Things to do in Tsingy de Bemaraha
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Tsingy de Bemaraha
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Core dry season. Track and ferries at their most passable, lodges open, Grand Tsingy accessible.
Grand Tsingy window, roughly June to early November. Outside it the trailhead track usually fails.
Early shoulder season. Park may open from mid April in a dry year, but access is a gamble on rain and ferries.
Late shoulder month. Heat builds, first rains can cut the track, and cyclone season begins.
Wet season. Park typically closed or unreachable, ferries unreliable, lodges closed. Do not plan a visit.
Cyclone season for Madagascar, with western access roads exposed to storm disruption.
Best things to do in Tsingy de Bemaraha
Grand Tsingy
A harness and cable climb over 50 metre limestone pinnacles to a suspension bridge above a stone forest.
Petit Tsingy
Smaller pinnacles, labyrinths and caves near the village, the right first test before the Grand Tsingy.
Where to stay in Tsingy de Bemaraha
Bekopaka
the only base for the park circuits
All Bekopaka lodges sit in or just outside the village, minutes from the park office and the Manambolo ferry.
Nosy Kely, Morondava
staging night before or after the Bekopaka drive
The Morondava beach hotel strip, a full day of driving from Bekopaka, useful only as a staging and recovery night.
Think twice about
- Morondava to Bekopaka road after dark
A rough single track with two ferries, stuck vehicles and highway robbery risk at night. Travel it in daylight with a recognised operator.
- Bemaraha National Park in the wet season
From about December to March the track and ferries become impassable and the park typically closes. Do not plan a wet season visit.
Best restaurants in Tsingy de Bemaraha
Le Soleil des Tsingy Restaurant
The top lodge table in Bekopaka, three course set dinners and packed lunches above the pool at sunset.
Olympe du Bemaraha Restaurant
The Olympe lodge restaurant, Malagasy, French and seafood plates including zebu steak and prawns.
Mad Zebu Restaurant
The known lunch stop in Belo sur Tsiribihina, timed around the Tsiribihina ferry on both drive days.
Mini Resto Sifaka
A small village restaurant in Bekopaka for simple rice based Malagasy plates at village prices.
Outdoor things to do in Tsingy de Bemaraha
Manambolo River Gorge
A pirogue trip under 50 to 80 metre gorge walls, past caves and Vazimba tombs high in the cliff.
Anjohimanintsy Circuit
A one to two day trek combining canyons, caves and plateau, with camping inside the park on the long version.
Best hotels in Tsingy de Bemaraha
Le Soleil des Tsingy
The best lodge in Bekopaka, hillside bungalows with decks, an infinity pool and sunset views over the forest.
Olympe du Bemaraha
The largest lodge in Bekopaka, bungalow rooms with a pool and spa close to the park, with variable upkeep.
L'Orchidee du Bemaraha
A quieter mid range bungalow property with a pool, gardens and home style Malagasy and French cooking.
Le Grand Hotel du Tsingy de Bemaraha
A solid Bekopaka lodge with large rooms, verandahs, gardens and a pool, in the same band as its neighbours.
Tanankoay
The budget campement near Bekopaka, simple bungalows and camping with a good value set menu and warm welcome.
Palissandre Côte Ouest
The comfortable Morondava staging night before or after the full day drive to Bekopaka, not a park base.
Is Tsingy de Bemaraha expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | MGA 250,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | MGA 650,000 a person |
| Splurge | MGA 1,200,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Grand Tsingy: weeks ahead
- Anjohimanintsy Circuit: weeks ahead
- Le Soleil des Tsingy: weeks ahead
- Olympe du Bemaraha: weeks ahead
- L'Orchidee du Bemaraha: weeks ahead
- Le Grand Hotel du Tsingy de Bemaraha: weeks ahead
- Tanankoay: a few days ahead
- Palissandre Côte Ouest: weeks ahead
- Book Bekopaka lodges and a 4x4 with driver weeks to months ahead for July and August.
- Tell your operator before travel that the Grand Tsingy is the priority circuit, as guides and harnesses are limited.
- Confirm shoulder season trips close to departure, because the track and ferries decide, not the calendar.
Is Tsingy de Bemaraha safe?
- Violent crime occurs on rural western roads, and rural medical care is extremely limited.
- Use a recognised operator in western Madagascar, keep vigilance on the RN35 and RN34, and do not drive at night.
- Carry medical evacuation insurance, all cash in ariary from Morondava, and medication and water on your person at ferries.
Tsingy de Bemaraha travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- A one night Bekopaka itinerary with no slack for a ferry wait or a closed circuit.
- A cheap 4x4 quote that excludes fuel, ferry fees, park entry and guide fees.
- A shoulder season promise that the Grand Tsingy will definitely be open.
Getting around Tsingy de Bemaraha: public transport and more
- Morondava to Bekopaka is about 200 km and a full day by private 4x4, with Tsiribihina and Manambolo ferry crossings.
- A 4x4 and driver are also needed for the roughly 17 km trailhead track to the Grand Tsingy from Bekopaka.
- There is no scheduled flight to Bekopaka and no same day flight connection is safe in either direction.
Who Tsingy de Bemaraha suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Tsingy de Bemaraha your trip
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