After arriving in Antananarivo (or Tana, as it is known by the locals), you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

Overnight – Hotel

After breakfast you will meet your guide and we will set out by car to Antsirabe.

Once out of Tana the journey takes approx. 3+ hours on a relatively good, windy road, and along the way you can choose to stop off and visit Ambatolampy (the biggest town between Tana and Antisirabe) where we may get the chance to see craftsmen building aluminium pots amongst other things. This afternoon we will have the chance to explore Antsirabe.

Overnight – Hotel

Today we will head by car to Anraikiba Lake.  This reservoir provides the drinking water for Antsirabe.  We will visit the lake and see the rice fields, fruit and vegetable plantations.    We then head on, as we reach the village of Belazoo we will be able to see Mount Tritriva and we continue on to reach another, more spectacular lake – Lake Tritriva.

This Crater Lake with its volcanic landscape was formed following the collapse of the now extinct volcano. Nestled at an altitude of about 1880m to the hollow of a small mountain, Tritriva Lake is a very sacred lake with much history.  We will learn about some of this history whilst we visit this area and local market.  After a picnic lunch we will start our cycle – back to Antsirabe through multiple small villages and rice fields as we get to experience authentic Malagasy life.

Overnight – Hotel

Today we will be setting off to Sahambavy.

If time allows in late afternoon we will visit the plantations and tonight we will stay at the Lac Hôtel with a breathtaking view of the islands unique tea plantation (520 hectares) which spreads out as far as the eye can see. The beautiful landscape with the charming lake is the perfect destination for a relaxing stop-off.

Sahambavy is a small town on the railway from Mankarana to Fianarantsoa. Its main attraction is the Sahambavy Lake, nested at the foot of a hill.  It is also famed for the only Madagascan tea plantations.

Overnight – Hotel

Today we head out on the next part of our adventure from Fianarantsoa to Manakara (by train and canoe!). The trip will take us trough dense forests and along a calm river (the few rapids we will encounter of the next few days are gentle and can be avoided if you don’t want the potential of a swim….. that said the first rapid tends to be the one to catch most of us out).

We start by a half day train journey through scenic and interesting landscapes. The train ride takes approximately 5-6 hours.  We will be travelling on reserved 1st class seats (the train can get pretty full!) and will disembark in Manampatrana, where the Faraony river winds gently between boulders, cliffs and cultivated banks.

We will meet our canoe team and set off on a short canoe downstream (grade 1 and 2 rapids) before stopping on one of the beaches to setup camp (afternoon showers are not unusual in this area). Your guides and canoe team are in charge of all the logistics (food, firewood etc.) and you only have to put up your own tent. All meals, mainly from fresh and local products are generously served and prepared with care.

Overnight – Camp

Today will be spent canoeing down the Faraony River.

The Faraony flows down from the central highlands of Madagascar into the Indian Ocean. Situated on the east of the island, the area is tranquil and fairly still. Like many rivers in this region it seems to bear exploitable amounts of precious minerals so there are ‘gold rushes’ on many of the river bends.

Along the way we will meet many smiling Malagasy people.

Overnight – Camp

This morning we will lay up our canoes and say goodbye to the Faraony – from here onwards the river starts to flow furiously through rapids and cataracts so we abandon it in its ocean race.   From here we have a 4 – 5 hour trek (12 miles walking), where we will rendezvous with our driver and vehicle before heading to the Indian Ocean Coast and the town of Manakara.

Overnight – Hotel

You can have a leisurely morning and a bit of relaxation by the coast before heading off to Ranomafana.

Overnight – Hotel.

We will head out on a forest trail today and have lunch in the park, so we should get a chance to see much of the wildlife first hand throughout the day.

Ranomafana is particularly rich and beautiful, a mountainous subtropical park which contains lowland moist forest, cloud forest and high plateau forest and is the home to a large number of lemur species (13 in total), as well as 118 birds and more than 70 amphibians and reptiles so is really a great place to see some of the unique species living in Madagascar. Lemurs include the brown lemur, golden bamboo lemur and the exceptionally rare greater bamboo lemur which is relatively easy to see in Ranomafana. Wildlife viewing is good all year round but is most productive from mid-Sept to May.

Overnight – Hotel

This morning we will spend a couple of hours rafting on the Namorana River inside the National Park before heading to Ambalavao.

If time allows, you should get a chance to visit the vibrant town of Ambalavao before heading to your accommodation and taking some time to relax.

Situated in tropical surroundings in the most southern part of the central highlands, near Fianarantsoa, Ambalavao is noted for its houses with wooden balconies with elaborate carvings and tiled roofs.  It is also known for its lively cattle market on Monday and Thursdays on the outskirts of town where you will be able to see a large number of Zebu and herdsmen on the roads. Seen as one of the most beautiful towns in the high plateaus boasting brightly painted buildings on the main street that look a bit like gingerbread houses.

Overnight – Hotel

This morning we visit Anja Park, just a short drive from Ambalavao.

After visiting the reserve we will drive to our next destination – the Tsaranoro Valley (approx. 2 hrs away).  This afternoon we can explore on a short trekking adventure or simply relax. Our accommodation here will be a traditional bungalow situated at the foot of Tsaranoro’s cliff.

