Tonga soa! Bienvenue! Welcome to Antananarivo, Madagascar’s crowded but attractive capital. Upon your arrival at Ivato international airport in Antananarivo, a member from our Team will meet you with a sign with your name and then transfer you to your hotel for check-in and overnight in the capital. If you decide to arrive early, take some time to get acquainted with the city. Perhaps head to Analakely to visit the permanent street markets. Your adventure will officially begin with a brief meeting at the hotel the following morning.

Accommodation:

• Hotel (1night)

Meal Included:

• Breakfast

Drive to Antisrabe at 8am after breakfast; stop for a bit in Ambatolampy to see how people in this town make pots and cultural items out of aluminum. We will stop a few times too on the way for stunning pictures of landscapes and rice fields, lunch in Antsirabe. After lunch, we will visit two different lakes and spend some time to get to know the city. Antsirabe maintains a Malagasy feel, but with all the tranquility of a small European town, thanks to the contrast of its busting street markets, thermal springs and Colonial-style facades. Located in the highlands, it’s a popular spa town thanks to the hot springs and thermal baths, and the colourful rickshaws known as ‘pousse-pousse’ are a popular form of transport. We’ll make use of them in our tour of the city and discover tree-lined avenues, interesting architecture, a range of markets and so much more.

Included Activity:

• Aluminium workshops visit; Antsirabe lakes visits and a city tour

Accommodation:

• Hotel (1night)

Meal Included:

• Breakfast

Leave Antsirabe behind and head to Ambositra through the national road number 7. Ambositra is famous for woodcarving, gaining international reputation and heritage, where the local Zafimaniry tribe produces wood work for carving, producing sculptures and marquetry. Their picturesque homes are assembled completely without nails and, along with their tombs, furniture, tools and everyday objects, are carved with attractive geometric patterns that are highly codified, reflecting both the Polynesian origins of the community and the Arab influences in Malagasy culture. You’ll get to visit the Zafimaniry village called “Antoetra” and then come back to Ambositra for the night.

Included Activity:

• Visit of the Zafimaniry village and their wooden carving scuptures

Accommodation:

• Hotel (1night)

Meal Included:

• Breakfast

Today we have a 4h drive to the famous Ranomafana where we will have lunch. It’s a very dense forest with green lush vegetation, a mountainous area reaching 1300m of altitude, certainly possessing a great deal of flora and fauna unique in the world, with wide varieties of orchids, carnivorous plants, harboring at least 12 species of lemurs including the golden bamboo, greater bamboo, Milne Edward’s sifaka. There are also 118 species of birds and 8 species of bats, as well as many rodents, reptiles, batrachians, spiders and butterflies. We will spend the afternoon visiting the town and the thermal swimming pool and a night walk to spot nocturnal lemurs and chameleons if we get lucky.

Included Activity:

• Night guided walk in Ranomafana

Accommodation:

• Cottage (1night)

Meal Included:

• Breakfast

Continue exploring Ranomafana, this time on a guided walk. Keep your eyes peeled for lemurs, striped civets, mongooses, goshawks, geckos, frogs and butterflies. You may even spot an incredible net-casting spider or the world’s smallest chameleon. We will spend another night once more within the park.

Included Activity:

• Ranomafana National Park – guided walk

Accommodation:

• Cottage (1night)

Meal Included:

• Breakfast

After breakfast, depart for Isalo. En route we stop at Anja natural reserve in Ambalavao where we can see more lemurs and chameleons and visit traditional tombs. We will have lunch at the entrance of the reserve, and then back to the road for 5 hours to get to Isalo for the night.

Included Activity:

• Anja Natural Reserve – guided walk

Accommodation:

• Hotel (1night)

Meals Included:

• Breakfast and lunch

Today is the day for hiking in Isalo National Park following the famous Namaza trail; first stop in ‘Natural pool’ where you can enjoy swimming. Don’t forget your gear! Then, another 4km to walk to the camping site. After lunch, we will hike along the sheltered canyons reaching the ‘blue and black pool’ (Piscine Blue and Noire) also called the cascade trail. Isalo, covered with 82000ha, created in 1962, is the home of the endemic bird known as Benson’s Rock thrush; actually, there are 77 species of birds, 14 species of nocturnal lemurs, and 98 species of amphibians and reptiles.

Included Activity:

• Isalo National Park – guided walk

Accommodation:

• Hotel (1night)

Meals Included:

• Breakfast and lunch

Long drive toward the western capital of the Vezo fishing people before getting to Ifaty. Along the way, we will see the fantastic baobabs that can be used as water reservoir for the inhabitants. Between Tulear and Sakaraha is the famous big Mahafaly tombs, these are particularly interesting because of the sceneries representing the daily life of the deceased. After visiitng the arboretum and having lunch in Tulear, drive to Ifaty.

Included Activities:

• Mahafaly tombs and baobabs visit; Tulear Arboretum visit

Accommodation:

• Hotel (1night)

Meals Included:

• Breakfast

Two days to relax on the beach but different activities can be arranged from the hotel. We will have an afternoon guided walk to explore the fascinating floral diversity of the Spiny forest (Octopus trees, euphorbia, baobabs, Pachypodium, moringas, etc). This habitat is filled with other species of animals; including lemurs. A delight for birders as it’s the only place where you can find a Running Coua, Madagascar Harrier Hawk, and many Vanga species. Its magnificent offshore reefs invite exploration that attracts divers from the local diving centre. Ifaty is a nice place for snorkeling with great view of the coral reefs. Between June and August, humpback whales can be observed off Ifaty’s beautiful white sand beaches.

 

 

Included Activities:

• Reniala Natural Reserve and Village des tortues – guided walk

Accommodation:

• Hotel (2 nights)

Meal Included:

• Breakfasts

Today is unfortunately the last day with Mada Discovery Travels in Madagascar. We will drive you back to Tulear and take you to the airport for a domestic flight back to the capital Antananarivo. Depending on the flight schedules, you may have some time in the afternoon free to explore Antananarivo on your own. Those on the group flights will be transferred to the airport in the evening for the very early flight the next morning.

Accommodation:

• None

Meal Included:

• Breakfast