Madagascar Ruthless RN5 with Nomadic Road

It was time for a new expedition as our last expedition was in September 2023. Since no expedition had been planned for 2024, I had booked a cruise expedition to Antarctica in the beginning of November 2024 with Ajay and Joy. The cruise was fully paid for, Airline tickets booked, hotel rooms booked in Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, Bags almost packed with all winter gear to battle the temperatures of Antarctica and I was in deep trouble. Arathi, my wife, had a fall and had her shoulder tendons torn. Doctor advised immediate surgery and the scariest part was 6 months of recovery time. In the meantime Joy had developed a frozen shoulder and doctor advised him not to travel to cold places. For sure I had to opt out of this expedition and so did Joy, leaving Ajay alone. Ajay tried his best to rope in his wife, but the visa didn’t arrive on time and Ajay had to leave alone. It was almost a year and when our Baikal boys’ team was wondering what and where next, Venky told us that he could arrange an expedition in the south of Madagascar for us in the beginning of April 2025 as he was running the RN5 expedition at the same time. When going through the RN5 videos, it looked very adventurous and daring and we asked Venky if we could join the same. Venky looked in to the logistics and said he could squeeze in 2 cars for us since we were only 4. Neeraj opted out as he had to take the family on holiday. Hence the teams were formed with Ram and me in one vehicle and Mittal and Deepak in the other.

While my wife was recovering from her surgery, I stealthily began the preparations knowing that the recovery period of the surgery was in line with the expedition and I was hoping that she would recover by then and I would be on board. As time passed, the tickets were booked and visa procured. When I was sure my wife had recovered enough, I broke the news of the RN5 expedition to her to which she reluctantly agreed. At last the time had come.

Day 1. 12/04 Dubai – Addis Ababa – Antananarivo (Tana)
I was flying Ethiopian airlines for the first time which felt convenient when it came to connectivity and timing. The Team from India was also flying Ethiopian, which meant we would be meeting in Addis Ababa and flying together to Antananarivo. As usual I shopped at duty free for usual stuff. The business class service was top notch and better than expected. It was a smooth flight from Dubai whereas the mad rush at the transfer gate was chaotic. Didn’t have time to visit the lounge as it was only a 90 minute layover and proceeded to the gate. Couldn’t find the guys around at the gate as they were being ferried from a different gate from the business class lounge. Finally we met on the plane with hugs and greetings and it was nice to be with the guys after a year and half.

The business class cabin which was quiet suddenly became noisy as we didn’t lose time pulling each other’s legs. The 6 hour flight to Tana (short form of Antananarivo) felt short with company. Even though we had online visa’s in hand, immigration took some time as there was only one counter for the online visas. Our luggage, which clearly had priority tags was nowhere to be seen when we reached the belt. As for our previous experiences, we were in doubt if our bags were lost in transit at Addis Ababa. Finally to our relief, the bags arrived and we exited the terminal. The local representative of Nomadic road, Tuky was waiting for us with a placard and led the way to the car park. The route to the hotel looked familiar like one our towns in India with many people on the streets. Venky had booked the hotel closer to the airport than the city. Hotel Au Bois Vert, a cute little resort owned by the French was a perfect beginning to our adventure. The tree laden car park was lined up with the fully modified and decked up Nissan Navara pickups. Venky was there to welcome us as usual when we arrived at the hotel. We just had enough time to freshen up and assemble at the car park as the sun sets around 5.30 pm and Venky wanted to introduce us to our vehicles in day light which would be home and partners for next 12 days. As we gathered in the car park, we got to meet the team for the first time. William, a new addition to the Nomadic road team was introduced to us. We were also introduced to the team, Britishers – Tony, Sandra, Rob and Jordi, the Turks – Aarda and Cem (pronounced as Jim) and the Omani couple Talal and Aalam. We also got to meet the local team of Guide Tuju, the kitchen team and the mechanic team. We were introduced to our vehicles, ours was Nomad 3 and shown about the belongings in it and the roof top tent. Also we had to put in our deposit for the cars and sign the rental contracts. Once settled we all met in the restaurant where we introduced ourselves and spoke about our previous experiences with Nomadic road as we are considered the ambassadors of Nomadic road. Venky did the expedition briefing and told us about the experiences of the previous RN5 expeditions. Tuju gave us a glimpse of the local traditions and do’s and don’ts when in Madagascar. Basically the people of Madagascar are known as Malagasy and are very warm and sweet.

