This '''Morondava is a picture-postcard town in the Menabe region in south west Madagascar. In former times Morondava was a centre of the [[Sakalava]] Kingdom and a popular stop-over for sailors. Today the area is rich in sugar and rice farming, while remaining a popular stop-over in particular for tourists travelling to and from Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park.''' {| class="imageTable"|-|colspan="3" | [[File:Morondava 0102.jpg|600px]]|-|[[File:Morondava 0078.jpg|196px]]|align="center"|[[File:Morondava 0082.jpg|196px]]|align="right"|[[File:Morondava 0088.jpg|196px]]|-|[[File:Morondava 0065.jpg|196px]]|align="center"|[[File:Morondava 0110.jpg|196px]]|align="right"|[[File:Morondava 0036.jpg|196px]]|} As the population has grown in the region the forests have also been gradually cut down, except the baobab trees which the locals has preserved for religious reasons. However, unfortunately deforestation to make way for sugar cane plantations continues in large areas including some of the remaining baobabs. Morondava can be reached by a 700km drive from [[Antananarivo]]. However, the road conditions in the latter part of the journey, the 120km between [[Miandrivazo]] and [[Malaimbandy]], are especially poor and can take six hours. The entire drive can take between 11 and 18 hours. As such, Morondava is best reached by plane. There are daily flights by [[Air Madagascar]] connecting Antananarivo and [[Tulear]]. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" style="margin-right:10px;"><tr><td valign="top">[[File:Morondava 0051.jpg|189px|none|thumb|Schooner]]</td><td valign="top">[[File:Morondava 0010.jpg|189px|none|thumb|Beach at Nosy Kely]]</td><td valign="top">[[File:Morondava 0061.jpg|189px|none|thumb|Beach at Nosy Kely]]</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top">[[File:Morondava 0117.jpg|189px|none|thumb|Morondava from the air]]</td><td valign="top">[[File:Morondava 0060.jpg|189px|none|thumb|Beach at Nosy Kely]]</td><td valign="top">[[File:Morondava 0001.jpg|189px|none|thumb|Round rice fields]]</td></tr> </table> Nearby attractions include [[Kimony Beach]] (2½ hour walk), [[Kirindy Forest]] (40km northeast), [[Baobab Avenue]] (15km east), [[Belo sur Mer]] and [[Kirindi-Mitea National Park]] (70km south) and [[Tsingy de Bemaraha]] (150km north). Scenic charter flights over the most spectacular areas of Tsingy de Bemaraha can be booked in Morondava at the Baobab Café. Available aircrafts are Cessna 172 (max. 3 passengers), Cessna 210 (max. 5 passengers) or Cessna 421 (max. 7 passangers). Air charters elsewhere in Madagascar can also be booked here. About 12km from town enroute Baobab Avenue is [[Parc Menabe]], a small zoo including a couple of lemurs, a crocodile, various chameleons and a collection of green Malagasy lovebirds. Additionally, this is an ostrich farm set up by a South African ex-patriot who brought the ostriches to Madagascar. As such, Morondava may be the only place in Madagascar where ostrich meat can be found on restaurant menus. '''Update March 2010:''' As a result of a downturn in tourism, this zoo along with the ostrich farm have closed. However, the animals are still roaming around the park area and are being fed by a zoo keeper. ''Taxi de la mer'' is a boat transfer that runs twice a week between Morondava and Belo sur Mer and which takes about 2½ hours. The price is 50,000 each way more helupfl than anything else Ive looked . Reservations can be made at the office in the port or atthe ''Hatea Café'' on Nosy Kely. Tel: +261 032 0469261. <!-- or email: [mailto:hatea04@yahoo.fr hatea04@yahoo.fr]. BOUNCED! --> <div style="max-width:600px;">{{#display_map:-20.291705, 44.278121~'''Morondava'''~~;|type=satellite|service=google|width=auto|height=400|zoom=14|controls=pan, zoom, type, scale|copycoords=yes|icon=https://www.madacamp.com/images/madagascar/Green_marker.png}}</div> == Accommodation == Morondava offers plenty of accommodation alternatives, ranging from budget backpacker rooms to comfortable beach bungalows. The hotels are either in the town or on Nosy Kely peninsula, a few minutes walk from the town centre. '''[[Baobab Café]]'''<br>Tel: +261 9552012<br>Email: [mailto:baobabtours@blueline.mg baobabtours@blueline.mg]<br>Website: [http://www.baobabtour.com www.baobabtour.com] '''[[Eden Garden]]'''<br>Close to the beach and the post office '''[[Chez Maggie]]'''<br>Tel: +261 9552347<br>Email: [mailto:info@chezmaggie.com info@chezmaggie.com]<br>Website: [http://www.chezmaggie.com www.chezmaggie.com] '''Hôtel Les Bougainvilliers'''<br>Tel: +261 209552163 <br>Email: [mailto:bvl_nd@yahoo.fr bvl_nd@yahoo.fr] '''La Piroge''' (about 30km north of town in a small Makao fishing village across a river)<br>Tel: +261 320778293<br>Email: [mailto:piroguiers@yahoo.fr piroguiers@yahoo.fr] '''Les Mantalys''' (near the airport)<br>Tel: +261 324204877<br>Email: [mailto:hotelmantalys@yahoo.fr hotelmantalys@yahoo.fr]<br>Website: [http://www.hotel-mantalys.com www.hotel-mantalys.com] '''Les Philaos''' (managed by same company as Hotel Central)<br>Tel: ++261 209552081<br>Email: [mailto:sica@wanadoo.mg sica@wanadoo.mg] '''Morondava Beach'''<br>Tel: +261 209552318<br>Email: [mailto:mbeach@aic.fr mbeach@aic.fr]<br>Website: [http://www.hgi-mbeach.com www.hgi-mbeach.com] '''Hotel Renala'''<br>Tel: +261 20 9592089<br>Email: [mailto:renala.sabledor@mel.wanadoo.mg renala.sabledor@mel.wanadoo.mg] '''Hotel Trecicogne'''<br>Tel: +261 2095 520 69<br>Email: [mailto:trecicogne@wanadoo.mg trecicogne@wanadoo.mg] '''[[Residence Tiningy]]'''<br>Tel: +261 33 37 296 38<br>619 Morondava<br>Email: [mailto:lapetitetiningy@yahoo.fr lapetitetiningy@yahoo.fr]<br>Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/pages/R%C3%A9sidence-de-Vacances-Tiningy-/205664519480324 https://www.facebook.com/pages/R%C3%A9sidence-de-Vacances-Tiningy-/205664519480324] '''Hotel Le Betalage'''<br>Tel: +261 9552732 '''Zoom Hotel'''<br>Tel: +261 9592059 '''Hôtel L'Oasis'''<br>Tel: +261 9552222 == Additional information == View all [[Morondava photos]]
