Madagascar Wildlife Explorer

Arrive in Antananarivo, known as Tana, Madagascar’s characterful capital. Around 5pm we meet the tour leader and fellow travellers to get to know each other and hear about the journey ahead, followed by a welcome group dinner. If you would like more time in Tana, you can arrange extra hotel nights before the tour through your sales representative.

Leave Tana this morning for the approximately five hour transfer to Andasibe National Park, also called Perinet. In the afternoon we take a forest walk of about 1 hour 30 minutes–2 hours in the community run Vondron’olona Miaro Mitia Ala Reserve, looking for several species of lemurs and birds. This untouched reserve shelters indris, which we hope to see in their natural habitat, and their white headed relatives, the diademed sifakas, leaping through the canopy. The river and forest also host countless frogs and striking chameleons. Around 5pm–6pm we join an expert park guide for a night walk of roughly 1 hour 30 minutes, watching for nocturnal lemurs, nose horned chameleons and bright green eyed frogs.

Dive deeper into Andasibe today with a four–five hour walk in the Analamazoatra section. This area is renowned for indri, the largest lemur, which we hope to spot with the help of our tour leader and a national park guide. We may also encounter diademed sifakas, black and white ruffed lemurs, abundant birdlife and a variety of reptiles and amphibians.

Drive about five hours to the fishing village of Manambato, then board a boat to Ankanin'ny Nofy, also known as Le Palmarium Reserve. The 1 hour 30 minute transfer glides along the tranquil Canal des Pangalanes, bordered by lush vegetation, traditional villages and lively birdlife. You have the afternoon free to explore the reserve at your own pace. Before sunset we take a boat to Aye Aye Island to seek out this extraordinary lemur in semi free conditions, while also keeping an eye out for colourful chameleons and rare tropical plants.

Enjoy a full day on the canal by motorised canoe, a peaceful immersion in riverside life as we drift past villages and look for endemic flora and fauna, with a visit to a local village for small interactions. A tour leader and lodge guide enrich the experience, and we have a packed lunch on the beach – no swimming.

After an early breakfast we take the boat back to Manambato, then continue by road for around nine hours to Tana. It is a long travel day, though the scenery through the window is magnificent, and we make stops to stretch our legs and visit markets en route. We arrive in the late afternoon and the rest of the day is free to relax before tomorrow’s flight.

We fly to Antsiranana, also known as Diego Suarez, where we meet our next tour leader and begin exploring Diego Suarez Bay. On arrival we head to the summit of French Mountain for sweeping 360 degree views, then visit three bays – Baie des Sakalava, Baie des Pigeons and Baie des Dunes – to savour the area’s coastal beauty. We enjoy a cooked picnic lunch on one of the beaches, and you can take a refreshing dip in the turquoise water. We return to the hotel in the late afternoon. Note – a special baggage transfer is arranged with the hotel so we can start the day trip straight from the airport.

Spend the day in Amber Mountain National Park, one of Madagascar’s great wildlife havens, home to crowned lemurs, Sanford’s brown lemurs, chameleons and remarkable leaf tailed geckos. On a four–five hour exploration we follow scenic trails to waterfalls, crater lakes and panoramic viewpoints, enjoying the cool climate and dense rainforest.

Drive about four hours south to the eastern entrance of Ankarana National Park, with a detour to the red tsingy. An easy one hour round trip on a well maintained trail leads to magnificent red and ochre formations sculpted by the Irodo River.

This morning we venture into Ankarana National Park, following labyrinthine trails, crossing hanging bridges over tsingy and visiting sacred caves with ancient stalactites and underground rivers. Over three–four hours we also look for lemurs – crowned, Sanford’s brown and Ankarana sportive – plus plentiful birds and reptiles. The paths are moderate but require sturdy walking shoes. In the afternoon we drive about two hours to our bush camp, Iharana, where we stay in rustic cabanas built with traditional Malagasy materials. The site overlooks nearby tsingy and, with luck, we can enjoy a magnificent sunset.

This morning we explore the tsingy of Iharana, a dramatic landscape of limestone pinnacles, chasms and deciduous forest. You can embrace your adventurous side with a zip line over the karst peaks or, for the truly daring, an abseil into a cave. More relaxed options include gentle walking trails or a cycling tour.

Take a scenic four hour drive to the small fishing village of Ankify, passing lush vegetation, neat villages and views of the Tsaratanana massif. En route we stop in Ambanja, Madagascar’s cocoa capital, to browse the open air market and tour a plantation renowned for high quality beans. After the visit we transfer by boat for about 45 minutes to the island of Nosy Be and are dropped at our hotel. If you wish, you can upgrade to a deluxe room – speak to your sales representative for details.

Spend a day in paradise, beginning in the calm waters of Nosy Sakatia, often called the marine green land. Here we have the unforgettable experience of swimming alongside green sea turtles in shallow, protected bays as they glide over sea grass beds. We then continue to Nosy Tanikely, a celebrated snorkelling site within a marine protected area that helps keep its vibrant corals and marine life thriving. We snorkel in clear water among corals, colourful fish and starfish, and may even encounter another turtle, before a picnic lunch on the beach. In October and November you can join a marine safari with the Madagascar Whale Shark Project to swim with whale sharks and learn about these gentle giants – extra cost applies – and the day is accompanied by a volunteer from the NGO. If you wish, you can upgrade to a deluxe room – speak to your sales representative for details.

Our adventure ends in Nosy Be and we begin the journey home. If you would like more time on the island, you can extend your stay by speaking to your sales representative.