Southern Madagascar

The southern stretch of Route Nationale 7: Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana rainforest and the Isalo sandstone canyons, all the way to Toliara's beaches and the spiny forest of the far south.

This region is defined by administrative region and includes Haute Matsiatra (Fianarantsoa), Vatovavy, Fitovinany, Atsimo-Atsinanana, Ihorombe, Atsimo-Andrefana, Androy and Anosy. Atsimo-Andrefana, home to Toliara and Ifaty, lies on the southwest coast and is included here as the end point of Route Nationale 7.

Highlights: Fianarantsoa's old town and wineries; Ranomafana National Park (World Heritage rainforest) with its golden bamboo lemurs and frogs; ring-tailed lemurs at Anja Community Reserve; Isalo National Park's sandstone canyons, natural pools and the "Window of Isalo" sunset; the coral-reef beaches of Ifaty and Anakao near Toliara and the baobabs in the spiny forest; and Fort-Dauphin (Tôlanaro) at the southern tip, with Berenty Reserve.

Classic itineraries: the full Route Nationale 7 from Antananarivo to Toliara is about 900 km and takes 8–12 days including the Central Highlands, ending with 2–3 days of rest on Ifaty beach before flying back to the capital.

Getting there: Toliara and Fort-Dauphin have domestic flights; overland travel is mostly by hired car. Note: southern roads are potholed, so do not drive at night; some sections carry security risks, so follow your local driver's advice.

Destinations

Itineraries