Hi!
doeas anybody know if it is possible to travel in november by car or bus from Manara to Mandritsara?
We would like to go from Tana on east coast to Mananara than cross rainforest and continue on west coast up to the North - Antsiranana and Nosy Be.
Thanks!!
Igi
Hi Igi,
If it's going to be possible at all, then in November when things are still fairly dry. However, when I was last in Mananara, which is admittedly now over a year ago, the only long-distance taxis brousses were on the north/south stretch to Maroantsetra and Toamasina/Tamatave with nothing going inland. These are running fairly regularly at the moment - for example three or four departures a week from Maroantsetra - so you should have no problem getting to Mananara.
If you can't cross to the west side from Mananara, you could continue up the coast to Maroantsetra (a really beautiful trip, despite the discomfort of an appalling road). You can then trek to Cap Est or Antalaha or alternatively take a short hop with Air Mad to either Antalaha or Sambava. At present there are daily taxi brousse departures from Sambava either through to Antsiranana or to Ambilobe, where you can easily pick up transport going north. (The "road" from Vohemar across to Ambilobe is in dreadful condition. The 160 or so km took me 12 hours by taxi brousse a couple of weeks ago.) Once you're on the west side, though, ground transport between Antsiranana and Nosy Be is pretty unproblematic.
Hi again,
I've just spoken on the phone to friends in Maroantsetra who have strong family connections to Mananara, and they say there is definitely no motorised transport between Mananara and Mandritsara, though it is possible to trek, which is what local people do.
Hi, we would like to pass it with our 4wd. is that possible or only walk is possible? thanks!!
Hi Igi,
I've checked back with my friends there and they assure me that you would have to walk to Madritsara. A taxi brousse is possible to a place about an hour outside Mananara and that's it. After that you walk. They compare the route with the trail from Maroantsera to Cap Est - and if that comparison is accurate, I can assure you there is no way you can get a vehicle through.
They also comment - quite reasonably - that if it was in any way possible to get a vehicle through, then someone would have started a taxi brousse by now.