It’s like gazing at eternity: A 900m rock wall glistering in the many shades of sunset.
On the next dinner table: A conversation of a Malagasy tourguide and his two Spanish clients. Perfect Madrid accent. Obviously from the tourists, but also the guide. I chat him up later and ask him how he speaks at least four languages, all fluent.
Everytime someone on this trip asks me where I’m from, I say Kenya. It’s the truth but I’m also testing a little theory here.
The answers have ranged from “Not possible. I won’t believe you unless you show me a photo of your parents (???)” to “But Kenya is in Africa, right?”
Back to the story. Other than most, this guy knows where Kenya is.
Santatra tells me he’s hosted a European tour group before who loved their Kenya trip so much that they extended their Africa stay by a week and visited Madagascar. What noone told him is that they’re all gay and when welcoming the all male group at the airport he couldn’t reconcile what he saw with the room allocation on his briefing documents.
We end up chatting about how it feels for a typical Malagasy father if his son is gay, we move on to Pan-African socioeconomic issues and then he’s very curious to hear what I found most unique about Madagascar, considering I’ve lived and travelled East Africa for 15 years.
After some thinking I tell him it’s not the beaches nor the landscapes.
It is the genuine and proactive offer of support by locals to a stranger passing by without wanting anything in return!
I tell him about Fabian, a hotel staff who offered to pay my dinner bill with his own money, after I got stranded because I couldn’t get Forex that evening, happy for me to come back the next day to refund him.
And the cyclist who waved me down in his village to state that I’m probably lost but he’ll take me back to the correct route, cycling ahead of my motorcycle at high speeds for about 4km!
Oh. Santatra studied Spanish Studies at the University of Antananarivo, just like Malibu.
Things are coming full circle on this Madagascar trip.
Well. Doing a circular motorcycle tour in Madagascar isn’t that easy. Because of the limited road network, many people end up flying or backtrack the same route. I made it, and you’ll find out how, as you keep reading.
Malibu (the chief trainer at Inked Riders, who taught me and hundreds others in Nairobi how to ride a motorcycle), as I recently found out did Spanish Studies in university – at the same University of Antananarivo.
He also taught me how to check the spark on a spark plug but this will become more relevant later in the story.
Welcome to my birthday roadtrip through Madagascar.
Enjoy your read!
Part 1 – Exploring Antananarivo, the capital
I land in the afternoon after a 3-hour flight from Nairobi. I am surprised to see that the locals have to queue with us internationals at the same immigration counters. Nuts! The taxi ride from the airport to town towards sunset is amazing, first passing rice fields then entering the busy town! I spend two days exploring the old town, the Museum of Photography and catching sunsets from rooftops.
Check out my Instagram highlight with lots of videos and photos from Tana here.
Part II – My motorcycle adventure ride through Southern Madagascar.
Renting a motorcycle abroad is not a cheap affair. From my research, in many countries an international brand adventure bike goes at upwards of 70-100 USD per day. Not very affordable for a three week trip!
Also, I was solo on this trip, so wasn’t too keen on a heavy bike. After some research and google-translate supported email exchanges, I settled on a Chinese off-road model rented out by a small firm in Antsirabe, a city south of the capital. I found positive reviews online by European tourists, and the owner was quite responsive and helpful via email.
The minivan bus ride to Antsirabe takes about 5 hours and I’m happy I’m not riding a bike. The roads are narrow and busy. At the many corners and single-lane bridges, we have to wait for trucks to pass before proceeding. I watch the scenery, listen to the local music from the radio and enjoy the driver’s safe driving!
Day 0: Prep Day (Antsirabe)
After lunch, I pass by the bike rental place. Finally, I will see and feel the bike! Jean-Marc and I finalize the rental paperwork, and I get a hundred tips about the route, and what might be realistic in 17 days and what not.
Day 1: Exploring Vakinankaratra
Route: Antsirabe to Miandrivazo
It’s views after views!
Hilly, twisty, hot, dusty, and a lot of “former tarmac”
Day 2: Menabe Region
Route: Miandrivazo to Morondava
Heading 280km westwards towards the Indian Ocean. A lot of nothing and wilderness but I love getting a glimpse of life near the large rivers.