The team looked good and we were sure we would all mingle for the days to come. The dinner was delicious and we got the taste of local beer too. To avoid the morning rush, we were told to assemble in the car park by 8am for departure with breakfast and vehicle packing included.

Day 2. 13/04 Antananarivo to Andasebe
A good start to the expedition. The team was present in the car park before 8am. The local sim I was given was not functioning and I was relying on my roaming data. The radios powered in and crackling of the radios meant we had begun the expedition drive. The first stop was at a local shopping mall. Here they replaced my sim and got it working with unlimited data. We stocked up on beer, wine, gin, tonic water and soft drinks.

After an hours break the convoy began moving and we were outside city limits in no time. The weather was beautiful and surroundings were full of greenery. The roads were good till now and we were making good ground. After2 hours of driving we took a detour at a place called Marazevo on RN2 and entered a private property. Reserve Peyrieras Madagascar exotic is a famous private wildlife park.

It serves as a crucial stop for tourists to see Madagascar’s unique and exotic animals up close, specially chameleons, frogs, butterflies, lemurs and reptiles offering close encounters and photo opportunities that are hard to get in the wild. It is named after French naturalist Andre Peyrieras, who established the farm to breed chameleons and reptiles for conservation and trade. The reserve is famous for its diversity of Chameleons (some smaller than a finger), geckos (such as leaf tailed geckos) frog (including the bright red tomato frog) snakes, crocodiles and butterflies.

The chameleons and geckos are kept in green house where you can enter and get close to them. We are even allowed to pick them up gently and pose for pictures.

They even demonstrate how the chameleons hunt insects with their long tongues. It was our pleasure to be with these special creatures so up close and get pictured with them. While we were busy at the farm, the kitchen team were busy setting up lunch at a close by shelter. It was a delicious picnic lunch accompanied with fruits. It was time for us to leave the reserve and proceed towards our destination. 90% of the road was Tarmac and last the few kilometers when we leave the highway was gravel road. On the way, we got lucky to have a first glimpse of the wild lemurs near a stream by the road. By the time we stopped cars and got out to get pictures, they disappeared into the forest. Finally before sunset we reached the beautiful Vakona Forest lodge next to a manmade lake where we would be staying for 2 nights. It is a 3 star lodge located in the heart of Andasibe forest, in a unique and idyllic setting with exceptional flora and fauna. The promise to give you an escape experience with comfort felt true. Again we had very less time to settle down as a night hike in the reserve forest had been organized. As earlier said, it gets dark by 6pm and we were driven to the customer center at the forest office. The pursuit of this night hike was to find the nocturnal lemurs and see them up close in their natural habitat. The forest guides were very knowledgeable about their job and gave us lot of information. We got to see some lemurs sleeping on the trees and got to see the nocturnal smallest species of lemur known as the mouse lemur from close.

Also go to see a small chameleon along the way resting on a branch. We were lucky to see these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. Back at the hotel, the group assembled for dinner at the restaurant. It’s always nice when the full group is present and the camaraderie builds. After all retired to their cottages, Mittal and I sat for a couple of drinks and catch up chats in front of my cottage.

