Wildlife and discovery

Amazing Island of Madagascar
Madagascar is the fourth largest and one of the most diverse islands of the world solely unique – nicknamed the ‘8^th continent’ because of its diversity of species. Brimming with endemic fauna and flora and with a culture, geography and climate so diverse no one will never be disappointed when travelling throughout this amazing country. As Madagascar is a continent in miniature with its micro climates, vastly different habitats and a huge number of endemic species, we will prove the two different versions of many books saying “Madagascar Green Island” and “Madagascan Red Island”. Due to this extremely different point of view, the international conservation community has singled it out as one of the ecologically richest countries on the planet – the last Eden.

Highlights

Geyser Ampefy, Lily waterfall, Ilot de la vierge, Exotic Reptile Park , Indri Reserve – Andasibe-Mantadia NP , lemurs island of vakona private park, Palmarium reserve, The Pangalane canal, Tritriva lake, Antsirabe region, Ranomafana NP , Anja Villagers Park , Andringitra region, Fenêtre de l’Isalo – Isalo NP, Arboretum d’Antsokay, Ifaty forest and beach – Reniala Park – Baobabs – Ifaty beach.

The optimal time for this amazing tour is from March to November, it is designed for all photograph and nature lovers for all age who prefers to explore the wild and make great photos. The mega biodiversity in our unique country with the exiting landscape in different areas makes this tour unforgettable.

Day 1

Touching down in Antananarivo

Upon your arrival in Antananarivo, you will be welcome by our staff and transferred to your hotel. Depend in your arrival time, we may plan short walk if the time allows us or just keep the rest of the day free. We will hear more about the trip during the first briefing for this evening.

Day 2

Antananarivo – Geyser – Ampefy

We start from the capital city of Mada, we may expect some traffic jam in the city, but as soon as we are out, then we start to enjoy the beautiful landscape of the Merina tribe, dominated by small villages, red soil, rice field and the granite stone. It is a little bit hard to scheduled lunch at this day, because there is no appropriate restaurant on the ways so we may plan pic nic lunch or have lunch in the orphans’ project of Stephan in Miarinarivo, an opportunity also for some children picture. As soon as we arrive, we start to explore the great area by the visit of geyser, natural springs that shout every few minutes like geysers from the grounds, this site not to be missed if you are in Ampefy region.

Day 3

Ampefy region – Antananarivo – Andasibe

We are now in the central highland of Madagascar, with the Merina landscape and daily life. We explore the volcanic and hilly landscapes of the Itasy region. We will see local people work in the field, fishing in the lake and so on. We have chance to exchange with them. Our first highlight of this day is to have the 360° view in “Ilot de la vierge”, consider as the middle point of Madagascar, we try to have nice photos shoot from there. Later we will visit the well know Lily waterfall, a great place rewards really the dirt drive to be there. After the visit we drive back to Tana, and plan to have lunch here, then forwards east to reach Andasibe national park.

Day 4

Andasibe-Mantadia NP and Vakona private reserve

Full day to explore the flora and fauna in the park, 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. In the afternoon we may visit Vakona private park well known for its island of lemurs, we crass small river with a canoe and will be able to see more lemur species up closer. If we are still fit enough, we may consider short night walk to look for the nocturnal wildlife of the park.

Day 5

Andasibe – Manambato – Palmarium

We leave Andasibe after breakfast and continuous our direction east, we will have short stop in Antsapanana, well know place for different kinds of fruit and spices of the east. We will be in Manambato around noon, enjoy our lunch next to Rasoabe Lake, and then right after lunch we take the boat to Ankanin’ny nofy (The nest of dreams). Very cine scenic cruise along the Pangalane Canal, we pass through great lakes with beautiful green landscapes, sandy beaches and remote villages. The Pangalana is a chain of natural and man-made lakes connected by canals that runs parallel to the east coast.

Day 6

Palmarium reserve

We have full day to enjoy the dream of nest, we start with the visit of the private reserve, a good chance again to add our lemurs’ list and learn about many kinds of spices like vanilla, cacao, …Here will be the place also that you can get very close photos of the indri-indri and many other species. In the afternoon, we will have short boat transfer to the fisher village nearby to have more ideas about the daily life of the people live in between the channel and the ocean

Day 7

Palmarium – Reptiles Park – Antananarivo

After all of these beautiful fauna and flora we have seen in Palmarium reserve, we are really interested to get our next step. We back again in our discovering boat trip back to Manambato and meet again our driver. We drive back direction Antananrivo and have stop in the well know exotic reptile park. The park is well known for its colourful chameleons and more reptiles as leaf tailed geckos, snack and many other. Most of the best chameleon photos you have seen in different guide book are taken here. After the visit we have few hours’ drive to Tana.

