Sava is the name of a region in the northern-eastern part of Madagascar and got its name from the first letters of its most important towns: Sambava – Andapa – Vohemar – Antalaha with Sambava being the capital of the region. The region was part of the Antsiranana (of which Diego Suarez is the capital) province until 2009, but it’s now a region on its own with Sambava being the capital. It is bordered by the Diana Region in the north and Analanjirofo in the south. There are currently around 1,125,000 inhabitants in an area of 25,581 square kilometers and is home to many wild green areas such as Masoala National Park where you can find a wide variety of fauna and flora with many species endemic to the region such as the helmet vanga and the Madagascar serpent eagle. The region is mostly known because of bourbon vanilla production. It is still not discovered by tourism and its few visitors only go to Masoala National Park and a handful of brave adventurers make it to the rest of the region, where an extremely rewarding experience is waiting for them.
There are two ways to go to SAVA. The first option is by flying to Sambava and this is a good option if you are limited in time. If you have enough time, we advise you to start your tour in Diego Suarez (Antsiranana), visit Cap d’Ambre, Tsingy Rouge, Tsingy l’Ankarana and the Anjahakely Mountains and then slowly make your way down, passing Vohemar, continue to Sambava, then go to Andapa and dive into the green mountains to finally arrive in Antalaha, where you’ll visit the vanilla plantations and if you dare, continue on a motorbike all the way through the bush to Cap Masoala where you’ll have splendid views over the Helodrano Antongila Bay, where thousands of whales are putting up a show for you. Take the boat to Masoala Lodge and get to meet strange creatures such as tenrecs and the aye-aye lemur. Finally continue to Maroantsetra from where you can take the plane to Antananarivo. If you truly want to visit the Sava including the national parks you’ll need two weeks (including Masoala) and three weeks if you start from Diego-Suarez.
Sava has an abundance of natural beauty, but it is the authenticity of the place and the incredible kindness of the people, together with the hospitality you’ll receive which will make you fall in love with this wonderful place, which is still very intact and only discovered by a handful of tourists, of which the majority are Malagasy. Be prepared to be amazed by the lush green vegetation and picturesque rice fields dotted with colorful-clothed people and charming villages. Every now and then you’ll notice a strong scent of vanilla which will overwhelm you, which is just one of the many flavors of the region together with cloves, cinnamon and blooming flowers.
Sava has a rich variety in landscapes with green hills, deep massifs with misty forests, countless rice fields, a wild coastline where many different plants and flowers in all kinds of colors and smells are waiting for you, together with and abundance of wildlife such as lemurs, exotic birds, lizards, chameleons and more. The deeper you go into the Sava, the more you’ll encounter postcard-perfect picture opportunities along the coast or when looking over the rice fields with mountains in the back. The scenery becomes even more dramatic when you leave the tarred road in Antalaha and continue to Cap Est, followed by Cap Masoala, where every place you pass will just amaze you.
Its national parks Masoala, Marojejy and Anjanaharibe South offer many hiking and camping possibilities with great wildlife viewing opportunities and are all great ways to get to know more about the local culture and village life. These parks are some of the most biodiverse in the whole country!
Coming to Sava is also a great opportunity to see the vanilla production as 70 to 80 percent of the world’s vanilla comes from this region and to date, no other place has succeeded to produce the same quality of vanilla like in Sava. To grow these orchids, you need to hand pollinate them and drying the pods is actually a complicated and labor-intense procedure, explaining the high price for this beautiful product. When you’re here you will get to know everything there is to know about one of the most popular aromas in the world! But it’s not just vanilla which does well here, coconut, cloves, cinnamon, chocolate, peppers and various fruits do really well here and are of the highest quality you can find. The high quality of local ingredients which leads to a tasty cuisine definitely is a big surplus for your travel in Madagascar.
Thanks to the vanilla trade, Sava is one of the richest regions in all of Madagascar and many people are doing quite well. You’ll also discover that there is a higher level of education here compared to other places in Madagascar and people will love to show you around. During your stay you will feel well received, but also safe as there is little crime in this region and there is also not the problem of beggars like in other parts of Madagascar.
As tourism is still very small in Sava, there still is a need for good hotels and lodges, so please adjust your expectations accordingly. The new road is already a big improvement and we are hoping that new hotels will be built to create more variety and competitive prices. Luckily we have a few good places all along the vanilla coast to accommodate our guests and the parks also offer great camping possibilities.
The local ministry of tourism consists of highly motivated people and there is a strong collaboration between different leaders from the whole region with a focus on sustainable tourism where local tour operators, guides, village chiefs and government officials work together and listen to each other’s needs. For our tours in Sava we have guides from all layers of society: people from the vanilla industry, local conservationists and also government attached guides. All of our guides are passionate people who go out of their way to make you feel at home and to show you the wonders Sava has to offer.
While we love all of Madagascar and definitely encourage you to discover all of the island, Sava has a special place in our heart as it is home to the greenest forests and offers incredible landscapes, true authenticity and wild off the grid experiences which are very different than in the rest of Madagascar, so we hope that you will give this beautiful paradise a place in your programme when you are coming to Madagascar.
Please, have a look at the tours our agency is offering and don’t hesitate to contact us in case you have any questions or would like to have a customized tour. We also offer tours which combine other parts of Madagascar together with the Sava Region, which start from Diego Suarez (Antsiranana) or Nosy, but also from Antananarivo of course!
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