Arrival in Antananarivo

On your arrival late this evening you will be met, assisted with currency exchange and transferred to San Cristobal Hotel, a comfortable hotel only 10 minutes’ drive from the airport to stay overnight with breakfast included.

Overnight at at San Cristobal Hotel (B&B)

Antananarivo to Andasibe

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at your hotel. Your tour leader and driver will meet you and give the group a briefing. Depart on the 4hr drive east along good tarmac roads to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, the country’s number 1 ‘must see’ protected rainforest site.

Located in the central-eastern escarpment, Andasibe is best known for key species such as Indri (largest of all extant lemurs), birds such Red-fronted coua and Coral-billed nuthatch vanga, and ‘herps’ including Mossy leaf-tailed gecko and the critically endangered Golden mantella, the area’s flagship frog.

On the way, stop at the Peyreiras reptiles farm for observing different endemic species of chameleons, lizards, geckoes, frogs.

Arrival in Andasibe by the end of the morning.Lunch at your own arrangement.

In the evening, take a night walk across the road in Analamazaotra Forest Station which is administered by proactive NGO Association Mitsinjo.

Overnight at Vakona Forest Lodge (Half Board)

Andasibe (Visit Analamazaotra Reserve & Vakona Private Park)

After an early breakfast you will be taken to the rainforest at Andasibe, where the main objective is to see – among other species – the remarkable Indri. Hearing their whale-like calls emanating from the mist-enshrouded rainforests in the early mornings, is pure Malagasy magic at its best. During the dawn chorus birding is wonderfully productive too. In the quieter middle part of the day, visit Lemur Island, a refuge for lemurs confiscated from trappers.

Lunch at your own arrangement.

Another rainforest walk can be done in the mid afternoon and if you wish, a second night walk in Analamazaotra to catch up on species previously missed out on.

Overnight at Vakona Forest Lodge (Half Board)

Andasibe (Visit Andasibe-Mantadia National Park)

Today you will be taken on a full day visit of the beautiful 10,000ha primary rainforest national park of Mantadia. It is about 37km north of Andasibe and holds a select band of mammals, birds and ‘herps’ not necessarily present at Andasibe. Key attractions include Diadem sifaka, Black & white ruffed lemur, Scaley and Blue-headed ground-rollers; Parson’s chameleon and colourfulMantellabaroni frogs, among others. The scenery here is beautiful.

Picnic lunch at your ownarrangement.

Overnight at Vakona Forest Lodge (Half Board)

Andasibe (Diurnal visit at Mitsinjo) to Antananarivo

Breakfast at your hotel. In the morning, we visitthe rainforest concession managed by proactive NGO Association Mitsinjo, to seek the nocturnal species, among them the Eastern woolly lemur, Weasel sportive lemur, Furry-eared dwarf lemur and Goodman’s mouse lemur. This is also the best time to spot the area’s abundant chameleons and tree frogs – Andasibe holds a world record of frog species when it comes to forests of comparable size. (More than 100 species).

In the afternoon, your driver will transferred you back in Antananarivo about 3 to 4 hours’ drive.

Overnight at San Cristobal Hotel (Half Board)

Antananarivo - Tulear - Ifaty

In agreed time, you will be transferred to the airport after breakfast for the flight to Tulear on the south-west coast. This is the most arid corner of the island and the natural habitat around it is mostly sub-arid ‘spiny thicket’ or Euphorbia-Didieraceae thorn bush. It is remarkable in places, being comprised of much bushy Euphorbia interspersed with drought-resistant trees and plants including Bottle baobabs (here Adansoniarubrostipa) and spiky Octopus trees (Didieraceae family).

The endemicity rate among this floral assemblage is remarkably high and people come here also to seek some rare, range-restricted birds and reptiles.

Lunch at your own arrangement.

Overnight at Les Dunes d'Ifaty (Half Board)

Ifaty

An early start: after breakfast, you will be taken to a nearby parcel of ‘spiny bush’ to see the remarkable flora which travel writing legend Dervla Murphy so aptly Christened ‘Nature’s Botanical Lunatic Asylum’.

In this otherworldly habitat you’ll be able to seek some very rare birds such as the aforementioned ground-roller; Sub-desert mesite and LaFresnaye’svanga, along with rare or range-restricted reptiles such as Madagascar radiated tortoise (now critically endangered) and the strange little Three-eyed lizard.

