Andavadoaka is a “large” Vezo village counting about 1,200 inhabitants and a big market that attracts Mikea farmers coming to sell some of their crops. Its setting on a really nice bay makes a large part of its attractive, though the authentic Robinson Crusoe feeling is gone long ago. Three tourist complexes and an increasing number of Vazaha visitors have contributed to the lost of some of the old charm of the village.
It is still however a well-worth place to hang around a couple of days, explore some fabulous diving-sites and walk through a fantastic baobab forest, where these amazing trees grow in the most incredible shapes. Andavadoaka is also the base place for the research activities conducted by the NGO Blue Ventures (www.blueventures.org), dedicated to the development of sustainable conservation programs for the unique reef ecosystem of the lagoon.