Day 3. 14/04 Stay at Vakona lodge.
After breakfast we drove to Mantadia national park for a hike in the rain forest. The aim was to find and see at least 3 species of lemurs in their natural habitat. A simple 9 km drive took us 1.5hours to reach and we got the taste of the bad roads which were yet to come. The guides were the same who were with us the previous night. They promised to show us the something which is called the world’s smallest giraffe. To our surprise it was not an animal, but a pretty insect with a long neck like a giraffe.

On the way we met some locals carrying sugarcane rum in white jerry cans. They were kind enough to let us taste it, and they served us in hollow bamboo which substituted as mugs. At the destination, we parked our cars and equipped with rain coat, water and cameras, we followed our guides into the rainforests of Mantadia national park. The forest was quite dense and untouched only with the regular trails created for the hike. The guides tried their best to track the Lemurs, but they were very elusive today. Thought to myself that I am jinxed with wild life as whenever I am around, in the many countries I have been, the wild life has been elusive. 3 hours of hike in the forest was futile as we didn’t manage to see a single bird or animal, forget the Lemurs. While we were hiking, the kitchen team were busy preparing lunch for us at the car park. They created a nice shelter by tying tarpaulins to the cars. And as we began our lunch, it started raining and created a perfect atmosphere. On the way back to the lodge, we visited the Lemur Island as we were not able to see the lemurs in the wild. It’s a manmade island with a river flowing all around. We need to cross over to the island by boat which is just a few meters wide. As lemurs don’t like water, they don’t attempt to go out of the island.

The lemurs are used to human interaction and don’t shy from getting close to humans when the guides feed them. We got to closely see 5 species of lemurs here. One lemur came on my shoulder briefly and I was lucky to have a photograph with the lemur on my shoulder. The guide told us that before covid they allowed the lemurs to come on the shoulders of the tourists. Back at the lodge, the guys took a nap while I got time to do some catch up calls back home. 6.30 we sat for our usual ritual and joined the gang at 8 for dinner at the Restaurant.

Day 4. 15/04 Andasibe to Mahambo
It’s a Full days drive of 310kms from Vakona jungle lodge in Andasebe to Hotel La pirogue in the town of Mahambo. So it was an early start and breakfast was at 6am at the restaurant. It would be only technical stops today for coffee, lunch and bio breaks along the highway. Even though we were driving on the main highway of RN2, the number and size of the potholes on the road amazed us. The aim of the day was to reach the hotel before sunset. For lunch, a nice spot was picked by the side of a stream under a lychee tree. The chef Radu and his team had prepared quite a good lunch and by then it had become a ritual for us to have 2 beers before lunch. After lunch all chairs were packed in the rear cabin of Nomad 3. As we were entering the port town of Tomasina, someone in the convoy noticed smoke coming out of the rear cabin of Nomad 3. The metal chair had slipped on to the top of the battery that powered the refrigerator and rear lights and had caused a short circuit and the chair fabric was on fire. Noticed early and timely intervention with fire extinguishers averted a major catastrophe and the fire was put out causing minimum damage to the vehicle and the things in the cabin. Only a few chairs and the battery had to be discarded and replaced. After refueling the vehicles and stocking up enough beer, sparkling water and tonic water, we had officially entered the notorious RN5. It was surprising to the see the size of the potholes on the road where easily a car could be buried. Thankfully it had not rained in a couple of days and water level was low in the pot holes (craters would be a better word). It would be impossible to judge the depth of the potholes if it was filled with water. A few kms into the RN5, the hissing noise increased in the engine and our car lost power completely and we still had a journey of 2.5 hours to reach the hotel. Unfortunately the support car was behind in Tomasina sourcing the destroyed battery of Nomad 3 and stocking up on supplies. So we decided not to wait for them and keep on moving. The car wouldn’t move more than a speed of 30km/hour. So we asked the convoy to move on and Nomad 3 was following us at our pace hoping the support team would catch up with us and sort out the problem. Fortunately the roads got so bad that we caught up with the convoy and drove with the convoy till we reached the hotel. To our surprise, Hotel La Pirogue was a beautiful beach resort with cute little thatched roof huts.

