A Magical Overland Journey in Madagascar: Small Group

Arrive in Antananarivo (Tana). Met on arrival at the airport and transfer to your hotel.

After a leisurely morning, we return to the airport to take our domestic flight south to Tulear.

On arrival in Tulear we will transfer (45 minutes) along a sandy track to the small village of Ifaty, on the coast of the Mozambique Channel for some time to settle into our accommodations and rest.

This region is especially dry as it falls within a rain shadow and only receives around 500 mm of rainfall annually, which has created a unique vegetation here dominated by the cacti like Didiereacae, or octopus, trees and the local baobab, Andansonia rubrostipa. We will take a late afternoon wildlife walk here which will eventually turn to a night walk once dark.

Very early this morning we will visit the local spiny forest habitat, unique to Madagascar's far southwest. We will search for the diurnal wildlife of the spiny forest. Birds are a highlight with several locally endemic spiny forest speciality species to look for. These include the long-tailed ground roller, sub-desert mesite, Lafresnaye’s, red-tailed and sickle-billed vangas, Archbold’s newtonia and banded kestrel. The forest is also home to many reptiles and the huge Madagascar giant swallowtail butterfly.

We will return to the hotel for breakfast and some time to rest. Later in the day (depending on the temperatures) we will visit the nearby Ifaty salt pans to look for wading birds including the endangered Madagascar plover. We then continue up the road to visit the Honko mangrove project for a guided tour of this wonderful coastal ecosystem, home to many mudskippers and crabs.

In the evening we will take another night walk which may reveal the gray-brown mouse lemur.

Today we drive north to explore Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park, which acts as a transition zone between the dry and the humid forests of Madagascar.

The flora is especially rich within the protected area with bottle baobabs and several orchids particularly common.

The park is home to eight lemur species, including the acrobatic Verreaux´s sifaka, which we often see leaping great distances between trees. We will also hope to spot the locally endemic Hubbard´s (Zombitse) sportive lemur and the striking Standing’s day gecko. Zombitse also supports a wide variety of interesting bird species, many of them endemic, with Zombitse’s special attraction being the rare Appert´s tetraka. We then drive 1 hour to Isalo National Park.

Today we can enjoy exploring Isalo National Park.

The park, an eroded limestone massif, contains wonderful scenery and unusual plants like the endemic ‘elephant’s foot’ Pachypodium rosalatum and is a sacred burial ground for the Bara tribe. There are many interesting geological sites and places to swim in the park alongside its curious natural history.

We might walk the easy and shaded trail at Namahaza where we can enjoy sightings of ring-tailed and red-fronted brown lemurs, plus jewled chameleons and birdlife such as the local Benson's rock thrush.

A further day to explore Isalo National Park. Perhaps have a morning walk and relax in the afternoon.

After breakfast we will depart on one of the most scenic drives in Madagascar as we travel north through vast open plains of golden grass and impressive mountainous landscapes with some dramatic granite peaks.

We will then make a stop at the community-managed ANJA PARK where we can enjoy close encounters with groups of ring-tailed lemurs as they go about their day. The lemurs here are well protected and used to people, thus affording exceptionally good views and excellent photographic opportunities. During our walk we will also hope to see the large Oustalets's chameleon and tiny Brookesia brunoi chameleon, and the stunning painted locust.

After our visit to Anja Park, we will have lunch at a local restaurant in the town of Ambalavao and perhaps visit the paper making factory. In the afternoon we will continue the drive north (3.5 hrs) through ever-changing scenery to arrive at our lodge just outside Ranomafana National Park in the early evening.

Today we will explore Ranomafana National Park on morning and afternoon walks in search of its wonderful rainforest wildlife. Ranomafana is an exceptionally rich high-altitude rainforest where the very rare golden bamboo lemur and eleven other lemur species exist.

With the help of experienced local guides and spotters we will hopefully find the rare golden bamboo lemur for which the Park was established in 1991. We will also search for the beautiful Milne Edwards’s sifaka, red-fronted brown lemur and the only two remaining greater bamboo lemurs in the Park.

Over 100 bird species have also been recorded in Ranomafana as well as a staggering 120 species of endemic frogs.

This evening we will take a night walk along the nearby road in search of sleeping chameleons such as the huge O'Shaughnessy's chameleon and beautiful elephant ear’s chameleon, Madagascar tree boa, colourful boophis tree frogs and if lucky a satanic leaf-tailed gecko or the huge Madagascar comet moth.

Today we have another day to explore Ranomafana National Park. This morning we will perhaps explore more of the higher-altitude stunted forest on the Vohiparara circuit, which is the best location to find many special birds.

These include the yellow-bellied and common sunbird asity, the skulking brown mesite and elusive rufous-headed and short-legged ground rollers, the rare Pollen’s vanga and white-throated and yellow-browed oxylabes. This area of forest is home to many frogs, and we will look for the for the colourful Tsarafidy Madagascar Frog (Guibemantis pulcher) in the Pandanus plants and the striking Baron's mantella frog (Mantella baroni). In the evening we can enjoy another night walk.

Today we will transfer north through ever changing landscapes (7 hours total but with many stops) to the interesting spa and Handicraft town of Antsirabe. There will be many interesting stops on the way including the woodcarving centre of Ambositra, the origin of the intricate inlayed wood designs that are found throughout Madagascar.

Today we will make the journey (4 hours) from Antsirabe to Tana for lunch. After a few stops we will continue to drive (4.5 hours) to Andasibe passing through many villages and rice paddies. We will stop for a picnic lunch at a nice spot by the river at Mandraka Park on the journey.

The rainforests of Andasibe are home to the largest lemur, the indri and seven other diurnal species, as well as many chameleons, brightly coloured day geckos and frogs.

In the evening, we will take a night walk in the VOIMMA Reserve for a variety of nocturnal species.

Today we will take a morning walk in the ANALAMAZAOTRA (Perinet) Reserve to enjoy some close sightings of the magnificent tail less indri. This section of forest is also the best location to see the stunningly beautiful diademed sifaka. At this time of the year they are often feeding closer to the ground and providing excellent views. Other diurnal (day active) lemur species we will hope to see here include the common brown lemur and Eastern grey bamboo lemur.

We will also hopefully encounter some chameleons which could include the huge Parson’s chameleon and dazzling side-striped chameleon. The insect life is also fascinating and highlights will surely include the bizarre giraffe-necked weevil.

We will then have some time at leisure during the middle of the day before we take another walk in the late afternoon perhaps again in the VOIMMA Reserve for nocturnal species later on.

Today we rise early to drive 1 hour 30 minutes north on a bumpy track to Mantadia National Park. Here we can enjoy spending the morning and early afternoon exploring the wonderful primary rainforest of this vast protected area with its special wildlife. Wildlife highlights in this old growth forest could include the black-and-white ruffed lemur and mossy leaf-tailed geckos.

The bird diversity at Mantadia is exceptional and highlights we could to see include (with some luck and patience) the secretive scaly-ground roller, beautiful pitta-like ground roller, shy red-fronted and blue couas and the red-tailed, hook-billed and nuthatch vangas to name just a few.

This morning we will visit the Mitsinjo Reserve. Here the wonderful tail-less indris are particularly habituated allowing for some very intimate and memorable sightings and photographic opportunities.

Other diurnal lemur species, tenrecs, rare frogs and birds can also be found during our time here.

In the afternoon, we will return (5 hours) by road back to Antananarivo and the Relais des Plateaux hotel for your overnight.

[For those flying Ethiopian] Late morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Addis Ababa.

[For those flying Air France] Day use of a room and facilities, before transfer late at night to the airport for your flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle.