Day 1: Welcome to Madagascar!

Accommodations: IC Hotel

Meal: Dinner

Most flights to Antananarivo arrive late at night. You will be picked up at the airport and taken to your hotel where you can relax for the evening before embarking on the tour on the second day.

Day 2: Andasibe Mantadia National Park

Accommodations: Feon'ny Ala

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

​Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before we head out. We will stop for lunch along the way. After a couple of hours on the road, we will stop quickly at the Peyrieras Zoo to see different types of amphibians, reptiles and butterflies.  You will have a chance to see some of the species that are very difficult to observe in the wild. We will then continue the journey to the park.

In the evening, we will hike in Andasibe Park and may even get to see some lemurs, time permitting. Dinner will be atthe hotel.

Day 3: Andasibe Mantadia National Park

Accommodations: Feon'ny Ala

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Visit Andasibe Park, where you will have a chance to see 14 lemur species, including the indri lemur (the largest living lemur, which has a territorial call similar to a whale song), and the silky sifaka. Orchids are also very abundant, as well as chameleons, insects, and birds.

At this park, you will be able to decide whether you prefer a shorter hike or longer one, asteeper hike, or one that is relatively flat. There are options available to suit people of all abilities. 

There is also an option to see the village and learn about the daily life in this area of the highlands of Madagascar -- from rice farms to small markets. 

Day 4: Manambato and Andranokoditra

Accommodations: Palmarium

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Have breakfast at the hotel before departing from the Andasibe area. There will be a stop for lunch at a city called Manambato where there are two lakes. Once we arrive at the Pangalanes Canal area, you will have the option to swim there or in the Indian Ocean. We will also take a boat ride through the canal. Our destination for the evening is Andranokoditra Village along the canal. Dinner will be at the hotel this evening.

Day 5: Pangalanes Canal

Accommodations: Palmarium

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit Palmarium Park, which is a private reserve that has many species of lemur that are similar to Andasibe Mantadia (Indri, nocturnal mouse lemur) but also other species that cannot be seen at Andasibe like the aye-aye (a very unique nocturnal lemur) and the sifaka (which walks/runs sideways on the ground). The forest is less dense here which makes hiking easier, and viewing animals up close is sometimes easier, too. Lunch will be at the park.

This will be followed by a visit to Andranokoditra Village in the afternoon. This is a small fishing village. The village cooperative runs an eco-lodge called “Les Orchidées d’Andranokoditra", and a portion of the income from the hotel and restaurant is used to finance local development projects. They sell some handcrafted gifts, too. Learn about traditional fishing methods, or see how essential oils are made from local plants.

There will also be free time to swim and relax, before dinner at the hotel this evening.

Day 6: Travel to Tamatave

Accommodations: Java Hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

​This will be a travel day. After breakfast at the hotel, we will return to Manambato via the Pangalanes Canal, including a boat ride. We will drive through the Palmeraie de l’Ivondro (Ivondro Palm Plantation and Agro-tourism site) on the way to Tamatave. We will arrive in Tamatave in time for lunch and will have time to explore the area before dinner.

Day 7: Tamatave City

Accommodations: Java Hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast at the hotel, visit the “Help Madagascar” charity organization to learn what they do to help the local population. There will be a tour of Tamatave city in the afternoon, focusing on the historic section of city. Lunch and dinner will be at restaurants in Tamatave. There will also be a nocturnal visit to Ivoloina Park for another chance to see the rare aye-aye lemur.

Day 8: Tamatave to Antananarivo and home

Accommodations: Freshen up before  your flight at the IC Hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, there will be time to visit the marketplace in Tamatave to look for souvenirs. Then you will return to Antananarivo where you can also shop for souvenirs. You will have a hotel room where you can freshen up, repack bags, and have dinner. Youy will then proceed to the airport for your return flight, which generally departs very late at night.