The view was mesmerizing from my cottage with dusk already set in. We freshened up and gathered at the beautiful beach side open restaurant for the ritual of drinks and dinner. The huge grilled fish was really delicious accompanied with salads and bread. It was a peaceful night’s sleep hearing the roaring waves crash on the shore.

Day 5, 16/04 Mahambo to Manompana.
The bad news was there was a damage in the turbo pipe due to which we had lost power and good news was the mechanics were able to temporarily patch it up and the vehicle had regained power and ready to go. Tonight would be our first camping experience by the beach. After breakfast we rolled out of the hotel. The roads were bad but not ruthless. We were getting far and far from cities and would only pass small towns and villages. The convoy stopped at a small town called Fenorivo where the Chef was stocking for tonight’s camping. The specialty of the day was we were beginning to cross the water bodies on Pontoons. It was not as exciting for us as we had crossed rivers by pontoons in our previous expedition of Zambia. The first Pontoon was after crossing the town of Soanierana Ivango. The entrance to the jetty was through Narrow Street and we had to squeeze our vehicles so that the vehicles that come from the pontoon could move. We had to wait for quite some time there and finally 7 of our vehicles could board on the pontoon. As it would take a long time for the pontoon to cross over and the other cars to join us, after driving briefly we stopped for lunch break by the road side. By the time we finished lunch, the cars had joined the convoy and without wasting time we proceeded to the next pontoon. As they are trying to improve the infrastructure, they are building new bridges and road on the RN5 but not bothering to maintain the roads that are already built.

Successfully crossing the other 2 pontoons we were in Manompana and the convoy parked on the roadside while shepherd was scouting for the camping place. Meanwhile we were parked on the road side, an old French guy came out of a house and curiously asked us why we were parked outside his residence. When told the reason, he invited us to his place to have a look around. In fact he had a guest room and was building one more for the tourists or passersby. He had coffee plants, vanilla, mandarin, sweet lime and many more fruit trees in his garden. It was a great experience meeting him and listening to his stories. We would have spent more time at his place, but got a message that the camp site was finalized and the convoy had to move. The campsite was just down the road on the beach with a green patch of vegetation separating the beach and the road. Nomad 1 got down the road and got stuck on the beach sand and once he was cleared it was my turn and to my horror, I too got stuck in the sand. I was embarrassed as Venky had introduced me as an expert in sand due to my experience in the deserts of Dubai. For me it wasn’t a struggle as my vehicle easily moved once the tires were deflated. But nomad 1 had to be winched and helped to get out. The camp had to be set up before sunset and we all did the needful. We all wanted to go for a swim, but the place was not suitable as it was suddenly deep at the beach itself and the currents were strong too.

So we settled for a camp fire while the chef and his team were busy preparing dinner for us. We had a delicious meal will grilled fish, salads and bread, while the vegetarians had their share of Dal and rice which went along very well with spirits we were consuming. The moonrise on the horizon at sea was so beautiful and it raised our spirits further. We cleaned things as much as possible and went to our respective tents, of which I would be on the vehicle roof top tent as Ram had chosen the ground tent. Thanks to the team, they had set up the tents for us and everything was ready. We had heard that the weather could change anytime, and we had never thought it would tonight.

Day 6, 17/4 Manompana to Anta Nambe.
At around 3 am woke up to the sound of thunder and lightning. The wind had picked up and roof top tent was taking a beating. In no time it began pouring. I closed all the ventilation flaps hoping the tent won’t get blown off from the roof top. In a while felt wet near my feet and checked with my flash light. Water was seeping the rough the entrance zip and everything was wet at the bottom. What a great camping experience it was. Some people had not put the rainproof layer on top of the tent and were totally drenched. Once the rain stopped we got out of the tents to inspect the damage. Few chairs and tables had toppled and we collected all the utensils that had scattered around. It was a beautiful morning and I went hunting for a good spot for the morning routine. After breakfast on the beach it was time for roll out for the day. We had a few kilometers of good road which was under construction till we reached the pontoon crossing at Vatobe. This was a small pontoon powered by a small boat. The boat was attached to the pontoon and pushing the pontoon from one side of the river to the other. Once on the other side of the river, the road turned into a track barely enough for one vehicle. The real RN5 had just begun.

