Overview

• AVAILABLE ALL YEAR
• BEST TIME: May to November

DAY 01 : ANTANANARIVO

Arrival in Ivato International Airport. Reception by HT Agency Tours, 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 card, and anything else you need. We will provide 2 SIM cards with Data + National Call + 5mn International call for your stay in Madagascar; it will be easier for us to contact each other. Transfer directly to the hotel in town for check-in “Antananarivo”.

Night at the PIETRA (Bed and Breakfast)

DAY 02 : ANTANANARIVO - ANDASIBE (PERINET)

After breakfast, guided visit to the cultural and historical of Ambohimanga royal Palace, located at 20 km from the way out of the North of the Capital. The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga consists of a royal city and burial site, and an ensemble of sacred places. It is associated with strong feelings of national identity, and has maintained its spiritual and sacred character both in ritual practice and the popular imagination for the past 500 years. It remains a place of worship to which pilgrims come from Madagascar and elsewhere. After the visit, transfer directly to the East to reach Andasibe (130 Km from Antananarivo).

Night at the MANTADIA LODGE (Bed and Breakfast)

DAY 03 : ANDASIBE (PERINET)

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, red-bellied 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.

Night at the MANTADIA LODGE (Bed and Breakfast)

DAY 04 : ANDASIBE - ANTSIRABE

After breakfast, on rout to go to Antsirabe with some stops to enjoy the landscape, for photos and for some little breaks if it is necessary. One special stop at 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. Continue to the town of “Fois Gras” for lunch. On the way, as you head out of the city into the country side, you will pass through the beautiful landscapes of the Merina people, witnessing along the way the everyday life of the these people, who were (and really still are) the ruling class in Madagascar. Stop briefly at Ambatolampy and visit the manufacturers of pots and decorative items from aluminium. This is a really important local industry and the artisan forgers now make, as well as the pots and pans used every day by all Malagasy, beautiful polished trinkets made from aluminium, and then reach directly Antsirabe.

Night at the ROYAL PALACE HOTEL (Bed and Breakfast)

JOUR 05 : ANTSIRABE –  SAHAMBAVY (FIANARANTSOA)

Early in the morning, after breakfast, city tour in Antsirabe by rickshaw (visit: Independence Avenue, the famous Hotel des Thermes, the stone market and the horn small factory). Then transfer directly to the south with enjoying the beautiful landscape of Betsileo composed of rice terraces. Main stop in Ambositra for lunch, followed by a short city tour to discover the typical Malagasy crafts of the region: marquetry, weaving and especially wood carving. Then continue to Sahambavy.

Night at the LAC HOTEL (Bed and Breakfast)

JOUR 06 :  SAHAMBAVY - MANAKARA

After breakfast, transfer to the train station to Manakara (by train). (Departure at 7 am in Fianarantsoa, it will pass through 17 stations, including Sahambavy around 7:50 and where the breaking point is longer than the others, and Manampatrana. The route of this train is composed of 67 bridges and 47 tunnels, it is one of the steepest course in the world, you can admire one of the most beautiful landscapes of Madagascar: the hill of the highlands leading to the sea. Plan for a picnic lunch. Reception by the driver in Manakara, then transfer to the hotel.

Night at the PARTHENAY HOTEL (Bed and Breakfast)

JOUR 07 : MANAKARA - RANOMAFANA

After breakfast, transfer to the place where you will begin your excursion by canoe on the Pangalane Chanel. Visit to the village followed by a picnic lunch. Around 1:00 pm, drive directly to Ranomafana, the village of Ifanadiana, well known for the Ranomafana National Park and to enjoy the green landscape on the road. Arrival in Ranomafana late in the evening. Check in at the hotel.

Night at the THERMAL HOTEL (Bed and Breakfast)

JOUR 08 : RANOMAFANA

In the morning, departure for a visit to the heart of the rainforest of Ranomafana National Park, a typical reserved area belonging to the last forest corridor along the eastern part of the Big Island. Discovery of the wealth of endemic biodiversity of the region, such as rare species and lemurs seriously endangered, many species of rare and endemic plants used by the local population for traditional medicine ... Trekking in the forest by following a track longing the forest passing through beautiful waterfall, meeting the rare species on the way. Back to the hotel for lunch. After the long day of tiring morning or visit of the spa source, nap and rest for the end of the day. Around 17:30, start of the guided night walk.

