M A D A F O C U S - travel in Madagascar

18/09/2026

👋 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗱𝗴𝗲

This lodge sits on a hill along the RN7, 8 km south of Ambalavao, in the heart of the central highlands of Madagascar.

Overlooking mountains, rice fields and the local Betsileo life. 98% 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱, beautifully decorated and run with genuine love for this region. 🧡

The kind of place your travellers remember. Not for the luxury, but for the spectacular views from their airy room. For the fresh food from the colourful garden to enjoy after your adventurous walks.🥾

Halfway between Antananarivo and Toliara, it is also the perfect lunch stop on the RN7. Or the ideal base camp for all your adventures in and around Ambalavao.

Welcome!

📹©️ Betsileo Country Lodge

04/09/2026

🚙 Into the Forgotten West – A Madagascar Self-Drive Expedition | May 2027

Some roads take you somewhere. Others become the adventure.

In May 2027, we’re heading deep into one of Madagascar’s wildest and least-travelled regions on Into the Forgotten West — a true 4x4 self-drive expedition for travellers who would rather be behind the wheel than watching the adventure through a window.

Leaving the familiar routes behind, we’ll drive west across Madagascar through vast open landscapes, remote villages and some seriously adventurous terrain. Our route takes us via Tsiroanomandidy and the spectacular Beanka limestone massif towards Maintirano, Antsalova and the legendary Tsingy de Bemaraha, before eventually reaching Morondava and the iconic baobab country.

Expect rough tracks, river crossings, ferries, dust, mud, camping in remote places and days where the journey itself is every bit as important as the destination.

You’ll be driving your own 4x4, but you won’t be doing it alone. The expedition travels as a small convoy with professional local support and an assistance vehicle — giving you the freedom and excitement of self-driving while having the backup needed to tackle this remote part of Madagascar.

This isn’t a polished highway road trip. It’s a proper expedition.

And that’s exactly the point.

If you enjoy 4x4 driving, remote wilderness and the feeling of looking at a track ahead and thinking “Are we really going that way?” — the answer is probably yes. 😉

📅 Departure: May 2027
🚙 Maximum: 6 self-drive vehicles

👉 Discover the full expedition, itinerary and price here:
https://inspirationaladventures.com/adventure/into-the-forgotten-west-a-madagascar-self-drive-expedition

Want to know more?
Feel free to get in touch with me directly:

📧 [email protected]
📱 WhatsApp: +261 34 14 419 44

Explore UNESCO-listed Tsingy de Bemaraha and the iconic Avenue of the Baobabs

04/09/2026

🌍 Explore the Wild Heart of Madagascar – 5 September 2027

Madagascar isn’t a destination you simply visit. It’s a place you venture into.

On 5 September 2027, we’re setting off again on our Explore the Wild Heart of Madagascar expedition — a journey created for travellers who want to go beyond the classic routes and experience the raw, untamed side of the Red Island.

Expect remote landscapes, extraordinary wildlife, challenging roads, encounters with local communities and those wonderfully unpredictable moments that make Madagascar such an unforgettable place to travel.

This is not about ticking sights off a list. It’s about the journey itself: travelling overland, reaching places few visitors ever see, and discovering a Madagascar that still feels genuinely wild.

And there’s some good news for 2027: we’ve kept the price unchanged. The expedition is offered at exactly the same price as the departure originally planned for 2026 — no price increase for 2027.

If your idea of travel involves a little dust on your boots, a healthy sense of adventure and stories worth telling afterwards, this one might have your name on it.

📅 Departure: 5 September 2027

👉 Discover the full expedition, itinerary and price here:
https://inspirationaladventures.com/adventure/explore-madagascar-wilderness-discovery

Want to know more?
Feel free to get in touch with me directly:

📧 [email protected]
📱 WhatsApp: +261 34 14 419 44

Connect with Malagasy culture and nature on a challenging, rewarding expedition

03/09/2026

28/08/2026

🛻The RN12: 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲

For years, the south-east of Madagascar was reserved for the truly adventurous. The legendary Route Nationale RN12 – 420 km from Manakara to Tôlanaro – was a four-day expedition, with endless waits at the 𝘣𝘢𝘤: metal ferries that carry your car across rivers one at a time.

Most of those 𝘣𝘢𝘤 are now bridges. 🌉 The road is still impressive, but also accessible for everyday 4x4 travellers. Shifting the focus from time management to all the wonderful things this region has to offer: misty hills, hidden lagoons, coastal rainforest, the Arab heritage town of Vohipeno, frontier town Vangaindrano and the best 🦪oysters in Tôlanaro (Fort-Dauphin).

A region that used to demand patience. Now it rewards curiosity.

If Madagascar’s south-east isn’t in your portfolio yet, now’s the time.😀👇

https://madafocus.mg/destination/manakara-the-southeast/

28/08/2026

The DMC, based in Antsirabe, is positioning the region as an emerging addition to Madagascar itineraries for advisors seeking something beyond the island’s more established southern and western circuits.

Madafocus is promoting Madagascar's RN12 route through Manakara and the south-east as newly viable for standard 4WD travellers, following the replaceme ...

27/08/2026

Dr Patricia Wright has found a 14-square-kilometre tropical rainforest in a remote part of Madagascar. She has been working with a team.