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| Viewing: Wildlife and more on the Island of Madagascar |
Package ID: 1537 |
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| Wildlife and more on the Island of Madagascar |
Highlights:
Andasibe-Perinet NP –
Lac Rasoabe –
Ankanin’ nofy –
Ranomafana NP –
Anja Private Park –
Isalo NP –
Ifaty –
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It has been called the eighth continent because of its unique wildlife that has evolved in isolation for 165 million years. Madagascar's treasures include dozens of species of lemurs - a family of primates older than the monkey and a distant relative of humans - as well as several endemic birds and a colourful cast of chameleons. Three-quarters are found nowhere else in the world and are the product of millions of years of separate evolution since Madagascar broke away from Africa when the continents first formed.
In the animal kingdom there is a whole family of amphibians that is endemic. There are 223 species of amphibians of which 221 are endemic. Out of the 340 species of reptiles, 314 are endemic. 2/3 of the 100 species of true chameleons are to be found on the island. There are some 240 species of birds on the island and half of them are endemic. Perhaps it has the planet’s highest endemic ratio of birds. Five bird families are unique to Madagascar. 97% of its mammals are endemic. There are some 131 species of mammals of which 31 belong to the bat phylum and all of which, except 12, are endemic.
Aside from its chameleons, the lemurs are the best known of Madagascar’s animal wonders. Indeed only on this island can we find lemurs. Elsewhere in the world they were driven pout of competitive edge by the monkeys. Lemur is a word that means night sprit in Latin. These pro simians colonized the island some 60 millions years ago. One cannot say how many species of lemurs there are in Madagascar today because between 1997 and 2006 some 15 new species have been found in its forests. The list runs up to 75 species as of now, though some 15 species have gone extinct. Some of these extinct species may have been the size of a gorilla. Today some of the 17 known species are in danger of extinction and 19 species are vulnerable.
Day 1 – meet and greet in Antananarivo
Today is an arrival day. You are free to arrive at any time. Upon arrival in Antananarivo you will be greeted by your tour leader and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. If there is space a short city tour of Madagascar's capital city, Antananarivo, can be arranged. Night in Auberge Au Cheval Blanc.
Included meals: dinner
Day 2 – Antananarivo – Andasibe-Perinet
This morning we start our 140 km drive eastward through the highlands to Andasibe. On the way we will stop off at a Reptile Park. Here you can see some of the endemic chameleons, snakes, insects and reptiles of Madagascar. Andasibe, a former logging village, is the base for exploring the Andasibe-Mantadia NP, also known by its pre-colonial French name, Perinet Special Reserve. Tonight we take a night walk to look for night active lemurs and other night active animals. Three nights in Buffet de la gare hotel.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 3 – Andasibe-Perinet NP
The eastern rainforest Reserve of Andasibe-Mantadia is one of the last strongholds of the mythical Indri-Indri lemur, the largest of all lemurs. The animals and birds are most active in the early morning and there should be good opportunities to see and hear the lemurs. The black and white coated Indri-Indri is an extraordinary Lemur, known for its wailing call. Indri's are active on and off throughout the day but are best seen in the morning. Your afternoon and evening is then at leisure to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Before dinner we have another nocturnal walk out for mousemakis (microcebus).