Just before Morondava to the right is the famous Baobab Avenue. Because much of Madagascar’s indigenous forests have been lost (not unlike Kenya!), protected areas like the Allée des Baobabs and national parks are important for protecting remaining tree cover and giving locals and tourists alike a vision of what reforestation could do for biodiversity!
When you’re on the West Coast of Madagascar, you can watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean!
Day 3: Beach Day (Morondava)
Today was a tourism day. It was also a planning day!
In preparation for this trip, I’d been researching about the next 200km. From Morondava to Manja is Off-road. Deep sand, pure bush, “strong enduro skills” needed, no network, no town and 4 “in the water river crossings” is what I found out. Sounds amazing, actually. But not alone and without camping equipment, medical kit or language skills.
If I can’t figure it out, I might have to backtrack to Antsirabe, which sounds super annoying. I get an offer of 1.5m Ariary at a hotel’s tourism desk, which is much more than I’d want to spend.
So towards evening I walk to the bus station and ask around (sign language + basic french + google translate) until an industrious bus ticket lady arranges a 4×4 pickup for me. 960,000 Ariary.
Getting money in Madagascar proves to be an unexpected challenge. Every second ATM isn’t working with my card. There’s also a withdrawal limit of 200,000 Ariary (about 50 USD) so everyone takes 5 turns at the ATM, so even if there’s money in the ATM, the queues are endless (up to an hour!). I also try to send money from my bank accounts to the local mobile money systems (unsuccessfully), and by this point I have three local SIM cards.
The most reliable and fastest way to get local currency was carrying USD and EUR in cash and exchanging in bulk at the bank counter.
Day 4: Wilderness Challenge.
Route: Morondava to Manja – on a pick-up truck.
An adventurous 6 hours drive, lucky I got a madly skilled driver!
Manja has exactly one hotel, and all tourists stay here. I hadn’t booked. The main house is full, and I get a room in the neighbouring compound for about 5 USD (inclusive of some rodent visiting at night). They also sell sodas and beers so guests can sit on the roadside of the main village street.
And fuel from bottles. Fuel in Madagascar is green.
Day 5: Manja to Tulear
Brand-new tarmac and one river crossing.
First time I’m seeing Chinese road and bridge construction in Madagascar! The ride is quite smooth but not very entertaining. Until I get to the river. Which is much wider than I imagined.
From the two options offered by locals, I choose the floating ferry (that cars use) over the canoe (that locals use).
Getting off the ferry I have about 500m sand to cover, which is good fun. On the remaining 200 Kms tarmac to Tulear, more baobab trees give a coastal feel.
And now it’s time for a few beach days!!
Beach Day in Tulear
This is the Indian Ocean. Just like in Morondava, it’s a West-facing Coast which I’m so fascinated by. You get the sunset over the ocean!
Day 6: Tulear to Isalo National Park
Today’s 270km are loooooong. Starting from mangrove forest at the Indian Ocean, most was monotonous, empty landscape along the national highway RN7. Soooo few cars! I realize just how low the economic activity is. There is barely any traffic between towns.
My humble 200cc bike isn’t made for speeding, so I end up listening to many podcast epidodes today. This highway is in a pretty bad shape in some spots, and smooth in others.
There were just about 3 interesting things today:
1. A 3km stretch of protected indigenous forest remaining from the once lush thicket that must have covered much of the island. The level of deforestation is incredible.
2. A town that sprung up a few decades ago after gemstones (Sapphires) were found in the river. It’s a ghost town really, with most of the gemstone shops shuttered.
3. Golden Hour in Isalo National Park. Beautiful rock formations. Hikers paradise!
I stay two nights, though in two different places. First I pull up at a family-run “ecolodge”. The shower water is being warmed in plastic bottles stored in a metal box standing in a sunny spot – genius! (But not as helpful for early morning showers). The food is fine but pretty basic. Of course I am offered rum in the family’s living room.
