Wonders of Madagascar

Arrival
Welcome to Madagascar! Once you arrive at Tana Airport, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

Antananarivo (known as Tana) means “City of thousands”. Its story began 500 years ago, the king Andrianjaka sent over 1000 soldiers to cut the forest and to conquer the land. Then the great King Andrianampoinimerina, attracted by the beauty of the city, decided to build a palace there, which became later his successor's main palace. From here the same king started to unify the different kingdoms of the island. During King Radama's reign Antananarivo became the capital of all Madagascar. Antananarivo is build on 3 levels: the high city where the queen's palace is situated, the first area occupied during the royal period, then the mid-city, the administrative area where all the better boutiques of the capital are found, then the low city which is the commercial area of the town.

Departure
At the appropriate time today you will be transferred from your hotel to Tana Airport for your departing flight.

Morondava - Kirindy
Upon arrival in Moroondava, you will be transferred to Kirindy (60km) and check in to your hotel before beginning a 1 hour guided hike in Kirindy Park.

Rich on wildlife and home to 8 species of day active lemurs, Kirindy is also home to “the Fossa” the only predator for lemurs and the “Giant Jumping Rat” and the world's smallest primate as well as dozens of amphibian and reptile species (and no poisonous snakes). At around 6pm, you meet our guide again for a night walk to see night active animals.

Breakfast included.

Kirindy - Bekopaka
Today will be an early start to begin with a 2 hour hike in the Kirindy, then return to your hotel for breakfast. After, we will drive to Tsimafana through the Baobabs forest and the red soil of the West.

Transfer to a ferry ride towards Belo. After four hours of adventure on a dirt track towards Bekopaka, you will arrive to the Bush African side of the country. One can experience the real life of Malagasy people in the driest part of the country.

Breakfast included.

Bekopaka - National Park of Tsingy de Bemaraha
In the morning, we will take a pirogue and sail to the Gorge of Manambolo and just admire its beautiful scenery, its high sandstone cliff. after walking along the small Tsingy for an hour, we will enjoy the panoramic view up on the plateaux.

Tsingy de Bemaraha is a limestone mountain classified as an international heritage. This massif is spectacularly eroded into a chaos of karsts pinnacle which gives it a very strange form. Here nature seems to be in perfect harmony with this wild and sharp limestone mountain. The flora consists of a dry western deciduous forest, plants typical of these dry limestone areas, such as species of Aloe and baobab Andasonia, the red-flowered flamboyant tree Delonix regia which is so widely planted in the tropics.

Breakfast included.

Bekopaka - Morondava
After breakfast, you will head back to Morondava and stop at Alle des Baobabs to enjoy a sunset picture that gives an array of contrasted colours and lights. This is the region of splendid Grandidier's baobab, Andasonia Grandidieri.

Breakfast included.

Departure
Today you will be transferred from your hotel to the airport for your departing flight.

Antananarivo - Andasibe
Today we will drive to the Perinet special reserve, crossing a myriad of villages and getting a feel for the traditional lifestyle of the Malagasy people. Incomprehensibly abundant rice paddies, chimneyless long clay red houses and millions of roadside markets displaying a variety of handicrafts, fruit and meat markets. On the way, we will visit the Peyrieras farm where you can easily see reptiles and have chance to approach lemurs at feeding times.

We will continue towards Andasibe passing by Moramanga (important main crossroad) and you can have lunch at your expense at a local restaurant in Moramanga, or in Andasibe-Vakonas restaurant. In the afternoon we arrive in Andasibe where we will play with the lemurs at the Vakona lemur island. Tonight visit the VOIMMA private reserve for wildlife watching before you transfer and settle into your hotel.

Driving: approximately 4 hours (145km).

Breakfast included.

Mantadia Special Reserve - Lemurs Island
After breakfast, you will drive for one hour to Mantadia (15km from Andasibe) and spend 3-4 hours inside Mantadia National Park. A large number of animal diversity has been recorded: 17 mammal species, 117 birds species, (many of them endemic, like the Madagascar yellow brow, Madagascar baza, Madagascar wagtail or the Madagascar serpent-eagle), 51 species of reptiles, among them the biggest chameleon of the island, the boa and many leaf-tailed geckos, 84 species of amphibians. There are also a few local endemic fishes swimming in the small rivers and hundreds of insects, among them some extraordinary colourful and big butterflies Apart from the Indri, another 1’ lemur species inhabit these forests, such as woody lemurs, grey bamboo lemurs, diademed sifaka, brown lemurs, red-bellied lemurs, and black and white ruffed lemurs.

Afterwards, visit the private park of Vakona in the “islands of lemurs”which the best spot to take photo of lemurs. After the hike, visit to Andasibe village, a typical Betsimisaraka (The-Many-inseparable) village, the second largest tribe and live; they cultivate rice and work on vanilla plantations. You will head back to your accommodation.

Breakfast included.

Andasibe National Park - Antananarivo
Today you will begin with a hike for 3-4 hours in Andasibe National Park, a huge tropical rainy forest in the east. 9 species of lemurs can be spotted, the highlight is the “Indri Indri” which is the largest lemurs of the island. This 810 ha reserve is also home to numerous unique wildlife. It contains a wide variety of orchids, canopy, endemic animals like chameleons, tenrecs, and many birds.

After the tour, you will make your way back to Antananarivo and will be transferred to your hotel.

Breakfast included.

Departure
At the appropriate time today you will be transferred from your hotel to Tana Airport for your departing flight.

Breakfast included.