Day 8

Antananrivo – Antsirabe sightseeing

Drive to our next destination Antsirabe. Antsirabe known as the city where we can find many 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. In the afternoon we plan city tour by car or rickshaw or easy walk, we will visit and discover more the historical back ground of the city and its active people in their daily life. We will learn about precious and half precious stone, make some colorful picture of vegetable and fruit in Antsenakely market and see demonstration of zebu horn and miniature handy craft

Day 9

Antsirabe – Ranomafana

Our next destination is Ranomafana National Park, where we will spend two nights. After breakfast we take a two hours’ 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. Ranomafana, literally meaning hot water, is a very pretty village surrounded by hills and the Namorona River. If the weather allows us in the evening, we may have night walk along the National road to spot mouse Lemur, chameleons, frogs and so on. Ranomafana is a rain forest; we never know when it rains so better to have light rain coat just in case.

Day 10

Ranomafana NP

This national park is one of Madagascar’s best-known rainforest wildlife hot spots. We will enjoy a day walk in the park embarking on a trek in 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 rich in flora with orchids, tree ferns, palms mosses, trumpet flowers and stands of giant bamboo.

Day 11

Ranomafana – Anja Park – Andringitra

We will leave the rainforest this morning; we drive through different landscape before we reach the great wall rock formation of Tsaranoro valley. We pass Fianarantsoa the capital city of the Betsileo during the drive, then continuous south and arrive in Ambalavao; we plan lunch here and have some visit of different handy craft. About 15 km south of the city is the local managed park Anja, here we stop of course for a visit and have fun in the nature. Cattas, chameleons, astonished rock formation and many species of plant are to explore here. After the visit we forward south to reach our camp

Day 12

Tsaranoro Valley Trekking

To have more fun of the visit of Tsaranoro massif, we have to start early to enjoy the morning sunshine into the big rock wall, or reflected in the small lake and river nearby. We start the trek from our camp, go through first in the forest to spot the ring tailed lemurs before we start the tracks lead through open savannah and higher altitude. As soon as we are higher, we start have great view of the valley. Many different level of trek or climb are possible here. Various species of bird, snakes, lizards, chameleons, orchids and plenty of other plants can be found. If the time allows us we may visit villages and the basic health center called CSB2.

Day 13

Andringitra – Ranohira

After the full day hike in Andringitra region, we forwards south west direction national park of Isalo. We have first our 20Km off road until we reach the national seven again. The architecture change from the Betsileo village to the Bara, for them house has no much value, so we will see lots of small village. The Bara is the tribe breeding more zebu, so we have also good chance for great photos of these sacred animal for the Malagasy before we reach Isalo national park.

Day 14

Isalo National 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. Our adventure begins with a trek in the Park. In this surreal park we trek through landscapes formed by centuries of erosion and fascinating sandstone formations. This massive uniform of the Jurassic era is the cradle of a particular wild nature and an exceptional landscape. We walk to the canyons, we look for ring-tailed and other lemurs. We can refresh ourselves on the way at a waterfall or a natural pool.

Day 15

Ranohira – Arboretum d’Antsokay – Toliara (Tuléar) – Ifaty

Today we drive to Toliara (Tuléar), the terminal of the National road N° 7. On the way we stop at the Arboretum d’Antsokay for endemic plants of Madagascar, collected by a Swiss biologist over decades. On the road we experience new scenery that is comprised of the dry forest of the west, the spiny desert of the south and the spectacular baobabs. The region here 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. From Toliara we drive north along the coast to Ifaty where our accommodation for the next two nights is.

Day 16

Swimming and relaxing

The ocean has temperatures that we may appreciate. We relax and swim in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. At the coral reef up front discover colourful plant and fish life while snorkelling.

Day 17

Ifaty – Toliara – Antananarivo

Free morning to enjoy the beach in your Won, after lunch we have transfer to Toliara for our domestic flight to the capital of Antananarivo, another TM welcome you in Antananarivo for your last day of souvenir shopping.

Day 18

Antananarivo – Fly home

This morning we have half day for you souvenirs; we drive through the city and visit some souvenir market, after early lunch will be transferred to the International airport for your Fly Home.
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