The Solar Eclipse The Lighthouse 01 September 2016

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1 TOUR 2 - THE LIGHTHOUSE, A 360 DEGREES VIEW FROM A DESERT ISLAND A 17-day tour, from 25 August 10 September Maximum number of participants: 12 KEY WORDS Whale spotting, Lemur Parks, the sights of Toamasina, a trek deep into the forest (optional), relaxing on the shores of the Indian Ocean and watching the Solar Eclipse from an uninhabited island in the Indian Ocean. SUMMARY This tour gives you time to relax and to adapt to the climate and the Malagasy pace of life as to be totally ready on 1 September. Hereto a short stay on Ste Marie Island to spot the whales and to linger on the beach is planned. After the solar eclipse there is ample opportunity to meet face-to-face with different kinds of lemurs and other specimen of Madagascar s unrivalled fauna. A challenging trek through the rainforest with very basic facilities is optional. Seeing the sights in and around Toamasina and a weekend at an unspoiled beach resort is the alternative. The highlight is spending 1 September 2016 on a desert island with a lighthouse to climb for an even better view of the solar eclipse. 1

2 DESCRIPTION DAY 1 - Thursday 25 August Arrival Arrival at Ivato Airport near the capital Antananarivo. A comfortable bus will pick you up at the airport to take you to a friendly and quiet hotel for a good night s sleep. DAY 2 - Friday 26 August to Toamasina The bus will take you all the way to Toamasina, where you will arrive in the afternoon. Lodgings at. On the way you ll have your first impressions of Madagascar. You ll notice that the building styles in the villages along the road change with the landscape. DAY 3 - Saturday 27 August to Ste Marie Island Early in the morning you will leave for Ste Marie Island. The bus will pick you up at the Centre, and after an interesting drive along plantations and small villages you ll arrive in Soanierana Ivongo, some 160 kilometres north of Toamasina. Here the boat will be waiting to take you across to Ste Marie Island. The island has an interesting history. In 1506 some Portuguese sailors found refuge from a terrible tempest here. Soon after, the island became popular with seafarers on their way to or from the Indies. It also developed into a pirates nest. It became a French property as early as Relics of this history can still be found in places such as the Pirate Cemetery near Pirate Island, the first Catholic Church in Madagascar (1837) and the Old Fortress (1753). But the island is also famous for its white sandy beaches and for whale spotting. We have booked you a nice family hotel on the beach, a few kilometres south of the island s capital Ambodifotatra. The owner will pick you up when the boat arrives and during the days to come he ll supply you with the information you need and will help you renting bikes, scooters or squads to explore the island. 2

3 DAY 4 - Sunday 28 August Whale spotting This day you will board a small vessel to go and spot the whales at close quarters. Humpback whales pass the island on their 5,000 kilometres journey back to the Antarctic. And indeed it is an unforgettable experience to see those huge animals leap out of the water, turn around upon their tail flukes or just to watch the mothers protecting their new-born calves. Lunch will be at the small island south of Ile Ste Marie, Ile aux Nattes. You can take the boat back to Ste Marie or walk back and take a pirogue to cross the short distance between Ile aux Nattes and Ile Ste Marie. DAY 5 - Monday 29 August Free day on Ste Marie Island Free day to explore the island. You can swim and snorkel or go to the other side of the island where mangrove is abundant, walk in the forest in the middle of the island, visit the pirates cemetery.. You can ask the hotel owner to organise bikes or scooters. And you can investigate the local cuisine in one of the many good restaurants, fresh seafood is a must. DAY 6 - Tuesday 30 August 2016 back to Toamasina Already time to return to Toamasina. The kind hotel owner will make sure you are on time to board the ship back to the main island. And once back in Soanierana Ivongo you board the bus that will take you back to Toamasina and. DAY 7 - Wednesday 31 August Free day in Toamasina Free day in Toamasina, you can explore the town, visit the market, buy some souvenirs, get ready for the next day. 3

