Tag Archives: Ifaty

Back to Tana – the Journey Home Begins

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We had another relaxed start to the day – an extended breakfast, followed by a bit of reading time. No need to rush things just yet.

Around midday, we set off for the airport in Toliara. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 16:20, but, as these things sometimes go, it ended up being delayed by about an hour. By the time we arrived in Antananarivo, it was already dark. We made it to the hotel at around 20:45, just in time for one final dinner in Madagascar.

The coast was behind us, and with that the journey home had officially begun.

A Day of Doing Very Little (Quite Successfully)

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Today was a full day off – and we made the most of it by doing very little.

The morning started with a leisurely breakfast, once again without any fruity surprises. Afterwards, we went for a walk along the beach to Ifaty village. A nice little stroll, with the added bonus of a stop at Le Nautilus for an unusual refreshment: an espresso tonic with a side of baobab honey.

From there, it was back along the beach to the hotel. Time for a swim in the Indian Ocean – although the water was rather muddy, which did little to encourage extended swimming sessions. The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to some quality time with a book. Well, technically with the Kindle app, but that still counts.

In the evening, we headed to a nearby restaurant for dinner. And before we had even ordered food, nature provided the perfect starter: a perfect sunset over the Indian Ocean.

Sometimes, doing very little is exactly what you need.

A Coastal Excursion – Pousse-Pousse, Pirogues and a Beach Walk

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After a leisurely breakfast, I joined a few fellow travellers for a little excursion up the coast. We decided to hire some pousse-pousses to take us to Madiorano, a small hamlet about 7 km further up the coast. We had expected a fairly flat route and an easy ride – and for us passengers, it actually was. The seemingly endless succession of ups and downs was a rather different story for the cyclist – and the other person pushing from behind. In the end it took us a good 40 minutes to get there. Not quite the quick trip we had anticipated!

From Madiorano, we continued on foot towards the beach and Ambolimailaka, home to a small fishing “port” – essentially a few pirogues pulled up on the beach. The closer we got, the more children came up to us, asking for gifts. What started as a few encounters gradually became rather overwhelming, and eventually we decided that we’d had  enough and turned around and headed back for the hotel.

Long Live the Queen (of Isalo)

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After two days exploring Isalo, we were heading further south-west towards the coast . a trip of about 265 km.

We made a brief stop early in the drive to see La Reine de Isalo – one last look at the characteristic rock formations of the region before continuing our journey.

Some toilet and snack stops later, we made it to Toliara, where we had a few administrative errands to take care of: picking up flight tickets, changing money and trying our luck at the ATMs. Not exactly the most exciting part of traveling, but occasionally these things need to be done.

From Toliara, we continued north towards Ifaty, our destination for the day. By the time we arrived, the sun was setting – a long day on the road, but we had finally reached the coast and could look forward to a change of scenery.