Highlights of Madagascar

Welcome to choose this 14-day Madagascar holiday package! Upon your arrival at the Ivato International Airport in Antananarivo, aka Tana, our English-speaking driver guide will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel for check-in. If you intend to go out for dinner or anything, remember to take your passport with you, which is required by the local authorities.

► Dress Guide for Your Madagascar Tour:
In general, as the country has a tropical climate that makes it humid and hot all year round (rainy season is November to March, dry season April to October), we recommend you to mainly pack thin breathable summer clothes, but you should also bring such clothes as jacket or wool sweater to keep you warm in some regions during early mornings and nights, when they can be really cold. As we will go on a lot of safaris, also take long sleeves and pants in green, khaki or other natural tones, which can help you blend in nature while keeping you from mosquitos among other bugs. By the way, remember to prepare a pair of water-proof hiking shoes as hiking in rainforests is part of our itinerary. To enjoy bench time, of course bring your swimsuit.
Other essential items: To protect yourself from strong UV rays, which Madagascar features, pack sunscreen, sunglasses and whatever are necessary to block the sun. A raincoat - umbrella is not as convenient - is needed, as it rains frequently in eastern Madagascar all year round. Pack mosquito repellent and medicines for motion sickness, malaria and dengue, which would come in handy just in case. Particularly, it’s best to know about the symptoms and coping approach of Malaria in advance as you are likely to catch it in such a tropical country where mosquitoes run rampant.

Accommodation: San Cristobal Hotel - Ivato Airport, Antananarivo (3 stars) or similar

This morning, take a flight to Ifaty (Toliara Airport). On arrival, you will be led to check into the hotel in Ifaty. Then, you can freely arrange the rest of the day.

► Note on Possible Adjustment to Today’s Agenda:
Although Tana and Ifaty is linked by daily flight, the schedule is changed often due to uncontrollable factors like weather, so if today’s flight departs late, we will accommodate the delay and also leave late. There is no worry about this, as we will make every effort to ensure you have a seamless tour.

► Recommended Activities for Today’s Free Time:
Lying along a beautiful turquoise lagoon opening to the Indian Ocean, Ifaty will mesmerize you at first glance! Imagine the dive sites! But please resist the urge to go underwater upon arrival in Ifaty, as after hotel check-in and a break it would be towards afternoon which is not the ideal time for snorkeling or scuba diving. Instead, why not take the time to explore the coastal Mangily Village of Vezo people, famous for their fishing expertise and “pirogue” dug-out boat. Take a walk to check it out and perhaps join the locals for some traditional fishing! Finally, lounge on the beach sipping some coconut juice or cocktail and waiting for a sunset.

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

In the morning, a 20-minute drive will take you to the Reniala Reserve, a private protected piece of spiny forest. On this oddest habitat on the earth, you can find an entire family of bizarre spiny octopus trees, the oldest and largest baobab of Ifaty, some rare species of reptiles, birds, and, of course, lemurs - Madagascar’s national treasure. Be officially introduced to ring-tailed lemurs today, the diurnal protagonists of the reserve. Remember King Julien in the animated film Madagascar? That’s none other than the ring-tailed lemur! As the name suggests, these lemurs have alternate black and white bands - 11 or 12 in total - on their tail. This beautiful fluffy tail is often seen stuck upward, eye-catching enough to make you able to spot them from far away. Also see abundant tortoises creeping around and observe chameleons and snakes. Drive back to the hotel after the tour.

► Recommended Activities for Today’s Free Time:
Go kitesurfing or windsurfing and fuel yourself with some adrenaline today! Although Ifaty is not as famously windy as the Three Bays in the North Madagascar, as long as the wind can pick up it’s always a choice to surf! The hotel staff will inform you exact information on locations and prices and help you with reservation services.

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

Today is a leisure day in your Madagascar trip package. You may want to snorkel or scuba dive to discover the wildlife diversity in the lagoon before the noon, when sea animals are more active and the sun hasn’t cast its stare to impact water visibility. Of many dive sites here, the Canyons may interest you most, if you want to know what it’s like to swim with the gentle giant Napoleon wrasse, the largest - and perhaps the clumsiest - fish in reef area! The area will also capture your heart with its dreamy yet often-neglected golden beaches, so a stroll could follow to harvest peace.

► Note for Safety: 

For your safety, please don’t snorkel or dive on windy days, as the stirred choppy water will ruin your experience or even become life-threatening.

