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Itinerary: Madagascar in Depth

Madagascar in Depth

Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island and an incredible place of unique traditions and astonishing diversity. It is so distinctive that it's often dubbed the 'island continent'. See the highlights and delve off the beaten track to uncover the rural life and forgotten landscapes.

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Madagascar in Depth
Madagascar in Depth

Day 1 - Antananarivo
Arrive in Antananarivo and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore. Overnight Hotel Bois Vert or similar.

Day 2 - Antsirabe
Drive to the picturesque town of Antsirabe in the central highlands. This is one of the country’s prettiest and most elegant cities, with friendly inhabitants, tree lined avenues and locally known for its ‘pousse-pousse’, the wooden hand pulled rickshaws that you will see everywhere in the streets. We stop in small villages along the way, and on arrival explore the town. Overnight Vatolahy Hotel. (B)

Day 3 - Miandrivazao
Continue west to the town of Miandrivazo, on the banks of the river Mahajilo, stopping at villages along the way and arriving late afternoon. Upon arrival we make preparations for our river journey. Overnight Hotel Princesse Tsiribinha or similar. (B)

Day 4 - Tsiribihina River
Transfer to Masekampy and from here we board our boat to begin our descent of the Tsiribihina River. We pass through pretty landscapes of mango trees, tobacco plantations and Sakalava villages, then enter a large gorge where we should be able to spot lemurs on the rocks around us. In the late afternoon we set up camp on a huge sandbank that borders the forest. Overnight camping. (BLD)

Day 5 - Tsiribihina River
Continue our river journey west, stopping at a beautiful waterfall and passing high cliffs and small villages, with opportunities to spot birds and other wildlife along the way. Overnight camping. (BLD)

Day 6 - Belo sur Tsiribihina - Bekopaka
We make our way towards Belo encountering our first baobabs along the way. At Belo we leave our boat behind and travel by 4wd to Bekopaka. Our route today takes us across the Manambolo Rivers, which we cross by local ferry. Overnight Hotel Olympe du Bemaraha or similar. (BL)

Day 7 - Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park
Explore the unique landscapes of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, with its unusual limestone pinnacles. We take boats on the Manambolo River through its stunning gorges to discover caves filled with stalactites and stalagmites, as well as the tombs of the Vazimba people. We then walk through the Tsingy to get right into the heart of this incredible landscape. Overnight Hotel Olympe du Bemaraha or similar. (B)

Day 8 - Kirindy
We drive to Kirindy, crossing the Manambolo and Tsiribinha rivers by ferry. Kirindy is home to numerous species including the giant jumping rat, and is the best place in Madagascar to see the fossa the island’s largest carnivore. We take a night walk in the forest to look for wildlife. Overnight Relais du Kirindy. (B)

Day 9 - Morondava
Rise early to look for birds and other wildlife, including the world’s smallest primate, Berther’s lemur. We then drive south to Morondava, stopping at the iconic ‘Avenue des Baobabs’ along the way. Overnight Palissandre Cote Ouest or similar. (BD)

Day 10 - Antsirabe
A long drive east as we return to Antsirabe, our gateway to reaching the south of the island. Overnight Hotel Vatolahy or similar. (B)

Day 11 - Ambositra - Fianarantsoa
Head to Ambositra, a centre for the Zafimaniry people, renowned for their wood carving skills. Continue to Fianarantsoa and explore the old city, situated dramatically on a hilltop and with a stunning collection of typical Malagasy architecture dating from the 19th century. Overnight La Rizere Hotel or similar. (B)

Day 12 - Betsileo Villages – Tsaranoro Valley
Spend the morning hiking through the lands of the Betsileo people, in a beautiful setting near Fianarantsoa. We have plenty of opportunities to meet local farmers, and enjoy a typical Malagasy lunch at a local home. This afternoon we head to the Tsaranoro Valley where we spend the next two nights. Overnight Camp Catta or similar. (BLD)

Day 13 - Tsaranoro
We spend our time exploring this beautiful valley on foot. Dominated by high granite peaks the valley is home to a number of different villages and we are able to meet local people and learn about the complex traditions that hold sway in this part of the country. We also visit waterfalls, a sacred forest, and look out for the lemurs that live here. This is a delightful part of Madagascar, well off the beaten track, and one of the highlights of the tour. Overnight Camp Catta or similar. (BD)

