Best Madagascar Tour: Baobab & Tsingy

You will catch a flight to Morondava in western Madagascar today. Upon arrival, the local driver guide will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. Have a good rest or spend some time exploring surroundings after check-in. Our hotel sits right on the Morondava’s beach, Nosy Kely, and if you arrive early, just go for a leisurely stroll and a cursory glimpse of the local life - fishermen hauling fish in canoes, women selling handcrafts like Baobab woodcarvings, and children playing barefoot. Maybe stay till late afternoon to admire the sunset as well. 

► Recommended Restaurant for Dinner:
Perhaps walk about 10 minutes from your hotel to Bleu Soleil, a sea-side and the best restaurant in the area, to try seafood like fresh lobsters, crabs and calamari grilled or steamed, as well as Malagasy flavors, all at reasonable prices. A lobster more than a kilo or two pounds costs only around USD 14 / MGA 65,000. Order a glass of baobab fruit juice as well. Whilst dining on its outdoor terrace, you can get a magnificent view of the sea and beach with breeze touching your face. If you expect a lower cost, try the restaurant Le Corail, which requires a 7-minute walk from your hotel and is also known for its seafood offered in huge portions, but you may encounter a relatively poorer environment and slower serving than Bleu Soleil.

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

After an early breakfast, we will drive 2.5 hours to Kirindy, passing the famous Avenue of the Baobabs on the road. Today and for the rest of the tour, we will inevitably be driving on lots of dirt roads, so we’ve got dust masks for you. Upon arrival, an experienced spot guide will lead you to explore the Kirindy Forest, where you’ll encounter lemurs, Madagascar’s national treasures - you must’ve come for them! Good luck with discovering brown lemur, easy to recognize with its brown back and a cute black muzzle. Another primary creature to see is fossa, the star in the Kirindy Forest, the largest but elusive carnivore unique to Madagascar and considered the top predator on this island. Flexible and agile, they mainly feed on small mammals and so become the natural enemy of lemurs. Grandidier’s baobabs, Madagascar’s most famous species of baobabs, can also be found here easily.

► Tips for Observing Wildlife:
1. While in the kingdom of wildlife, please follow the directions of your guide who is responsible for keeping you safe and providing the best safari experience possible. The first and foremost rule is you should always keep a distance from wild animals and respect them by not touching or feeding them, or you may cause them stress or even harm their health.
2. Prepare binoculars to see and tele lens to shoot clearly. 
3. Wear long sleeves and pants to minimize scratches and mosquito bites, and be sure to wear enough anti-mosquito spray. Madagascar is a home to mosquitos! We need to remind you that it’s also essential to have a knowledge of the symptoms of Malaria and prepare drugs ahead of time.

Afterwards, continue to drive north to reach the port for a 45-minute ferry ride to cross the Tsiribihina River, and then we will arrive in Belo sur Tsiribihina. After lunch, continue driving to the next stop Bekopaka. Take a 5-minute ferry to cross the Manambolo River to arrive at the hotel.

► Recommended Restaurant for Lunch:
Once ashore at Belo sur Tsiribihina, perhaps ask your guide to lead you to grab a quick lunch at a Michelin-standard restaurant, Mad Zebu, arguably a must-visit for any visitors passing through the area. The restaurant is owned by a local who used to work in restaurants in Paris, so you will find it primarily serves beautifully plated Malagasy food. Don’t miss their steak roasted in red wine made with zebu, a local breed of cattle in Madagascar. A meal costs about USD 13 / MGA 60,000 per person. If you are interested, please ask your guide to make a reservation for you in advance.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Olympe de Bemaraha (3 stars) – the best local hotel

Today’s safari takes place in the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. Located on the west coast of Madagascar, the park is a World Heritage site for its otherworldly karst landscape and various rare species of lemurs, birds, and reptiles. The major areas of the park, known as Great and Little Tsingy (Malagasy word translated as “where one cannot walk barefoot”), offer an alien scenery of rugged lime stones eroded into paper-thin and razor-sharp peaks. Follow your local park guide to explore the Tsingy area and its surroundings! Normally our route is to climb up from the front entrance and down the back mountain, and you will be strapped to a safety rope the whole time. However, we have to remind you that the front part is really precipitous and adventurous. Considering physical strength and age, we also have another route for you to choose - up from the back and down the same way. At noon, enjoy self-prepared picnic lunch inside the park. We will return to hotel at around 15:00-16:00. By the way, we advise you to have your valuables with you when you venture out today. The safe in your hotel room here can't be trusted too much.

★ Our Thoughtful Arrangements from December to April:
Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park is closed from December to April because the roads are too muddy and slippery to roll on during this time. Nevertheless, we will reroute the itinerary for you – head to Isalo National Park after visiting Kirindy, and then continue to Andasibe. For more alternatives, please feel free to contact us for flexible customization.

► Free-Time Recommended Activities:
Considering that a long hike in the park will take a lot of energy out of you, there will be no more activities afterwards so that you can get enough rest. But if you’re still dynamic, go on a relaxing Manombolo River Pirogue (a local wooden canoe) Ride, stopping by to explore caves and tombs of Vazimba, where you can find skulls and bones of the most original inhabitants in Madagascar!

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Olympe de Bemaraha (3 stars) – the best local hotel

We will drive back to Morondava toady (200km/9h drive). While in Belo sur Tsiribihina, cross the Tsiribihina River by boat. On the way, stop at Africa’s most famous baobab colony - Avenue of the Baobabs - to enjoy a beautiful sunset. Measuring 260m (853 feet) or so, the avenue owns seven different baobab varieties unique to Madagascar, some of which are more than 800 years old. Amazingly, these 30-meter-tall (98 feet) trees have no growth rings and are so fat that it would take a dozen adults to encircle one. The silhouettes of baobabs at sunset are sure to be pretty fantastic, and it will be one of the most unforgettable memories of your life. Then we will continue forward along our route. On arrival, check into the hotel.

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

Today our driver guide will escort you to the airport for the flight back to Antananarivo. If time permits, walk a few steps to the quiet and clean Nosy Kely beach near our selected hotel to enjoy a cozy time after breakfast. After picking you up at Antananarivo, our driver guide based there will drive you along the RN2 national road to Andasibe for 4 hours. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel.

► Things to Know:
Madagascar’s electricity supply is poor and blackouts are common, especially at night and in rural areas, not to mention the wilds. It's more likely to happen in a lodge than a hotel. Be aware to check out their notice about the time of electricity and hot bath water supply. If there is a need for continuous power supply, such as for breathing machine, it’s best to bring a backup power device and inform us before you go. A flashlight can also be a great help in the darkness. Another thing to be noted is that there may be no electricity plugs in some hotels or lodges powered by their own generators, in which case please ask the receptionist to charge your devices as you check in and for the issue mentioned above, the sooner the better.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Vakona Forest Lodge, Andasibe (3 stars) or similar

After breakfast, we will drive to Analamazaotra National Park, where you will experience an exciting hike. Hearken to the loud singing of Indri Indris, the largest lemur species! Their eerie wails are definitely highlights of today’s tour. Marvel at red-bellied lemurs, which have interesting feeding habits - while foraging, they would take turns acting as a sentinel while the others eat, until everyone is satiated. If there are little nuts thrown at you, raise your head to spot welcoming grey bamboo lemurs.

► Recommended Restaurant for Lunch:
You are advised to have a meal before we leave for the next stop. Try the Feon’ny Ala Hotel Restaurant, the most popular one near this national park. You can dine either indoors or on the covered terrace, but it is more recommended to sit outside to admire the forest around and the shrieking lemurs on the trees. The restaurant serves a variety of dishes, such as Malagasy, Chinese, and Italian flavors, at favorable prices to cater to different tastes. Be sure to give zebu skewers a try, as zebu, a tropical humped cow, is one of traditional specialties in Madagascar. Prices here are similar to most mid-range restaurants in Madagascar with mains around USD 4 / MGA 18,000. And conveniently, all your bills can be paid in euros. If need be, you can also change some euros to Madagascar’s official currency Ariary with a great rate here.

Continue our tour to the private Vakona Reserve (Lemurs Island). Unlike in the large park you visited in the morning, where lemurs are mostly seen high up on the treetops, this place has lemurs run around you so that you can photograph or even feed them up close. The brown lemurs, they’d smell of urine - not that they care less about hygiene, but they are social, territorial animals that would smear the liquid on their body as a way to be identified, so you’d better think twice about petting them! After that, your driver guide will take you to gain insights into Malagasy daily life in a local village and market. You might even learn a few simple words of Malagasy from the vendors!

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Vakona Forest Lodge, Andasibe (3 stars) or similar

In the morning, we will pay a visit to the Voimma Forest, also a captive breeding reserve. Indri Indri and sifakas can be encountered here along with some endemic plants, reptiles, and birds. A bird lover? Green sunbirds, serpent-eagles and other over a hundred of bird species are waiting for you to capture their lovely grace! Then drive back to Antananarivo. En route, make a stop at the Reserve Peyreiras Madagascar Exotic, a private land surrounded by dense forest breeding and protecting a variety of butterflies, reptiles and lemurs. This is where to observe a large number of Madagascar’s iconic creatures in just a short period of time. The most commonly seen lemurs here are sifakas, known for their unique jumping - you just can’t help laughing if you see them jump sideways, their eyes wide-open and one arm reaching out for balance. What’s more, here you can even pet some tame animals! Upon arrival in Antananarivo, check in at your hotel.

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

Let’s visit the sacred King’s Palace on Royal Hill of Ambohimanga in the morning. Once home to the great king of Andrianampoinimerina (1787–1810) who endeavored to bring the then divided island into one, Ambohimanga is now a UNESCO-honored site offering insight to local history and culture.

After the tour finishes, your driver will take you to Ivato Airport in Antananarivo. Be sure to arrive at the airport three hours ahead of your departure flight schedule. Please also note that according to the official announcement, wooden objects (wood-carved souvenirs are included) cannot be carried on board, so put them in your registered luggage in advance. Hope you a pleasant homeward trip!

Meals: Breakfast

► For Your Information:
If you would like to extend your visit, you can contact us to tailor the itinerary for you. We are always at your service. There are many other incredible attractions in Madagascar that you haven’t acquainted yourself with. What about enjoying a beach vacation in Nosy Be, the Isle of Sunshine? It enjoys the most fascinating beaches in Madagascar and some of the best diving spots in the world. All in all, Madagascar will always welcome you with open arms and smiling charms! Want to extend your stay in Africa? Just feel free to contact us for more private tours from Madagascar.