Description
Journey from west to east as you discover the spectacular wildlife, landscapes and culture of Madagascar.On this safari you'll discover both the remarkable landscapes of Madagascar’s far west and the stunning eastern rainforests. Stops include the iconic Avenue of Baobabs and the 'stone forests' of Tsingy de Bemaraha.
Overview
This unique safari allows you to follow in the footsteps of Amanda Canning, Deputy Editor at Lonely Planet Traveller magazine, to discover both the remarkable landscapes of Madagascar’s far west and the stunning eastern rainforests. Encounter an array of lemurs; photograph the spectacular Avenue of Baobabs; enjoy a boat trip through the Pangalanes Canal; and even spot the peculiar aye-aye near Palmarium Reserve.
A tailor-made safari is one designed according to your specific requirements, including budget, dates, personal interests, the number of people travelling, and more. This itinerary is just an example and can be refined and altered to make it perfect for you.
What makes this trip extraordinary
- Venturing through Kirindy Forest, home to seven species of lemur, fossa and the giant jumping rat.
- Exploring the spectacular mineral forest of Tsingy de Bemaraha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Seeking out chameleons and nocturnal lemurs by torchlight in Andasibe.
- Getting to see the weird and wonderful aye-aye near Palmarium Reserve
Itinerary
Arrive Antananarivo
On arrival in Antananarivo (often abbreviated to Tana), you will be met by your driver and driven to your hotel where you will have time to relax before your adventure begins. Depending on what time you arrive, you may have time to explore the city or enjoy a massage at the hotel.
Overnight: Relais des Plateaux
Antananarivo - Kirindy Forest & Marofandilia
Wake early and transfer to the airport for your flight to Morondava. On arrival, meet your guide and drive the two hour journey on to Kirindy Forest. For the rest of the day you will have the opportunity to explore the forest famed for being home to seven species of lemur, fossa and even the giant jumping rat. Several bats, tenrecs, mongooses and rodents complete the mammal population. 40 birds, 50 reptiles and 15 amphibian species are also found in this magnificent forest! At sunset head for the ‘Avenue of Baobabs’ to try and capture that iconic shot. Continue to Le Camp Amoureux for the night in Marofandilia Forest. If you want to continue your exploration, head out on a night walk in search of Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, the smallest of all primates.
Overnight: Le Camp Amoureaux
Marofandilia - Bekopaka
This morning, enjoy breakfast at the lodge before departing for the long eight-hour drive to Bekopaka, passing by the stunning Avenue of Baobabs once more and on to the Belo sur Tsiribihina, the cultural capital of the Sakalava tribe. Although the drive can be quite bumpy en route, the scenery is wonderful with the sandy red land of western Madagascar visible as you drive. Feel free to ask your driver to stop so that you can take photographs whenever you would like.
Overnight: Soleil du Tsingy
Tsingy de Bemaraha, Petite Tsingy
This morning set off on a guided trip to the magnificent ‘stone forest’ of Tsingy de Bemaraha to explore the Petite Tsingy. The reserve’s canyons, gorges, undisturbed forests, lakes and mangrove swamps display an astonishing richness of fauna and flora. A walk through the dry deciduous forest takes you to the base of the karst formations. From here, follow a series of iron ladders, rugged handholds and wooden walkways to reach the viewpoint of the surrounding tsingy forest. Along the way, your guides share stories of local tribes and quirky snippets of myths from the area. After lunch, you will take a boat trip up the Manambolo River to the entrance of the Manambolo Gorge. On route, as you glide through the calm waters, keep an eye out for lemurs and many different species of birds. You will visit the gorge and explore the caves; be sure to notice the fascinating rock formations caused by flooding during the rainy season.
Overnight: Soleil du Tsingy
Tsingy de Bemaraha, Grand Tsingy
Today you will explore the Grand Tsingy. With some heady heights and high temperatures today’s excursion requires a good level of fitness. Hat, sunscreen and gloves to protect your hands on the sharp limestone pinnacles are essential kit. Energy bars will give a welcome boost as you scale the walls of the tsingy, safely strapped into a harness. There are some hanging bridges and rope ladders to enable visitors’ access to spectacular viewpoints in this fantastic area. Look out for Decken’s sifaka with its creamy white coat. Guests disinclined to tackle the Grand Tsingy may like to choose a rest day, enjoy the views form the pool deck and writing post-cards from this far-flung destination.