The thunder storm last night had just helped the condition of the roads by filling up all the potholes creating slush. It was an awesome offroad experience. After the second pontoon, in order to save time, we were given the coordinates and asked to move on as only 2 cars could cross the pontoon at time. Thanks to the storm last night, all puddles were filled to the brim and at times we had to wade through bonnet high water and the Nissan Navara pickups did a decent job. A few kilometers before our camping spot for the night, there was huge puddle of water and a diversion around it. My car got stuck in a big hole and refused to move out even on 4 low. Fortunately the support car was behind us and the chief mechanic observed that the front wheels were not spinning. On inspection he found that the 4×4 transmission had broken. They towed out my car and by then the team behind us had arrived on the spot. We were in a dilemma whether to go through the puddle or again take the totally screwed up diversion path.

The mechanic decided to check out the puddle by getting into it. It was not a puddle, it was a crater with sudden depression and more than waist high water and decided we had to take the diversion itself. I somehow managed to get through rough patch on 2 wheel drive and we caught up with the convoy.

Venky guided us on the beach telling us it was out camping spot and we believed it. To our surprise we stopped at a beautiful place which looked like a resort, but was a cute little lodge. There were 6 nice looking thatched hut type cottages and we the Indian boys got a 2 bedroom villa. It was not luxurious, but we had a cot to sleep with mosquito curtains on it and more importantly there was a decent toilet with a shower in it. Since it was short distance of 30km drive today we had reached the lodge by lunch time. As usual as we were having our beers, the chef spread out an open air lunch of fried rice with sausages and eggs. While some of the people preferred to take a nap, some of us went to the beach for a swim. Venky had organized a few local fisherman with their canoes, and the fishing enthusiasts went out to sea in the wobbly canoes but came back empty handed. As there was nothing much to do, I accompanied the second batch of beach goers and it was good fun.

We spent the evening at leisure and gathered in the restaurant for dinner and drinks. Since it was almost a week together now, camaraderie was good and time well spent. We were discussing the drive today, how things rolled out and even pulling each other’s legs. Venky warned us that what we drove today was just the beginning and the real adventure would start tomorrow driving to Mananara Norde and Rantabe. I was a little more excited as I knew I had to manage this notorious stretch with 2 wheel drive.

Day 7, 18/4 Anta Nambe to Mananara Norde.
It was a day of immediate action and a dreadful day for the organizers. The spare parts were 2 to 3 days away in any direction. And to make it better, the forecast predicted rain during the day. I was bound to get stuck at places courtesy of driving on 2 wheel drive. While it was a concern for the organizers and the support team, I was enjoying the challenge and doing pretty well to everyone’s surprise. I was strategically placed between the mechanics support car and nomad 5 which had a winch. It was no more level roads. We had to drive up and down the mountains, but all along the coast. Today’s driving included driving on the beach, soft sand, roads with inclines full of rocks and boulders, red mud roads which turned into clay because of the rain.

The progress was very slow, can say we were treading inch by inch precariously. It was daunting task for the lead car as the road was unpredictable. In a place while crossing a huge puddle, the car got stuck on a rock that was not visible. The car had to be winched out and take an alternative route avoiding the rock in the pit. To make matters worse, the lead mechanic had a concern about my car, that I would destroy the car driving on 2 wheel drive and the vehicle would be unrepairable. Even though the conversation was in Malagasy, I knew it was about me and my car.

