Madagascar tailor made holiday
| country: | Madagascar |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary. The best time to visit is April to December. |
| price: | From £3500 (19 days) excluding flights based on 2 sharing. We can offer advice on flights from the UK |
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introduction to Madagascar tailor made holiday
The fourth largest and one of the most diverse islands of the world Madagascar is solely unique - nicknamed the "8th continent" because of its diversity of species! Brimming with endemic fauna and flora and with a culture, geography and climate so diverse one will never be disappointed when travelling through this amazing country. One moment you can be driving through pristine rainforest filled with lemurs and chameleons and the next you can be out on the savannah plains or white sandy beaches!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive into Antananarivo, met by your private vehicle and driver and transfer to your hotel in Tana. Overnight: Hotel Palissandre – very comfortable located within walking distance from the town centre, great food and lovely views. |
| Day 2: | Today you drive south through the highlands and make your way eastwards to the rain forest reserve of Ranomafana National Park. Overnight: Hotel Domain Nature; a real rainforest lodge overlooking the Namorona River, with 14 bungalows set amongst lush vegetation and constructed with local materials offer comfortable accommodation. (B/D) |
| Day 3: | Day to visit the Ranomafana forest. Here you may be lucky and see 3 species of bamboo lemur (out of 4 found in Madagascar). The most common is the lesser bamboo lemur which you may have seen in Andasibe. The greater bamboo lemur is very rare and only known for 2 locations, you may find them by hearing the crack of big bamboo stems as they feed. The star of Ranomafana is the golden bamboo lemur which was only discovered in 1986 (researchers were trying to find the greater bamboo lemur). A diet of bamboo tips containing cyanide may be responsible for their golden fur. The largest lemur in the park is the elusive Milne-Edwards sifaka, often spotted high up in the forest canopy. You should also look out for red bellied lemur which live in couples with their offspring and red fronted brown lemur which live in large groups. Ranomafana is a birding hotspot but finding birds in the dense forest can be very tricky - an early morning start is essential. Evening nocturnal visits are organised here in a designated area in the forest where bananas are offered to bring out mouse lemur and meat to attract the stripped civet. Overnight: Hotel Domaine Nature (B/D) |
| Day 4: | Another full day to explore the rainforest of Ranomafana. Overnight: Hotel Domaine Nature (B/D) |
| Day 5: | Today you make an early start for the drive to the south. After a brief stop at Fianarantsoa the last major town on the highlands we descend into the west coast region where the scenery changes to open savannah grasslands with zebu herds tended by Malagasy cowboys. There is time before lunch to visit the vineyards found at the town of Ambalavao and to see handmade paper being produced. Just after Ambalavao is the community managed reserve of Anja. Here you should be able to spot troupes of ring-tails in the forest between huge granite outcrops. In the late afternoon you will be driving through the fantastic scenery of the Isalo National Park before arriving at the oasis setting of the Jardin de Roy Hotel. Overnight: Jardin du Roy; a stunning hotel newly constructed in the Isalo National Park. (B/D) |
| Day 6: | Today you have the fantastic opportunity for some trekking through impressive canyons and along dramatic bluffs; Isalo's topography has been sculpted over the years by wind and water and now lends itself to some quite fanciful shapes! A classic walk is along the Massif affording dramatic views and arriving late in the afternoon at "La Piscine Naturelle", a natural swimming pool formed in the rocks fringed by palm trees and forever topped up by a flowing waterfall. After a day out in the sun it is hard to refuse! Travellers also have the option of visiting a variety of natural canyons in the area, horse riding or just relaxing back at the Jardin du Roy. There is no better way to finish the day however than to watch the sun setting through "La Fenetre" a natural rock formation providing a window to the setting sun! Overnight: Jardin Du Roy (B/D) |
| Day 7-8: | After breakfast you leave the hotel for a final drive across the savannah plains before arriving at the coastal town and regional capital of Toliara. You stop just before town at the arboretum which has the most extensive collection of south Madagascan plants found anywhere on earth. After lunch you can take a walk on the botanical trail and you may also spot a sleeping mouse lemur among the bizarre branches. There is no beach at Toliara but just 20 miles north is the reef protected bay of Ifaty, where you can relax at the lovely beachside Hotel Paradisier. Overnight: Hotel Paradisier; Wooden bungalows with private terraces and mezzanine levels perched on the edge of the beach offer a great place to sit back and relax. With sweeping sea views, a beautiful swimming pool and some of the best diving in the world it is impossible not to enjoy this private haven! (B/D) |
| Day 9: | Today you transfer to the airport for your afternoon internal flight from Tulear back to Tana. Met upon arrival by your vehicle and driver you transfer to the Hotel Palissandre to relax before continuing your journey. Overnight: Hotel Palissandre – very comfortable located within walking distance from the town centre, great food and lovely views. (B/D) |
