Mandrare River Camp

• A three hours drive north west of Fort Dauphin in southern Madagascar lies Mandrare River Camp on the banks of the river
• Just 3 kilometres from the village of Ifotaka and opposite and sacred ancestral forests of the Antandroy Tribe
• Six luxurious tents all with views of the Madrare river and mountains beyond
• Activities include visits to the sisal plantations, the 70ft sand dunes of Lac Anony and the neighbouring lake - home to flamingos between the months of September and October.
• Visit Gallery Forest with its excellent sifaka and ring tailed lemur populations
• Mandrare River Camp is the perfect choice for combining wildlife with culture

THE HOTEL
Mandrare River Camp is nestled under the shade of tamarind trees on the banks of the Mandrare River which is the lifeblood of the region. Awake to the sound of the local Antandroy tribe singing as they fetch water from the river or the morning calls of the coucal and crested drongo.

In an area so richly diverse and removed from the western world culture, revel the opportunity to see first-hand the life and rich culture of the Antandroy. By protecting the Sacred Forests, where the Antandroy ancestors rest in their ornate tombs, the tribe have managed to preserve large pristine wildlife areas and through the traditions of Fady they not only protect but seem to genuinely live in harmony with their environment.

Day and night walks will allow you to see both forests in detail and the wildlife that lives in them. In this area there are four species of lemur, the ring tailed, verreuxs sifaka, mouse and white foot sportive (both nocturnal). The birding is also exceptional with at least 15 resident species in camp and many more in the surrounding wooded areas, including scops owl, malachite kingfisher, verreaux's coua and many raptors.

The six large tents all with bathrooms to the rear of the tents, hot water is supplied on demand to fuel the bucket shower or wash basin.This is most definitely a luxury camp with grand four poster beds and delectable cuisine prepared on site from the finest of ingredients. A real treat are the fresh Parisian patisseries prepared at 4am every morning.

With so much to see and do, Mandrare River Camp and surroundings are best explored on a three night camping programme.

Experience a traditional ringa competition in a local village, where local Antandroy men show their physical strength.