This trip is designed for you to spend time seeing and learning about the unique Lemurs of Madagascar as well as the other indigenous wildlife, people and culture and magnificent scenery along the way
Madagascar is famous for the primates living there,the lemurs. In fact 97°/° of the lemurs of the world can only be found on the Red Island. As well as learning more about the people and culture, wanting to this trip is the right one for you,
Day1 Arrival in Tana Arrival at the airport welcome and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in a comfortable hotel BB
Day2 Antananarivo - Ambositra 250 km City-tour in Tana. Departure for Antsirabe by car in the Highlands through the green rice fields. Continuation to Antsirabe, the town was built by the Norwegian missionaries and is famous for its rickshaws, thermal springs, semi-precious and precious stones. The visit of the stone cutter factory is a must. Continuation to Ambositra, capital of the Zafimaniry region, known for its sculpture and marquetery. Hotel l'Artisan Hotel Violette Hotel Mania BB
Day 3 Ambositra – Ambalavao 210 Km Transfer to Fianrantsoa, visit of the administrative center of the Betsileo tribe. Continuation to Ambalavao, the wine-growing region and the biggest zebu-market of the island. Stop at the Antaimoro paper-manufacturing centre; nice papers are made all by hand from plants similar to papyrus, the so-called "Avoha" and decorated with many flowers. Hotel Bougainvilliers BB
Day 4 Ambalavao - Ranohira via Ambalavao (visit of the villagers' lemurs Park Anja) 250 km City- Visit of the villagers' lemurs Park Anja, where you will have the possibility to see ring tailed lemurs (maki) and brown lemurs very closely.
You have left the Hauts-Plateaux and enter the Bush in the South. In the next town Ihosy, the capital of the Bara tribe (mostly shepherds), you will meet Bara people with spears and large zebu herds, a sign of wealth in the southern region. Continuation through the grasslands of Horombe to the ruin-like massif of Isalo, home for lemurs and sapphire. Motel de l'Isalo HB.
Day 5 Ranohira (walking from the Piscine naturelle to the waterfall of Namazaha) Walking in the National Park of Isalo, to the waterfall of Namazaha from the "natural swimming-pool"; a delightful oasis in the middle of the ruin-like massif. The tombs of the Bara people are placed between the rocks in the Park. You will meet once again lemurs in the Park apart from the birds, snakes and other animals living there. Nice palm-trees remind you of the Arabian landscapes. Motel de L'Isalo HB
Day 6 Ranohira -Tuléar 240 km Traveling towards Tuléar. On your way you will see the fantastic baobabs that can be used as water reservoir for the inhabitants. On this day you will see the famous big Mahafaly tombs. These are particularly interesting because of the sceneries representing the daily life of the deceased. Lunch at Resaurant "Auberge de la Table", after the walking in the amazing Arboretum of Antsokay which shelters more than thousand species of endemic plants of the South such as the spiny plants and the the euphorbiaceas. Continuation to Tuléar . Hotel Victory*** BB
Day 7 (must be on each Tuesday) Tuléar – Fort-Dauphin – Berenty 80 Km Flight to Fort-Dauphin. Three picturesque bays surround Fort-Dauphin that is one of the best coasts of Madagascar. Drive to the private Park of Berenty where you will see lost of lemurs very closely, they even may come to your room and pay a visit to you. On your way you to Berenty, you will see endemic plants of the South such as carnivorous plants( the so called Nepenthes Madagascariensis), three-cornered palm-trees and lots of didieraceas, euphorbiaceas, crassulaceas. Nocturnal walking in the spiny forest in Berenty. Overnight in Berenty Lodge HB
Day 8 Berenty You have all day to explore the Park with its numerous lemurs and birds with a local guide first and then you can go by yourselves afterwards . Possibility to visit the sisal factory. Overnight in Berenty Lodge HB
Day 9 Berenty – Fort-Dauphin 80 km Drive back to Fort-Dauphin. Free schedules. You can visit the city on foot. Hotel Croix Du Sud*** HB
Day 10 Fort-Dauphin - Tana Transfer to the airport, flight back to Tana. Overnight in a comfortable hotel BB
Day 11 Flight back to Europe Shopping at an artisans' market. Flight back to Europe.