Night at the THERMAL HOTEL (Bed and Breakfast)

JOUR 09: RANOMAFANA – AMBALAVAO

Breakfast at the hotel, then drive directly to Ambalavao with one stop at the capital of betsileo, guided visit in the city of Fianarantsoa and the photo lab of the famous photographer Pierrot Men, buy postcards .... (Fianarantsoa is the Kingdom of Betsileo, an important stage city needed to take up the next step in good health, obligatory passage to reach the South. Fianarantsoa is somehow the Catholic center of the large island with many churches towards the way to Ambalavao). Stop at Ambalavao. Visit of the Antemoro hand-crafted fabrication shop. (The fabrication of the Antemoro paper provides this hand-crafted paper,which once dried, is decorated with dried flower petals : rare handicraft, writing letter in the lampshade. Any chronology of this craft can be seen in the site).

Night at HOTEL TSIENIMPARIHY (Bed and Breakfast)

JOUR 10: AMBALAVAO – TSARANORO VALLEY

In the morning, after breakfast, visit the paper making workshop Antemoro which made the reputation of the village of Ambalavao. It is a handmade paper made from boiled Avoha bark, which was once used by the soothsayers to write their astrological predictions! Departure for the reserve of Anja, small peasant associative park which shelters in particular several species of orchids and makis catta little wild, these famous lemurs striped white and black! By a chaotic track, continue to our camp of canvas, in a sumptuous setting facing the huge granite cliff Tsaranoro 800 m high. End of free day to enjoy quietly this idyllic setting: rest or optional walk (sacred forest, Chameleon mountain ...) in the valley from your accommodation.

Night at HOTEL TSARASOA (Bed and Breakfast)

JOUR 11:  TSARANORO VALLEY – ISALO

After breakfast, back to the road RN7 for the South to reach the city of Ranohira to meet Isalo National Park by passing through the city of Ihosy for lunch. During the journey, we can often stop to notice the various change of the mountain and rice field landscape. Arrival at Isalo at the end of the day.

Night at RELAIS DE LA REINE HOTEL (Half Board)

JOUR 12: ISALO

After breakfast, a day dedicated to trekking and discovery of the park, composed of massif in form of ruin dating from Jurassic, discovery of the most beautiful landscape of Madagascar. Hike and visit across: the natural pool, where you can go for a dip, etc… picnic lunch in the park. At the end of the afternoon, back to the hotel, with a stop at the famous window of Isalo to appreciate a breathtaking and spectacular scene of the color of the sun.

Night at RELAIS DE LA REINE HOTEL (Half Board)

JOUR 13: ISALO – TULEAR - IFATY

After the breakfast, direction to the great city of the South, Tuléar. On the arrival, a little detour at the arboretum of Antsokay for discovering the endemic and threatened plants of the area, then lunch at a local restaurant. Continuation towards the small village of fishermen Vezo of Ifaty located at 30 km in the North of Tuléar. Free times for the rest of the day to discover the beach one of the beautiful lagoons of the great island.

Night at PARADISIER (Bed and Breakfast)

JOUR 14: IFATY - TOLIARA - ANTANANARIVO

Today, early in the morning visit in the Reserve of Reniala, a dry forest typical of the dry south, meeting the diversity of fauna and flora of the region, including the varieties of Baobab (Baobab forest). After the visit, transfer directly to the airport for flight back to the capital Antananarivo. On arrival, 45mn visit in the Queen's Palace on the top of the hill (Rova Manjakamiadana), then transfer directly to the hotel in town.

Night at the PIETRA (Bed and Breakfast)

JOUR 15: ANTANANARIVO

After breakfast, shopping and purchase some souvenirs at the craft market of La Digue. And then, transfer to the airport for the external flight.