4 DAY 8 - Thursday 1 September the ANNULAR ECLIPSE The highlight of the tour: on Ile aux Prunes, a small desert island some 17 kilometres off shore you will have an excellent view of the annular eclipse. If you like, you can climb the lighthouse for an even better view. You ll leave early in the morning as not to miss anything of this unique phenomenon which starts at 11:01 a.m. local time, reaches its maximum at 12:52 p.m. local time and ends at 2:32 p.m. When a large swarm of bats (flying foxes Pteropus Rufus) returns to the tree tops - after they discover they have been fooled by the unexpected darkness - you know it is over. At 3:30 p.m. the boat needs to return to the harbour. We ll celebrate the day with a delicious dinner in one of the better restaurants of Toamasina. Lat.: S, Long.: E Annular Solar Eclipse Duration of Annularity: 2m56.7s Magnitude: Obscuration: 94.47% TOAMASINA Event Date Time (UT) Time (Local) Alt Azi Start of partial eclipse (C1) : 2016/09/01 08:01: :01: Start of annular eclipse (C2) : 2016/09/01 09:50: :50: Maximum eclipse : 2016/09/01 09:52: :52: End of annular eclipse (C3) : 2016/09/01 09:53: :53: End of partial eclipse (C4) : 2016/09/01 11:31: :31:

5 DAY 9 - Friday 2 September Ivoloina Park (optional) Back to normal. Visiting the Ivoloina Park, which is best known for its twelve different species of lemurs, including some highly endangered ones and the unusual aye-aye. This nocturnal animal will show itself during the night walk (starts at dusk, and there will be ample time for dinner afterwards). During the night walk you will also come across the famous Tomato frog and the Madagascar Boa. Thus, those who opt for the challenging Babakoto trek will be well prepared, even more so if they pay Park Ivoloina s Education Centre a visit. For day (Saturday 3 September Wednesday 7 September 2016) we have two options: a challenging trek in the Malagasy rainforest (Option BABAKOTO) or a few days to discover the hidden treasures of Toamasina, Mahambo and Foulpointe (Option MAHAMBO). OPTION BABAKOTO, maximum number of participants: 6 For this trek it is a prerequisite to be in good form and to bring comfortable walking shoes. Babakoto is a five day challenging trek to see the Indri-indri (Babakoto in the local language) in its natural habitat the rainforest of East-Madagascar, as well as several other species of lemurs and other wildlife, to experience the live and culture of rural Madagascar, and to return to the modern world, slowly drifting away from the fresh air and the overwhelming nature on a bamboo raft. OPTION TOAMASINA AND MAHAMBO, maximum number of participants: 6 This option gives you some more time to discover the sights of Toamasina, spend a few days in the quiet beach resort Mahambo, to surf, swim, snorkel, and hang out, to visit to the ancient Manda Fortress in Foulpointe. And after returning to Toamasina an instructive visit to the palm plantation of the The Savonnerie Tropical (Tropical Soap Works) has been scheduled. It has lots more to offer than palm trees. 5

6 DAY 10 - Saturday 3 September to Fetraomby (Babakoto Option) Accompanied by an English or French speaking guide, a trip by bus and pirogue brings you to Fetraomby, the main village of the rural community with the same name. The community is located North-West of Brickaville, about a 100 kilometres inland from Toamasina. The area is hardly opened up. Fetraomby can be reached by boat only, from Brickaville or Anivorano via the Rianila River. But then, the real rural life of Madagascar will unfold before the eyes of the interested visitor. Here, the forest is a protected area, part of the Corridor Ankeniheny- Zahamena, the habitat of the Indri-indri. As soon as your bus leaves Toamasina there are lots of things to see. About 20 kilometres from Toamasina the oil palm plantation of the Savonnerie Tropicale will appear. Here, oil to manufacture soap is extracted from the oil palms. About one hour later you will arrive in Brickaville. Time for breakfast and some last minute shopping (drinking water!) before the boat leaves to take you up the Rianila River. After a three-hour boat trip you will arrive in Anivorano, where your lunch will be waiting. It is a beautifully situated village with large, white sandy beaches. From the bank you can enjoy a broad view across two joining rivers. After lunch the boat will take you to all the way up to Fetraomby. At the Pakambo rapids you ll be asked to leave the boat and walk a few hundred metres to board again once the boat has manoeuvred through the rapids. Chickens also have to leave the boat as it is considered fady (taboo) to have them on board while crossing the rapids. Once you have arrived in Fetraomby our partner, the Association Rianala of villagers working together to develop ecotourism in their community, will take care of you. There are no hotels in this area, but the villagers have built special tourist houses with basic facilities. Members of Rianala will cook your meals, carry your luggage, and show you the treasures of their forest. After arriving there will be time to stretch your legs and roam the village or visit a phallus shaped sacred stone where women who want to become pregnant go to pray. 6

