Cruise Toamasina

TAMATAVE : or Toamasina ,on the east coast, the capital of Betsimisaraka tribes, is Madagascar ' s first harbour as well as a holiday city : fine and large avenues lined with royal palm trees or with flame-trees, well kept and flowering greens, old stylish colonial houses. The rickshaw is the preferred means of transport .A magnificent beach bordered of a shady promenade, cafes and hot night club insure an agreeable stay. On the north, Foulpointe, sixty kilometres from Tamatave offers the opportunity to visit the old fortress Hova, one can bathe in a roadstead protected by a great barrier of coral reef at the same time .

Foulpointe

( duration : 8 hours)

An attractive village on the coast, 60 km away from Toamasina, in the midst of palm groves, coconut groves, casuarinas trees and mango-trees. Its beautiful beach is very popular and swimming, water-skiing, fishing and underwater " shooting " are currently practised. Foulpointe is also an historical refuge : at about 500 meters at the exit of the village, an old fortress of the 19th century called Fort Hova, with cannons belonging to queen Ranavalona is offered to the curiosity of the visitors.

(Visit suitable for aged passengers, children and restrained mobility people)..

City tour and Ivoloina forest station

(duration : 4 hours)

The beautiful and large planted coconuts trees avenues , columns of flame trees flowers leads to the lucustrian village and to the floating market of Morarano, markets of seafood, tropical food and vegetable. After 12 km drive from Toamasina we reach the Forest Station of Ivoloina which is constituted by an experimental garden and a zoological park. This station is particularly well-known by : its lemurs either kept in captivity or left free. Five species can be observed : the diurnal Lemur Catta, Lemur Albifron, Varecia Variegata, Lemur Rubriventer, the nocturnal Lepilemur as well as its arboretums with different species of tropical plants (coffee-shrubs, pepper-plants, clove-plants, vanilla-plants, cinnamon-trees...)

(Visit suitable for aged passengers, children and restrained mobility people).