The road from Antsiranana (Diego-Suarez) to Ambanja follows the RN6, which has been largely rehabilitated—a massive improvement over the former dirt track. Although maintenance is still ongoing, travel time has been reduced significantly to about 3.5 to 4 hours (237 km). Some stretches still have potholes, and delays can occur at two major river crossings, the Mahavavy and Ifasy bridges. The route itself is scenic, winding through the mountainous Diana Region, with beautiful views of cacao plantations, villages, and forests.
As we mentioned in our previous post (“Drive to Ankarana”), the main challenge is crossing the Ifasy River. The bridge was destroyed by Cyclone Gamane, which hit the region between March 26 and 29, 2024. A provisional free ferry, loosely organised by locals and the army, is in place—but in practice, it barely functions. We spoke with other drivers, and many reported being stuck there for several days.
We couldn’t risk that kind of delay, so we did our research and prepared for the so-called local “fisherman mafia,” which offers a quick ferry transfer for small cars (about 3 minutes) for 50,000 MGA. The setup is simple: three canoes tied together with a wooden platform on top. Naturally, they initially tried to overcharge us, but once they realised we knew the standard price, they backed down. And since our car was blocking access to their makeshift ferry, they didn’t have much choice but to take us across.
