In-depth Madagascar Wildlife Adventure

Thanks for choosing our 22 days Madagascar wildlife tour! After you land at the airport of Antananarivo (aka Tana), meet your English-speaking driver guide who will transfer you to your hotel. Check in and spend the remaining time of today as you like. Perhaps soak yourself in your hotel’s pool or, if time allows, hang out to acquaint yourself with local culture on your own. Why not stop at a food stall to try some local snacks like the most iconic Koban-dravina, a sweet steamed mix of ground peanut, brown sugar and rice flour wrapped in banana leaves. We don’t recommend you to go out for fun when the night falls, as Tana is notorious for its poor public security. If you do want to get out, use a taxi from door to door and ask hotel to recommend you a safe one. Oh, don’t forget to bring your passport!

► Note: Considering tomorrow’s flight to your next destination Morondava, please arrive in Tana on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. If you have your own plan, please let us know so we can tailor a trip perfectly fit your schedule.

► Advice on Currency Exchange for Your Madagascar Tour:
In Madagascar, local currency is called Ariary. Given that the exchange rate at the airport is usually the best, we recommend you to change some at money changer or ATM machines (although you can find an ATM in other cities, it probably won’t work) upon landing. In general, only euros and dollars can be exchanged, and EUR 150 to 200 (USD 220 to 250)’s worth would be enough for a week or more. Please note to count your money at the counter and keep them in your sight, as there are some cases of missing money under such circumstances. One more word, Visa card and Master card can be accepted only in some large hotels and restaurants in Antananarivo.

Accommodation: Asia & Africa Hotel - Ivato Airport, Antananarivo (4 stars) or similar

This morning, fly to Morondava, a city on western coastal Madagascar. On arrival, be picked up from the airport and continue on to your hotel for check-in. If time allows, take a stroll around this port city on your own.

► Please Note: 
1. The domestic flights of Madagascar are limited and their schedules are adjusted often for uncontrollable factors like weather. Accordingly, if there is any adjustment noted by the airport authority, we will modify the itinerary a bit to accommodate the new timings. We are committed to offer a seamless tour and will work diligently to minimize the disruptions. Feel free to reach out if you have any concerns about this. 
2. The power supply may not be constant in some Madagascar’s hotels (lodges in most cases), so make sure to charge your commonly used devices as soon as you step into the hotels. At hotels powered by their own generators, you may need to charge phones at the reception hall as they didn’t install plugs in rooms. The power bank you packed and the flashlight mentioned above will help you out during power blackouts at night. Importantly, let us know in advance if you have machines that requires power at night like a breathing machine, so that we can work with the hotel to find a solution.
3. Hot showers are also a little hard to come by in Madagascar, even if you do it during the hot water supply time of hotels. To avoid catching a cold, it is recommended that you make time to take a quick shower during the daytime while it is still hot.

► Recommended Restaurant for Dinner:
Want some gastronomic delights this evening? Then head over to Bleu Soleil, the best restaurant around your hotel. Your guide or hotel staff will be glad to show you its location. It is a stilted building right on the beach, where one can enjoy soft breeze, sound of waves and meanwhile authentic local music. Although the restaurant is always full of customers, you can still be taken good care of by attentive waiters at any time. Tuck into a vast variety of seafood, such as grilled lobsters and calamari skewers at a fair cost, and also try the local juice made from baobab fruit. Vegetables, noodles or pizzas… any kind of food is available here. By the way, as its kitchen is outside, you can see what the chef is up to. If you want to spend less money, you might be interested in another restaurant, Le Corail, which also serves food as fascinating, but its environment is modest, with no sea views to enjoy.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Laguna Beach, Morondava (3 stars) or similar

After an early breakfast, drive to Kirindy and start your safari in the Kirindy Forest. You will pass by dry deciduous trees, shrubby plants, and many fat baobabs that make up a unique environment for native animals. Follow your spot guide to spot “crocodile trees” whose skin has curious conical spikes all over, as well as lemurs, their only predator and Madagascar’s largest carnivore fossae, reptiles, and more. Keep an eye on those small tree holes to search for alert big eyes gazing you back, and be charmed by the fuzzy white-black tails of ring-tailed lemurs from a long way away. Afterwards, hit the road northwards to Bekopaka, with a boat trip through the Tsiribihina River to Belo sur Tsiribihina. Check in at the hotel after arrival in Bekopaka.

► Recommended Restaurant for Lunch:
During your stopover at Belo sur Tsiribihina, maybe go for a delicious meal at Mad Zebu, which is off the road and within walking distance from the dock. The restaurant is simple but clean, decorated in a Malagasy style - with lemurs or local farming activities notably embroidered on its tablecloths. Consider you will be served with classy French cuisines mixed with local flavors in a restaurant found in such a remote place! Steaks, elegant desserts and coffee… All can be enjoyed here and they are also reasonably priced. Each person may spend about USD 13 / MGA 60,000 for a meal. Be aware to book in advance with your guide’s help to save more time.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Olympe de Bemaraha (3 stars) or similar

We will spend the major part of today at Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, one of the three UNESCO heritage sites in Madagascar. Here, marvel at the karst spectacle of countless limestone spikes - “Tsingy” in local language - reaching skywards and the contrast set by the lush wildlife sanctuary at their foot. One of the must-visit spectacles in Tsingy is that suspension bridge, which can be reached in two ways - one is more thrilling with sheer drops but chosen by most travelers, while the other is less physically consuming and may be more appropriate for the elders. Ask your park guide to take you there on one of them based on your preference. 11 species of lemurs are there to fascinate you. If you come around July, you are more likely to see a baby sifaka clinging to its mother’s back among leaves, who will be able to jump just like his mom in weeks for food. Have a self-prepared picnic lunch this noon and continue to explore the park afterwards. We will transfer back to hotel about 16:00.

► Please Note: 
1. We will cancel the excursion to Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park from December to April, when the park is closed for heavy rainfall that would make the trails horribly muddy and thus inaccessible. If you have an alternative you’d like to experience, feel free to let us tailor your agenda and add it in.
2. There is always a safety line connected your body with iron chains on the rocks, but you should always be careful not to unfasten two safety buckles at the same time while moving.
3. It is not advised to leave your valuables in the hotel while travelling at the Tsingy part. Even the safe in rooms or at the reception is unreliable. Carry them with you as we go out.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Olympe de Bemaraha (3 stars) or similar

Today, we will have an 8 hours’ drive back to Morondava. En route, boat cross the Tsiribihina River and stop by the Avenue of the Baobabs, where a sunset is waiting for you. If you’ve ever seen many baobabs in a single frame on social media, you are being introduced to none other than the avenue, which is lined by hundreds of sentinels of the towering trees, some having stood there for over 800 years. You will meet admiring tourists from around the globe, while passing from time to time locals riding on their loaded cattle-drawn cart. We will take you to a perfect spot to wait for the sun setting, the dreamy backdrop to capture silhouettes of those awe-inspiring giants. After hotel check-in, take your time to stroll Morondava Beach in front of your hotel.

► Please Beware of Rough Dirt Road Trips:
Only when you are rolling on the dirt roads of Madagascar yourself can you recognize how “bone-rattling” they can be. There are dips and pits and swells and peaks, so it’s common to see a wheel getting stuck and the driver comes out to deal with it. That’s why we would keep you in an off-road 4x4 in such cases, to get you more comfort and minimize the chance for you to get nausea. Dust masks can also be found in the vehicles.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Laguna Beach, Morondava (3 stars) or similar

This morning, take a 9-hour car ride to Antsirabe.  On the way, enjoy a visit to villages in Betafo, UNESCO-preserved for their traditional rice-growing culture. On arrival, check in at the hotel.

► Recommended Night Activities:
Tonight, if you still feel full of energy, why not hail a pousse-pousse, the local way of calling rickshaw, in front of your hotel for a short tour of the town, to roll by lit old traditional houses and French-style buildings like the Post Office and Antsirabe Cathedral, the latter seeming a neo-gothic misfit amid the streetscape. Perhaps stop off in Chez Dom, a Norwegian-style bar where you may talk with locals over cocktail. As Antsirabe lies on highland and the night can be cold with temperature reaching up to freezing point between June and August, remember to add layers to keep warm before going out.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Arotel, Antsirabe or similar

After breakfast, continue off south to Ranomafana National Park via RN7 road. On the way, stop by the town of Ambositra, nicknamed the “Capital of Woodworking” for its exquisite wooden carvings from boxes, chessboards, sculptures to coffins and tombs. Those carvings are how you can glimpse the cultures of the Zafimaniry tribe, the only remaining media to pass down the wood-crafting skills that were once widespread across Madagascar. Your guide will teach you how to appreciate the patterns carved on those wooden works, most beautifully geometric or depicting daily affairs. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Thermal Ranomafana (3 stars) or similar

This morning, a local spot guide will take the lead from your driver guide at the entrance of Ranomafana National Park for a 4-hour hike. The park is the perfect spot for a rainforest exploration as it sits in the mountainous area with the largest rainfall. Here, you will spot from 12 lemur species and other countless kinds of birds, reptiles and amphibians. Encounter black ruffed lemur applying the fluid secreted from giant millipede which they use for repelling insects. The blue eye-shadowed coua, a cuckoo found nowhere else than Madagascar, will also be there to surprise you with its beauty. Transfer back to your hotel after the hike. Enjoy a free afternoon exploring around by yourself - perhaps check out the landscaped garden of your hotel - or soak in the natural hot spring which your hotel features.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Thermal Ranomafana (3 stars) or similar

This morning, leave for Ranohira via Fianarantsoa, Ambalavao and Anja Community Reserve. We will have a stop at Anja for you to get your fix of ring-tailed lemurs where there are over 400. The chance is high to see those fuzzy critters in their habitual “meditation”, sitting and resting their claws on knees, towards the sun - that’s why these lemurs are also called monk lemur. On arrival in Ranohira, if time permits, go on to see a wonderful sunset from Isalo Window, a frame-like hole through a sandstone rock carved over millions of years. Check in, take a break, and enjoy dinner at the beautifully-designed lodge-hotel we’ve prepared for you.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Le Jardin du Roy, Ranohira (3 stars) or similar

Start today with a drive to Ranohira village to pick up your local guide, who will accompany you for an entire day’s adventure at Isalo National Park. Taking up 815 square km (315 square mi), this geological miracle enjoys a landscape made up by nature-carved sandstone formations and canyons, an ensemble of ponds, and an abundant array of wildlife in forests. At least 14 species of lemurs consider here their home and ring-tailed lemurs are still the mostly seen, and seen in groups! Also be ready to spot sifakas and brown lemurs. After the excursion, return to the hotel with your driver guide.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Le Jardin du Roy, Ranohira (3 stars) or similar

This morning, drive 1.5 hours to Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park for a visit. The park is where you can find both dry and moist forests and we will guide you through the southern dry one to see wildlife who take this area as their home. More ring-tailed lemurs, sifakas, and brown lemurs will be shown to you, among total 8 lemur species, not to mention colorful birds, chameleons, and geckos. Endemic species of Orchids and baobabs are also highlights of this park.

Next, continue with a 5-hour ride to the coastal town of Ifaty. After hotel check-in, spend the rest of the day as you like. Perhaps meditate towards the sea on the deck or enjoy some quiet time in the small library at the reception area of your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel La Mira de Madiorano, Ifaty (3 stars) or similar

This morning, a 20-minute drive will first take you to Reniala Reserve for a short wildlife tour. Witness super bulgy Fony Baobab, Octopus Tree among other cacti, and, of course, lemurs and other wildlife unique to the reserve! A special lemur species here is the cutie white-footed sportive lemurs - don’t “ew” if you see them eating their own droppings, which are just to be re-digested for more nutrients. As the visit finishes, transfer back to your hotel and enjoy the rest time of today freely.

► Recommended Activities for Your Free Time:
Ifaty has one of the most pristine beaches in Madagascar, where you can just kick back and find calm under the palm trees. Remember to have your face applied with masonjaony, a yellow paste used by Sakalava or Vevo women for sun blocking, before venturing into the sun lights! If you are interested in the local fishing traditions, why not befriend some Vezo fishermen, and ask them to take you out to sea for some fishing in a pirogue, the traditional boat made of hollowed-out log? Or try some water sports today - snorkel or scuba dive to see native marine life, or do some kitesurfing or windsurfing to get your blood pumping. You can consult the hotel staff for how to access these activities. After coming back tiresome, perhaps ask a local woman to offer you a local-style massage.

★ Optional Activity for Today: Whale Watching from July to September
As July to September sees groups of humpback whales swimming to the warm waters off Madagascar to mate and breed, the chance comes for you to observe at a close distance! Witnessing their marvelous breaching should be on your bucket list! If you are interested, we can tailor your agenda in Ifaty or Nosy Be and add a whale-watching tour which would take 2-3 hours.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel La Mira de Madiorano, Ifaty (3 stars) or similar

Transfer to Tulear Airport and take a flight back to Antananarivo. Meet your local driver guide in Antananarivo and continue to your hotel. The remaining time of today is still all yours.

► Recommended Activities for Your Free Time in Antananarivo:
Just 20 min’s drive away from your hotel is a croc farm, where you can observe up-close hundreds of captive-bred crocodiles and countless baby crocodiles. There are also lemurs, birds, tortoises and chameleons, just to name a few, of species that you might haven’t spotted in the previous days. Take a taxi to drive you through Antananarivo’s life to this little gem.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Radisson Serviced Apartments Antananarivo City Centre (4 stars)

In the morning, you will be driven to the airport for a flight to Antsiranana at the northern tip of Madagascar. On arrival, hop in the local driver guide’s vehicle for the unspoiled picturesque Three Bays, namely Pigeon Bay, Dunes Day, and Sakalava Bay, before heading to the hotel for check-in.

► Recommended Activities for Today’s Free Time:
Enjoy swimming in your hotel’s pool while overlooking the small hill of Pain de Sure, which juts from the turquoise sea water not far away. For those considering Ifaty’s wind not strong enough and have missed kitesurfing there, visit Sakalava Bay again, the perfect and hot spot for such thrills!

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Le Suarez Hotel, Antsiranana or similar

After breakfast, continue driving forward to Joffre Ville. After check-in at the local accommodation, meet your local guide who will then accompany you to hike in Amber Mountain National Park. Where the best-preserved rainforest in the north, crystal-clear rivers, waterfalls and crater lakes form a paradise for biodiversity, you get to view some of 7 lemur species, 75 bird species, and over 1,000 species of plants among other wildlife. Spot the world’s smallest lemur and chameleon, or madame Berthe’s mouse Lemur and Nosy Hara leaf chameleon. Return to your lodge afterwards.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Nature Lodge, Antsiranana or similar

Today’s highlight is Red Tsingy, which is 2.5 hours’ drive from Nature Lodge. As the name suggests, the little world of Red Tsingy is Mars-like, known for the wind-sculpted red laterite soil pinnacles in clusters scattered all over. To have a 360° panoramic view where the formations are most dense, you will climb stairs to reach a tree-shaded platform surrounded by them. Onwards to Ankarana, another 5 hours’ drive away. Check in at the lodge on arrival.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Ankarana Lodge, Antsiranana (standard bungalow) or similar

Today will see you trekking through Ankarana National Park, where you will hike dry forests, a karst limestone forest with caves and subterranean rivers, and canyons to find rare wildlife. Here you will be introduced to the Perrier Baobabs different than all the baobabs you’ve seen before, as well as the Grey Tsingy of Ankarana, which, however not as spectacular as you saw in Bemaraha, is less touristy, less spiky and easier for you to climb. Of course, dive into cool caves for bats and look for new lemurs like Ankarana and Northern sportive lemurs. After a whole day’s trip, transfer back to the hotel for a good rest.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Ankarana Lodge, Antsiranana (standard bungalow) or similar

Today, drive 2.5 hours to Ankify Harbor and jump in a speed boat to Nosy Be Island. Spend the rest of today as you wish after hotel check-in.