This afternoon we will be able to go on a short trek to explore the area or simply relax.

Overnight – Bungalows

We will spend today exploring this stunning area on foot and meeting all the locals.

We will also have the chance to visit the base for our local agents reforestation effort (a passion which is shared (via wood-en-stock) by Pioneer Expeditions). Here we will have the opportunity to visit and see the reforestation effort for ourselves.  Depending on the time of year we may also get to plant some young saplings.

Overnight – Bungalow

Today we must start our long journey back to Tana, so we will head to Ambositra.

Overnight – Hotel

We will head back to Tana today, so that it suits an afternoon flight.  If you are booked on the Air France flight (which leaves around 1.30am), you can visit the handicraft market in Tana and have the option of a day use room at a local hotel.  If you are on an earlier morning flight, you may need to spend an additional night in Tana, which we are happy to organise for you.

Overnight – Hotel

NB: This itinerary is subject to change – arrangements, routes and facilities are subject to variation depending on local conditions.   We can also tailor itineraries to suit your exact requirements. When driving times are given, this is only an indication.  It aims to reflect the actual driving time (and doesn’t include stops, lunch, traffic). The road journeys, while often long, are one of the great ways to experience Madagascar.  There is so much life on the road and many photographic opportunities along the way from a natural and people perspective.  

DAY 13 : Heading to Isalo National Park

After visiting the reserve we will drive to our next destination – Isalo National Park. This extraordinarily unique area of natural beauty is unlike any other place in Madagascar.

Overnight – Eco-lodge

DAY 14 : Unearthing the wonders of the remarkable Isalo National Park

Included will be the opportunity to swim in a natural pool with lunch on the trail.

Isalo is the park of the Big South and the most visited parks of Madagascar. It is known for its exceptional landscape. The Isalo National Park protects over 81,000 hectares of widely eroded Jurassic sandstone massif. The grassy plains are surrounded by sandstone ridges. Most of the vegetated areas of the park are covered with dry grassland or sparse, low deciduous woodland, however near streams and in deeper canyons there are also ferns and feathery palm trees. Animal life isn’t the parks most prominent feature, but there a few species to look for including six species of lemur (three nocturnal, three daytime) including the ring tail lemur and the White (dancing lemur) sifaka. It is also home to approx 55 species of bird including the rare Benson’s rock-thrush.

Overnight – Eco-Lodge

DAY 15 : Journeying to Zombiste National Park and the stunning coastal town of Ifaty

Today we head to Ifaty and the Indian Ocean. We plan to stop by Zombiste National Park en-route.

This south-western National Park is known for the huge variety of rare bird species as well as its unique diversity. Zombitse is home to 8 species of lemurs including the Verraux Sifaka (aka. the dancing lemur) and the threatened Fork-marked Lemur. The park also shelters 47% of the endemic birds of Madagascar as well as the local endemic Appert’s tetraka bird. Zombitse boasts fantastic flora as well including orchids and ficus making this a stunning national park!
Facing the Mozambique Channel and the superb coral reef of Ifaty, less than 20 kms from Tuléar, you will discover the beauty of beaches not tainted by mass tourism. Ifaty is a small fishing village with palm-fringed white beaches on the south-western coast of Madagascar, and is an ideal place to relax after visiting the central highlands. The beach is relatively narrow, but the (off shore) snorkeling and diving is good. In July and August, you may see migrating whales pass nearby through the Mozambique Channel. Between May and October, the humpback whales can sometimes be seen with their whale-calves.

Upon arrival in Ifaty, your driver and guide will leave you. Your time at the coast will be at your leisure

Overnight – Hotel

DAYS 16: Discovering the surrounding fascinations of Ifaty

Today can be spent at your leisure, experiencing what beautiful Ifaty and its surrounding areas have to offer.

Just north of Ifaty you can find the Reniala Nature Reserve ‘Spiny Forest’ , a remarkable habitat adapted to the heat and drought of the area giving it the resultant thorny &/or bloated drought resistant trees and plants. The spiny forests inland from Ifaty are of great interest to birdwatchers and botanical enthusiasts alike. Here you will be able to see some very large iconic Baobab trees, an abundance of birds (a true paradise for ornithologists) as well as possibly some locally endemic species such as the long-tailed ground roller and sub-desert mesite. This unique habitat is severely threatened by deforestation and by visiting these sites, you will not only enjoy some of the little remaining spiny forest in Madagascar, but also actively contribute to its conservation (the sites are currently not protected). A visit here can be organized by the hotel, and you can even travel there by pirogue – which we highly recommend.

Overnight – Hotel

DAY 17 : Back to Antananarivo

You will have a transfer to Tulear Airport, where you will catch the Air Madagascar flight from Tulear to Tana. We will meet you again at Tana airport and depending on your time of arrival, you can visit the handicraft market, before transferring to your hotel.

Overnight – Hotel

DAY 18 :  End of Trip

Transfer to the airport in time for your flight home.  If your flight home is late in the day (or early the following morning) we are happy to organise a day use room for you &/or a driver guide. (Not Included)