Madagascar Baobabs & Tsingy Explorer — Self-Launched

Fly into Morondava (from Antananarivo with Tsaradia/Air Madagascar, roughly £70–110 one way — book early, schedules are thin). Change enough cash at Tana airport or at BNI/BOA ATMs in Morondava before heading out; ATMs are scarce west of the capital. Check in at a simple hotel or bungalow near the beach or town centre, then walk the seafront, eat grilled fish and zebu skewers at a hotely, and spend the evening confirming tomorrow's transport — ask at the taxi-brousse station (near the market) or at your guesthouse whether shared 4x4 seats to Bekopaka are filling up and what time they leave (usually very early).

🚌Airport taxi into town ~£6–8; walk locally

🛏Simple guesthouse or bungalow in Morondava (fan room, en-suite) — approx £15–20

• →Arrive and check in
• →Sunset walk along Morondava beach and canals
• →Arrange shared transport to Bekopaka and confirm park permit prices

Get up before dawn and take an arranged tuk-tuk or shared 4x4 taxi (roughly £12–18 return, best split between two or more people) ~20 minutes north to the Avenue of the Baobabs for sunrise — free to visit, though a small community/guide fee of a couple of pounds is often requested and worth paying. On the way back you can see the Baobab Amoureux (the entwined 'loving baobabs'). Then leave for Bekopaka: the route is roughly 100 km but takes 4–5 hours on sandy, sometimes flooded tracks, including a short car-ferry (bac) crossing at Belo-sur-Tsiribihina and another at the Manambolo. Either share a 4x4 pick-up seat (around £20–30 per person) or, if you're lucky with timings, take a taxi-brousse as far as Belo and finish by shared pick-up. Arrive Bekopaka in the late afternoon, check into a basic bungalow and pre-arrange your two days of park trips — guides, canoe man and 4x4 transfers are all organised locally in the village.

🚌Tuk-tuk/4x4 to Baobabs ~£12–18 shared; shared 4x4 or taxi-brousse Morondava–Bekopaka ~£20–30

🛏Bungalow (hut) in Bekopaka, simple en-suite — approx £12–18

• →Sunrise at the Avenue of the Baobabs
• →Baobab Amoureux stop
• →Rough 4x4/taxi-brousse crossing to Bekopaka with ferry crossings

Book your guide and park tickets in Bekopaka the night before. Morning: paddle up the Manambolo River in a traditional pirogue (dugout canoe) through a narrow gorge to caves containing Vazimba tombs — arrange directly with a village boatman or through your bungalow, roughly £12–18 per person for a couple of hours. Lunch back at your bungalow, then a short 4x4 ride north to the Little Tsingy (Petit Tsingy) for an easy 1.5–2 hour scramble over the early, less exposed pinnacles — self-arranged local guide around £10–15, park entry around £10–13. Look for Decken's sifaka and brown lemurs in the dry forest en route.

🚌Shared 4x4 to park entrance and canoe start ~£8–12 per person

🛏Bungalow (hut) in Bekopaka — approx £12–18

• →Pirogue to Manambolo River gorge and Vazimba cave tombs
• →Guided walk in the Little Tsingy
• →Lemur spotting in the dry forest

Full day in the Great Tsingy (Grand Tsingy): a longer 4x4 haul to the trailhead, then 4–6 hours on foot and via ferrata-style harness sections (ladders, hanging bridges and ledges) up onto the razor-sharp limestone pinnacles for views across the whole massif. It's demanding rather than technical, but not one for vertigo sufferers — and you must take a park-guide through an officially licensed local operator. Budget around £18–25 for the guide, £10–13 for the park permit and £12–18 for the return 4x4 seat. Carry two litres of water, lunch, sun protection and trainers with grip (the rock eats flip-flops). Evening back in Bekopaka with a cold THB beer.

🚌Shared 4x4 to Great Tsingy trailhead ~£12–18

🛏Bungalow (hut) in Bekopaka — approx £12–18

• →Full-day Great Tsingy hike with hanging bridges and ladder sections
• →Panoramic viewpoint over the Tsingy massif
• →Wildlife spotting on the drive

An early start for the long, bumpy return: shared 4x4 pick-up or taxi-brousse back over the two ferry crossings to Morondava (allow 5–7 hours, £20–30 per seat). Keep your driver's number and be ready for delays — this road follows the weather and the ferry timetable, not a schedule. Arrive in Morondava in the afternoon, check back into a guesthouse, and time your evening so you reach the Avenue of the Baobabs for sunset (tuk-tuk ~£12–18 return, shareable) — the classic shot as the trees silhouette against the sky. Dinner of fresh crab or fish in town.

🚌Shared 4x4/taxi-brousse back to Morondava ~£20–30; tuk-tuk to Baobabs ~£12–18 shared

🛏Simple guesthouse or bungalow in Morondava — approx £15–20

• →Overland return to Morondava via Belo-sur-Tsiribihina ferries
• →Sunset at the Avenue of the Baobabs

Morning free for the market, the small MDC (Madagascar Development Community) bakehouse or a swim off the beach, then transfer to the airport (taxi ~£6–8) for the domestic flight back to Antananarivo. If your onward flight is late, ask your guesthouse to hold bags. Note that domestic schedules are thin and change — leave a buffer day in Tana before any international departure, and remember to carry a Yellow Fever certificate if you're arriving from an endemic country, plus ~120,000 Ariary (£20–27) for the visa on arrival.

🚌Taxi to airport ~£6–8; domestic flight Morondava–Antananarivo ~£70–110

🛏Not included — onward travel

• →Morondava market and free morning
• →Transfer to Morondava airport