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 4 – Andasibe-Perinet NP
This morning we will also rise up early to visit Mantadia National Park that is as well in the region to see the diadema sifaka – a rare Lemur of the island. Mantadia also contains a wide variety of fauna and flora in the moist mountain forest, including beautiful and varied insects, spiders, butterflies, reptiles and many orchids. After searching for the lemurs and other fauna we walk into the orchid park to admire Madagascar's beautiful flora.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 5 – Andasibe-Perinet – Lac Rasoabe
Drive to Lac Rasoabe. We pass more of the typical villages of the Betsimisaraka ethnic group. This group, which was unified from several groups into a single one by the son of an English pirate and a Malagasy princess, was the most powerful group on the east coast of Madagascar. The Betsimisaraka means the-many inseparable and they are now the second largest group of the island; cultivating rice and operating plantations of oranges, mandarins and pineapples. We pass through the little hamlet of Manambato to the shore of Lake Rasoabe where we have dinner and overnight at Les Acasias.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 6 – Lac Rasoabe – Ankanin’ nofy
After a slight morning walk out on the shore of the lake and an early lunch, embark for a motorboat ride and navigate through the canal de Pangalanes until our destination, Akanin’ny Nofy – the nest of dreams. It is located on another lake called Ampitabe. We stay for two nights in hotel Palmarium.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 7 – Ankanin’ nofy
We have a large choice of excursions either on foot or by boat such as the private reserve of The Palmarium. A peninsula that gives a unique glance to the endemic fauna and flora of Madagascar. A Nature lover did collect a considerable number of rare plants such as palm trees, plants, orchids and reptiles. Different species of lemurs live freely in trees.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 8 – Ankanin’ nofy – Toamasina (Tamatave)
Transfer by motorboat to Tamatave by crossing the canal of Pangalanes. That enormous stretch of smooth water goes on for over 600 km from the south to the north. A multitude of lakes and natural lagoons are seen along the canal. It allows the villagers to carry their goods. You will also see a great many deserted beaches and forests dotted with many orchids and traveller trees. Disembarkation in Tamatave and transfer to the Miramar hotel.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 9 – Toamasina (Tamatave) – Antananarivo
The town of Toamasina (Tamatave) is built on a sandy peninsula which projects at right angles from the general coast line with it’s spacious and fairly commodious harbour. It was built in a typical colonial architecture. If there is space we visit the Ivoloina Park is a Botanical and a Zoological garden, a combination of Lemur breeding facility, zoo, education centre and tourist attraction some km north of town. Flight to Antananarivo, transfer to the Auberge Au Cheval Blanc where we stay the night.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 10 – Antananarivo – Antsirabe
Drive to the spa of Antsirabe. Antsirabe known as the city where we can find much minerals, across the highland landscape with its beautiful rice fields and its spectacular eroded hills called lavaka. The drive takes in lush green landscape where vegetables and fruits are farmed. En-route we stop in Ambatolampy for a short visit, a huge agricultural city and very well known as capital bay-foot production. Antsirabe, founded by Norwegian missionaries as a health retreat, is an industrial and agricultural centre. Also we find here the Star brewery, the only brewery in Madagascar. We stay for the night at Admiral, out of town, surrounded by an elegant garden where we enjoy sunset.
Included meals: breakfast, barbecue dinner
Day 11 – Antsirabe – Ranomafana
Our next destination is Ranomafana National Park, where we will spend two nights. After breakfast we take a short drive to the town of Ambositra, where we will see some artwork of the Zafimaniry woodcarvers. Their carvings got recently UNESCO cultural heritage. From Ambositra we continue south. The landscape is dominated by rice fields, forests of pine and eucalyptus and rocky mountains. We then arrive into Ranomafana where we check into Manja hotel for three nights. Ranomafana, literally meaning hot water, is a very pretty village surrounded by hills and the Namorona River. Three nights in Tropic village.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 12 – Ranomafana NP
Visit of the Ranomafana rainforest. Probably we will find lots of birds, frogs, lemurs and other species. We hope to see red-bellied lemurs, red-fronted lemurs, and diadema sifakas. Although present, the golden bamboo Lemur and the broad-nosed gentle Lemur, are more difficult to find. The park is also flora rich with orchids, tree ferns, palms mosses, trumpet flowers and stands of giant bamboo. Here we will enjoy a day walk in the park. Later we embark on a trek in the reserve, coming across many nocturnal rainforest species, for example the tiny Mousemaki, or Fossa, a predator about the size of a cat.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 13 – Ranomafana NP
Another full day to explore the Ranomafana NP. The Park covers some 41000 hectares of rolling hills, cloud forest, streams and areas of dense vegetation. The park was created in 1991 to protect the flora and fauna, in particular the golden bamboo Lemur found in 1987 and the greater bamboo Lemur, two of the rarest species of Madagascar's lemurs. Ranomafana is also home to 26 mammal species including 12 species of lemurs, abundant numbers of geckos, chameleons and frogs as well as not less than nearly 100 species of birds.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 14 – Ranomafana – Ambalavao