| Day 10: | In the morning you set off in the direction of Andasibe Reserve with a brief stop at the Ambohimanga Palace on your way. This Palace represents the lineage of kings and queens past and is an important place to stop in order to understand the history and culture of the "Red Island". Leaving the Palace you drive east to Andasibe Reserve passing through highland scenery and rice paddies. Time to relax upon arrival, take a stroll or have your first nocturnal wildlife walk. Overnight: Vakona Lodge; the most luxurious lodge in the area with 24 quiet and comfortable bungalows and also a swimming pool. Delicious food with courteous service. Horse riding is an optional extra or alternatively visit the hotels' own little reserve where you can observe former "pet lemurs" living in relative freedom. You also have the option of spotting your own wildlife just by walking along the road near the lodge! (B/D) |
| Day 11: | A day to explore Andasibe/Perinet National Park or Mantadia with your local wildlife guide. A montane forest park offering the chance to spot a variety of lemurs, reptiles and birds. One of its most famous inhabitants is the Indri, Indri - the largest of lemurs with a black and white teddy bear like appearance. You hear the Indri before you see them and waking up to their songs of communication in the early hours of the morning with the mist still hugging the rainforest canopy is a highlight of your trip to the Red Island. Best to leave early morning to be near the Indri when they make their distinctive morning group communication calls. Other lemurs which can be seen here are the red-bellied lemur, brown lemur, lesser bamboo lemur, with nocturnal lemurs - brown mouse lemur, greater dwarf lemur (Sep/Oct - May), Eastern woolly lemur, sportive lemur, aye aye (seen once each year!). Overnight: Vakona Lodge (B/D) |
| Day 12: | Today you depart Andasibe and return to Tana in time for your flight to Anjajavy in the morning. Overnight: Hotel Palissandre (B/D) |
| Day 13: | Today you catch an early morning internal flight across the country to Anjajavy. This unique hotel cannot be accessed by road so you are flown directly to the private airstrip. Located approximately 120km north of Majunga and on the Mozambique Channel. Overnight: Anjajavy - a luxury hotel consisting of 25 rosewood villas with a large terrace overlooking the sea, a living room area, breakfast area and bedroom. A small staircase also leads to the first floor which you can use as an office or guest room. The bathroom consists of separate lavatories and a large bath! (B/L/D) |
| Day 14-17: | The next few days are at your disposal to relax and explore this unique area. Optional excursions include: water skiing, snorkelling, wind surfing, catamarans, fishing, boat excursions, visits to the local villages and a variety of walks to admire the local fauna and flora (chameleons, Sifaka lemur (Verreaux's propithecus), the bird of paradise and Cuvier's oplure (a type of iguana) and the fish eagle). The hotel also has a fresh water pool, a boutique and benefits from some excellent cuisine which is a mix of both western and Malagasy flavours Overnight: Anjajavy (B/L/D) |
| Day 18: | Today you take a mid-day flight back to Anatananarivo in time for an over night stay before catching your international flight back home the next day. Overnight: Hotel Palissandre (B/D) |
| Day 19: | International flight home (B) |
this holiday is operated by a primate specialist
Typically trips are expertly guided by a leading specialist with a good knowledge of the area to be visited. Primates are the main focus of attention however most safaris also incorporate other fauna and flora highlights of the destination as well. Primate specialist trips are conducted by local guides and drivers.how this holiday makes a difference
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All of our trips are conducted by local guides and drivers who specialise in this region of Africa. Through the employment of local staff, money is fed directly back into individual families and villages that would otherwise not benefit from tourism.
Wherever possible we use locally run and managed accommodation; lodging does vary however and can either be in environmentally low impact eco-lodges or tented camping safaris. As a result of this we minimise the impact on the local environment at the same time as providing the traveller with a high level of comfort. This is a private safari which means that your impact on the environment and wildlife is kept to a minimum at all times resulting in you also being likely to see more! We also donate a percentage of each safari sold to the conservation of primates throughout the world at the end of each year. If travellers would also like to contribute to the protection of primates throughout the world please request further details regarding our “Protect the Primates” wristbands from which all proceeds go to the conservation of endangered primates. We aim to minimise our impact on the environment as much in the UK as we would do in any of our destination countries. We do this through recycling of any office waste including, paper, plastic, cans, glass, refuse, in partnership with the Borough of Hammersmith. The purpose of our safaris is to contribute to local populations, communities and projects. We give our travellers advice on how to interact with the local population, flora and fauna in order to minimise any negative impact. We advise people not to bargain just for the sake of it and because it is the “thing to do”; you should pay what you feel the object is worth to yourself and the vendor, bearing in mind local cultures, society and standard of living. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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