AUTHENTIC MADAGASCAR TOUR
Antananarivo – Morondava – Kirindy – Tsingy of Bemaraha – Antsirabe – Andasibe
TOUR CODE: ETA1M235
10 Days 9 Nights.
Itinerary At Glance
DAY 01 : ABROAD – ANTANANARIVO
Arrival in Ivato International Airport. Reception by Across Africa Tour and Travel, Meet and greet. Once you have passed customs formalities, it is to the Guide to smooth through the rest of the arrivals process – changing money, setting up your phone with the new SIM, and anything else you need. Money and SIM are best and easiest done before you leave the airport. Transfer directly to the hotel.
LOCATION: ANTANANARIVO
ACCOMMODATION: PIETRA OPTION: BED AND BREAKFAST
DAY 02 : ANTANANARIVO (City Tour)
This day is dedicated to show you how the capital of Madagascar looks like. After breakfast, drive to the center town where the independence avenue is. Antananarivo was first built as a fortress around the beginning of the 17th century by the Merina kings, who made it their primary residence in the 1790s. The community grew very rapidly as the Merina kings, notably Radama I, controlled most of the island in the 19th century. The French seized the city in 1895. It later became the capital of the colony of Madagascar and the dependencies under French rule. It retained its status as the capital when the country gained independence on June 26, 1960. Antananarivo concentrates the main economic, cultural and political
activities. Aftre visiting the town, drive to the Lemur’s Park following the national road number 1 to the west. This 5-hectare estate, bordered by the Katsaoka River, currently hosts 7 species of lemurs from different regions of Madagascar, but also other key representatives of Malagasy fauna and flora. Back to town to reach the Queen’s Palace before driving back to the hotel, the Queen’s Palace here is a symbol of the Merina Kingdom, the dynasty that made Madagascar a modern state. This is a place of pilgrimage and the burial ground for its sovereigns since 1817. Sitting atop the highest hill in AntananarivoAfter the visit, drive back to the hotel.
LOCATION: ANTANANARIVO
ACCOMMODATION: PIETRA
OPTION: BED AND BREAKFAST
DAY 03 : ANTANANARIVO – MORONDAVA – KIRINDY (45km “1h30”)
Breakfast, to start the adventure, transfer to the airport for flight (Departure at 06:30AM) to the west coast of the island, destination to Morondava (Arrival at 07:35AM). On your arrival, drive directly to the North, about 42 km following the secondary road which a bit winding, to reach the famous Kirindy Park. Check-in at your hotel (Relais du Kirindy). Around 6:30 PM, beginning of the Guided night walks at Kirindy Reserve. Kirindy is the best place in the whole island to observe fosa. Other nocturnal species includes: the rare Coquerel’s giant mouse lemur and pygmy mouse-lemur, fork-crowned lemur, grey mouse lemur, western fat-tailed dwarf lemur and redtailed sportive lemur. Several bats, tenrecs, mongoose and rodents complete the mammal population.
LOCATION: KIRINDY
ACCOMMODATION: RELAIS DU KIRINDY
OPTION: BED AND BREAKFAST
DAY 04 : KIRINDY – BEKOPAKA (165km “7h”)
After breakfast, around 7:30 AM, beginning of the Guided day visits at Kirindy reserve. Kirindy Reserve is home to seven species of lemur. The most common are the common brown lemurs and the Verreaux’s sifakas. These long-legged, seven-pound lemurs, white with dark patches, leap among tree trunks high in the canopy, propelled by their powerful hind legs but continually maintaining an upright posture. 40 bird, 50 reptile and 15 amphibian species are also found in this magnificent forest. After the visit, back to the road and continue by a ferry crossing to reach the small village of Belo sur Tsiribihina, where we stop for lunch. Then, continue to the North through a landscape of rice fields and small village, to arrive at the end of the afternoon at Bekopaka.
LOCATION: BEKOPAKA
ACCOMMODATION: OLYMPE DU BEMARAHA OPTION: BED AND BREAKFAST
DAY 05 : BEKOPAKA (Tsingy de Bemaraha)
After breakfast, guided visit to the Bemaraha National Park (Grand Tsingy), you can choose whichever tour you want to do on this day, in consultation with your local guide and your driver, depending on your energy levels and enthusiasm on the day. There are circuits for all levels of fitness here at this World Heritage park. Here nature seems to be in perfect harmony with this wild and sharp limestone mountain. The flora consists of a dry western deciduous forest, plants typical of these dry limestone areas, such as species of Aloe and baobab Andasonia, the red-flowered flamboyant tree, Madagascar’s native banana Musa perrier. You can also see typical plants growing in the rocky area such pachypodium, orchids Concerning the fauna we can see the stump-tailed chameleon Brookesia perarmata, 53 bird, 7 lemur speciesincluding Decken’s sifaka Propithecus verreauxi deckeni. For your lunch, you will have picnic organized by the guide. After lunch, you will continue your visit to the Small Tsingy.
