Days 1: Antananarivo
On arrival in Antananarivo, transfer to your hotel for lunch. Afterwards, you’ll embark on a city orientation tour of Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital city, built on 12 hills with bustling streets lined with traditional markets, churches and buildings showcasing a mix of architecture typical of a developing city.
Days 2: Antananarivo to Toliara
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Toliara on the southwest coast. With colonial, tree-lined avenues giving way to narrow sandy alleyways and unfinished buildings, hot and dry Toliara is known as the ‘white city’ because of its light coloured buildings. You’ll enjoy a city orientation tour before arriving at your hotel. In the late afternoon, you’ll visit the arboretum of Antsokay, devoted to the conservation of plants from southwest Madagascar.
Days 3: Toliara to Ranohira / Isalo National Park
Today you’ll journey to Ranohira by road, passing through savannah and bush landscapes, villages of local sapphire miners and tombs of the southern tribes. Stop to photograph the impressive giant Baobab trees en route. Arrive at your accommodation – and enjoy some time at leisure. This afternoon, visit Isalo National Park’s interpretation centre and witness sunset at a natural rock formation, the ‘Window of Isalo’.
DayS 4: Ranohira / Isalo National Park
A full day in the beautiful Isalo National Park awaits today. A vast area of eroded sandstone formations, the Jurassic landscape is home to dramatic mountains, gorges and canyons. You’ll take a morning walk to the Piscine Naturelle (natural swimming pool) – an oasis amidst the hot plateau, where a waterfall cascades into a glorious deep green pool shaded by trees. You will also see a number of sacred tombs of the Bara tribe, the Namaza Site and the Cascade de Nymphes waterfall. Possible wildlife sightings include the ring tailed lemur, charismatic sifakas known as 'dancing lemurs' and various bird life such as the paradise flycatcher, Benson’s rock thrush and Madagascar hoopoe.
Day 5: Ranohira / Isalo National Park to Ranomafana
Travel north, crossing the 'Horombe Table Land' and plains towards Ranohira, and you’ll begin to notice the change in scenery. Pass through the ‘Gateway to the South’ mountain and into the pretty countryside of the highland Betsileo and semi-nomadic Bara people where granite outcrops dominate the skyline. Your driver will stop for various photo opportunities, including at the Horombe Tableland where the Reunion Harrier and the African marsh owl may be spotted. Continue to Ambalavao. Enter the Anja reserve to spot the ring tailed lemur, and visit a hand-made paper factory followed by a local vineyard if time permits. In the afternoon, you will continue through Ranomafana’s stepped rice fields and highland villages.
Day 6: Ranomafana National Park
Spend a full day in Ranomafana National Park today; a beautiful mountainous rainforest reserve. Explore the main forest to spot local birds, lemurs including three species of bamboo lemur, the common brown lemur and red bellied lemur, and the world’s largest chameleon the Parson’s chameleon, only found in Madagascar. In the afternoon, journey to Vohipara forest and search for endemic bird life such as the Madagascar forest fody and the cryptic warbler.
Day 7: Ranomafana to Antsirabe
Today you'll drive up into the scenic highlands en route to Ambositra, where many Malagasy handicrafts are produced. Visit local craft shops and watch the craftsmen at work. Travel on to Antsirabe for the night.
Day 8: Antsirabe to Andasibe
This morning, visit the small spa town of Antsirabe, known for its gemstones and hot springs and littered with tiny craftsmen’s workshops.
Day 9: Andasibe / Mantadia National Park
Journey to Mantadia National Park for a forest walk along the winding trails, where you may be lucky enough to spot diademed sifaka and black and white ruff lemurs. Spend the afternoon in Vakona private reserve, where there is a small island sanctuary for lemurs. Later, enjoy a thrilling evening walk to spot nocturnal species such as the tiny mouse lemur with its huge amber eyes, greater dwarf lemur, hairy-eared lemur and eastern woolly lemur, as well as various reptiles and amphibians.
Day 10: Andasibe to Antananarivo
Embark on a morning walk in the Analamazaotra reserve for an exciting chance to see the largest living lemur: the endangered Indri-Indri, known for its loud territorial song-like calls that can last for more than three minutes. Stand still and listen as the different families call to each other through the treetops. Travel back to Antananarivo for an evening at leisure before dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 11: Antananarivo
Transfer to the airport for your return flight back home with wonderful memories of your journey to Madagascar.