7 Day 11 - Sunday 4 September to the Andriantantely forest (Babakoto Option) The first day of the hike to Andriantantely forest, you ll pass through man-made landscape of rice fields, plantations and already some forest. You ll be welcomed in the villages along the route, the villagers will serve you lunch and dinner, and make sure you can sleep comfortably. Day 12 - Monday 5 September the Andriantantely forest (Babakoto Option) You have arrived in the Andriantantely forest with wildlife not used to humans, the real thing. You ll spend the night in a village in the middle of the jungle to be woken up by the song of the Indri-indri. The local guides will help you to spot other animals as well, and point out special plants with for example healing properties. Day 13 - Tuesday 6 September to Razanaka (Babakoto Option) Already the last day in the Adriantantely forest, to enjoy the fresh air, the overwhelming nature, learn more about the trees and plants and their healing abilities, the sacredness of the forest for the people living there. Today s destination is Razanaka, still in the forest, but the village does have a train station. If there is time and if you have the energy, you can go watch a colony of bats take off to forage when dusk falls. Day 14 - Wednesday 7 September back to Anivorana and Toamasina (Babakoto Option) No hiking today, a bamboo raft will carry you down the river from Razanaka to Anivorano, where after lunch the bus to Toamasina will be waiting for the travellers, tired but filled with unforgettable experiences. 7

8 Day 10 - Saturday 3 September the highlights of Toamasina (Mahambo option) Today you ll get to see the sights of Toamasina, either on foot or with a poussevelo (tricycle). The tour will take you along remarkable buildings such as the Town Hall (Hotel de Ville), Provincial Centre (Faritany), very ancient houses from the Creole époque, and the old Seafarers' Home (Apostolat de la Mer) where the women s cooperatives Kovapamina and Fivatama sell their handicrafts. Toamasina's museums (including the Musée du Port and the Musée de Betsimisaraka) will be pointed out. And you will be impressed by the Place Bien Aimée, a sort of open air Cathedral, formed by the age-old and majestic ficus trees (Ficus Religiosa). Day 11 - Sunday 4 September to Mahambo (Mahambo option) After breakfast you ll be on your way to Mahambo, a quiet beach resort some 95 kilometres north of Toamasina, to walk, surf, snorkel, swim, visit the little village and enjoy yourself. The bus will take you there. We have booked the Vanilla Café. It belongs to and is run by Hasina and his sister Moliva, two orphans and former street kids who grabbed the opportunity offered to them, to be educated and trained to run such an enterprise. This resulted, with their amazing taste for art and decorations, in this quality establishment. Day 12 - Monday 5 September 2016 Mahambo (Mahambo option) Free day in Mahambo to swim, surf, ride a squad on the beach, visit the village, 8

9 Day 13 - Tuesday 6 September to Foulpointe and back to Toamasina (Mahambo option) Today you return to Toamasina with a stopover in Foulponte, a more touristy beach resort, located between Toamasina and Mahambo. It is a historically interesting village, that once housed the 25,000 men strong Royal Army of King Radama I ( ). At that time a strong fort was built as protection against a possible invasion by British or French colonial forces. The fortress is now a museum and can be visited. This Manda Fortress is some 70 metres in diameter and was constructed from coral powder and stones, all cemented together with the white of a million eggs. This historic site on a hill with a labyrinth of galleries, corridors and secret exit tunnels, also offers a splendid view of the coast, on clear days up to Toamasina. An opportunity not to be missed. An English or French speaking guide goes with the ticket. DAY 14 - Wednesday 7 September Palmeraie d Ivondro (Mahambo option) Your last day in Toamasina will be dedicated to a visit to the Palmeraie d Ivondro, the bio-agroforest division of the Savonnerie Tropicale S.A., one of the major palm oil and soaps industries of Madagascar. At a distance of only 20 kilometres from Toamasina along the main road to Tana, it forms an interesting place to visit, to discover the secrets of tropical agro-industry, to learn how palm oil and its derivatives like soap are produced, and to observe how the local population is integrated in the process. On the 1300 hectares you can discover tropical plants, take a closer look at the local handicraft, visit a factory of bio-certified sugar, or you can opt for some bird watching. 9