★ Seasonal Option: Watch Whales from July to September!
If you visit Ifaty between July and September, you can book a day tour for whale watching to track the songs and slapping tails of spectacular humpback whales, who migrate to the waters at this period by Madagascar to give birth. Normally the tour would take you to several kilometers offshore and last 2-3 hours. Once the whales are spotted, your captain will follow and let you observe them from a safe distance.

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

Today, your driver guide will escort you on a 5.5-hour road trip from Ifaty to Ranohira. We will stop by Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park, a unique ecosystem which sees how southern dry spiny forests transit to the highland woods in central Madagascar. Your guide will take you to spot some of the 8 species of lemurs including dancer Verreaux's sifaka, brown lemur and Hubbard's sportive lemur. Found little elsewhere than the park is the sportive lemur, a nocturnal species alert enough to be also active in daylight, so the chance is high for you to see one peering out from a tree hole! See if you can capture fossa, the supreme carnivore and another national treasure of Madagascar! Orchids in season and baobabs are also features of this park.

On arrival in Ranohira, check into the hotel right on the edge of the Isalo National Park, our next destination. We will go on to admire a sunset through the famed Isalo Window, sandstone formations stacked with a hole left in the middle, which allows golden rays of the setting sun to pour in - a photogenic beauty that would sweep anyone off their feet. The design of Le Jardin du Roy, your hotel, is also something to marvel at, with scattered bungalows enjoying stone-paved walls and tastefully sloped roofs. Your dinner will be served here.

► Note on Road Conditions:
Out of town, we will drive onto unpaved roads and some parts are notorious for the pits and even craters, a feature for most of Madagascar’s dirt roads which you may also encounter during the following road trips. Your driver guide are well aware of this and will be patient enough to give you a less-bumpy journey. To cope with heavy clouds of dust when driving on these poor roads, we will provide you with masks for the entire trip.

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

We will have a full day excursion in Isalo National Park, one of Madagascar’s biggest tourist cards, which features spectacular rugged sandstone terrains formed during the Jurassic Period. Meet the local guide first who will lead you through the park. You will find abundant succulent flora here, and be able to spot up-close more ring-tailed lemurs and sifakas. After today’s sightseeing, the driver guide will escort you back to the hotel. Enjoy dinner at the hotel, perhaps stroll around to see how the hotel’s architecture fits into the Isalo landscape, and have a good rest under the mosquito net.

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

After breakfast, we will drive to Ranomafana. Before getting there, we will stop by Anja Community Reserve, Ambalavao and Fianarantsoa respectively. At Anja Community Reserve, you get to see ring-tailed lemurs to your heart’s content. Once in Ranomafana, check in at the hotel and take a break. When the darkness falls, go on a night safari - a popular activity for nature explorers to this country - in the wilds to spot nocturnal lemurs, frogs and chameleons, elves injecting life and mystery to the moonlit woods. Tonight you will be likely to find King Julien’s minion Mort high on tree branches, who is modeled after grey mouse lemurs, with reddish brown fur and large eyes that would be familiar to you.

► Note on Night Safari:
It’s recommended you prepare a flashlight in advance if you’d love to help your guide, who might be the only one equipped with flashlight, with finding animals while out in the evening. Please shoot without flash to avoid alarming wild animals and borrow light from the moon or the flashlights instead. For your own safety, please also don’t wander off your guide.

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

In the morning, continue with a day safari at the Ranomafana National Park, where you will explore around in the company of your driver guide and a local park guide. This park boasts rainforests on mountains and was established for the discovery of bamboo lemurs, a species previously thought to be extinct. Let’s see if you can spot some Golden bamboo lemurs, the most sought-after stars here. These lemurs have a special talent of dealing with digesting cyanide, a deadly chemical found in their staple food giant bamboo, according to scientists who in a study spotted the toxin in their poop and blood. How the lemurs can take in 12x the dose of cyanide than other same-size primates while still alive and kicking remains a mystery, but you can be sure it’s the magical result of adaptation to nature. After the tour, return to the hotel for rest. The hotel we have arranged for you today features two private jacuzzis flowing natural hot water, where you can wind down after a whole morning’s hike. Jacuzzing here is very popular so don’t forget to reserve it in advance.

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

Head for Antsirabe today via RN7 national road. On the way, pay a visit to the town of Ambositra, to appreciate its UNESCO-honored native wood-crafting art. Pass by local houses and balconies, and, as your driver guide commentates, observe unique carved patterns on the wood, which reveal family values and imply Indonesian and Arab influences. Amaze at the craftsmanship and the creativity shown! While in Antsirabe, go on for hotel check-in.

