The exciting Midwest and East of Madagascar
16 days / 15 nights
Embark on an unforgettable journey through the heart and east of Madagascar — a land of endless diversity and beauty. From the red highlands of the Central Plateau to the lush rainforests of Andasibe and the tranquil waterways of the Pangalanes Canal, this route reveals the island’s most captivating contrasts.
Experience the call of the Indri lemur echoing through misty forests, the surreal landscapes of Ankarafantsika National Park, and the gentle rhythm of life along Madagascar’s eastern coast. Cruise by boat through tropical lagoons, encounter rare wildlife, and relax on the pristine beaches of Sainte Marie Island, where humpback whales visit from July to September.
Along the way, you’ll meet welcoming locals, explore charming villages, and discover the island’s rich culture, colors, and cuisine. This 16-day adventure blends discovery and serenity — an extraordinary journey through Madagascar’s natural wonders and timeless traditions.
The exciting Midwest and East of Madagascar
16 days / 15 nights
Antananarivo, Ankarafantsika National Park, Andasibe-Mantadia, Ankanin’ny Nofy Palmarium, East Coast (Tamatave, Mahambo Beach, Soanieran Ivongo), Sainte Marie Island, Antananarivo
Including:
- Transport by private vehicle, fuel, a driver, an assistant guide:
Antananarivo – Ankarafantsika – Night walk – Ankarafantsika
Ankarafantsika – Ankarafantsika National Park – Ankarafantsika
Ankarafantsika – Antananarivo
Antananarivo – Peyrieras Reptiles Farm at Marozevo – Andasibe – 1st Night walk at Andasibe
Andasibe – Mantadia National Park – Ilot de Lodge Vakona – Andasibe
Andasibe – Analamazaotra National Park – 2nd Night walk at Andasibe – Andasibe
Andasibe – Manambato Port
Tamatave Port – Hotel in Tamatave
Tamatave – Mahambo
Mahambo – Soanieran Ivongo Port - Accommodation:
Antananarivo (1 night) / Ankarafantsika (2 nights) / Antananarivo (1 night) / Andasibe (3 nights) / Ankanin’ny Nofy Palmarium (2 nights) / Tamatave (1 night) / Mahambo (1 night) / Sainte Marie (3 nights) / Antananarivo (1 night) - Continental breakfast:
Antananarivo / Ankarafantsika / Antananarivo / Andasibe / Ankanin’ny Nofy Palmarium / Tamatave / Mahambo / Sainte Marie / Antananarivo - Parks, Reserves and Local Guides:
Night walk in Ankarafantsika / Ankarafantsika National Park / Peyrieras Reptiles Farm in Marozevo / 1st Night walk at Andasibe / Mantadia National Park / Ilot de Lodge Vakona / Analamazaotra National Park / 2nd Night walk at Andasibe / 1st Night walk at Ankanin’ny Nofy (Aye-aye lemurs) / Diurnal visit at Palmarium Ankanin’ny Nofy / Visit of Andranokoditra Village / 2nd Night walk at Ankanin’ny Nofy Palmarium - Transfers by car and motor boat:
By car: Ivato Airport – Antananarivo City / Sainte Marie Port – Hotel in Sainte Marie / Hotel in Sainte Marie – Sainte Marie Airport / Ivato Airport – Antananarivo City / Upper town in Antananarivo – Digue Market – Ivato Airport
By motor boat: Manambato Port – Ankanin’ny Nofy Port / Ankanin’ny Nofy Port – Tamatave Port / Soanieran Ivongo Port – Sainte Marie Port - Domestic flight:
Sainte Marie – Antananarivo
Excluding:
- Personal spending money
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Tips
- Beverages
- All international flight costs and visa fees (unless otherwise specified)
- Travel insurance, including emergency medical evacuation cover
Price:
For one person: € 3.843,-
For two persons: € 4.485,- total / € 2.243,- per person
More than 3 people: price on request
Best time:
From September to January
Click map to enlarge
Part 1 – The Exciting Midwest
Day 1: Ivato airport – Antananarivo City – Hotel
Distance: 20 km / Approximately 1 hour drive
Tonga Soa!!! (Welcome). Arrival in Antananarivo (Tana), the capital of Madagascar – the City of a Thousand Warriors. We will welcome you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Touch down and relax.
If arrival is in the morning, we’ll do some activities in the city and gather energy for the upcoming adventure.
Overnight: Chalet des Roses Hotel, standard room.
Day 2: Antananarivo – Ankarafantsika – Night walk – Ankarafantsika – Hotel
Distance: 450 km
Travel time: Approximately 8–10 hours by car (without long stops)
At 6:30 a.m., leaving the capital, you will reach the national park of Ankarafantsika, an essential passage for a visit to the northwest. Taking the national road N°4, you will cross part of the central highlands with semi-desert landscapes dotted with traveler and mango trees as we enter the northwest region.
Lunch at Maevatanana, also known as “Malagasy Sun City.”
Expected arrival at Ankarafantsika around 5 p.m. Your guide will help you check in.
