Manantenina, Madagascar
Bronze Price Level Show Details
Price Level Key:
| Safari camps & resorts | City Hotels | |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | $300-500 | |
| Silver | $500-800 | $100-200 |
| Gold | $800-1200 | $200-400 |
| Platinum | $1200+ | $400+ |
| Based on high season rates (non-Christmas) | ||
About a mile from the Marojejy National Park Visitor Center, on the road to Andapa, is a farm owned by a kindly gentleman named Flavien Zandrimanana. Flavien's farm lies on the banks of the Lokoho River and spreads up a hillside with stupendous views out to the Marojejy Massif. Over the years, little by little, Flavien has lovingly built up his farm so that today it is a model of small-scale sustainable agriculture. Flavien has a little of everything: beehives, fish ponds, rice fields, chickens, ducks, coconut palms, a tree nursery, vegetable garden and vanilla plantation - the list goes on and on. Several years ago, a Peace Corps volunteer named Paul Atkinson met Flavien and was impressed by the productivity and diversity of his farm, as well as by the beauty and tranquility of the place. Together, Paul and Flavien hatched an idea to incorporate a bit of ecotourism into all the other activities on his farm. Later, encouraged by guidebook author Hilary Bradt when she traveled through the area with the team from marojejy.com, Flavien began adding amenities such as a bamboo dining area and improved toilet facilities, and lawns where tents can be pitched.
Flavien's Farm offers a remarkable glimpse into traditional Malagasy life in a tranquil and spectacular location. Flavien is a welcoming man, and a wealth of information on the local area. It's fascinating to watch him demonstrate the delicate process of hand-fertilizing vanilla flowers, or to hear him recount stories of a time when virgin forests were thick all around, when the songs of the babakoto (Indri indri) - now long gone - echoed from the canyon walls.