LOCATION: BEKOPAKA
ACCOMMODATION: OLYMPE DU BEMARAHA OPTION: BED AND BREAKFAST
DAY 06 : BEKOPAKA – MORONDAVA (200km “10h”)
After the breakfast, back to Morondava. Lunch at Belo sur Tsiribihina. Then continue up to Morondava with two special stops, the first in Baobab Amoureux and the second in the famous Streets of Baobabs to appreciate a beautiful sunset. Arrival at Morondava in early evening, transfer to the hotel.
LOCATION: MORONDAVA
ACCOMMODATION: PALISSANDRE
OPTION: BED AND BREAKFAST
DAY 07 : MORONDAVA – ANTSIRABE (470km “9h”)
October 31st:: Today, you will have a very long drive, so it is better to leave early Morondava (7:00AM). After breakfast, drive directly to Antsirabe with some stops on the road for pictures and breaks if it is necessary. Lunch in Miandrivazo, and then continue to Antsirabe. The city is famous for its buildings dating from the colonial era.
LOCATION: ANTSIRABE ACCOMMODATION: ROYAL PALACE OPTION: BED AND BREAKFAST
DAY 08 : ANTSIRABE – ANDASIBE (290km “7h30”)
Early in the morning, after breakfast, city tour in Antsirabe by rickshaw (Visit: Avenue of independence, the famous Hotel des Thermes, market of stones and the little Factory of Horn). After the visit, on rout to go to Andasibe with some stops to enjoy the landscape, for photos and for some little breaks if it is necessary. One special stop in the Pereiras park. The fascinating park owned by the Peyrieras family, to see Cocquerel’s Sifaka, and chameleons and many other reptiles, and some other Malagasy animals such as butterflies, moths (the giant Atlas Moth) and tenrecs. After the visit, continue directly to reach Andasibe. On your arrival, check-in at the hotel and then relax for the rest of the day.
LOCATION: ANDASIBE ACCOMMODATION: MANTADIA LODGE OPTION: BED AND BREAKFAST
After breakfast, Guided visit to Analamazaotra National Park (It is better to leave the hotel at 7:30AM). This morning you need an early start to catch the Indri-Indri and the Diademed Sifaka in their forest home. The visit takes about 4 hours. Within a mile of the park you can hear the peculiar call of the indri very early in the morning until noon and again in the late afternoon. Indris (called Babakoto in Malagasy) are the largest living lemurs at all reaching up to 1 meter. Andasibe is the best place to observe
the Indris given that there are a couple of families habituated to humans. It lives in small groups and cannot survive in captivity. There are several legends trying to explain its origins since it is considered a sacred animal in the whole Madagascar. Apart from the Indri, another 13 lemur species inhabit these forests, such as woody lemur, grey bamboo lemur, diademed sifaka, brown lemur, red mouse-lemur, redbellied lemur, black and white ruffed lemur and even aye-aye. Lunch. In the afternoon, you will enjoy an amazing up close and personal experience with lemurs on the private Lemurs Island and then on to view many other species in the Vakona Reserve Zoo, where you will see many crocodiles in the huge river enclosure, native birds, and other wildlife in well-kept surroundings. Around 6:30PM, beginning of the Guided night visits, the visit will take 1hour and half, and then drive back to the hotel.
LOCATION: ANDASIBE ACCOMMODATION: MANTADIA LODGE OPTION: BED AND BREAKFAST
DAY 10: ANDASIBE – ANTANANARIVO (130km “3h30”)
After breakfast, transfer back to the capital Antananarivo. On your arrival, shopping and purchase some souvenirs at the craft market of La Digue, then transfer directly to the airport for your external flight.
DAY 13 : NOSY BE – ANTANANARIVO
For this last day, you will be transferred to the Fascene airport for flight back to the capital Antananarivo. On arrival, transfer in town followed by a shopping and purchase some souvenirs at the craft market of La Digue (Depending on our time of arrival in Tana, there may be time for last-minute). And then transfer directly to the international airport for your external flight.