Overnight at Les Dunes d'Ifaty (Half Board)

Ifaty - Tulear - Ranohira

This morning travel 90 minutes south to Tulear, outside where you will stop at Arboretum de Antsokay, a delightful place for nature enthusiasts which showcases the strange sub-arid South’s spiny bush habitat. It’s also great for small wildlife – one can see many birds, reptiles and wonderful invertebrates.

Continue traveling inland for just under 3hrs on a good, flat tarmac road to Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park, where some very range-restricted species are found: you’ll be able to look for Verreaux’ssifaka; Hubbard’s sportive lemur; the massive Oustalet’s chameleon; Standing’s day gecko and birds including the locally endemic Appert’sgreenbul and the stately Giant coua.

After the nature walk in Zombitse, continue 1 hour to the sandstone massif of Isalo, where the country’s most visited national park is located.

Picnic lunch at your own arrangement.

Overnight at Isalo Rock Lodge (Half Board)

Ranohira (Visit at Isalo National Park: Namaza and Natural Swimming pool)

Your guides will take you to explore Isalo National Park. While much of the park is comprised of dry, ‘ruiniforme’ sandstone formations, trails do take visitors to verdant streamside vegetation. Here, you can look for Ringtail lemurs, Verreaux’ sifakas and locally endemic flora.

The best known plant here is the dumpy ‘Elephant’s foot’ Pachypodium, which flowers in September. Look on the lodge buildings at night for birds such as Madagascar long-eared owl, Madagascar white-browed owl and Madagascar nightjar.

Lunch in hotel or on picnic at your own arrangement.

Overnight at Isalo Rock Lodge (Half Board)

Ranohira - Ambalavao

After breakfast, drive about 6-7hours east across the desolate central southern interior (Bara country) to a granite domes region which marks the entrance to the southern Highlands. 

Lunch at your charge.

Here, visit another deservedly popular stop, Anja Parc, a community- managed protected area near Ambalavao which is home to a thriving population of Ring tailed lemur, the island’s national mammal.

Overnight at Bougainvillées Hotel (Half Board)

Ambalavao - Ranomafana National Park

A 3 – 4 hour drive north-east will take you to the upland rainforest of Ranomafana National Park, where seeing 5 species of lemur in a day walk is not uncommon. Key species include the Milne-Edwards diadem sifaka and adorable Red-bellied lemur.

Ranomafana is also home to a number of rare bird species, including the Brown mesite, Rufous-headed ground-roller, Yellow-bellied sunbird asity and Pollen’s vanga.

Walks vary in length from a couple of hours to a half day.

Overnight at Setam Lodge (Half Board)

Ranomafana National Park

Explore wonderful Ranomafana National Park today. Here, look for lemurs such as the endangered Golden bamboo lemur (pictured), found almost exclusively in this rainforest.

This icon of the park was discovered in the mid 1980’s by primatologist Patricia Wright – who almost single-handedly put the park on the international tourism map and who established the Centre ValBio, which you may visit during your time at the park. Ranomafana is the only place where Broad-nosed, Golden and Grey (Eastern lesser) bamboo lemurs coexist.

Enjoy the beautiful scenery, healthy climate and plentiful wildlife here.

Overnight at Setam Lodge (Half Board)

Ranomafana National Park

You will have another day to explore Ranomafana’s upland rainforest with your guides today. Aside from its many lemurs and birds, you’ll have the chance to look for remarkable life forms such as the bark-mimicking Fringed gecko (Uroplatus).

The area is especially good also for well known invertebrates such as the massive Madagascar comet moth and the day-active Urania moth. Orchids, Palms and Bamboos abound, the island holding more species of all three these plant groups than the African mainland does.

Overnight at Setam Lodge (Half Board)

Ranomafana to Antsirabe

After breakfast and a final rainforest walk, begin the scenic journey northwards along the popular RN7 route, passing through Betsileo and then Merina territory, where you can see people cultivating rice, selling food on the roadside and at Antsirabe, numerous colourful rickshaws.

Enjoy exploring some craft stalls.

Overnight at Couleur Café (Half Board)

Antsirabe to Antananarivo and departure

After a leisurely breakfast, depart Antsirabe through scenic Highlands country back to Antananarivo, where you have the use of day rooms at San Cristobal Hotel.

Optional visit at the Zoological garden of Tsimbazaza or doing your last shopping at the Digue handcraft market.

Lunch at your own arrangement.

After a farewell dinner, those who are flying back to the UK with Air France, will be transferred to Antananarivo airport to check in for the Air France flight departing after midnight.

End of tour