Leaving Ranomafana we drive through a number of small villages before reaching Sahambavy Tea Estate, the only tea plantation in Madagascar. The tea estate created in 1970, set in a pretty valley beside Lake Sahambavy, produces large quantities of tea for both export to Mombassa (Kenya) and for local consumption. A tour will take us through all aspects from picking to packaging. After lunch we drive to the nearby city of Fianarantsoa for a short city tour before we continue southward to Ambalavao. Fianarantsoa is the capital of Betsileo ethnic group. The landscape is again superb with great views of vineyards, terraced rice paddies and rocky outcrops. Ambalavao, with its brightly painted buildings, is a beautiful town. We visit nearby Soavita vineyard for wine tasting as well as the Antaimoro Paper factory. The paper factory is a vestige of the Arabian civilisation in the island. Here paper is made from scratch using the bark of the avoha bush. After a series of steps, fresh flowers are pressed into the paper to make attractive cards, envelopes and picture frames. Night at hotel aux Bougainvillées.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 15 – Ambalavao – Anja Park – Ranohira
Bizarre landscapes of towering cliffs await us in the small nature reserve of Anja with superb scenery, plants, Betsileo history, caves and tombs and ring-tailed lemurs. We take a two-hour walk into the park before continuing along the road to Isalo. Passing the sleepy town of Ihosy that is the capital of the ethnic group of the Bara people. Ihosy serves as a transition between the green highlands of central Madagascar and the dry south. Late afternoon we will dry to catch sunset at the 'fenêtre de l’Isalo'. This natural rock window offers the opportunity for a great sunset photo. This natural rock window, covered with green and orange lichen, offers views over the surrounding plain. Three nights in Hotel Le Joyau de l’Isalo.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 16 – Isalo NP
Our adventure begins with an trek in the Park. We trek through landscapes formed by centuries of erosion and fascinating sandstone formations. We walk to the canyon des singes and the canyon des rats to look for ring-tailed and other lemurs. In the afternoon we pass the piscine naturelle for a bath.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 17 – Isalo NP
Today we visit to Isalo National Park, taking a day hike in this surreal park. This park is fiercely beautiful with golden plains punctuated by craggy pinnacles of terracotta rock, valleys, canyons and waterfalls. The Isalo National Park comprises the entire stretch of the Isalo massif. This huge mountain is spectacular with its eroded sandstone mountain. On our trek we can refresh ourselves on the way at a waterfall or the blue and the black lake.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 18 – Ranohira – Toliara (Tuléar)
Drive to Toliara (Tuléar), the terminal of the National road N° 7. We experience new scenery that is comprised of the dry forest of the west, the spiny desert of the south and the spectacular baobabs. Tuléar, the biggest province in Madagascar, is the driest part of the country. The landscape is dominated by spiny forest-like cactus and different euphorbia plants. We stop at the Mahafaly and Antandroy tombs. These tombs are works of art, constructed by the community, to honour the deceased. On arrival we take a short tour of Tuléar. Hotel Chez Alain for two nights.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 19 – Ifaty
From Tuléar we take a drive north along the coast to Ifaty. The coral reef represents an exceptional spot. It attracts a range of fish. We take a tour in a sailing pirogue for snorkelling. After lunch we visit a breeding station for tortoises. In this area we can find the local fauna and flora like baobabs, birds…
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 20 – Toliara (Tuléar) – Antananarivo
Toliara is a lively city. In the morning we take a tour to the town, looking at the colonial architecture with its huge villas; we visit the busy the market place where thousands of people are shopping. Transfer to the airport of Tuléar and flight to Antananarivo. Night in Le Relais de Plateaux.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 21 – Antananarivo
Depending on flight time we take a city tour to Antananarivo. Transfer to Ivato Airport and flight out
Included meals: breakfast
Complementary Information:
Duration of the tour: 21 days
Car or minibus: 5 days
Trekking: 7 days plus several tours of two or three hours
Motorboat: 3 hours
Excursions: 3,5 days
Included:
overnight in the mentioned or similar hotels in double room, meals as mentioned and 1 ½ l of mineral water per person per day, going by car or Minibus, all transfers, all entrance fees, English speaking tour leader, local guides in all visited parks, tip for drivers, local guides, waiters, porters. The tour can be changed according to circumstances.
Not included:
flights, drinks except mentioned, private expenses.
Please note: for this tour are inbound flights required that are not included in the tour price.
This tour is customisable.
Prices in Euro per person.
2 persons 3600
3 persons 3500
4 persons 3300
5 persons 3150
6 persons 2775
7 or 8 persons 2550
9 or 10 persons 2300
11 or 12 persons 2250
Single room surcharge 450
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