaka Globetrotter ·2024-12-08

Good evening, Fianarantsoa isn’t exactly the city of cheerfulness, but since I lived there, I grew to appreciate it and see everything it has to offer. I even ended up missing it. The city itself isn’t as boring as it might seem, and the surrounding countryside is stunning.

But honestly, the best part of Fianar is the upper town. It’s really worth spending some time there—since there are no cars, it’s remained untouched and was restored thanks to the owner of Tsara Guest. It’s beautiful and culturally rich

Etranger Regular ·2024-12-08

But honestly, the most beautiful part of Fianar is the upper town. It’s really worth spending some time there—no cars, so it’s untouched, and it was restored thanks to the owner of Tsara Guest.

Photos! We want photos! !

Kabary

Rotsaka Globetrotter ·2024-12-08

I don’t have tons of photos, and on top of that, I’m not a great photographer.

But here are a few shots of the Haute Ville (Tanana Ambony beyond the cathedral and past the little market that leads to the stairs and the old town).

Rotsaka Globetrotter ·2024-12-09

I’ve got a thing for rooftops and their little tiles that remind me of the lauze roofs in the Massif Central, but also all the little details in the woodwork of varangues or roof decorations. The intertwining of streets, the different levels of houses where a ground floor sometimes meets a varangue due to the slope, the views, and the many historic buildings make the upper town of Fianar a surprising, peaceful, and charming neighborhood.

The intricate layouts are a great opportunity to capture little or big slices of life—à la Bruegel, you can spend hours jumping from a household chore to a child’s game, from a lively discussion to kids coming home from school, from a noisy flock of ducks to a makeshift kite...

But a few more photos and I’ll stop, otherwise this might turn into a slideshow evening...

Jasrymn Veteran ·2024-12-09

The architecture of the highlands still has some beautiful remnants—Tana, Ambalavao, so many villages. Let’s hope they’re preserved, along with all those fascinating roof details. For flat tiles, I’d lean more toward Burgundy or the Périgord. In Auvergne, the *lauze* or slate is black due to its volcanic origin, and the tiles are hollow, Roman-style. (I’m from Auvergne!)

Jacques. Dix ans de bourlingues à Madagascar à voir sur : https://www.myatlas.com/jasrymn

Rotsaka Globetrotter ·2024-12-09

Ambalavao is clearly stunning too.

Bourgogne makes way more sense as a comparison. As for the *lauzes*, since I’m not from the area, I might’ve gotten carried away based on old memories that turned out to be "falsified."

Raymond79 Regular ·2024-12-09

Hello, after 45 days on these tracks—because we can’t really call them roads—major works are underway between AMBANJA and Diego. COLAS is working flat out. If things continue like this, it’ll be tip-top, provided no cyclone hits too soon. As for the broken bridges, the temporary ones in place are doing the job. Traffic is manageable as long as there isn’t too much water.

45 grueling but incredibly beautiful days. The Tana/Diego route is extraordinary in terms of landscapes and the people, who were surprised to see a group of *vazahas* preferring the road over flying and local *hotelys* at noon instead of fancier restaurants. Just to note: 45 days with a group of 11, and not a single person got sick (except for 2 short-lived medication intolerances). Accommodations varied from bivouacs and very rustic places without water or electricity to simple but comfortable small hotels. Everywhere we ate really well, and we always had access to bottled water and cold THB. At no point did we feel unsafe. Our guide Tina, the same one since 2003, delivered once again.

Can’t wait for our next project—this time, Fort Dauphin!

Dare to explore Madagascar, step out of your comfort zone for a moment, and live in the present in a country where time doesn’t matter. We’ve just returned and are ready to share some objective info

mange pour vivre, ne vis pas pour manger.

Rotsaka Globetrotter ·2024-12-09

Thanks for this enthusiasm and invitation to travel!

Why not start a discussion and create a travel journal covering the highlights (or not) of your stay, along with any tips you’d like to share? Or simply share your emotions—it sounds like joy and satisfaction are in the air!

The forum is still a bit empty and not very active, so a new discussion wouldn’t hurt.

😉

Etranger Regular ·2024-12-09

Thanks for these photos—honestly, it doesn’t feel like one of those slide-show evenings where compliments are mandatory. Why not start a separate thread dedicated to Fianar? Apparently, this city is underrated (starting with me).

Kabary

Etranger Regular ·2024-12-09

Hi there, thanks for the update! Why not start a new thread to expand on this a bit? I don’t know this region at all, and I’m sure other members would be interested too. Edit: Just read Rotsaka’s message... 😉

Kabary

Rotsaka Globetrotter ·2024-12-09

I might (re)do it. Since it’s kind of like home, I don’t really think of it as traveling. 😉

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