Overnight: Soleil du Tsingy
Bekopaka - Morondava
Moving on from the Tsingy de Bemaraha, you will begin your return journey by road to Marofandilia. En route, you can also stop at the ‘baobab amoureux’ which is a natural twisted baobab 5 km from the main road. Depending on timing, you may have a second chance to photograph the `Allée des baobabs` before arriving at Palissandre Cote Ouest, your base for the night.
Overnight: Palissandre Cote Ouest
Morondava - Antananarivo
Enjoy breakfast at your lodge before transferring back to the airport at Morondava for your flight back to the capital. Relax at your hotel and enjoy dinner in the city.
Overnight: Pavillon de L'Emyrne (B)
Antananarivo - Andasibe Reserve
In the morning you will be collected by your English speaking naturalist guide, and depart in your private air-conditioned 4x4 vehicle with driver. Set off in the direction of Andasibe Reserve for the 4 hour drive passing through highland scenery and rice paddies. This afternoon enjoy an guided walk through the reserve in search of the lemurs and other wildlife. In the evening there will be time for a night walk to observe the nocturnal species.
Overnight: Mantadia Lodge
Andasibe National Park - Palmarium Reserve
Enjoy a final morning walk in Andasibe before setting off northwards by road towards the Pangalanes Canal on the east coast. This journey should take around four hours. The Pangalanes Canal is a series of lakes that were linked together to form a safe passage up the east coast of Madagascar. After a 45 minute boat trip passing through fishing villages you will arrive at the private reserve of Palmarium. Take an afternoon guided walk through the forest. The rest of the day is yours at leisure to relax and enjoy the lemurs that live in the trees around the lodge.
Overnight: Palmarium Lodge (B, L, D)
Palmarium Reserve
Today you have the chance to explore the forest around the Palmarium Reserve with one of the lodge guides. There are many species of lemur to be seen including a family of indri, Coquerel`s sifakas, black lemurs, crowned lemurs, black and white ruffed lemurs and red lemurs. Palmarium Reserve gives you the opportunity to take excellent photographs of the lemurs thanks to the fact that you are able to get quite close to these wonderful creatures. At around 17:30 you will set off with a lodge guide to a nearby island to go in search of the weird and wonderful aye aye. There are approximately six aye aye on this particular island so chances of seeing them are good.
Overnight: Palmarium Lodge (B, L, D)
Palmarium - Antananarivo
After an early morning wake up call, take a 45 minute boat trip up the canals past villages, fishing traps, pirogues, barges and lush vegetation to meet your vehicle for the full day journey passing Andasibe and following the winding route through the highlands and back to the capital Antananarivo. Depending on the time of your onward flight, spend time in a day room at Relais des Plateaux or stay overnight ready for your departure tomorrow.
Overnight: Relais des Plateaux (B)
Depart Antananarivo
Say goodbye to this fascinating island, reminiscing about your extraordinary journey exploring Madagascar as you head back to the airport for your flight home.
Accommodation
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Pavillon de L'Emyrne
- Palmarium Lodge
- Relais Des Plateaux
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Cancellation Policy
Life is unpredictable and we understand that sometimes you have to cancel or change your trip dates and it is our endeavor to make it as easy as possible for you. However, please understand that we plan everything including guide fees, permits, accommodation, and ration in advance. Therefore, any cancellation means inconvenience and certain losses to the people involved in various stages of the program. Keeping that in mind, our cancellation charges are as below,
- Cancellations prior to 30 days from the start of the event: Full refund as cash.
- Cancellations between 30 days and 15 days to the start of the event: 50 % refund as cash.
- Cancellations less than 15 days to the start of the event: No refund.
- Cancellations will be accepted only by email.
Note: We reserve the right to cancel a program before departure in the event of logistical problems arising due to natural calamities, strikes, wars or any other circumstances that make the event inadvisable. In this case, we will refund 50% of the event fees.
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