1000 Views of Madagascar

On arrival in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel in the city. Spend the rest of the day at your leisure. Overnight in Antananarivo

After a short briefing, you will drive to Andasibe through the green and luxuriant vegetation of the east. This first step brings you to a very humid part of the country with many primary forests and lakes. Along the way you will see Merina villages in the rocky mountains. Arrive at Andasibe in the afternoon and check-in to the hotel. This evening, depart from the hotel at approximately 7:00 p.m. on a night walk to observe night active lemurs and other nocturnal animals before returning to the hotel. Overnight in Andasibe

Visit the Special Reserve of Andasibe to see the Indri, the largest lemurs on the island. This reserve is unique with its endemic fauna and flora and contains a wide variety of orchidsand endemic animals such as chameleons, tenrecs, and many birds. This afternoon, you will visit the Andasibe village, which is typical of the Betsimisaraka (“The-Many-Inseparables”) community, the second largest tribe on the island who cultivate rice and live mainly off the forest. This short visit gives you an insight into the life of the local people. Overnight in Andasibe

Today you drive back to Tana and head south to Antsirabe, across the highland landscape with its beautiful rice fields on display. The spectacular eroded hills, called “lavaka,” will remind you of the Far East with its rice fields and green landscape with vegetables and fruit trees. There is a stop in Ambatolampy for a quick visit to the huge agricultural city, also recognized as a source of aluminum. Arrival in Antsirabe is around 5:00 p.m. “The place of salt” is an elegant city and known as the center of the beer industry – you can smell the Star Brewery as you enter the town! Founded by Norwegians in 1856, it is the only place which really feels and looks like a European city. It has a temperate climate and therefore fruit and vegetables which grow in colder climates, are found in Antsirabe. Overnight in Antsirabe

After breakfast you will drive to Ambositra, the center of Madagascar’s wood carving industry. The highlands are characterized by its architecture: The houses are made with ornately carved wooden balconies and shutters with bright colors. The landscape is still dominated by rice fields, pine forests, eucalyptus trees and rocky mountains. In the afternoon you reach your destination: Ranomafana National Park. Overnight at Setam Lodge or similar

The Parc National de Ranomafana, with its rain forest-covered hills and abundant wildlife, has long been considered one of Madagascar’s highlights. In addition to its densely forested hills, Ranomafana’s terrain is characterized by numerous streams which plummet down to the beautiful Namorona River. Although much of the region has been logged, the easternmost part of the park retains relatively large areas of primary forest. Enjoy walks in the park spotting lemurs, chameleons and other animals. Overnight at Setam Lodge

Returning on the road you came on, you will visit a local wine farm for wine tasting near Fianarantsoa, “the city where one learns good things.” It is the gate to the South, the capital of the Betsileo tribes and the center of the Catholic religion. Most of the best schools in the country are also found here. Fianarantsoa is the center of wine industry. The climate is said not to be ideal for grape vines, but it is a tradition left by the priests and monks who lived in the area of Fianarantsoa. After the tasting you head southwards to Ambalavao, where you will visit the Anteimoro Paper Factory, which is a vestige of the Arabian civilization on the island. You continue to Isalo, passing impressive natural structures on the way, including “The Gate of the South,” which marks the end of the highland and the beginning of the south. Overnight at Isalo Rock Lodge

You will visit and hike in the Isalo National Park. The park covers an area of 315 square miles, comprising of the entire stretch of the Isalo massif. This huge mountain is very spectacular with its eroded sandstone elevations. After a nice hike of about 1.5 hours you will reach the natural swimming pool. Along the way you will see vegetation like Uapaca bojeri, Pachypodium rosulatum or “elephant’s foot,” and Aloe isaloensis, a native species of aloe endemic to Isalo. The eroded mountains also served as a place where the Bara kept their dead before they could bury them in their actual tombs. Along the way, there may be sifakas, brown lemurs and ring-tailed lemurs, as well as fifty-five species of birds, lizards and snakes.
You finally reach the swimming pool, with its crystal clear water, a great reward after a long and very hot walk. Overnight in Isalo

Today you continue to Tuléar, where your journey brings you to new scenery among the dry forests of the west and the spiny desert of the south. On the way, you can admire the different Mahafaly tombs and the Antandroy tombs. After a short visit of Tuléar you drive to Ifatyr. Due to the bad condition of the road, it will take about 2.5 hours to reach Ifaty, the driest part of the country. The landscape is dominated by the cactus-like forest of different euphorbiaceae and didieraceae. You will cross the dry and sandy soil where the local people battle to find drinking water. Mangrove trees line the coast alternated by Vezo communities which earn their living from fishing. You will see many small pirogues with men who go out fishing twice a day, while children and women wait on the coast to collect the fish before taking them to Tuléar for sale. Overnight in Ifaty

Ifaty lies on the beach and is an ideal place for diving, snorkeling and birdwatchers! Many optional excursions are possible on this leisure day. Visit the Reserve Domergue, a communal conservation area where one will see two kinds of baobabs, spiny bush, and reptiles like geckos and the chameleon parsoni, which is one of the largest chameleons in the world. You can also take a boat trip to see whales from July to mid-September. Situated in the largest lagoon of the country, Ifaty is also protected by a large coral reef, which makes it an ideal place for diving and snorkeling. In the afternoon we can walk to the village of Mangily to visit a local school and experience the Vezo fishermen’s way of life, especially as they return from fishing. Overnight in Ifaty

Early morning we transfer to the airport for the flight back to Tana (flight not included). After check-in at the hotel, you have the afternoon free to explore and to do some sightseeing. Overnight in Tana

The tour comes to an end. After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight.