This an exicting Twenty Four Days Adventure in Madagascar. Some of the highlights of this trip includes, walk around 800-year-old trees along the Avenue of the Baobabs, Cross the Big Tsingy via suspended bridge, Float down the meandering Manambolo River on a morning canoe trip, Stay in a cottage deep within the Ranomafana National Park, surrounded by lush rainforest and countless species of flora and fauna, See how many species of lemur you can spot in Isalo, Andasibe and Ranomafana national parks (there are 33 different types!), Chill out at laidback Anakao – this Malagasy seaside village will provide you with plenty of R&R after a massive Madagascar adventure.
Day None: Arrival in Antananarivo
Upon your arrival at the airport in Antananarivo – Madagascar, the guide from Afrikan Wildlife Safaris will welcome you and transfer you to the hotel. If you arrive early, you can do the city tour by visiting cobbled streets, wooden houses and impressive churches, the streets of Haute-Ville, visit the permanent Analakely street market.
Day Two: Miandrivazo
You will have an early start and drive to Miandrivazo and proceed down the Tsiribihina River. Then go for the briefing for your two-day cruise. Pack all what you need for the two days cruise. Relax in the evening in preparation for the next day.
Day Three: Tsirbihina River Excursion
After breakfast, drive to Masiakampy, where you will find a traditional barge waiting to escort you along the Tsiribihina River. These flat bottom boats were once used to transport tobacco, but without that precious cargo they make a comfortable way to cruise along the water and access the remote reaches of western Madagascar. For the next few days, you’ll have the chance to spot wildlife on the banks and in the water, enjoy easy walks to hidden waterfalls and stop off in rural villages. Climb aboard and meet the crew, then settle in and enjoy some lunch as you travel through flat farming plains and enter the dramatic gorges of the Tsiribihina, stopping in the afternoon to trek to a waterfall before returning to a large sandbank to set up camp.
Day Four: Tsiribihina River Excursion
Today, you will enjoy a whole day gliding along the river, travelling into the heart of the river and waving to the locals on the banks and barges as you pass. In the absence of roads, nature flourishes along the river in this part of Madagascar – watch out for herds of zebus crossing the river, and bee-eaters, herons, and egrets in this bird lovers’ paradise. Stop occasionally for a village walk or a short trek for some lemur spotting before setting up camp at a village along the shore. This evening, light a campfire and enjoy some traditional Malagasy music and dancing with the locals.
Day Five: Bekopaka
Have your breakfast along the Tsiribihina river and say good bye to the boat crew. Make a quick stop at Belo-sur-Tsiribihina, a small village nestled in the marshes and mangroves of the Delta, to check out the market and get some lunch and drive to Bekopaka.
Day Six: The Small Tsingy
On this day, you will go for trekking through the Small Tsingy, located in Bemaraha National Park. Walk through a labyrinth of limestone formations that resemble a forest made of rock. Make some stops for panoramic pictures on the way. In the afternoon, you will take a canoe down the Manambolo River. Then later visit the sites of stalactites, stalagmites and the eerie tombs of the Vazimba – said to be the earliest inhabitants of Madagascar.
Day Seven: The Great Tsingy
Get your early breakfast and head to the Great Tsingy.. Largely unexplored until the 1990s (the name Tsingy is very roughly translated as ‘place where one cannot walk barefoot’ in Malagasy), the area is now easier to walk through due to a series of bridges, semi-permanent climbing plugs and other equipment. Look out for some of the eleven species of lemurs, 100 species of birds and 45 endemic reptiles and amphibians, including the Madagascar iguana and Antsingy leaf chameleon.
Day Eight: Morondava
This will be another early start to Morondava. Cross the Manambolo River and the Tsiribihina River by ferry and proceed to the town of Morondava in time for a spectacular sunset in the Avenue of the Baobabs. These Boabab trees are native to Madagascar, and the variety you will see lit from behind this evening are adansonia grandidieri, the tallest of them all. Many of which are up to 800 years old. Spend the night in Morondava.
Day Nine: Antsirabe
After your morning breakfast, you will depart and head for Antsirabe, the capital of the Vakinankaratra region. The town is fairly quiet after dark, but there are a few places to grab a nightcap if you so desire. If you’re so inclined, perhaps head to travellers favourite Le Pousse Pousse, where the booths are made from rickshaws.
Day Ten: Antananarivo
You will have a walk in the surrounding region. Discover the beauty of the local lakes, including the emerald-green waters of Tritiva, an extinct crater surrounded by verdant forest. Hike through the lakes district, Have a picnic lunch along the way. Later, continue to Antananarivo.
Day Eleven: Antananarivo
Today will be a leisure day. Go out for local dishes and drinks. And relax at the hotel.
Day Twelve: Andasibe National Park
Depart Tana and drive to Andasibe National Park with a stop en route at Pereyras Nature Farm – a private reserve that’s home to chameleons, frogs, snakes and so much more wildlife. This evening, you’ll have an opportunity to take night walk through the forest at Mitsinjo – a privately-owned reserve, where you’ll encounter nocturnal species including endemic butterflies and lemurs.
