Highlights Of Madagascar

Our adventure starts in Antananarivo, the picturesque capital of Madagascar, which is often shortened to Tana. There will be a group meeting and briefing in the evening followed by an optional group dinner for those who would like to join. Accommodation: Hotel Belvedere (or similar)

This morning, we embark on a city tour of the capital. With busy markets, friendly people and an ancient town on a hill with freestone churches and ancient royal places, it is a magnificent place to explore. We then drive to Andasibe through the green vegetation of the east. This first stop brings us to the humid part of the country with many primary forests and lakes. Along the way, we see Merina villages in the rocky mountains. We arrive in Andasibe around 4pm and the rest of the afternoon is free to relax. In the early evening, we take a twilight/nocturnal walk along the road, close to the Andasibe Nature Reserve, looking for the nocturnal species of lemur as the torchlights pass their eyes. Accommodation: Hotel Feon’ny Ala (or similar)

Discover Andasibe National Park (also known as Perinet) and its wildlife on a four-hour walk. The park is home to the teddy bear-like indri, the largest of the lemur species in Madagascar, as well as other flora and fauna and a wide array of birdlife. Listening to the piercing yet melancholy cry of the indri in the morning is an evocative sound and for those who are prepared to follow them through the thick rainforest, the reward is often a close-up view of these beautiful creatures. A group of five diademed sifaka has recently been reintroduced to Andasibe from Mantadia; if we are lucky, we may spot one of these unusual creatures. In the afternoon, we visit the Vondron’olona Miaro Mitia Ala Reserve, a community-run reserve where we can see several species of lemurs and birds. The reserve is an untouched paradise for endemic animals and plants. There are groups of indris, which we hope to see in their natural habitat, and their white-headed relatives, the diademed sifakas, jump between the treetops. For reptiles and amphibian lovers, the reserve is home to countless frogs along the crystal-clear river and several amazing chameleons live in the forest. Accommodation: Hotel Feon’ny Ala (or similar)