DAY 1: ARRIVAL –ANTANANARIVO
Arrival at the international airport of Ivato-Antananarivo. Upon arrival, meet with our staff at the custom area. Assistance for visa delivery and luggage formalities. Transfer to your hotel. Accommodation on bed and Breakfast basis at 3 Metis hotel or similar.
DAY 2 : ANTANANARIVO – TULEAR (Internal flight)
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport and flight to Tulear. Meet your driver and guide at the airport. The departure for Ifaty (22KM), you admire the good road in Madagascar with the sea air. Arrival and installation at hotel. In the afternoon you can enjoy the beach and stroll through the fishing village. Accommodation on Half Board basis for 2 nights at LA BELLA DONNA hotel or similar.
DAY 3 : IFATY – RENALA RESERVE
Breakfast at the hotel, then departure early in the morning to visit the Reniala reserve. Located at the edge of the northern and southern dry forest and the thorny bush, the reniala reserve or “mother of the forest reserve” is a habitat of remarkable diversity. Lucky for many birds of the dry forest. You will take a notion of medicinal plants also and do not miss to take a photo in the avenue of the baobabs, the cave of the baobabs and the tired baobabs. You can’t see it anywhere. The visit will end in the village of the tortoise where you will have to be spotted the various endemic tortoises of Madagascar. Afternoon free but possibility to take advantage of the beach or hotel activities offer by hotel.
DAY 4 : IFATY – ZOMBITSE – RANOHIRA (250 Km +/- 2 Hours tar road)
Depart early to reach Zombitse National Park before continuing to Ranohira. Stop at Zombitse National Park. Zombitse is of particular interest to bird watchers, as it is home to one of the country’s rarest endemic species, appert`s greenbul as well as the giant coua, crested coua, Madagscar cuckoo-roller, white-headed vanga, white-browed owl and locally endemic standing`s day gecko. Arrived at Ranohira, after sunset in window of Isalo. Accommodation on Half Board basis for 2 nights at ISALO RANCH or similar.
DAY 5 : RANOHIRA : THE MAGNIFICENT MSSIF
Breakfast at the hotel and drive to the village of Ranohira to meet your local guide. Transfer to the parking lot where you start walking to where you can easily find the birds. You might spot bird species as Madagascar Hoopoe, common Newtonia, benson`s rock-thrush, white-throated rail, Madagascar coucal, Madagacsr wagtail, Madagascar kestrel, bat hawk and with the chance the juvenile long eared owl. Overnight at Hotel
DAY 6 : RANOHIRA – AMBALAVAO (155 KM +/- 4 hours)
Departure in the morning to cross Ambalavao. Arrival in Ambalavao after having spotted the ring-tailed lemur in the Anja reserve with its cultural stories. Anja is a natural and cultural reserve managed by the local population. You will climb the mountain until you breathe at the top and admire the clean air. It is famous for the ring-tailed lemur and it is easy to see them in groups of four to twelve males and females. The scenery begins to change as you pass through the ‘Gate to the Mountain and the attractive countryside of the Betsileo people where granite outcrops dominate the horizon. Here, the architecture of the village also begins to change. Accommodation on half board basis Les BOUNGAIVILLIERS hotel.
DAY 7 : AMBALAVAO – RANOMAFANA OR HOT WATER
Breakfast at the hotel and drive to Ranomafana National Park. Arrive at the parking lot where you start walking towards the rainforest. You might spot some species of birds. Ranomafana`s protected mountain rainforest covers an area of 41,600ha at altitudes between 600m and 1,400m (1,970 -4,600ft.) The area is dominated by the Namorona River which, fed by many streams, plunges from the eastern escarpment close to the park entrance. The steep slopes are covered with a mixture of primary and secondary forest, much of the secondary growth is dominated by dense stands of introduced Chinese guava (Psidium cattleyanum) and clumps of giant bamboo. Accommodation on half board basis for 2 nights at SETAM LODGE or similar.
DAY 8 : RANOMAFANA (full day visit)
Breakfast at hotel and drive to Ranomafana national park`s parking to meet your local guide. You might spot some species birds (brown mesite, Pollen`s vanga, blue vanga, velvet asity, grey-crowned greenbul, common sunbird asity, yellow-bellied sunbird-asity, pitta-like ground-roller, scaly ground-roller, red-fronted coua, henst`s goshawk, forest rock-thrush, yellow-browed oxylabes). After +/-6 hours the visit, you get back to your hotel. In afternoon, profit the natural hot swimming pool. Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 9 : RANOMAFANA – ANTSIRIBE
Breakfast at the hotel, then return to Antsirabe and continue east towards Antsirabe, still through the typical landscape of the highlands (rice fields, typical villages of the Merina tribe, rocky hills….). Arrival in Antsirabe at the end of the afternoon, installation in your room.Accommodation on Half Board basis at COULEUR CAFE hotel or similar.
