Day 1: Antananarivo
After arriving at Antananarivo, you will be transferred from the airport to the hotel where you will spend your first night.
Day 2: Antantanarivo – Andasibe
You will begin the tour by going east towards Andasibe along the route of national “7”. This trip will take about 4 hours. The scenery will change from just outside the capital from dry to lavish forests just few minutes into the journey. The road itself, with Malagasy standards, is in good conditions, very hilly, bendy with many large trucks not exceeding the 25 miles / hour. Generally speaking, the landscape is fantastic.
The arrival in Andasibe is expected at about midday. The first visit is booked with the Analamazaotra Special Reserve, more commonly known as the reserve of the indri, the largest species of lemur. The indri is an incredible primate, very agile and loud thanks to his continuous screaming throughout the day.
Right after dark, there is a brief walk along the perimeter of the park to spot some wildlife in the dark. If you are lucky, you will be able to admire the “mouse lemur” or Microcebus, the smallest of all the lemurs.
Day 3: Andasibe – Andasibe-Mantadia National Park – Andasibe
In the morning, you will have a short drive north to visit the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. You have planned a small 4 hours circuit to observe some groups of lemurs like the diademed sifaka, the bamboo lemur and, of course, the indri. The circuit includes amazing landscapes made of small waterfalls, rivers, and some incredible tropical vegetation. After a small break, you will head to the reserve of the Vakona Forest Lodge.
Day 4: Andasibe – Antsirabe
You will have a long traveling day ahead. You will head south of Antananarivo to get to Antsirabe for seven hours drive. Past the capital, the scenery doesn’t change much until Ranomafana. The national seven is incredibly beautiful and “classic Madagascar at its best”, you will leave behind cars and trucks that in states would not even be considered worthy of a wrecking yard. You will see souvenir vendors, barnyard animals feeding just by the side of the road.
Five hours into the drive, and you should be in Ambatolampy, where you will stop to visit a foundry that produced kitchen utensils for the whole country. By 3 in the afternoon, you should reach Antsirabe, for a short visit to the great local market of Tsara Sabotsy. You should be tired now, in time for a good shower and a dinner.
Day 5: Antsirabe
You will spend the day in this town is known as the “Vichy of Madagascar” for its many thermal springs. You will tour Antsirabe on a rickshaw, to discover local traditions of silk-weaving, stone cutting, and zebu horn carving. In the afternoon you will take the scenic drive and a short hike to Lake Titriva, a beautiful lake that fills the extinct crater of a volcanic cone surrounded by majestic metamorphic cliffs.
Day 6: Antsirabe – Ranomafana National Park
After breakfast, you will drive to Ranomafana National Park, a tropical rainforest over 161 square miles. Along the journey, you will visit Ambositra, the center of Madagascar’s wood carving industry. Here you can buy some amazing gifts for your loved ones. You will arrive in Ranomafana in the evening, just in time to do a short guided walk around the edges of the park to view some amazing creatures at work at night. Be sure to wear long sleeve shirts and pants, also bring bug spray.
Day 7: Ranomafana National Park – Ambalavao
Today, in the morning before it is too hot, you will take a sightseeing hike in Ranomafana National Park, one of the most beautiful rainforests in the world. Here, you will see some of the lemurs and other unique animal species Madagascar has to offer. After the hike and lunch, you will head south to Ambalavao, a large subtropical town in east-central Madagascar.
If on time, you will visit the Antaimoro paper factory. This papyrus-type paper, made from the bark of a tree called avoha, is impregnated with dried flowers and sold into such items as wall hangings and lampshades.
Day 8: Ambalavao – Andringitra National Park – Ranohira
From Ambalavao, you drive to the Andringitra National Park. The Andringitra is one of the most spectacular national parks of Madagascar and you will be blown away by its granite peaks and dome, reaching an altitude of almost 9000 feet. You will take you to the foot of the sacred Riandahy drop (1000 feet high) and visit the cave of Ijajofo hidden under a forest. This circuit will last 4 hours and you will see why this is the most scenic national park of Madagascar.
After the hike, you will go back to the route national 7 and continue south. You will stop just after Ambalavao to visit the Anja Community Reserve, a gorgeous 74-acre wonderland. Here in Anja, nature, and humans coexist and flourish. After the visit to Anja Community Reserve, you will drive to Ranohira. You should arrive in Ranohira early in the evening.
Day 9: Isalo National Park – Ranohira
Today, you will visit another breathtaking national park of Madagascar. Isalo National Park is truly a unique park with incredibly diverse landscapes, including prairie-like grasslands, mountains, deep canyons and tropical oases with picturesque waterfalls dropping into inviting blue pools of cold water. You may consider taking a dip after a long hike since the temperatures can easily reach 85 degrees Fahrenheit before midday.
Wear good walking shoes and bring plenty of water. Today’s lunch will be on the go. Before sunset, you will head to the famous Isalo Window, a rock formation for one of the best sunset photo opportunities of the tour.
Day 10: Ranohira – Ifaty
You will continue south, towards the western shore of Madagascar. Along the way, you will stop at an arboretum showcasing many species of endemic plants. You will then, continue to Toliara where you will stop for lunch. From Toliara, you will head north along the western coast of Madagascar and the route 9 to reach the last stop: Ifaty. Ifaty is a quaint beachfront village where you will stay for the next four nights with plenty of time to relax, enjoy the beach and the surrounding areas.
Day 11-13: Ifaty
From today, you will have the opportunity to do many water activities such as swimming, fishing, snorkeling, boating, and scuba. Or relax on the beach and read your favorite book. This is your opportunity to do your own thing. You suggest also a visit to the beautiful and very unique private Reserve of Reniala (baobab in Malagasy), a beautiful spiny forest full endemic plants and birds.
Day 14: Toliara
After breakfast you will drive from Ifaty to the airport in Toliara, where you will catch the flight back to Antananarivo. The tour ends upon the arrival in Toliara Airport (TLE).
