Andavadoaka to Ifaty

Another early start as we had 150 km to travel including a difficult section of soft sand. Dyna wanted to get to the soft sand while it was still damp from the nights dew. We started off on sand tracks..

...and salt pans with samphire beds.

After about 10 km we hit the soft sand, made even more difficult by offset ruts which tossed us from side to side and made moderate speed travel impossible. This went on for about 13 Kms!! Dyna's technique was to run the car in low range 4WD at low speed, the tyres only partly deflated.

This was a tedious stretch and all were relieve when it was over. We continued on sand tracks, in closed in forest and the temperature climbed. Alas, the engine couldn't handle the heavy workload and 37 degree temperatures and boiled. This didn't look good to us, no other people and no phone coverage, but Dyna was unfazed. He hot wired the a/c fan to back up the main fan ( the a/c had long since failed and wasn't used), let the engine cool, and topped up the water and away we went, trouble free - well relatively anyway as soon after we could hear a clanging in the front. No problem said Dyna, it is just stabiliser bar bushes and he would be able to fix them himself in the next town! It's great to have a driver/guide/mechanic here!!

There were More baobabs..

..a hoopoe in full display...

...what looked like Christmas bells, but are called peanuts of the forest....

...and a lot of this orange flowering bush that looked a little legume like.

After about 4 1/2 hours we came to a village with an Italian run eco resort. We decided to have a break and what a great decision it was. It was in a wonderful setting...

...and when we arrived one of the owners was making fresh pasta, and we were told there was enough for us as well if we wanted to stay for lunch (and pay of course).

It turned out to be an excellent 3 course meal with Italian espresso to follow plus a Frenchman and his daughter. The Frenchman ran a Madagascar travel business so had lots of tips for us - a nice 2 hour interlude from the road.

We drove on to Salary, a small vezu (fishing ethnic group) village....

...and were an instant hit with the kids.

The road then followed the coast. White sand and aquamarine water inside the reef.

Again, it didn't take the kids long to appear if we stopped near a fishing village.

A lot of limestone block was used in the villages, both for houses and fences.

After 3 hours we had covered the last of the 4WD tracks and cme into agricultural land and a different type of lifestyle. The ladies were still keen to have their photos taken.

Late in the afternoon, 10 1/2 hours after we left, we arrived at the Mangily Hotel in Ifaty. Again, perfectly perched above the beach with wooden bungalows.

Just enough time for a quick shower before we hit the caipirinhas and seafood.

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