Backpacking in Madagascar: Antsirabe to Morondava with Soatrans
Posted: July 22 2023 | Tagged: Madagascar
Antsirabe to Morondava is a mammoth 484km journey but if you want to visit the Avenue des Baobabs and don't want to fly, then you will just have to endure it and I highly recommend using Soatrans who run daily, almost luxury Mercedes/Volkswagon Sprinter Vans to Morondava.
I don't recommend taking the cheap Taxis-Brousse. They are badly maintained and are prone to breakdowns. And the road is very isolated. If anything serious happens, you are in for a long wait. They will also destroy your soul, even if you are a travel hardened crazy like me!
Of course any vehicle can breakdown but Soatrans use new vehicles and are maintained regularly. They also travel in a convoy. Rumour has it that the drivers of the cheap Taxis-Brousse work with the 'bandidos', the highway men. On one particular stretch we were 3 vehicles (another Soatrans and another more luxury mini van), travelling nose to tail at 80 kph where as a lot of the time, we were out of sight of each other.
Make a reservation as early as you can. I had to wait 2 extra days to get a seat. They also made a reservation for my return journey which I paid on arrival.
The road was said to be bad. Well, it is in some places but compared to the Tana Toamasina road, it's good, there are long stretches in particular, the 2nd half from Miandrivazo which is very good.
My journey took 11 ½ hours. The 10 am left Antsirabe at 11:15 am, it was late coming from Tana.
The fare is just 45,000Ar/9€.
So it's a long trip. And arriving at 11 pm is not the best but there ain't no other option. And was a major concern for me as to where I was gonna stay and how to get a room at such a late hour.
Of course any vehicle can breakdown but Soatrans use new vehicles and are maintained regularly. They also travel in a convoy. Rumour has it that the drivers of the cheap Taxis-Brousse work with the 'bandidos', the highway men. On one particular stretch we were 3 vehicles (another Soatrans and another more luxury mini van), travelling nose to tail at 80 kph where as a lot of the time, we were out of sight of each other.
Make a reservation as early as you can. I had to wait 2 extra days to get a seat. They also made a reservation for my return journey which I paid on arrival.
The road was said to be bad. Well, it is in some places but compared to the Tana Toamasina road, it's good, there are long stretches in particular, the 2nd half from Miandrivazo which is very good.
My journey took 11 ½ hours. The 10 am left Antsirabe at 11:15 am, it was late coming from Tana.
The fare is just 45,000Ar/9€.
So it's a long trip. And arriving at 11 pm is not the best but there ain't no other option. And was a major concern for me as to where I was gonna stay and how to get a room at such a late hour.
Where to stay in Morondava when arriving on the Soatrans bus:
Exactly at the Soatrans agency/depot is there Anjara Hotel.
Easy to get a room. The security guard shows you your room, you pay in the morning. For 50,000Ar, 10€ you get a great room. No Wifi though but the generator runs all night so you can charge ur phone.
Easy to get a room. The security guard shows you your room, you pay in the morning. For 50,000Ar, 10€ you get a great room. No Wifi though but the generator runs all night so you can charge ur phone.
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And then after a good nights sleep, wander into town at your leisure.
And for the journey back to Antsirabe and Antananarivo, the Soatrans bus leaves at 3 am. Yup. 3 o'clock in the morning. So I stayed again at the Anjara Hotel for convenience.
And for the journey back to Antsirabe and Antananarivo, the Soatrans bus leaves at 3 am. Yup. 3 o'clock in the morning. So I stayed again at the Anjara Hotel for convenience.
Room 24 at the Anjara hotel Morondava
Room 15 at the Anjara hotel Morondava
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The Madagascar stage of the journey is winding down. Here, back in Antsirabe, enjoying the best coffee in Madagascar before taking a bus to Tana:
