In my previous post I talked about our meticulously planned trip to see all four islands of the Comoros archipelago, which was so rudely interrupted by political violence…and so we shifted to Mahajanga, on the west coast of Madagascar.
I’ve blogged about Mahajanga before, and I’ve even made videos similar to what I plan to share today. But I can’t overemphasize what a nice getaway Antsanitia Resort is, if you’re ever in the neighborhood. Pro tip: it’s worth the extra expense of springing for the private pool. At first it seemed like too much of a splurge – but compared to what you’d pay elsewhere, it’s a bargain. And it’s oh so pleasant to hang out there in the hot part of the day, or when the mosquitos come out to feast….
You can go out and do excursions from Antsanitia, but this resort an hour or two north of Mahajanga, on the sea where the river empties out, is made for relaxing, as far as I’m concerned. Take a walk on the beach, but beyond that, just chill. If you really need to do something, borrow a kayak and explore the other side of the river.
While we were there, I sent the drone out for a couple of short flights, which ended up providing fodder for a couple of fun videos. In the first, meet the dog who really doesn’t like drones; and in the second, experience a flock of seagulls up close.
It was sad to leave, but we left at the appointed time and arrived at the airport only to be told that our flight was going to be delayed at least five hours. And the airport in Mahajanga is not a fun place to hang out for five hours. And don’t tell the manager I told you this, but a great place to kill five hours is to go back into town and hang out at the Karibu Lodge. If you’re staying in town, it’s a fantastic place to stay (but not on the beach) with two-story townhouses that all have a beautiful sunset view. But the best thing about Karibu is the food. If you ask the manager nicely, he may let you lounge around in the (small) pool for a few hours, topped off by an amazing meal. And then it’s 15 minutes, tops, to the airport.
If you can’t talk them into staying at the Karibu, there are also a bunch of restaurants along what must be Madagascar’s only boardwalk, just a half mile farther south.