Finally they decided to tow my car which I was against. It was difficult to tow the car in the condition the roads were. After sometime they agreed to my suggestion that I would drive the normal sections and they would tow me whenever there was a difficult section or an incline which couldn’t be driven without 4 wheel drive. This exercise continued for some time while navigating the worst roads that could be driven. To make things worse, the turbo which had been fixed with some temporary solution gave way and the vehicle lost power completely. The management decided to give us the support car driven by William and the mechanic team decided to tow the car. After driving the morning in 2 wheel drive, driving with 4 wheel drive felt like a piece of cake. A couple of kilometers down the beaten track, heard on the radio that Nomad 3, notoriously known for destroying cars, had lost the clutch. You could smell the clutch from half a kilometer, that bad it was. Venky’s nightmare was coming true. Now we had 2 broken down cars. Deepak and Mittal from Nomad 3 shifted to our car and the cars were towed to the nearest village. It was decided to leave the 2 cars in the care of the mechanics and we continued our drive towards Mananara with our luggage moved from our cars into the support car we were driving. Many a times vehicles would get stuck in sand or slush and had to be pulled out.

Luckily it was a camping day and there was no fixed destination we had to reach. It was almost 4 pm when we somehow came out of the difficult section and we were still 20 kms short of our destination. AS the sun sets by 5.30 pm we had to find the camping spot and settle down before it got dark. Venky told us the camping spot which they camped during the previous expedition was not far and we reached the spot, just behind a school in the nearby village by 4.30. It was a beautiful spot by the beach with plenty of coconut trees. Today as we didn’t have 2 cars we had to manage with the ground tents. Once we settled down, our ground tents were set, while the kitchen team began preparing dinner, Talal helped them slaughter the chickens we bought from the villagers on the way. Also they were preparing the breadfruits we had purchased. After a nice stroll on the beach, with all our camping chairs spread across we began our ritual of partying with music blurting out from the portable speaker. It was good fun and the dinner was excellent too. Before we could retire for the night, the mechanics were back in the camp with one vehicle. As it was difficult to replace the clutch of nomad 3, they decided to switch the 4 wheel drive transmission and turbo from nomad 3 to our car and our car was back on the road and I handed over the support car to nomad 3.

Day 8. 19/4 Mananara to Rantabe.

Since we were camping, I usually get up early so that I can finish my morning work before all are awake. As I woke up and reached the car, it started to pour and I was stuck in the car and the guys inside the tents. Once the rain stopped, found a place close by and was back in the camp before the guys were up. After a quick breakfast, we packed all the tents and things and the convoy started rolling. Today we had 5 pontoons to cross and we were already 20 kms behind our destination which we had to cover. The drive to the first pontoon was smooth. The terrain was not supposed to be very difficult today, but thanks to the morning rain, all puddles on the road had filled up and a section of red clay section had become a slippery slide. The pontoons up ahead were all small ones where only 1 car or 2 cars could be ferried. So Venky came up with an idea where he shared the coordinates of the pontoon crossings and as the cars crossed, they would move ahead in teams of 2 or 3 cars and reach the next pontoon.

It was a good relay and a proper lunch couldn’t be planned. Our lunch for the day was dried fresh fruit cuts, cereal bars and soft drinks. We also bought some fresh juicy rambutans from the villagers. The drive along the beach would have been an interesting one, but the rains had settled the sand and a nice track had formed on the beach which made our life easier. To make things worse, an old local pickup had broken down on a narrow stretch of the road which made it impossible for the convoy to move. We tried helping them to start the pickup, but looked like the problem was more serious. So we decided to manually push the pick up for a couple of hundred meters till there was enough passage for our convoy to move. A lot waiting at the pontoon crossings, meant even today we wouldn’t reach our destination and had to camp where ever we reached before sunset. Hence Venky and few went ahead scouting for an appropriate campsite and we fell behind.

