Sainte Luce delivers a taste of Madagascar in a few days and is just a few hours by 4X4 from Fort Dauphin. On the 50 km journey you will see all of life; Zebu being herded by groups of children, anything and everything being transported on a single bike, markets with fruit and cloth for sale, courtships, arguments and fishermen running to market with their catch! 

Miremby's trip will allow you to experience one of the most threatened ecosystems in Madagascar, as we visit one of the last intact areas of littoral forest on sandy soil. These forests make up a highly important area for some of southeastern Madagascar’s rarest endemic flora and fauna. Four species of lemurs can be seen on day and night walks; Red-collared Brown Lemur (Eulemur collaris), Southern Wooley lemurs the Sainte Luce Mouse Lemur (Microcebus saintelucei), and if you are lucky, fat tailed dwarf lemur. The wetlands surrounding the village ensure an abundance of birds; Purple heron, Humblot’s heron, Meller’s duck, Madagascar crested ibis, France’s sparrow hawk, Madagascar nightjar, African palm swift, Madagascar malachite kingfisher, Pygmy kingfisher, Madagascar bulbul, Madagascar magpie-robin, Hook-billed vanga, Common jery, Souimanga sunbird, Madagascar white-eye are also possible. Chameleons, geckos, tenrec and tree frogs will be seen in the forests, while a pirogue ride across the lake takes us to the roost of the flying foxes. Hump back and southern white whales appear seasonally in the bay and can be watched from the shore or a whale watching trip can be arranged. The flora in and around the forest is dominated by buttress-rooted pandanus palms, and includes the very rare Sainte Luce palm (Dypsis saintelucei) of which only around 100 mature individuals survive. 

Sainte Luce also has a rich history, being where the French first landed in Madagascar in 1638. On your Miremby tour we will introduce you to local mahampy weavers where you can and spend the day collecting the grass and learning how to weave anything from mats to hats! Down time can be spent walking the miles of white sand beach, swimming in the crystal clear waters, or watching the fishermen weave their lobster pots, mend their nets and then set off in their pirogues. If you are after some adventure it is also possible to kite surf in the bay. In the evenings you can hang out with the locals in Virgini's bar, eat freshly caught fish or lobster bought from fishermen on the road and watch village life pass by.