► Recommended Activities for Today’s Free Time:
As Antsirabe has cool climate and is famous for hot spring bath, why not have a soak to invigorate yourself? You can also consult your driver guide on where to find a nice restaurant to have a try of Romazava, Madagascar’s national dish. The main ingredient is chopped meat of zebu - a breed of cattle, to be relished with mildly tasty soup, tomato sauce, and rice. Local flavors are another way for you to collect delicious memories! We have to remind you that the weather in Antsirabe for its high location can be very cold and may freeze from June to August, so when packing clothes please do remember to bring warm clothes. 

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Arotel, Antsirabe or similar

Let’s drive to Betafo and spend three hours touring local villages and rice fields, which the district is attractive for. Enjoy a local-style meal at a local house at noon. Later, drive to two crater lakes near Antsirabe to take in their breathtaking natural beauty. Lake Tritriva is one of the crater lakes we will visit and the region’s most admired. It somehow has a shape similar to the entire island of Madagascar, with the deepest area at over 160 m (525 ft.). You will watch the emerald unfathomable water rippling, while hearing your guide narrating the folklore of a couple drowning themselves for love, which adds an enigmatic charm to the lake. In the end, our driver guide will escort you back to the hotel.

► Note on Road Conditions: 

To get to the crater lakes, there is around 10 km (6.2 mi) of drive along dusty road that can be terribly muddy in rainy season. But don't worry too much, your expert driver guide and the 4x4 off-road vehicle will make the road as easier as possible.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Arotel, Antsirabe or similar

This morning, drive about 8 hours to Andasibe. Upon arrival, check in at the eco-lodge we carefully prepared for you and have a good rest. At night, enjoy a guided walk around the hotel for another night safari. In addition to some of the night animals you’ve seen before, our aims tonight may also include the furry-eared dwarf lemur. Good luck!

★ Special Arrangement: Rest and Overnight among Nature

There is no luxury hotel in Madagascar’s rainforests, but to provide the best service we can we have hand-picked Vakano Forest Lodge, the best accommodation the region can offer. Although here you can only access wi-fi in restaurant and the lobby, other infrastructure is overall well-maintained for you to enjoy, with a ravishing garden to stroll. There is also a porch for every room - you can sit here reveling in the nature around you and watch lemurs frolicking among the leaves. And the chameleons, they are almost everywhere! It’s likely you will see one on the handrail waiting to introduce itself to you.

► Attention: 

Power failure occurs often in lodges in the wild, so be sure to charge your devices such as phones first when you check in at the hotel. Some lodges will even switch off the power at night and sometimes during the daytime (as do hotels but less often), so if you need to use electricity continuously, such as to power breathing machine, let us know in advance so that we can communicate with the hotel. It’s best to bring a power bank and a torch before you go.

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

Prepare for an entire day’s adventure to the rainforest of Mantadia National Park, which stars the largest lemur Indri Indri, known for their loud wails that can be heard more than one mile away. Spending most of time living high up on trees, Indris are now critically endangered mainly due to the clearing of their natural habitat for agriculture, which is why both these critters and the area are so valued. With Indri’s arias in the background, look also for orange-limbed diademed sifakas among other 13 species of lemurs, push aside twigs and leaves to discover leaf-tailed gecko, and pass by mirror-like pools and ethereal waterfalls as you move in the lush environment. A bird lover? Green sunbirds, serpent-eagles and other over a hundred of bird species are waiting for you to capture their lovely grace!

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

Here is another day for you to appreciate Andasibe’s biodiversity at the Analamazaotra National Park, which is known for its swamps and marshes. It will show you more indri indris, sifakas and other lemurs as they leap from a branch to another. If you spot a fur ball lolling on a branch, that’d be a woolly lemur! After the hike, you will be transferred back to Tana.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Le Louvre Hotel and Spa, Antananarivo (4 stars) or similar

Today, your local driver guide will lead you to visit the King’s Palace on the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, where King Andrianampoinimerina (reigned 1787 – 1810) who initiated the unification of the island of Madagascar once lived. Here, you get to see how traditional European-style elements blend into indigenous architecture, as well as appreciate furniture, art collections and décor that reflect the lifestyle and aesthetic taste of past royal families on this land. With commentaries from your knowledgeable driver guide, you will dive into the history, culture and traditional customs of Madagascar. 

Here's the end of your Madagascar travel package. The driver guide will escort you to the airport to catch your international flight. It’s best to ask your driver to take you to the airport three hours prior to departure. It is also important to know that if you have bought some wooden items, pack them in your checked baggage in advance, or they might be confiscated when going through security. If you want to tailor this tour for an extension, please feel free to let us know! May you a smooth journey home!

Meals: Breakfast