Madagascar Wilderness
The highlights of this trip includes Trekking in the rainforest with a unique ecosystem and home to lemurs, chameleons, amphibians and countless species of birds, Hike in remote national parks, Interact with the friendly and hospitable local people, Imarivolanitra (2658m) – Summit the highest point in southern Madagascar.
Day One: Arrival in Antananarivo
On your arrival in Antananarivo, the guide from Afrikan Wildlife Safaris will welcome you and the transfer you to the hotel for the overnight.
Day Two: Ranomafana National Park.
After your breakfast, you will have an early start and drive to Ramonafana National Park. You will go via Antisarabe and Ambositra. Ranomafana is one of Madagascar’s most spectacular national parks. The park had a great diversity of flora and fauna which supports 12 species of lemur and over 115 species of birds, some of which are endemic to the area. Dinner and overnight at Manja hotel.
Day Three: Hiking in the Forest
On this day after your breakfast, go with porters carrying our overnight bags, we hike into the forest looking wildlife including lemurs like golden bamboo and greater bamboo lemurs. We stop for a picnic lunch before heading into the primary rainforest where we stay at a simple campsite with one long drop toilet and cold water shower. The distance today will be around ten kilometre walk which can take around six hours depending on what we see, our pace and fitness.
Day Four: Wildlife trail and thermal baths at Ranomafana
Today, we will follow another wildlife walk within the forest looking out for the black-and-white ruffed lemur which can only be found in this primary forest area. Then we hike out of the forest area along the Varijatsy Trek Circuit to the village of Ranomafana on the banks of the Namorona Rive ending at the thermal baths and swimming pool – the name Ranomafana locally means ‘hot water’. We will cover twelve kilometre for around six hours.
Day Five: Ambalavao
Get your breakfast and drive to Ambalavao via the ancient royal city of Fianarantsoa. Ambalavao is a nice town, the houses in the town are brightly coloured with steep tiled roofs and wooden balconies. There is also an open sky market with the largest cattle display in Madagascar. After lunch, we will visit the Anja Reserve, a local community reserve, where we hope to see ring-tailed lemurs and later return to Ambalavao.
Day Six: Andringitra National Park
This morning, we will drive to Andringitra National Park where we will spend the next three nights. We will do our hike with our porters through small villages to the first forest campsite, where we have a picnic lunch. The park scenery is stunning, encompassing high mountains, granite outcrops and deep valleys, and supports rainforest, mountain forest and high altitude meadow vegetation. It is one of the most biodiverse areas of Madagascar with over 1000 species of plants, 100 species of birds, 50 species of mammals (including 13 of lemurs) and 55 species of frogs. This is a small basic campsite in a forest clearing with simple facilities and no showers, water is taken from the nearby stream. After dinner, we take a night nature walk looking for some nocturnals in the forest. We will cover five kilometre in today’s walk in around two hours.
Day Seven: Wildlife walk
We have to start early to look for lemurs and for birds, before we begin our trek up to the park’s highest campsite, Andriampotsy. We will we pass through the Imaitso forest and arrive at a meadow plateau at the foot of the Andringitra granite outcrop. The campsite is basic with one long drop toilet and only bucket washing available, our cook provides us with an evening meal before bed. We will cove twelve kilometre for around five hours.
Day Eight: Hike to the summit of Imarivolanitra (2,658 m)
Today, we will hike to the summit of Imarivolanitra (2,658m), the highest point in southern Madagascar. It is a fairly steady climb on a well-managed path and the views from the top of this mountain down over the park are breathtaking. We then descend along the same paths via last night’s campsite to a lower campsite, another basic campsite with one long drop toilet and water is taken from the nearby stream. Today’s fifteen kilometre walk is expected to take around seven hours.
Day Nine: Isalo National Park
This day, we will walk out of the park and drive to Isalo National Park where we stay in Isalo Ranch Hotel. This hotel is on the edge of the Isalo where the forest hosts sifaka, ring-tailed lemur and brown lemur. In this lodge, the electricity and hot water is solar generated but with a restaurant, a bar and outdoor swimming pool. Today’s five kilometre walk is expected to take around two hours.
Day Ten: Isalo National Park
Today, we will explore more of Isalo national park. We will go out and look for wildlife in the area. After a morning wildlife trail we walk with our porters through the sandstone massif of Isalo to natural swimming pools and return to Isalo Ranch. Today’s eight kilometre walk is expected to take around four hours.
Day Elven: Ifaty Beach
On this day, we will drive to Toliara with a stop en route to Zombitse National Park which hosts a wide variety of wildlife including several lemur species and the elusive fossa, a cat-like mammal endemic to Madagascar as well as many birds and reptile species. Throughout the forest are magnificent baobab trees. From Toliara we continue to Ifaty Beach, a small resort on the west coast, our base for the next two nights. Today’s four kilometre walk is expected to take around two hours.
Day Twelve: Ifaty Beach
Today is free to relax or explore the area by visiting the reef for snorkeling or you can go for forest walk in the Reniala Reserve, just inland from the beach area. Look out for some endemic bird species like long-tailed ground roller, sub-desert mesite and sickle-billed vanga.
Day Thirteen: Fly to Antananarivo
Today we fly from Toliara to Antananarivo airport from where we transfer to our hotel. The time of the flight varies so the rest of the day is free to relax.
Day Fourteen: Explore Antananarivo
After breakfast, we drive to Ambohitrabiby Hill, on the outskirts of Antananarivo and take a walk to the top of this sacred hill. The walk takes us through local highland villages and rice paddies, learning about local silk weaving along the way before returning to Antananarivo in the afternoon.
Day Fifteen: Fly Out
After your breakfast, the guide will transfer you to the airport depending on your flight time to fly back home.