► Recommended Activities for Your Free Time:
Nosy Be is the largest coastal island of Madagascar and one of the country’s biggest tourist cards, with local life to experience and natural beauties to take in. Why not take a tuktuk - the most-hired taxi by Malagasies usually painted in yellow - at the capital Hell-Ville around to record the energy of local markets? Let’s say you are cool person, perhaps rent a motorbike for rustic charms, past villages and stripped-down restaurants en route, and find a snack stall to try some zebu meat for yourself. Finally, hike to the top of Mont Passot to wait for a sunset over the Indian Ocean, before getting a massage at your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: L'heure Bleue, Nosy Be - standard bungalow (4 stars) or similar

Here is another day for you to fully relax on this paradisaical island! Take a stroll, bathe yourself in the tranquil sunlight, or ask concierges about reserving self-financed adventures like a boat trip to nearby islets. Visit Nosy Tanikely for snorkeling or scuba diving, see tropical fish playing hide and seek among coral reefs, as well as encounter glowing manta ray and whale shark, which normally turns up here July to September. Nosy Komba is for land critter lovers to spot wild animals like chameleons and lemurs, who’ve been accustomed to humans and might come up close to observe you.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: L'heure Bleue, Nosy Be - standard bungalow (4 stars) or similar

Maybe spend a majority of today exploring Nosy Iranja, which is just south of Nosy Be and enjoys one of the most beautiful white sands in the world. What sets this islet apart is the sandbank that peeps out every now and then from a blue jelly of the sea water between Big Iranja and Small Iranja, a photogenic view that makes each photo stand out. Visit Iranja between October and April if you find it so much fun to watch green turtles nesting and laying eggs on the beaches, and two months later to see baby turtles shuffling their way into the water.

► Recommended Restaurant on Nosy Be:
After your tour from Nosy Iranja, perhaps head over to the popular Chinese Restaurant, also located south of Nosy Be, to enjoy a gorgeous meal. Your guide will be pleased to help you find it. The restaurant is owned by a Chinese couple and mainly serves traditional Chinese cuisine, such as steamed buns (baozi) and egg soup, at reasonable prices. Seafood is also available here, with two large crabs costing about USD 6.5 / MGA 30,000. The atmosphere will impress you with Chinese elements - couplets, red lanterns and the character Fu (meaning good luck) seen everywhere - for its décor. Your experience here will surely add glamor to your trip.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: L'heure Bleue, Nosy Be - standard bungalow (4 stars) or similar

This morning, you will catch a flight back to Antananarivo. Upon your landing, your driver guide will take you to the hotel.

► Good to Know:

As mentioned above, the schedules of Madagascar’s domestic flights are unstable, so is your flight back to Antananarivo. That’s why we leave a whole day to accommodate any delay, so as not to impact your departure tomorrow. Enjoy your free time at Nosy Be if the flight will take off at a later time. You will want to seize the time to see around Ambatoloaka, a lively beach town on Nosy Be, charming for its life and souvenir wooden crafts shaped into lemurs, chameleons and more.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Radisson Serviced Apartments Antananarivo City Centre (4 stars)

Today sees the end of your Madagascar wildlife safari. You will be transferred to the airport to catch your flight home. It’s best to let your driver take you to the airport three hours ahead of your departure. Safe journey!

► Recommended Activities for Your Free Time:
If you’ve booked a late departure today, we recommend you to pay a visit to Queen’s Palace Rova Manjakamiadana, built during the reign of Ranavalona I (reigned 1828 - 1861). The palace has turned to a museum exhibiting royal items including clothing, furniture and unearthed artefacts, windows for a glimpse into the history. If you are checking off UNESCO heritage sites, you can’t miss the older Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, one of a few in Madagascar, where you get to learn the life of the Merina Kings. The room for the kings you will find at the hilltop is very detailed: see things like the King’s raised bed above his wife, which tells its defensive purpose. As the Royal Hill is one hour’s drive from the airport into bumpy mountainous area, so please make sure you will have enough time for this excursion. If you want an official guided tour to the hill, we are glad to arrange a tour extension for you.

Meals: Breakfast