To our surprise, the access road to Manambato was closed. After some calls, we found out a car that could wait on the other side of the road block and would drive us to Orania Lodge, from where the boat usually goes to Palmarium Reserve. So that was the extra cost of 70,000 MGA and a nearly 2-hour delay.
Another issue was the boat price, the public boat at 14,00 should cost 249,000 MGA up to 3 people and then an extra 60,000 MGA for an additional person, but the captain and even his office, which confirmed to us that price a day ago, were insisting on paying the “private” boat transfer – double price! The problem was solved later that evening by the manager of the Palmarium Hotel. They called it a misunderstanding, but it was a clear scam, like 30 years ago.
To our surprise, the next day it appeared on our bill at full price again, so after another talk with him and heavy drinking until 02:30 in the morning, it was reduced to show up on the bill at check-out. It was a nightmare to deal with this bipolar alcoholic manager of the Palmarium Hotel. Another scam story from this property is at the Aye-Aye post.
The Pangalanes Canal is a 600-700km network of man-made channels, rivers, and natural lakes running parallel to Madagascar’s east coast, built by the French between 1896 and 1904. It serves as a vital, peaceful transportation artery, offering scenic journeys between Manambato and the Akanin’ny Nofy reserve.
Gliding across calm inland waters, the one-hour journey was peaceful and immersive. We passed lakes, narrow canals, and small lakeside villages where daily life unfolds along the water—fishing, washing, and transport by traditional pirogues.
Surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, the scenery gradually becomes wilder and more remote as we approach Palmarium, a unique reserve set between the canal, the forest, and the Indian Ocean.
