Enduro Sport - Chameleon Hard Tour

ENDURO DIFFICULT

Madagascar's low road density has created an extraordinary network of dirt roads. Covering an area as large as France and Belgium combined, every town and village in Madagascar is connected to an extensive network several hundred kilometers long.

What often makes European drivers despair is a paradisiacal challenge for bikers: the surface changes from mirror-smooth laterite to sand and asphalt to almost impassable mud holes.

Tour description

On the Chameleon Hard Tour, Madagascar's wildest off-road pleasure awaits you. Explore the island from the moors in the highlands to the windswept beaches of the Indian Ocean on roads that can only be ridden by motorcycles. Your skill and prudence are required to overcome the obstacles on the route. The unforgettable variety of bright green rice fields, large lakes and bushy savannah, dense jungle and lonely paths between high mountain ranges, plantations of vanilla, sugar cane and cashew nut to the colorful bays and beaches of Diego Suarez - with the Chameleon Hard Tour you will discover the heart of Northern Madagascar and will never forget it!

Duration and length of the tour

14 days / 13 nights, including 12 days on the motorcycle

Total distance: 950 miles (1,530 km)

Very difficult

The tour program

Day 1: Arrival in Antananarivo

Our team will greet you immediately upon arrival at Ivato International Airport and transfer you to your hotel in Antananarivo, where you will also spend the night.

Day 2: Antananarivo - Ambohimanga - Antananarivo

Route length: 74 miles (120 km) on laterite and asphalt

 In the morning you will meet your tour guide and have a first look at your enduro machine. During the first exit you will leave the busy streets of "Tana" (as Antananarivo is called by the locals) for a drive off the main road over laterite subsoil. You will cross the red and green hills of the island and visit the World Heritage Site of Ambohimanga, the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Merina. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 3: Antananarivo - Anjozorobe

Route length: 62 miles (100 km) on laterite

On the second day of the Highland Tour you will cross rice fields and forests with traditional villages and vernacular architecture. Through fascinating landscapes with the Tampoketsa mountain range in the background you will reach Anjozorobe. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 4: Anjozorobe - Andilamena

Route length: 124 miles (200 km) on laterite

In the morning you will leave the hills and forests of the Highlands. You will drive to the wetland area around Lake Alaotra, the largest inland lake in Madagascar. Here lies the largest rice growing area, the "rice chamber" of the island. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 5: Andilamena - Mandritsara

Route length: 136 miles (220 km) on laterite

This will be a difficult and lonely day: you will drive alone through the undergrowth and vast desert plains. Even the participants of the Camel Trophy in 1987 had to turn back because there were no bridges far and wide. All your experience is needed. Take good care of yourself. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 6: Mandritsara - Antsakabary

Route length: 99 miles (160 km) on laterite and asphalt

After few kilometers of track on asphalt, the track leads on laterite along the river, surrounded by rice fields and the mountain peaks. After crossing some river courses, you will reach the destination Antsakabary, where you will be warmly welcomed by the local people. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 7: Antsakabary - Andapa

Route length: 86 miles (140 kilometers) on laterite

After breakfast, one of the most intense and at the same time impressive parts of the route awaits you. You cross rivers with shelters and finally reach the virgin rainforest of Anjanaharibe. Please respect the rules of the nature reserve and do not disturb the balance of fauna and flora. At the end of the day you will arrive in Andapa and return to civilization. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 8: Andapa - Vohemar

Route length: 118 miles (190 km) on sand, laterite and asphalt

Today's road stage leads from the mountain ranges to the beaches of the Vanilla Coast. After visiting Sambava, the "capital of vanilla", you will reach the seaport of Vohemar. The city was founded by Islamic sea travelers from Arabia. From here, take an excursion to the "Green Lake", which got its name from a population of algae. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 9: Vohemar - Antsaravibe

Route length: 118 miles (190 km) on sand and laterite

 In the morning you will drive on a beautiful track through the savannah from east to west. There follows a short stretch of road on sand through the sugar cane and cashew nut plantations. In front of you is the 400 million year old Ankarana massif with deep gorges and forests. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 10: Antsaravibe - Diego Suarez

Route length: 80 miles (130 km) on laterite and asphalt

After a hearty breakfast, leave Antsaravibe and head towards the Ankarana mountain range. Drive through winding, hilly roads, through sugar cane and mango plantations and enjoy sensational views. Before arriving in Diego, encounter the sacred crocodiles in Lake Anivorano, where the souls of the ancestors reside. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 11: Diego Suarez – La Montagne des Français

Course length: 31 miles (50 km) on sand and asphalt

A short, impressive day: you will get to know the "Sugarloaf" of Diego Suarez, a small island in the Center of the bay. After driving along the dunes, you will pass the small fishing village of Ramena on gently winding roads and arrive at the "three bays" of Diego with white beaches and crystal clear waters. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 12: Diego Suarez - Le Cap d'Ambre

Route length: 99 miles (160 km) on sand, asphalt and laterite

Let's go to the northern tip of Madagascar! You will leave Diego Suarez and drive along a narrow rocky path to the Cap d'Ambre lighthouse. On the way back, you will visit the marine reserve in the "Bay du Courrier" with a unique variety of fauna and flora, including sea turtles and ospreys. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 13: Diego Suarez - Joffre-Ville et la Forêt d'Ambre

Route length: 37 miles (60 km) on asphalt and laterite

 On the last day of the trip you will visit Amber Mountain National Park. Established in 1958, it covers an area of 185km². The massif rises to an altitude of almost 1,500 meters from the arid region. The mountain rainforest extends over 18,200 hectares. Be enchanted by the biodiversity of the park with lush vegetation, waterfalls and volcanic lakes. The cool air refreshes after the heat in the lowlands. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 14: Diego Suarez - Antananarivo (Transfer)

A cab will pick you up at the hotel and take you to the airport.

Our services to you include:

• a new Enduro rental motorcycle, equipped and prepared
• an experienced tour guide
• Transfers ashore as described in the program
• one support vehicle with driver for transporting luggage and tools (for five or more drivers)
• Liability insurance
• Hotels (facilities or star category of your choice)
• Full board (breakfast and dinner at the hotel, picnic basket at noon)
• free entrance to all parks as described in the program

Not included:

• mandatory insurances, such as for repatriation in case of a motorcycle accident in Madagascar, and legal advice
• Visa fees
• National and international flights incl. airport cabs
• a refundable security deposit for the motorcycles in the amount of 1,000 euros
• Meals during the transfer days
• Drinks, personal expenses and tips
• Entrance fees for additional excursions