Africa

Madagascar

At a glance

Andasibe and the east coast

This journey moved between Antananarivo, Andasibe, Toamasina, and Ambila Lemaitso, showing a Madagascar of rainforest, lagoons, beaches, and coastal towns.

Biodiversity

Andasibe-Mantadia National Park and Analamazoatra Reserve are among the best-known places to experience Madagascar’s biodiversity, especially the indri, the island’s largest lemur.

Toamasina

Toamasina, also called Tamatave, is Madagascar’s second largest city and the country’s most important seaport, with a distinct coastal rhythm and strong local identity.

Ambila Lemaitso

Ambila Lemaitso sits between the Canal des Pangalanes and the Indian Ocean, and it feels like a place made for slowing down, disconnecting, and staying close to water and local life.

A visual journey through Madagascar

Andasibe

Pool at Andasibe Cyperus Hotel in Madagascar — **I stayed at the Andasibe Cyperus Hotel.** It is a beautiful hotel with spacious rooms, well placed between Antananarivo and Toamasina, and close to both Andasibe-Mantadia National Park and Analamazoatra Reserve.

Rainforest view in Andasibe, Madagascar — **Andasibe-Mantadia is a true rainforest environment.** The parks here are known for heavy rainfall and remarkable biodiversity, and that richness is visible in the landscape at almost every turn.

Toamasina

Church and street scene in Toamasina, Madagascar — **Toamasina has a very distinct coastal-city character.** Streets, churches, cyclo-pousse, and palms all contribute to a city atmosphere that feels open, bright, and unmistakably eastern Malagasy.

Women wearing lamba in Toamasina, Madagascar — **The women here are wearing a beautiful variation of the lamba.** Dressed for a formal occasion in an east-coast style, they hold traditional rice sifters displaying Malagasy words of welcome, gratitude, and community.

Child protection poster in Toamasina, Madagascar — **This poster reflects a very serious issue.** Madagascar remains vulnerable to child sex tourism, and the Government and several NGOs are actively working to combat it. This poster was in my hotel room.

Three Horses Beer in Madagascar — **Three Horses Beer, better known as THB, is a symbol of Madagascar.** Brewed since 1958, it is the country’s highest-selling beer and one of those products that is tied to the country's national identity.

Hammock and beach at Ocean 501 restaurant in Toamasina, Madagascar — **A quiet moment by the sea in Toamasina.** The Ocean 501 restaurant is quite charming. It has a lovely beach where on a hammock, you can hear the sound of the waves, and the kind of calm that suits Madagascar’s east coast.

Ambila Lemaitso

Room view at Green Club Resort Ambila in Madagascar — **Green Club Resort Ambila was amazing.** Right next to the sea and a little village, it is the kind of place where you really disconnect and slow down.

Jetty at Green Club Resort Ambila in Madagascar — **This is a place for calm rather than activity.** The journey to get here is long, but that remoteness is part of what makes it feel so peaceful.

Beach at Green Club Resort Ambila in Madagascar — **The water here is one of the great rewards.** Ambila Lemaitso gives you beach, lagoon, and ocean in a way that feels both therapeutic and local.

Beach and trees at Green Club Resort Ambila in Madagascar — **There is a real sense of space in Ambila Lemaitso.** Sea views framed by trees are part of the atmosphere here, and they make the place feel more like a retreat than a resort strip.

Village scene in Ambila Lemaitso, Madagascar — **Ambila Lemaitso is a small traditional village on a peninsula between the Canal des Pangalanes and the Indian Ocean.** It is beautiful and peaceful today, even though its past includes a darker history as a former centre of slave trading.

Ravinala or Traveller's Palm in Madagascar — **The Ravinala is one of Madagascar’s great national symbols.** Also known as the Traveller’s Palm, it is tied to Malagasy identity and appears across the country’s visual culture.

Traditional houses in Ambila Lemaitso, Madagascar — **The village still feels very close to everyday local life.** Houses, boats, and the sandy ground make the setting feel simple, lived-in, and very far from mass tourism.

Railway line near Ambila Lemaitso in Madagascar — **The railway adds another layer to the east-coast journey.** It cuts through the greenery in a way that feels both isolated and memorable, and it reflects how movement here often depends on older transport links.

Travel notes

Andasibe base

The Andasibe Cyperus Hotel worked very well as a base for this part of the journey. It is beautiful, the rooms are spacious, and it is close to some of the country’s best-known rainforest reserves.

Andasibe location

Andasibe sits roughly between Antananarivo and Toamasina, which makes it a useful stop on an eastward route while also being a destination in its own right.

Toamasina transport

In Toamasina, cyclo-pousse are a major part of movement around the city and immediately tell you that you are in a flat, coastal urban environment.

Ambila Lemaitso journey

Green Club Resort Ambila is wonderful, but it takes time to reach. That long journey is part of what keeps the place peaceful and makes it feel like a real escape.