New transport options for Mananara and Maroantsetra

It's amazing what you can find out after making your over that awful road. It is now possible to reach Mananara by air and ferry.

An outfit called Yatso Tours is running twice weekly service between on a 19-passenger plane between Tomatave, Mananara, Maroantsetra, and Antalaha.

They run Wednesday and Friday with rates as follows in Ariary”

Mananara → Tomatave 298,000
Mananara → Maroantsetra 100,000
Mananara → Antalaha 225,000

On another flyer, which may not be current, they also list two more options:
Mananara → Sainte Marie 170,000
Mananara → Mandritsara 170,000

There are two contacts for Yatso Tours.

Mananara 032 56 180 22
Tomatave 032 71 144 28 and 032 84 184 89

If that seems too expensive or you just want to watch the whales when they are in season, there is now a weekly ferry service called “Melissa Express”

It travels from Manankatafana to Maroantsetra via Mananara every Saturday, returning also via Mananara on Sunday.

Maroantsetra ↔ Manakatafana 100,000 Ariary
Mananara ↔ Manakatafana 60,000 Ariary
Mananara ↔ Maroantsetra 40,000

I gather that Manakatafana is some small town between Tomatave and Ivongo. My Bradt Guide map doesn't mention it. Shuttle service to and from Tomatave is 10,000 Ariary.

There are three contact numbers:

Maroantsetra 0320573358
Mananara 0324600171
Tomatave 0320207364

What hasn't improved is the boat to Masoala. 385,000 Ariary (more than 3x the mention in the Bradt Guide) plus 30,000 Ariary per day wait charge. I never heard of anyone getting a better deal either, though one couple was offered something worse.