DAY 10 : ANTSIRABE – MORONDAVA – CAMP AMOUREUX (532KM +/- 10 hours)
Breakfast at the end of the hotel then long drive to Morondava, the capital of the Sakalava tribe. While crossing the savannah, the mountain, it is possible to stop for a photograph. Arrival at the end of the afternoon. Accommodation on Half Board basis at CAMP AMOUREUX.
DAY 11 : CAMP AMOUREUX – BEKOPAKA (146 +/- 6hours drive with stops)
Breakfast in the morning and visit before departure by 4X4 car for Bekopaka. You can spot the white-breasted mesite, coquerel`s coua, crested coua, Madagascar cuckoo-roller. After crossing the river Tsiribihina with ferryboat. Lunch at Belo Sur Tsiribihina (at your own arrangement). Check-in Bekopaka in the early evening. Accommodation on Half Board basis for 2nights at OLYMPE DU BEMARAHA HOTEL hotel or similar.
DAY 12 : Small Tsingy & Big Tsingy (21 KM +/- 8 hours)
Breakfast at hotel. 2hours visit to small tsingy with traditional canoe. Chance on crested coua, Madagascar green pigeon, heron, Madagascar fish eagle, Madagascar harrier hawk, Madagascar pigmy kingfisher, Madagascar magpie-robin, crested drongo, red-capped coua, sickle-billed vanga, white-headed vanga, rufous vanga and grey-headed lovebirds. Continuation for 6 hours visits of the big Tsingy. UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Tsingy of Bemaraha is without doubt one of the most prestigious protected areas in Madagascar. The limestone massif is an ancient coral reef. At Bemaraha, erosion has created deep vertical cliffs, filled with faults and a deep fissure, which form a complex labyrinth of caves and rivers.
DAY 13 : BEKOPAKA – TSANJAJOLY (134 KM +/- 4 hours)
After breakfast, head south to Tsangajoly, perhaps one of Madagascar’s most rewarding waterbird sites, but it has only recently received official private conservation from the protected area in the Menabe region. On chance of endangered sakalava rail, Madagascar (humblot`s) heron, Madagascar sacred ibis, black egret, dimorphic egret and many other shore and wading birds, Madagascar plover, Madagascar fish eagles may be seen, Madagascar grebe, Madagascar squacco (pond) heron, Madagascar pratincole. Overnight at hotel on half board.
DAY 14 : TSANGAJOLY – KIRINDY FOREST – MORONDAVA (76 KM +/- 4 hours)
After breakfast, leaving toward the south, to get the kirindy forest, this can be also one of the most rewarding wildlife locations in Madagascar, yet it has only recently received official conservation as part of the Menabe region protected area. Although previously logged, kirindy remains the best place to see a number of endemic dry forest species like rufous vanga, blue vanga, Madagascar, chabert`s vanga, greater vasa parrots. Arrival after 2hours drive and visit inside of the forest. Lunch at RELAIS DE KIRINDY before the sunset in avenue of baobabs. Accommodation on Half Board basis at KIMONY RESORT or similar.
DAY 15 : MORONDAVA – ANTANANARIVO
Breakfast at the hotel. Return flight to Antananarivo. Arrival in Antananarivo, meeting and transfer to your hotel. Accommodation on Half Board basis at BELVEDERE hotel or similar.
DAY 16 : ANTANANARIVO –ANDASIBE (154KM +/- 4 hours)
After breakfast, head east to Andasibe through the typical landscape and eastern rainforest. Arrived in Andasibe around noon. In the afternoon, visit the
Analamazaotra reserve to spot the largest lemurs of Madagascar Indri Indri, which is the largest living lemur. Different species of birds must be seen , blue coua, redtailed vanga, nuthatch vanga, tylas vanga. Accommodation on half board basis for 2nights at FEON`NY ALA or similar.
DAY 17 : ANDASIBE (MANTADIA NATIONAL PARK)
Breakfast at the hotel, then morning walk within the primary forest. Other lemur species, reptiles and birds might be spotted during the walk as short-legged ground-roller, collard nightjar, cryptic warbler, Madagascar long-eared owl, scaly ground-roller. Back to the hotel after the visit. In the afternoon, visit of Vakona private reserve including its small island. Overnight at hotel.
DAY 18 : ANDASIBE – ANTANANARIVO – FLIGHT BACK HOME
Breakfast at the hotel then transfer directly to the airport. Day use au BOIS VERT. Possibility Tsarasaotra reserve to discover many species of aquatic birds and last purchases at the craft market before your transfer to the airport. Assistance for your return flight.
