Madagascar kayak adventure

Make your way to the Johannesburg ORTambo International Airport to check in for your flight to Nosy Be departing at 09h30 and arriving 14h00.  On arrival clear Madagascar immigration and customs formalities and pay the visa fee of USD 30 per person.  Once in the arrivals hall you will be met and  transferred to your hotel.  Over sundowners the representative will go through the itinerary and places of interest along your journey. Dinner and breakfast at the resort.

After breakfast you will board a speed boat together with your luggage and head off to Ankazaberavina island on the horizon for some snorkelling. After snorkelling you continue your journey down the coast following the mainland to the remote Baramahamay river where you will overnight in rustic reed bungalows on the river bank. Shared ablutions. After lunch you paddle up the river a short distance then branch off and explore a mangrove estuary. Sundowners and dinner on the bank of the river.

After breakfast paddle to Iranja island. This paddle is across open ocean and is a distance of 17km. For your safety and comfort a support boat follows the paddlers. For those who wish not to paddle this stretch or only wish to do part of it are welcome to ride along in the support boat. Iranja island is postcard picture perfect with palm fringed powder fine white sand beaches and turquoise waters. Your accommodation is in rustic “A” frame raffia palm huts on a beautiful south facing beach. Shared ablutions.

Because Iranja is such a stunning place it is worth staying an extra day to explore the islands beauty. Iranja is two islands which are joined by a 1.8km sand spit. The spit is exposed at low tide making it possible to walk from one island to the next. At high tide the spit is covered by water making it two separate islands. The big island (where you stay) has a small colourful village and a lighthouse on top of the hill. The lighthouse has long since being out of operation but is still in a fair condition. At times it is possible to walk to the top of the lighthouse where there are stunning panoramic views of the area. After a beach breakfast under the coconut trees we take a leisurely paddle around the island landing on the sand spit for a swim. We porter the kayaks over the sand spit and head back to our beach where we stop over a small reef and snorkel from the kayaks in calm clear water. After lunch and a siesta we take a walk through the village and up to the light house. Sundowners on the beach followed by dinner.

Breakfast is served on board the support boat while you make your way to Antshoa island. This tiny uninhabited island is home to five different species of lumers. A guide will show you around the island and call the different lumers who are very friendly and will come down from the tree top to say hello. After the walk chill on the beach, cool off with a swim. The boat staff will bring a bucket of cold drinks for you on the beach. Lunch is served on board the support boat. After lunch you set of paddling around the nearby “sugar loaf” or the lost brother as some call it and down the mainland coast to Russian Bay. A distance of roughly 11km. We normally stop for a refreshment in the bay at the only bar in the area. It’s very rustic, set in a beautiful location and worth a stop. Accommodation in Russian Bay is in rustic read bungalows with shared ablutions. Sundowners followed by dinner in the dinning area.

Today is an early start. Breakfast is once again served on board the support boat as we make our way to Tanihely marine reserve for some of the best snorkelling around. There is a small old lighthouse (build in 1908) on the top of the island with awesome panoramic views of the area. Lunch is served on board the support boat. The afternoon “on shore” wind picks up in the early afternoon making the afternoon paddle interesting. The wind and swell will be on the beam turning towards the aft as you approach the south east side of Nosy Be. Your accommodation is a rustic tented camp on the edge of Lokobe nature reserve with shared ablutions. Sundowners on the beach around a bomb fire followed by dinner in the dinning area.

After breakfast paddle a short distance, to the Ampangorina, the main village on Komba island. In the village there are a few local beach bars and restaurants and plenty local handmade crafts on display. Once you have settled into your accommodation at either garden bungalows at the edge of the village (budget) or in a comfortable South African run guest house a short distance from the village refreshments and lunch are enjoyed at one of the local restaurants on the beach. After lunch a guide will take you to the lumer park above the village followed by craft shopping if you wish. Sundowners at either a local beach bar or in your resort followed by dinner at your resort.

After breakfast at around mid morning you will be transferred to Hell-Ville on Nosy Be to connect with your transfer to the airport. Being a Sunday all the shops will be closed but the market is always open if you’d like to have a last minute look around. 

Check in for your flight to Johannesburg departing at 14h45 and arriving Johannesburg 17h30.