Days 14-15 - Isalo National Park
We drive west to Isalo National Park, with its interesting rock formations and lunar style landscapes. In the afternoon of Day 14 we head out to watch the sun set over the mountains. On Day 15 we spend time exploring the park on foot with its canyons and golden plains punctuated by craggy pinnacles of rock – this is a strikingly beautiful area and we explore on foot, walking to the Canyon of Lemurs and a natural swimming pool situated in an idyllic location. Overnight Isalo Ranch or similar. (B)

Day 16 - Tulear
Drive to Tulear, Madagascar’s ‘southern capital’ and a mosaic of different ethnicities. In the afternoon we visit the Arboretum Antsokay, home to a variety of endemic plant species as well as wildlife. Overnight Victory Hotel or similar. (B)

Day 17 - Antananarivo - Andasibe National Park
Fly back to Tana and then drive east to Andasibe National Park and visit the private reserve of Vakona. This evening we take a night walk in Andasibe to see some of its nocturnal wildlife. Overnight Andasibe Lemur Lodge or similar. (B)

Day 18 - Andasibe National Park
Spend the day exploring Andasibe and its surrounds. We take morning, afternoon and night walks in the forest in search of the Indri, Madagascar’s largest species of lemur, as well as other species. Overnight Andasibe Lemur Lodge or similar. (B)

Day 19 - Manambato - Akanin’ny Nofy
Drive to Manambato and then board a boat and cruise on the Pangalanes canal to Akanin’ny Nofy. Running parallel to the Indian Ocean, our journey takes us through a series of lakes and lagoons to Lake Ampitabe, where we stay for the next two nights. Overnight Palmarium Hotel or similar. (BD)

Day 20 - Akanin’ny Nofy
Return by boat to Manambato, then drive back to Antananarivo for your final night in Madagascar. On the way we stop at a private reptile zoo to see species endemic to the region. Overnight Hotel Bois Vert or similar. (B)

Day 21 - Manambato – Antananarivo
Return by boat to Manambato, then drive back to Antananarivo for your final night in Madagascar. On the way we stop at a private reptile zoo to see species endemic to the region. Overnight Hotel Bois Vert or similar. (B)

Day 22 - Antananarivo
Transfer to the airport for your flight home. (B)

What's included:
Airport transfers - We include arrival and departure transfers regardless of whether you book flights yourself, or we book them for you. If you're booking them yourself, then please let us know the details so that we can arrange the transfers. Please note though that if you arrive earlier than Day 1 of the tour, and leave after the final day, we may need to make an additional charge for an airport transfer.

Accommodation - Accommodation as listed in the dossier. The nature of the destinations that we operate may sometimes mean that we need to change hotels, but we'll always endeavour to keep the same standards. Please be aware that as we operate in many countries where tourism is in its infancy, hotel standards may not be the same as you're used to elsewher

Guides - In most cases you will be accompanied by one guide from start to finish. However for very small groups, rather than having one guide with you throughout the trip you would have the services of different guides in different destinations.

Meals - As listed within the itinerary / dossier (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner). These will vary from trip to trip - in some areas it makes sense to include all meals while in others there is a good choice of restaurants and we feel people might like to 'do their own thing' now and again.

Entrance fees - Entrance fees are listed for those sites that we mention within the itinerary. If there are any other sites that you'd like to see, these would be at your own expense.

Domestic flights - One domestic flight is included within this trip.

What's not included:
Visas - We don't arrange visas for our travellers, but if an invitation letter is necessary then we will arrange this for you. If you need any advice with visas then let us know.

Airport taxes - If there are any departure taxes to pay that are not included within the cost of your ticket, you'll need to pay these yourself.

International flights - Many of our travellers arrive from different destinations and so we don't include international flights in the cost of our tours. If however you would like us to book flights for you, then just let us know and we'll be happy to discuss your options.

Travel Insurance - If you need any assistance with this, then let us know - although we can't arrange it ourselves we can point you in the direction of a reputable provider that can assist.

To receive the full details of this trip via email please complete our enquiry form below, we will be happy to answer any questions you may have and will provide you with all neccessary booking information to peruse at your leisure. Please complete our enquiry form below, we will be happy to answer any questions you may have and will provide you with all neccessary booking information.

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