10 DAY 15 - Thursday 8 September Pangalanes Canal When the adventurers have returned and are sufficiently recovered, all participants leave for the boat trip on the Pangalanes Canal. At 9 a.m. M. Victorien will take you to the inland harbour (Port Fluvial) where his boat will be waiting to take you on a trip on the Pangalanes Canal. The first stop will be at Tapakala, for a little round tour and a garden lunch of typical Malagasy food. The second stop will be at Tampina to visit the distillery where village women produce essential oils for massage and perfumes from indigenous plants. From there you continue to Andranokoditra, a small fishing-village-cum-beach-resort on the strip of land between the Indian Ocean and Lake Ampitabe. Here, you will be lodged in the comfortable bungalows of hotel Les Orchidées run by the Village Association. And after dinner you will be feasted by the Women s Association by a display of their local culture: traditional music and dance from the region. DAY 16 - Friday 9 September Vohibola and Palmarium A visit to one of the last parts of littoral rain forest, Vohibola, is programmed. The boat takes you across the lake where the local guide will take you on an interesting and easy walk in this reserve. The canal and its banks are a rare combination of an ecological system dominated by the Indian Ocean and that of the tropical forests more inland. Rains are frequent here because the western (ocean) winds have to climb the mountain ranges further inland. In the reserve plants are abundant. An ideal habitat for many species of lemurs, lizards, frogs, snakes and turtles. After your visit to the Vohibola Reserve the boat takes you the Palmarium where lunch will be served. You will immediately meet some of the lemurs that live in semi-freedom in this park. They ll try to join you in eating. When you are ready, a guided tour will enable you to observe apart from the lemurs also turtles, chameleons, frogs, and a great variety of indigenous plants and trees. When dusk sets in the boat will bring you back to Andranokoditra for dinner at your hotel and may be a dip in either the Ocean or the Lake. 10

11 DAY 17 - Saturday 10 September to Manambato, Antananarivo and Ivato The tour draws to his end. One more time you can marvel at the Pangalanes Canal when the boat takes you to Manambato. Here the bus will be waiting to bring you back to Antananarivo and Ivato airport. If your flight is scheduled later, we will suggest you some hotels until departing time arrives. PRICES TOTAL with OPTION BABAKOTO 950.-, TOTAL with OPTION MAHAMBO ADDITIONAL: for trip to Ivoloina Park (Friday 2 September) 50.- p.p. N.B. Prices quoted are maximum prices that may be lowered depending of the number of participants. INCLUDED - All transport - All lodgings - All breakfasts (16), - 11 lunches (Option Babakoto) - 12 dinners (Option Babakoto) - 8 lunches (Option Mahambo) - 10 dinners (Option Mahambo) - Entry fees to Parks and Forests - Local guides in Parks and during the trek - English or French speaking guide during the Babakoto Trek - Performances by local dance and music groups - Traditional ceremonies - Protective glasses for the eclipse - All documentation and instructions EXCLUDED - Flight to and from Antananarivo (Ivato Airport) - Hotel after returning in Tana (if applicable) - Taxi after returning in Tana to Hotel and/or airport - Drinks (including drinking water) - Souvenirs - Tips - 5 lunches (Option Babakoto) - 4 dinners (Option Babakoto) - 8 lunches (Option Mahambo) - 6 dinners (Option Mahambo) - Entry fees for other events then those planned 11