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Tsingy RougeMADAGASIKARA

Plan your visit

Everything you need to decide when to come, how to get here, and what to put in your bag.

Getting here

Sixty kilometres from Antsiranana, of which the last twenty are laterite track.

  1. 0 km

    Antsiranana

    Leave by the RN6 heading south. Fill the tank here; the next pump is at Anivorano.

  2. 38 km

    Sadjoavato

    The last village with a shop. Most of our guides and cooks live here.

  3. 42 km

    Saharenana turn-off

    Leave the tar. From here it is laterite track, and a 4x4 stops being optional.

  4. 56 km

    The Irodo ford

    Dry from May to November. After rain, wait or turn back: the water rises fast and drops fast.

  5. 60 km

    The gate

    Conservation fee, parking, and the restaurant terrace eighty metres on.

The year on the plateau

Green bars are the months we would tell a friend to come. Grey ones are when the ford decides.

  • Jan

    33 °C · 285 mm

  • Feb

    33 °C · 260 mm

  • Mar

    32 °C · 190 mm

  • Apr

    31 °C · 90 mm

  • May

    30 °C · 30 mm

  • Jun

    28 °C · 15 mm

  • Jul

    28 °C · 12 mm

  • Aug

    29 °C · 10 mm

  • Sep

    30 °C · 8 mm

  • Oct

    32 °C · 15 mm

  • Nov

    34 °C · 60 mm

  • Dec

    33 °C · 165 mm

Jan
Peak rains. The ford runs and the track often closes.
Feb
Cyclone month. We do not run camps.
Mar
Rain easing. Green, dramatic, and unpredictable.
Apr
The track dries out. Very few visitors.
May
The season opens. Clear air, low sun, still green below.
Jun
Cool mornings, dry track, the Milky Way returns.
Jul
The best month, and the busiest. Book the camp early.
Aug
Dry, windy on the rim, superb light all day.
Sep
Driest month. Dust on the track, none in the air at dawn.
Oct
Hot by noon. Mangoes start. Birding picks up.
Nov
Hottest month. Go at dawn or not at all.
Dec
First storms. Spectacular skies, uncertain roads.
  • Come now
  • Good
  • Possible
  • Track often closed

What to bring

Essential

  • Closed walking shoes

    The sand is loose and full of sharp laterite chips.

  • Hat and high-factor sunscreen

    There is no shade on the rim between the viewpoints.

  • Two litres of water per person

    We refill from filtered drums, but bring your own bottle.

Worth having

  • A light layer for the evening

    June and July mornings on the plateau go down to 14 °C.

  • Head torch, red mode if you have it

    White light at the camp ruins everyone's night vision, including yours.

  • Cash in ariary

    For tips, the weavers' stall, and the balance if you did not pay online.

Looking after the place

These formations are compacted sediment. They are not stone, and they do not grow back.

31
people from Sadjoavato on the payroll
100%
of the conservation fee stays on the plateau
4 200
trees planted on the eroded slopes since 2021
0
single-use plastic bottles sold on site
Where the money goes