Awesome Madagascar

Day 1: Arrive in Antananarivo

Transfer from airport to central hotel. If time allows a city sightseeing tour will be included.

Day 2: Antananarivo - Antsirabe

After breakfast we start our drive to the Spa town of Antsirabe. The landscape is dotted with beautiful valleys and rice paddies. En route we stop at Ambatolampy, a town famous for the production of kitchen equipment from recycled aluminium. Antsaribe is a delightful town with tree-lined streets which we will explore on hand-pulled rickshaws.

Day 3: Antsirabe - Ambositra (Ranomafana National Park)

Today we head into the mountainous southern central-eastern highlands. We will visit Ambositra and watch the local craftsmen producing intricate inlaid wood pictures using basic traditional machinery. We then continue to the national park and take a night walk to see our first endemic creatures - the brown mouse lemur (the world’s smallest primate) and with luck the tiny stump-tailed chameleon, the world’s smallest chameleon.

Day 4: Ranomafana National Park

An unforgettable day as we venture into the forest, home to an amazing array of creatures. The park contains no fewer than 12 species of lemur, including the rare golden and greater bamboo lemurs. We can also expect to see a host of other creatures including chameleons, geckos, skinks and abundant bird life.

Day 5: Ranomafana - Anja Park - Isalo National Park

An early start today as we head into the west coast region where the landscape changes dramatically. We now find ourselves in open savannah grasslands where Malagasy cowboys muster their zebu herds. We visit the Anja reserve for a close encounter with Madagascar’s national animal, the beautiful ring-tailed lemur - a wonderful photo opportunity!

Day 6: Isalo National Park

After breakfast we venture into the Isalo park and witness its spectacular Jurassic limestone formations. We will take the Namaza trail and will be treated to more fantastic scenery and wildlife, including the fabulous dancing sifaka lemur. Later in the day we will head out to ‘La Fenetre de L’Isalo’, a dramatic natural sandstone feature, to witness a breathtaking sunset.

Day 7: Isalo National Park - Ifaty Spiny Forest

Today’s drive takes us into the Zombitse forest. Along the way we will see numerous great baobab trees on both sides of the road. On arrival in Ifaty we will visit the famous Reniala botanical gardens, showcasing the incredible flora of the semi-arid south. Baobabs rub shoulders with the strange-looking endemic octopus trees. The area is also a bird lovers dream where, with luck, we will see endangered species such as the long-tailed ground roller and sub-desert mesite.

Day 8: Ifaty Spiny Forest - Fisherman’s Village

This morning, we head out along the coast on a whale-watching excursion. There will also be the opportunity to snorkel in the Mozambique Channel. Afterwards we will visit a typical village to meet and interact with the local fishermen and their families, learning about their traditional customs and way of life. The afternoon is at leisure to relax by the seaside.

Day 9: Ifaty - Antananarivo - Andasibe National Park

After an early breakfast we transfer to Tulear airport for the short flight back to Antananarivo. From there we drive east to the magnificent Andasibe rainforest. En route, if time permits we will visit the private Peyreras reserve and encounter the many species of reptiles, amphibians and chameleons to be found here.

Days 10 and 11: Andasibe National Park

These two days will be an undoubted highlight and a fitting end to our tour. Andasibe is an incredible rainforest and home to a vast array of endemic Malagasy wildlife. Our first stop is the Indri reserve, named after the world’s biggest lemur. This beautiful creature produces a remarkable loud cry which you are sure to hear echoing around the forest. We are also likely to see the red-bellied lemur, the common brown and possibly even the golden dancing lemur. As well as nocturnal jungle walks to see the ‘creatures of the night’ we will also visit Lemur Island. This is home to rescued creatures that can no longer live in the wild. But because they are used to human contact they enjoy interacting with visitors. Don’t be surprised if a ring-tailed lemur jumps on your shoulder. But what a photo opportunity!

Day 12: Andasibe - Antananarivo

After breakfast we drive back to Antananarivo. In the afternoon we head out of the city for a tour of the historic and ancient King’s Palace complex.

Day 13: Antananarivo - Morondava

Today we fly to Morondava, a delightful boom town on the southwest coast. We will enjoy a canoe ride to the village of Betanie where we will meet the local fishermen and learn about their traditional techniques which have been passed down through the ages.

Day 14: Morondava - Belo Sur Tsiribihina - Bekopaka

Prepare for a spectacular drive today as we head into landscapes of thorny bush and arid grassland. Passing through the picturesque village of Belo Sur Tsiribihina we cross the Manambolo river, famous for the Fitampoha ceremonies held here. We end our journey in the village of Bekopaka, in its majestic setting.

Days 15 and 16: Bekopaka and the Bemaraha Tsingy

Prepare for the ‘wow factor’ as we explore Madagascar’s most spectacular natural site - the Bemaraha Tsingy. World heritage listed since 1990, this is an extraordinary location that is guaranteed to leave you speechless. We begin with a canoe ride into the Manambolo Gorge, before hiking through a maze of canyons to learn how the Tsingy were formed.

Our second day will feature a drive north of Bekopaka to see the gigantic limestone cathedrals, deep crevasses and extraordinary sharp limestone ‘needles’ that lemurs somehow skip across. From the pinnacle we will get phenomenal views of the entire network.

Day 17: Bekopaka - Kirindy

After our adventure in the Tsingy, we depart Bekopaka and drive to the impressive Kirindy national park, and its dense, dry deciduous forest. In the evening, we will head out on a night safari to hopefully spot the many nocturnal creatures that make this their home.

Day 18: Kirindy - Morondova

Today’s highlight is a major one as we visit the fabled ‘Avenue of the Baobabs’, Madagascar’s most popular natural monument. These 25 majestic trees, towering over the road, are a legacy of the dense tropical forests that once thrived here and provide an incredible vista.

Day 19: Morondova - Antananarivo

After breakfast we begin our leisurely drive back to Antananarivo. In the afternoon there will be time for some last-minute souvenir shopping in the local markets, before a farewell dinner.

Day 20: Departure

Transfer to the international airport for your flight out of Madagascar.

Tour inclusions

• Accommodation including breakfast

• Park admission fees

• Local guide fees

• Professional English speaking guide

• Private minibus plus driver and fuel

• All activities in the itinerary

• Domestic flight and land transfers

• Tipping

• One bottle of mineral water per person/day

Tour exclusions

• International airfares

• Pre / post tour arrangements / accommodation

• Passport and Madagascan visa fee

• Medical vaccinations and any medical fees

• Travel and medical Insurance

• Any items of a personal nature

• Excursions deviating from the scheduled tour

• Excess baggage charges