I try to arrange a hiking experience, to see some of the forest and natural rock pools in the National Park. But I find Madagascar’s National Park fee structure fairly costly, and the guide fee is dictated by the government and not negotiable. Even as a solo traveller, you pay the guide fee for 4 people. It is cheaper to get a full-body massage at one of the town’s hotels. To which I move for that second night 🙂
Day 7: Isalo National Park to Andringitra Mountains
I wake up alive which I find a big deal after eating crocodile for the first time in my life yesterday evening.
Today I plan to ride to the Andringitra Mountains, paradise for outdoorsy people!
After 100 boring clicks, the route is getting more and more scenic with huge granite mountains around.
In Ihosy I’m meant to get cash, fuel, snacks and do chain service. Both ATMs in town aren’t working so I spend 90 minutes to exchange some cash and forget everything else.
I pick up some snacks at a small town. The final 25km are offroad. It’s lovely cruising through the valleys, and testing the bike on its home terrain: rocky dry rivers and gravel turns.
The lodge is up a steep hill, what pretty views!
Exactly 300m to the gate, on a bumpy uphill, my chain chains. If this was to happen on this trip, this is the best spot. After taking some photos and updating my biker pal back in Kenya about my situation, I try to lift the chain back on the sprocket. But it’s stuck behind some metal and I just can’t lift it.
The lodge’s team comes with pliers and we open the chain then fix it back.
The poor bike isn’t starting but without batting an eyelid the lodge crew happily pushes it up the remaining hill and parks it at the reception.
We try to start it, kick it, push it, choke it, unchoke it, drain pipe it… Nothing! A little crank but no roar.
It’s getting dark so we decide to deal with this another day!
The place is so beautiful! The views of the mountains and the valley! I book a local guide for the next morning to take me around.
I unstrap my luggage and move into a beautiful round, tiny hut with a comfy bed.
Before dinner, I run into a snake and the owner of the place. He’s a famous French rock climber and he assures me that snakes are great news and that the valley’s bike mechanic will figure it out.
The Morning After Day 7.
After an early breakfast, I head out for a walk with my local guide and an animal spotter. We walk through the forest, and he shares some local tales.
Bike still isn’t starting. When kicking or pushing, it starts but immediately dies. Two of the hotel staff push the bike around the hilly reception area. They’re having fun but clearly there’s no progress. Something keeps killing the engine. Strange!
The Morning After the Day after Day 7
Location: Tsaranoro Valley, Andringitra Mountains, Madagascar
The morning after, the valley’s bike mechanic is called. He’s called Safi which makes me very happy. Calm, fun guy who speaks great English. Together we analyze the bike. Spark, fuel, air.
We have veeeery little spark when kicking the bike. By now we’ve finished the battery. We change plugs, we sandpaper the coil connector, still no sustained spark.
We try the mechanic’s bike’s battery. Nothing.
The team even pours some local rum on the bike.
Nothing 🤯
It gets real hot, so someone suggests beers. This works – as we rest our brains, a new idea comes.
Let’s check if the chain broke something around the front sprocket, when it fell. And voilá, we find two strands of the cable coming out of the engine cut!
A minute and some tape later, the bike roars to life! Really grateful to the mechanic and the team. Lots of learning and fun across languages!
Time to enjoy the beautiful nature around the valley!
Day 9: Tsaranoro Valley to Fianarantsoa
From this beautiful location and the mechanical misadventures, it’s 20km back to the tarmac and another 100 or so of beautiful riding to Fianarantsoa.
But the main question in my head is whether I’ll be able to get a train ticket for my bike.
Exactly. I’ll explain.
I found this train that passes from the Highlands to the Ocean through remote villages and beautiful mountain scenery, dating from, you guessed it, the colonial times, but still operating as a lifeline to many villagers and an attraction to tourists.
Arriving at the train station just after 12, I find it closed for lunch. People here take lunch breaks very seriously, so I head out for some smoked fish, too.
At 3, I explain at the information desk that je veux voyager avec mon moto sur le train. I’m pointed to the cargo section where I can inspect the relevant car and I’ll be given a price. The only caveat is that the cargo car only goes up to Sahasinaka and I’ll have to ride the remaining 55km after offloading the bike, of which 15km “not so bad offroad”. Noone can tell the journey time, but 10 hours is the best estimate.
