Ifaty-Mangily. A lot of interesting days
Ifaty and Mangily are two separate villages 3km apart that share the same beach, known as Ifaty Beach (the Dunes d’Ifaty, for example, is in Mangily). The bay of Ifaty is for many travelers synonymous with idleness, beautiful beaches lined with coconut palms... but also a seaside resort of a certain magnitude, mostly welcomed after a long trekking tour. Indeed the beaches are beautiful and its closeness to Toliara, where most trips to the South end, make Ifaty a well worth trip to lay down on the beach and do some snorkeling. At the white sandy beaches of Ranobe bay (translated “big water”) at Mozambique Channel, you have the best opportunities to relax. The water is warm and the sun shines on more than 300 days of the year.
The main tourist hub is the village of Mangily (when talking about Ifaty, actually speaks of the village of Mangily!). Consists of a few establishments where are the royal bungalows. The village also has good really charming little hotels where the word "holiday" takes on its full meaning. In addition, a further attraction for those missing Sainte Marie are the whales passing by in July and August, as well as an amazing spiny forest along the road just north of Mangily is well worth a look.
The southwestern coast of Madagascar is, together with Nosy Be and Sainte Marie islands, the best place to practice diving and snorkeling in Madagascar (read about this at the bottom of this article).
Here is nothing but disorder and beauty, luxury and want, uproar and quietness, and everyday delight... - in between lagoon and spiny forest, it is the perfect base camp for a few days around. You can of course, and we recommend it, practice scuba diving or whale watching with us, but also,
ENJOY THESE... experiences:
take a quad and explore the surroundings, especially the Manombo dunes and Ranobe Lake - a rallying point for local wildlife;
visit a forest of baobab trees Reniala Private Reserve. Located just 800 meters from the sea on 60 ha, Reniala protects baobabs and spiny forest, it is an ornithologic reserve, a research and preservation center for lemurs where visitors can observe rare birds and reptiles. There is a possibility of night walks to discover the nightlife of animals;
Private Baobab party. Private dinner in the Reniala reserve at the foot of the big millennial baobab at sunset. On the menu, grilled fish, traditional Malagasy dishes, creole and European cuisine. For our guests to have an unforgettable moment during journey;
sailing the lagoon or over reef on 'pirogues' - a whole day excursion or just for the morning, with snorkelling in the morning and picnic with lobster at Ambolimailaka or at the Roses massif, where you'll watch the fishermen coming back to shore, dizains of 'pirogues' competing in shouts and joy - Ah, tea mitabataba vezo reo!- to be the first and get the best price for the fish;
visit Arboretum d'Antsokay (a whole day excursion) - is a botanical garden specialized in the flora and fauna of Southwest Madagascar that should not be missed by anyone. On a surface of 40 hectares there are almost 900 species of plants, 90% endemic to the region. A trained guide takes you on a tour of the area, where you see around a hundred of species of Euphornia and 60 species of Kalanchoe, as well as an abundance of reptiles and birds. Excellent meals à la carte is served at the restaurant Dry Forest, situated in the heart of the reserve;
Camping trip Nosy Ve. The visit to the nearby island of Nosy Ve with a traditional pirogue is a big favorite and highly recommended. A about 5 km of Anakao, this long island plate lined with sandy beaches, is located inside the coral reef protecting the lagoon;
visit Honko community-based mangrove reserve. The Bird's haven. Visit the first fully developed community mangrove reserve in southwest Madagascar and truly support the local community! This community-based mangrove reserve offers the unique opportunity to take a guided boardwalk tour of southwest Madagascar's mangroves and explore its unique flora and fauna. This site is particularly noted for its wetland bird diversity (at least 37 species)!;
horse rides and treks along the lagoon and through a beautiful baobab forest;
kitesurfing (with training, if necessary);
water skiing (with training, if necessary);
surfing (with training, if necessary);
various excursions in highly secured boat (two engines);
traditional or deep sea fishing;
a picnic with local fishermen;
have a drink and merely get a massage, a tan or sleep on the beach...
Diving in the Ifaty and Solary. NDAO-i-Travel together with our partner Atimoo plongée (diving school, teaching personalized courses from SCUBA DIVER to DIVE MASTER) offer guided scuba diving along different sites of the coral reef, you can rent all equipment right here. There are a lot of opportunities to discover the sea and its colorful inhabitants, for beginners as well as for experienced divers. In some spots, travelers even have the unique possibility to meet sharks within touching distance under water. You’re not that brave? Then you will find plenty of chances to dive or snorkel inside safe coves.
Our idea - Diving the Vezo coast from Mangily to Morombe - find out here.
We make every effort to ensure the satisfaction of our customers by providing a quality service.
Ifaty-Mangily gives way to controversy. Believe us, Ifaty-Mangily deserves a longer stay. Here would be enough material for a ton of novels, if it wasn't more thrill and interesting to be there. And (let's be honest) if the beaches are very nice, there is still much nicer elsewhere (especially in the north). If fact, we still prefer the more untouched and pristine beaches of the western coast (Salary Bay until Belo-sur-Mer), but Ifaty will also do you quite a few of interesting days and complete relaxation.
Wath more photos about Ifaty-Mangily here.