Boat trip on the Pangalanes Canal from Toamasina to Manakara

Hi there, I’m looking for info on whether it’s feasible to travel the Pangalanes Canal by boat from Toamasina to Manakara. I know the canal is poorly maintained with some sections that aren’t navigable. This is my 5th trip to Madagascar. Thanks for any tips!

Hi there, Between Mahanoro, south of Tamatave, and Mananjary, north of Manakara, it's possible to travel non-stop by bush boat. You just head to the port and look for a boat making the trip, often for cargo. Normally, it takes 3 days with 2 nights, the last day usually being quite short.

Good evening, Between Mahanoro south of Tamatave and Mananjary north of Manakara, it's possible to travel without interruption by bush boat. You go to the port and look for a boat that makes the trip, often for freight. Normally, it takes 3 days with 2 nights, the last day usually being quite short.

Good evening, thanks so much for this valuable info. Do you have anyone to recommend for the boat and for the stops at the end of the day—is it camping by the canal—as well as for food? Have a good evening

Good evening, So really, no one here to give any tips? I went to the port in the morning at the time when the boats were loading passengers and took the one that was offered to me. There were about ten small ones. It was a boat that carried cinnamon freight and other goods and also took passengers. They asked me for the equivalent of 5/6 euros, I don’t really remember anymore. Then a stop in Nosy Varika where I went to the hotel—again, very low price and very basic comfort. Ugh, the makeshift barrier around the toilet to avoid puddles of... I don’t know what, and I’d rather not know... Then back on the boat, and this time, I spent the night in the middle of nowhere, right on the boat’s floor.

For meals, I had bought fruit and biscuits in Mananjary because I *really* wanted to avoid any risk of stomach issues—on the boat, with your guts in knots and your butt exposed, no way that was happening... But the deckhand was preparing rice; I don’t remember if there was even a *loaka*. I didn’t have any, but it was an option.

It was a *bush taxi boat* trip. Super simple organization, you need a bit of time flexibility, and minimal comfort. But pretty fun in the end. Still tiring, though.

I recovered well in Tamatave before heading to Sainte Marie.

Hello, thank you so much for this valuable info—it’ll help me finalize my itinerary. Have a great day!

Hi there! I know a Madagascar agency that specializes in trips down the Pangalanes Canal. It’s called Holidays Madagascar. I’m not sure if they’re still open, but two years ago, I was able to reach them by email. Very professional. Here’s their email address, though I think they’re on Evanos too: contact@holidaysmadagascar.com.

Hi there, thanks so much for the link—I’ll contact them to check their prices. Have a great day!

hi The agencies on the Pangalanes Canal are overpriced and don’t offer the Toamasina–Mananjary route—just short trips from Tanambato or another lake with the Palarium, which feels like a zoo, nothing natural like in Madagascar where you can see lemurs in the wild

Hi, thanks for your reply! During my research, I realized it was expensive if you wanted a bit of safety and comfort for this trip. Since I have family in Tamatave, I’ll check on the spot if it’s possible. Otherwise, I’ll opt for another trip to Sainte Marie.