Included in Price - Bed and breakfast during the trip except in Isalo, Berenty and Fort-Dauphin - Half board in Isalo, Berenty and Fort-Dauphin, it makes 5 dinners in total - Car with English speaking driver including fuel from Tana to Tuléar - Excursion to Berenty - Entrance fees for the visits in the Parks and Reserves - An English speaking local guide for the visit in Berenty - Transfers airports/hotels/airports - 2 Internal flights with taxes: From Tuléar to Fort-Dauphin and back to Antananarivo
Not Included - International flights - Local guides for the visits parks in Ambalavao, Isalo and the Arboretum in Tuléar - Personal expenses - Any Insurances
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My god daughter and I had a most amazing time in Madagascar. We thank the tour operator who helped us put together the trip and Aro who was very patient and was able to reroute us when we were rained out.
I don't recommend that any traveler spend a Sunday or other holiday in Antananrivo as the city haslittle to offer other than the museums which were all closed.
Thanks again for your hospitality and great service.
I just completed a 5 day trip to Anatananarivo and Andasibe National Park. We just had a few days to spend, but the tour operator made it possible for us to see and do quite a bit.
They met us at the airport and checked in with us twice more during the trip. We had a wonderful driver who was pleasant, informative and accommodating. Our wildlife guides were excellent!
Accommodations in Tana were very nice. Our bungalow at the National Park was a little more rustic than expected (broken toilets and shower heads), but the people were very nice.
Overall, it was a great experience and I would recommend working with this company.
With great sense of satisfaction, we would Like to say that our first trip to Madagascar was fantastic.
All Credit to the tour operator, who has stretched herself beyond to make the group comfortable. The tour Guide Mr Jean Jaques with his unparalleled knowledge of flora and fauna made our trip a super success.
We honour both of them and thank them from the bottom of our Hearts. We would be doing this trip Regularly.
If you want to be in the caring hands of someone who meets you at the beginning, explains everything line by line, sends you off with the English speaking driver, meets you again upon your return to debrief you on how things went, sign up NOW with this tour operator, with Fanja as your manager.
Think of a mother sending her children off to camp with love and concern for her dependents. She was every bit as stellar as all the other recommendations stated and leaves nothing to chance. She truly wants to ensure your trip is fantastic and settles only for the best for you.
Before I begin, I must say............it is impossible to capsulate our experience in a brief paragraph.
We would be most happy to provide you our thoughts on one of the most pleasurable trips we have ever taken. And, thank you, Africa Guide, for providing this most appreciated referral.
First of all, a little background on us. We are certainly globetrotters, seeking to see as much of the world as we can in a lifetime! We have been to 132 countries, and have made a pact with ourselves to not return to any........unless it is passing through, or in conjunction with another "new" itinerary. However.......that may now change!
In 2004, we had watched an episode of "Lonely Planet", now known as "Globetrekkers", on the country of Madagascar. Since seeing that one episode, Madagascar has been on our "short list"! Only now, have we found the time to go and complete our dream!
We love to customize our own tours to each our destinations, thus controlling lost time that might be spent on something we are not interested in seeing. So when we received Africa Guide's referral, that was one of the first issues we discussed with the tour operator. Fanja was every traveler's dream of a tour operator! She truly represents the epitome of "grace"! She began a supportive dialogue with us upon our first contact, and it has continued until this day.
Fanja was diligent in her effort to ensure that we were able to include each of the destinations on our checklist; and that they could realistically be covered in a 10-day itinerary. Ten days, however, was just an appetizer in a land with main courses spread out in so many directions. And, Madagascar just may be the first country in which we break our pact to "not return" to a destination we had previously visited!
We began our tour the minute we were picked up from the airport, heading south to Antsirabe, where we arrived at nightfall. Our driver and English-speaking guide, Mr. Romance, was as positive as his name! He stuck with us the entire trip, and did a superb job of introducing us to his country. He stopped when we needed, or when we asked for a "photo stop". He openly discussed the culture and lifestyle of the country. He was attentive, and strived to keep us comfortable and informed.
One of our most dubious side trips, proved to be the most adventurous and fun! We longed to take a drive into the back country somewhere in Madagascar, and we chose Andringrita National Park! Fanja knew it would be a difficult journey, and was always upfront about this. But, it only intrigued us more! She did not question our enthusiasm, and cheerfully agreed to work with contacts in Ambalavo to arrange a 4Xwheel drive vehicle and driver for us. We set off on a 27 mile see-saw ride, which took 3.5 hours to complete, due to poor road conditions! We spent a few hours enjoying the beauty of the park, trekking the trails, and enjoying a picnic lunch at a view point before turning around to repeat the 3.5 hours in our return.