When we reached the spot, it was a nice level place, elevated from the beach and was beautiful. By the time we reached the spot, the camp had already been set up and beautifully decorated with LED lights. Couldn’t resist a swim in the ocean on this beautiful beach with the sun just set. The team had set up a camp fire on the beach. As it was quite steep down to the beach, we opted to have it at the camp site itself. When we were getting fresh, the local team was busy preparing a grand dinner as today was last camp night. All along the way they bought fresh chicken, fish, bread fruit and vegetables from the locals. They were all singing while doing the cooking. Later, we got to know that, in fact they were rehearsing for the show they were putting on for us.

After a delicious dinner, the Malagasy team performed some melodious songs along with music and we all joined them in a dance, which was going to be a memorable moment for us. Some small things can turn a normal day into a magical evening. After some great camaraderie with the teammates, we retired to our tents for some rest and to be fresh for the last day of driving.

Day 9. 20/4 Rantabe to Maroantsetra.
Today was Easter Sunday and our team, The Baikal boys decided to wear the yellow T shirts Venky gave us on this expedition. After packing up and a light breakfast, we were eager to move on as it was last day of driving and more importantly we would be staying in a proper resort. And to add on it, we were told that we would be reaching the hotel for lunch, which would be a proper lunch after a long time.

Today we had only 2 pontoon crossings and the terrain was not too bad. But there was a surprise awaiting us. When we reached the pontoon It was unusually quiet and deserted and the pontoon was parked on the other side of the river where the village was. When I saw a small boat was about to take passengers to the other side, I suggested to the team that they should cross over and find out about the pontoon and get it to this side. While the local team along with Venky went on the boat, we didn’t have anything much to do than sit and chat. Venky and team did a great job and after negotiations with the villagers, the pontoon was finally moving to our end. But they were short of people and midway we got a call to come on to the pontoon to help it reach the shore.

A small boat helped us reach the pontoon and we helped the team by pulling the ropes and finally our cars were getting ferried to the other side. Yes we had to navigate through puddles of water, making sure not to splash water in the engine bay and reach our destination safely. May be, an hour before reaching the hotel, we had to cross a narrow wooden bridge with planks on top. Ours was the second car and Ram offered to get down and guide me. I, confidently told Ram we were good and we would easily make it. And just then, there was a loud thud. The left front tire had slipped of the plank and the vehicle was resting on the chassis on the wooden beams. I was so embarrassed and thought to myself that I should have listened to Ram and shouldn’t be overconfident about your abilities. Once the wooden beams were supported, the vehicle easily came out when it was winched and luckily there was no damage to the vehicle. The planks of the bridge were rearranged and the convoy got moving, but this time with someone to guide the vehicle from the front.

We had made good distance today in spite of the small hiccup and reached Maroantsetra and drove to our resort Biza Hotel. It was a beautiful property with lots of trees. The cottages were big and cozy. Venky had preordered the lunch while on the way. So we just had enough time to drop our bags in the room and assembled in the restaurant for lunch. It was a good spread of shrimps, fish and chicken. The chilled beer went very well with the food. Once back in the room, it was time for a good hot water shower and it felt so good. Also there was ample time to segregate the clothes and repack our bags. Some extra free time meant, all photos and videos could be saved and edited and the rest discarded. Most of them preferred a nap after lunch. Today was the last farewell dinner as it was officially the last night of the expedition. The next day was a domestic flight back to Antananarivo which operates only once week. All gathered at the restaurant for dinner. As usual everyone got a chance to speak about the expedition and share the experiences. The group had gelled very well which I was not expecting as it was 4 Brits, 2 Omanis, 2 Turks and we 4 Indians. It was fun listening to all the talks and experiences with lot of laughter. It was a grueling journey, but a very rewarding one at the end. One lesson learn here is, the more diverse the group is, the better you Gel. A fantastic and once in a life time experience had come to end and we retired to our rooms.

Day 10. 21/4 Maroantsetra to Antananarivo.