Day Thirteen: Andasibe National Park
We will visit the Andasibe National Park. This is the most visited park in Madagascar and famous for the 11 species of lemur, endemic birds including the long-eared owl and the rufous-headed ground roller, as well as the smallest living chameleon – brookesia minima – and many times types of reptiles, insects and frogs. There is abundance of unique wildlife, and you’ll have an opportunity to see them during a guided walk through the national park.
Day Fourteen: Antsirabe
This morning, you will drive to Antisrabe. Antsirabe maintains a Malagasy touch with all the tranquillity of a small European town with its bustling street markets and Colonial-style facades. Located in the highlands with the hot springs and thermal baths, and the colourful rickshaws known as ‘pousse-pousse’ used for transport. When you arrive, check into your hotel and enjoy your dinner in the Gazebo within the grounds of the Guest House.
Day Fifteen: Ambositra
After breakfast, take a short journey to Ambositra. A home to the third-largest ethnic group in Madagascar – the Betsileo people. Take a visit to the nearby Sandrandahy villages and explore the process of silk production, which is an important part of Malagasy culture. The use of silk was once reserved exclusively for royalty, but now everyone is free to wear it though its use is more often used for the dead. When a Malagasy is buried, their body is wrapped in a large, silk sheet known as a ‘lambamena’ and, after a few years, the family traditionally return to the tomb to exchange the sheet for a new one. This custom is known as famadihana, and each village specialises in one step of the production. Enjoy a local lunch before spending a free evening in Ambositra.
Day Sixteen: Ranomafana
You will drive to Ranomafa National Park taday, located in the southeastern part of Madagascar, this park is home to a number of rare species. Ranomafana means ‘hot water’ in the Malagasy language and the area is haven for small mammals, birds, reptiles and insects, as well as palms, bamboo, orchids and carnivorous plants. It’s home to 13 species of lemur, including the famous golden bamboo lemur, which was first reported in the area in 1985 and is one of the reasons why the government decided to protect this forest. Relax in the afternoon. You can go for the optional night walk once the sun goes down.
Day Seventeen: Ranomafana
Explore more of Ranomafana 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. Relax in the afternoon and once again spend the night within the park.
Day Eighteen: Fianarantsoa
After breakfast, drive to Fianarantsoa – a colourful town known for its markets and handicrafts.. Take a day visit to a typical Malagasy village for an insight into how the majority of the island’s population live, then take a local walk to explore the surrounding countryside, which is dotted with rice paddies and vineyards that produce Fianarantsoa’s famous wine. You’ll get a chance to sample local cuisine with a lunch stop in the villages then, in the afternoon, visit the historical old city of Fianarantsoa on foot.
Day Nineteen and Twenty: Isalo National Park
On this day, you will drive to Isalo National Park. You’ll stop at the Anja Community Reserve on your way – a great spot to observe lemurs and learn a little more about the local culture. You will be guided by the site guides and your laed guide will be able to translate all the knowledge they can pass on to you. Isalo is known for its variety of landscapes, from rainforests and rolling plains teeming with life to strange geological formations and deep-cut canyons. And of course, there are a variety of lemur species roaming around the place. Spend a couple of days exploring the park, which is home to over 80 species of birds, 30 species of reptiles and 14 species of mammals including three lemur species – ring-tailed, red-fronted and Verreaux’s sifakas lemur.
Day Twenty One: Anakao
Have very early breakfast and drive to Toliara Harbour and take a boat to Anakao. Anakao has white sandy beaches beside turquoise waters. This is a small town in which fishing is the main economic activity. Relax at the beach the rest of the day or swimming in the clear waters of the Mozambique Channel.
Day Twenty Two: Anakao
This will be another day at leisure. You can take an optional full-day tour of Tsimanampetsotse National Park – a birder’s paradise named for its spectacular lake. More than 100 species of bird can be found here, including pink, greater and dwarf flamingos, as well as the gray-brown mouse and white-footed sportive lemurs. Maybe paddle a canoe out to the mirage of Nosy Ve instead and check out the beaches and reef, or just hang out in Anakao town and make the most of its convenient beaches.
Day Twenty Three: Antananarivo
Today, you will be transfer to Toliara by boat for the flight back to Antananarivo. You need to be prepared that there may be some waiting time in Tulear today depending on the scheduled flight time for the day and your scheduled boat transfers.
Day Twenty Four: Fly Out
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport depending on your flight time.
Trip Includes
Miandrivazo – Tsiribihina River Trip
Miandrivazo – Tsiribihina River Trip
Small Tsingy Walking Circuit
Manombolo River Canoe Ride
Big Tsingy Trek
Sunset At Baobab Alley
Andasibe National Park – Mitsinjo Night Walk
Andasibe Nationa Park – Pereyras Private Reserve
Andasibe National Park – Guided Walk
Ambositra – Village Visit
Ambositra -Manandriana Village Lunch
Ranomafana National Park – Rainforest Walk
Fianarantsoa – Betsileo: Village Visit And Walk
Ambalavao – Anja Community Reserve
Ambalavao – Antemoro Paper Factory Visit
Isalo National Park – Guided Walk