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→How to get from Antananarivo to Maroantsetra
The easiest and surely qickest way to reach Maroantsetra is by plane. There is a domestic airport 8km from town. As Air Madagascar approaches Maroantsetra only ... times a week using a small plane, free seats are often sold out. Spontaneous travellers might have a problem obtaining a ticket.
Another option but surely not ideal for everyone is to go by private car or [[taxi-brousse]]. Although the RN2 from Antananarivo to [[Toamasina]] is in very good condition, the northern part of the RN5 running along the east coast is often impassable. A The usually 2 days car journey between Toamasina and Maroantsetra can easily change into a 3-4 days adventure throughout the rainy season.
The third option is a combination of taxi-brousse and boat transfer. There are numerous taxi-brousses leaving Tana direction Toamasina in the early morning hours. For those who don't want to wait until the taxi-brousse is finally filled up with enough passengers or simply want to have a seat for themselves should go by [[Cotisse Transport]]. The ticket is slightly more expensive (24,000 Ariary in 2015), but the buses leave on time and have free Wifi. The Tana-Toamasina stretch takes between 6 and 8 hours. In Toamasina one can jump on a [[pousse-pousse]] to get to the [[Melissa Express]] office. Melissa Express offers boat services between Toamasina and Maroantsetra. As the boat goes only twice a week, one should not hesitate to buy one of the rare tickets (180,000 Ariary in 2015). The boat leaves from [[Soanierana Ivongo]], a small town 163km north of Toamasina. The transfer to the boat takes about 4 hours and is included in the ticket price. A regular taxi-brousse costs (10,000 Ariary, 2015). From Soanierana Ivongo the boat leaves after midnight usually between 2am and 3am and arrives after a stop in [[Mananara]] about 8 hours later in Maroantsetra.