Before going to the airport, on the way we visited a Vanilla plantation and got a firsthand experience of it. The local lady explained us the full process of growing vanilla and its final product. The airport is very small and there is only 1 flight, once a week between Tana and Maroantsetra. They always have day 11 as a reserve day in case the flight from Tana doesn’t arrive. But we were lucky and the flight was confirmed for the day. So we would get an extra day in Tana as our return flights were booked for day 12. The security checks were quite stringent and our bags were checked thoroughly. Here we said good bye to the loveliest and sweetest boys of the local team. They were staying back to get the vehicles ready and drive them all the way back to Tana. Only Tuju was flying back with us. We tipped the team and they were really happy and you could see in the eyes that they would be missing us. The flight was on time and we Reached Tana and were transported to our hotel. Le Louvre Hotel and Spa was in the city center and it was a Theater converted into a hotel. The architecture was quite interesting due to the structural modifications. We along with the Omani couple and the Turkish boys went to an Italian restaurant for lunch.

Evening Mittal and myself went for a swim in the pool. Dinner we opted at an Indian restaurant and I can say the food was not bad at all. There had to be some excitement and drama at the end. While some opted to walk from the restaurant, we took a cab from the restaurant to the hotel. On the way the cops stopped us and started harassing us as we were not carrying our passports. They wanted to take us to the station. We told them we were living close by and we would show them the passports if they came with us to the hotel. Their only intention was to get some money out of us. In the meantime, we got hold of Tuju on the phone and they let us go after getting some threatening words from him. This was a small addition to our adventure. Back at the hotel we all spent some time in the lobby and retired to our rooms.

Day 11. 22/4 Free day at Tana.

After a good nights sleep and relaxed breakfast, we went out into the city to buy some souvenirs, the spicy chili sauce, Malagasy honey and vanilla flavored rum. Also we visited the highest place in the city where the Queens palace is located. The security was quite tight in the area as President Macron was in the city for some convention. Hence we couldn’t get into the place. For lunch we had the famous Zebu burger at the hotel and had a refreshing session at the spa which was badly needed.

Evening we all went to a local sea food restaurant for dinner. The platter was quite interesting and we had a good time for the last time in Tana.

Day 12. Tana – Addis Ababa-Dubai.
After Breakfast Venky had arranged our airport transfer. We all left to the airport a little early as they were guessing road blocks due to the dignitaries in town. We encountered some traffic on the way, but we still had ample time left for the flight. At Addis Ababa, I took the Dubai flight as the others took the India flight and bid good bye to meet on yet another expedition. The long flight to Dubai, in the comfort of business class on Ethiopian airlines, helped me to summarize and digest the fascinating road travel experience on the Ruthless RN5.

I and the group are deeply indebted to Venky and Nomadic Road for this perfect experience of The Ruthless RN5. Only a handful of lucky people complete this journey from Antananarivo to Maroantsetra. Traveling the RN5 in Madagascar requires some courage as well as much patience and flexibility. Most importantly the Endeavour creates unforgettable memories.

RN means Route Nationale, which means national highway in our part of the world. The very idea of calling it a National Route is so hysterical that only the sight of the size of the pot holes, width of the road and your 4WD being floated across the river on a few oil drums will stop you from laughing. Driving on this road we were definitely rewarded with one of the most solitary and off the beaten track places of the whole country. You can call it either way, the worst road in Madagascar or the best 4WD adventure in the country. For sure RN5 offered us a challenging yet exhilarating experience testing the mettle of the seasoned adventurers within us.

As Madagascar continues to develop its tourism infrastructure, the improvements to the RN5 will enhance accessibility to the tourists, sacrificing the sense of adventure that makes it legendary. For now however, it remains a beacon for those seeking both challenge and beauty, solidifying its reputation as an unforgettable journey through the heart of Madagascar. Whether conquering muddy tracks or crossing rivers, those brave enough to travel this route find themselves part of a story as rich and diverse as the island nation itself.

Adios till the next one.