Which would mean arriving very close to sunset 🤔
No risk, no fun, I think! And I sure want to see the Eastern coast!
Wouldn’t be cool to ride there and back the same route, right?
We load the bike on the cargo car where it’ll sleep for the night
Day 10: Fianarantsoa to Manakara
Train+Bike
I’ll let the photos speak for themselves today! But how BEAUTIFUL is this train ride, how breathtaking the views, how diverse the local crowd at each stop and yummy the snacks on sale!!
At each stop, dozens of people are ready for our arrival with various offerings. Beer, Pasta salad in small plates, samosas in buckets, cooked local dishes, steamed banana bread, etc
After the cargo car gets disconnected from the train in Sahasinaka, I strap the luggage back on the bike (whole village watching). Then I ride some pretty muddy 15km or so with the last rays of light towards the highway. I drop the bike in a deep long mud puddle and of course it falls head down into a trench. At this point it’s pitch black dark already. Gladly a local biker passes by the scene just a minute or so later and helps me to lift the bike.
This is (of course!) the last mud pitch 400m before hitting the main road. I cover the final 40km tarmac to Manakara town with smooth light bends up and down hills in total darkness listening to my reggae playlist.
After seafood dinner in town (La Vanille Hotel) where I meet the tourists from the train again, who were able to travel all the way until town in the passenger car of the train. After a mandatory ATM visit, I ride some fun 5km sandy tracks to their satellite camp on the beach! (Vanille á la plage)
Day 11: My Birthday! Beach Day
📌 Manakara, Madagascar
There is no power at this camp. My phone dies shortly after I speak to my family. So I end up reading and resting my knee from last night’s fall. And watching the beautiful wild coast!
Day 12+13 Manakara back to Antsirabe
I’m nearly finishing up my roadtrip through Southern Madagascar. Already! 435km left and I split it into two days.
First off: Riding back to town from “Vanille a la plage”. The canal is really fascinating. There’s a spot by the ocean where the road is sandwiched between the two. I HAVE to come back here with my tent!!
Didn’t see this when I rode down here at night.
And a little bit of rain makes sand easier to ride 
Manakara to Ranomafana must be the most beautiful riding of 2023 so far! 182km worth of twisties, views, nature on mostly smooth tarmac.
Ranomafana National Park has some stunning indigenous forest, and could definitely be worth a hike. Well, I don’t visit any national park on this trip, because their prices for foreigners and forced group guiding fees just don’t add up for my budet. I take several stops along the way watching waterfalls and trees.
But unfortunately by not entering the forest, I don’t see any of the cute chameleons with the curled tail 🦎
I’m a bit sad, but start my journey back to the city anyways…
From Ranomafana back to Antsirabe, I take a detour from the Google Maps route, as advised by local bus drivers to avoid an off-road shortcut that potentially has some bandits waiting, according to them.
On climbing up a hill, kids stop me in a corner to sell me bananas. (It’s school holiday).
The boys also have a small hustle going on where you can take pictures of chameleons for some cash.
Amazing surprise 💖
Later on the RN7 I found a good 80km of baaaad potholes. Entered Antsirabe by evening and found my first traffic jam in three weeks I returned the bike to the owner and we had a chat with laughter about my tour.
A massage is due! I decide to relax in this Spa town for a day, exploring local crafts and food in the market.
Then I take the bus back to the capital, Tana, and visit the famous Analakely Market on my last day.
All good things come to an end. I travelled around 2600km in Madagascar, of which 1930km on the bike.
Amazing adventure! 
And certainly only saw a fraction of what there is What a massive and diverse country! 
Highly recommend Jean-Marc Ney and the team at Rando Raid in Antsirabe for Motorcycle hires in the southern part! In my research before the trip, I also found other providers renting bikes based in the capital Antananarivo, and I’ll share them here. (I also found individuals renting out bikes by posting on facebook groups)
You’ll find them on Facebook or Instagram
* 100% Moto Madagascar
* Just Ride Mada by Rhyno Jesse
* Moto Tour Madagascar
* There’s also Badass Motorcycle Community, a biker restaurant.
If you know additional biking resources or contacts in Madagascar, feel free to add below in the comments.