__Also called Rosewood coast, the east coast is the green one of Madagascar. Heavy tropical rain make the locals says that they know only two seasons, the rainy one and when rain falls !
__This rainy region offers the most greenish country side of the island, with vast tropical forests and a wide variety of palm trees and pandanus trees.
__The weather is perfectly suited for tropical crops such as vanilla, coffee, cloves and fruits.
__The history of the coast is made of pirates and slaves merchants. Pirates hideouts were to be found all along from the bay of Antogil to Sainte Marie island.
__The coastal region is widely populated by the Betsimisaraka, the youngest of the 18 malagasy ethnies. __The east offers numerous beaches, unfortunately with sharks off shore. bathing must be restricted to coral reef regions.
On the road from Antananarivo to Tamatave __We suggest a stop at Perinet natural reserve at Antsirabe. It is one of the rare place where you can see the Indri, the tallest lemur with a white and black coat that makes it looks like a bear cub. Other lemurs live in the forest, such as fulvus and hapalemurs. __You will also meet there chameleons as the famous chamaeleo parsoni and wonderful butterflies among which the faboulous Urania.
A glimpse at Toamasina (Tamatave) __TOAMASINA is the major harbour and the second biggest town of the country. From there are exported coffee, vanilla and cloves. Large shaded avenues cross the city, with flamboyant trees and jacarandas. Large colomn palm trees shade ancient colonial houses. On the street, red, yellow, green and blue rickshaws go all day long. __TOAMASINA is also called the Malagasy Venise as it is in the most rainy region. North of Toamasina, 59km from the city, Foulpointe - Mahavelona is the bathing beach of Tamatave inhabitants.
- Pangalanes canal
__Located on the coastal strip from Foulpointe to Farafangana, there once was a suite of shallow lagoons laying behind sand dune. The lagoons got isolated from the sea and got fresh water from the numerous rivers that go to the coast.
__Now a huge 700km fresh water canal, yachting up or down is a beautiful time, as you will meet various rivers and artificial lakes. The canal is known as a water miror with a rich vegetation, 'elephant ears' and ravinala giving shade to the numerous pirogues of merchants and fishermen.
- Nosy Boraha : " Sainte Marie island "
__The famous Sainte Marie island is a narrow granite island, with 57 km long and 8km large. A true paradise set at the east of Madagascar, with neverending white sand beaches, lovely coves, all protected by coral reefs and shaded by coconuts trees.
__Everywhere in the island is a rich tropical forest made of ferns, cicas, pandanus, palm trees, ravenalas, clove trees, all of them crowded under orchids. Rare ones can be seen such as the black orchid of the raffia palm tree and the giant orchid of the pandanus tree.
__Sainte Marie have been a very famous pirates hideout, and have kept many secrets as well as the names they gave to the surrounding islands.
__One of the must of Sainte Marie is meeting the whales offshore. Jully to September is the mating and birth season. Fifteen meters humpback whales come in these warm and fishy waters, giving a unique experience for tourists who love nature in its magnificence.
__The capital city of Sainte Marie is Ambodifotatra where are the main facilities in a single street and two lines of village houses « falafa ».
__An absolute must see island : l'ile aux Nattes.
Located at the south of Sainte Marie Island, you get there by pirogue sailing for less than a mile.
__Definitely one of Madagascar jewel, l'ile aux Nattes is the absolute paradise island that can be walked around in less than a day.
North-East Coast __As the weather makes the roads muddy and bumpy, this part of the coast is very difficult to get to and is not well known of tourists. However, thanks to tropical rains, the whole region is a patchwork made of ravenalas trees, forests, vanilla and rice plantations.
- Maroantsetra and Antongil bay
__Maroantsetra is a small town facing the bay of Antongil. With 3m of rain water per year, it is the most rainy town of Madagascar ! __It is however well known of naturalists of the world, due to Nosy Mangabe island and Masoala National park being very close.
__The Antongil is one of the major breeding sites for humpback whales. it is more diffcult to see the whales here than at Sainte Marie island.
__Nosy Mangabe is the island called 'the very blue island'. At 5km offshore in the bay, this natural reserve goes for 520 hectares of a dense forest, one of the remaining original tropical forest.
__The star there is the Aye-Aye lemur that was introduced in 1966. The mamal is the rarest and most threatened of the planete. With its globular eyes, his two coats and his very long third finger, this lemur looks more like an alien and is feared by the local hunters. You will also find in the reserve other lemurs such as great cheirogales, the red microcebe, the brown lemur, and the black and white vari.
__Reptiles are also to be seen there, the uroplatus finbriatus, the tail leaf gecko, the brookesia chameleon, the mantella frog, harmless snakes, 39 species of birds and 7 species of herons...
- The Masoala national park
__The biggest national park, Masaola, goes for 230 000 hectares of tropical forest on Masoala peninsula.
__The park is the habitation of the Varinoux lemur, of the white head Maki, the red owl, the tomato frog (carnivorous frog), mangoose, Malagasy secretary bird, and much more birds, mamals and reptiles.
__On the shore, magnificent coral reefs, mangroves keep unknown plants that are studied by scientifics missions.
