With the kayaks on the Mangoky River

In January 2020 we received the beautiful new Vagabond kayaks from South Africa; a month later the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and then Madagascar was more or less closed for 2 years and the boats never saw the water.

Now in September 2022 the time had finally come: For the first time we were able to try the kayaks on the Mangoky River – and we were thrilled! They are fast and light boats, stable and practical. A good buy! And it felt so good to be kayaking on a river again!

It didn’t turn out to be the great tour we had dreamed of. There wasn’t enough water in the river, the roads were bad and we couldn’t transport the boats upstream. At least we were able to do smaller paddling trips near Ambika, where we couldn reach the river by car. Paddling against the current at 35 degrees is quite exhausting despite the good boats and low water level. Longer tours are only possible downstream.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t try whether the kayaks could be towed upriver by motorboat because the water level was too low for the motorboat. We will try all this in April, when the rainy season is over but the river is still flooded. Then we can finally do the planned “big tour” down from Beroroha and see whether this tour is suitable also for friends and guests.

It felt really good to be back on the water with the kayaks and we are looking forward to all further tours. We hope that many people will accompany us in the future. The Mangoky River and its banks with its forests and unique animals guarantee adventure!