The operator offers services with a high degree of ethics, cooperative spirit, and an intent to please their clients. Fanja responded to all our pre-trip questions within 24 hours! If we had a lodging preference, she agreed to arrange it. She was there at the airport to meet us when we arrived, she came to the hotel prior to our departure home, and she followed up with us once we returned home. Should we decide to return to Madagascar, Fanja and her agency will be our first contact!
And one final note: One of the most magical places on earth has to be in the area of I'Isalo National Park! The park is studded with rock formations that seem to grow out of the land! Perhaps our most awesome experience within these dramatic "rock stars", occurred during our dusk-time visit to La Fenetre de I'Isalo; a "must do" stop after a day of trekking, to watch the sun set through a natural opening in a large lichen-covered rock. There, we......... by pure happenchance.......... caught a glimpse of the rising full moon, perfectly centered, as we gazed through the opposite side of this interesting geological oddity! What a photo; what a memory! Only timing and luck.......or by good "Grace"??? And the Le Jardin du Roy Hotel, which was just a few miles away, and where we stayed, continued to carry on the spirit of this land. Our room was literally surrounded on two sides by big, beautiful boulders! Waking up in the middle of the night and seeing the moonlight reflecting off the stone boulders, kept this magical park alive! A footnote to the note: Hotel Le Jardin surpasses many 5 star hotels in the US! It is castle-like, built with tons of stone, each placed in an almost artistic pattern. Huge cathedral ceilings. And all the amenities of the finest of hotels; including the food and its presentation!!!
We did see the lemurs, chameleons, zebu, and other endemic animals, but it was the landscapes, the spiky plantlife, and the peoples and their cultures that held the most interest and intrigue for us. Madagascar has something for everyone! But one can't wait too long. Forests are being replaced with rice fields. Natural habitats to wildlife are being lost. But the people and their lifestyle remain largely unaffected by Western influence, for now. It remains a country that is still on the frontier of tourism. And now is the best time to go! The vanilla is the best! And Dzama's Coco Punch.....is to die for!!!
Our tour exceeded our expectations, and it was all made possible by the assistance, the patience, and the expertise of this operator and Fanja!
A friendly and very attentive tour company run by lovely and multilingual Ms. Fanja and conducted by Mr. Romance, the extraordinary driver-guide-translator and my newest friend.
We had a really great trip through Madagascar. The tour was well organised, the driver was excellent and the itinerary gave us a great introduction to the sights of the island.
Fanja was really helpful throughout, from the initial briefing session to dealing with the chaos at Tuliar airport!
The real downside of the trip was the overbooking of our return flight from Tuliar to Tana. This completely disrupted our holiday and meant that we missed the connecting flight to Mauritius. When we checked in to fly back to Antananarivo on Air Madagascar, we were told that the plane was full (even though we HAD tickets), and there were no other flights back for 30 hours. We believe that there is widespread corruption by Air Madagascar staff at Tuliar airport who take bribes from passengers to ensure their seat on the plane.
The tour operator worked really hard to sort out this problem. The driver came back to the airport to try to help, and they re-scheduled our flights, organised additional accommodation and took us to the Head Office of Air Madagascar (with little result).
Overall a great place to visit, so different and interesting, the operator is a great travel company, would recommend them to anyone, but beware of flying Air Madagascar who have the monopoly for internal flights.
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Madagascar. The arrangements all worked well and, although there were one or two aspects of the trip where improvements to the itinerary could be made, all in all we thought that our trip was the perfect introduction to an incredibly diverse and interesting country.
We loved seeing all the wonderful animals on our trips into the National Parks, and the guides and in particular our driver were excellent.
We certainly hope to return to see different parts of the island and would definitely use the same travel company again.
the trip we took to Madagascar was based on a standard tour. The operator was very willing to tailor the tour exactly to our requirements. The party consisted of myself and my wife. We had 2 English speaking drivers during the tour and their English was very good, so we could have interesting conversations with them. The trip length was 15 days.
We started our trip by spending a few days in Isle Sainte Marie off the northeast coast. Then from Tana we were driven to the Andasibe, Ranomafana, and Isalo National Parks, ending the trip by spending a couple of days at Ifaty on the southwest coast, and then flying back to Tana.
The National Parks were wonderful with knowledgeable guides at each Park. We saw many lemurs, chameleons, birds, and other animals and plants. Not being a beach lover I found the resorts at the beginning and end of our trip less interesting.
Except for a couple of minor problems, they did a great job.