At dusk, before supper, we embark on a short night walk near the park to look for chameleons and the golden mouse lemur.
Overnight: Ankarafantsika Gîte Hotel, standard bungalow.
Day 3: Ankarafantsika – Ankarafantsika National Park – Hotel
After breakfast, a morning expedition in the park to look for Coquerel’s sifaka and brown lemurs. There’s a chance of spotting Milne-Edwards sportive lemur during the hike. Along the trail, we may also see endemic birds such as Coquerel’s coua and Red-capped coua. The hike ends at the scenic “Lavaka,” a soft tsingy formed by erosion.
Return to the campsite for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the lake with its crocodiles and the Malagasy fish eagle. Continue to the Durrell Trust breeding station to see ploughshare, radiated, and spider tortoises.
Overnight: Ankarafantsika Gîte Hotel, standard bungalow.
Day 4: Ankarafantsika – Antananarivo City – Hotel
Distance: 450 km
Travel time: Approximately 8–10 hours by car (without long stops)
We leave Ankarafantsika and drive back to Antananarivo.
Overnight: Chalet des Roses Hotel, standard room.
Part 2 – The Green East
Andasibe, the reserve of Ankanin’ny Nofy Palmarium, the Channel of Pangalanes, the lovely beach of Mahambo and the splendid landscape of the East coast, the Island Sainte Marie – whale watching (June to mid-September) and scuba diving.
Day 5: Antananarivo – Peyrieras Reptiles Farm – Andasibe – 1st Night Walk – Hotel
Estimated drive time: 3.5–4 hours (without long stops)
We leave Antananarivo for the drive eastward to Andasibe. Midway, we stop at Peyrieras Reptiles Farm to spot chameleons (Parson’s and Panther) and geckos, including leaf-tailed varieties. Many of these species are difficult to see in the wild, making this a worthwhile stop.
Late lunch at Feon’ny Ala Hotel, followed by some rest. Before supper, we’ll do a night walk along the road to look for pygmy chameleons, tree frogs, and mouse lemurs.
Overnight: Feon’ny Ala Hotel, standard lodge bungalow.
Day 6: Andasibe – Mantadia National Park – Ilot de Lodge Vakona – Andasibe – Hotel
After breakfast, we drive 18 km to Mantadia National Park to look for the black-and-white ruffed lemur and the diademed sifaka. We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch at Rianasoa Natural Pool before heading back to visit Vakona Reserve Island of Lemurs, where we’ll see black-and-white ruffed lemurs, brown lemurs, bamboo lemurs, and crocodiles.
Return to the hotel and relax.
Overnight: Feon’ny Ala Hotel, standard lodge bungalow.
Day 7: Andasibe – Analamazaotra National Park (2–5 hours walk) – 2nd Night Walk – Hotel
Begin the day with a guided walk through Analamazaotra National Park to search for the famous Indri Indri, the largest living lemur, known for its haunting calls. You may also encounter other lemurs, colorful birds, and orchids.
After lunch at the hotel, rest before an evening night walk (around 6:00 p.m.) to spot nocturnal wildlife like mouse lemurs, chameleons, and tree frogs.
Overnight: Feon’ny Ala Hotel, standard lodge bungalow.
Day 8: Andasibe – Manambato Port – Pangalana Channel – Ankanin’ny Nofy Palmarium Port – 1st Night Walk – Hotel
Drive time: 4–5 hours
Boat ride: 1.5 hours
We leave Andasibe, driving east through tropical wetlands and small villages toward Manambato. From there, we take a boat to Ankanin’ny Nofy (“Nest of Dreams”), a serene lakeside paradise surrounded by lush vegetation. The Palmarium sits on a 30-hectare peninsula by Lake Ampitabe, perfect for swimming.
After dinner, we’ll take a night walk by speedboat to the Palmarium Reserve’s islet to see the mysterious Aye-Aye lemurs.
Overnight: Palmarium Hotel, standard lodge bungalow.
Day 9: Ankanin’ny Nofy Palmarium – Diurnal Visit – Andranokoditra Village – 2nd Night Walk – Hotel
Morning forest visit where lemurs like the crowned, black-and-white ruffed, and red-fronted brown species play near the restaurant during breakfast. In the afternoon, visit the fishing village of Andranokoditra and its Niaouli-plant distillery. Stroll along the beach before a local Malagasy music performance in the evening.
Overnight: Palmarium Hotel, standard lodge bungalow.
Day 10: Ankanin’ny Nofy Palmarium Port – Pangalana Channel – Tamatave Port – Hotel
Boat time: 3 hours
Depart from Palmarium and sail to Tamatave Port, then transfer to Charon Hotel in Tamatave city center. Lunch on arrival and free afternoon to relax.
Overnight: Charon Hotel, suite room.
Day 11: Tamatave – Mahambo – Hotel
Distance: 95 km (about 60 miles)
Travel time: 4–5 hours depending on road conditions
Follow the scenic RN5 along the coast with views of rainforest, small villages, and the Indian Ocean. Pass through banana and clove plantations and stop near Foulpointe (Mahavelona), known for its calm lagoon and Fort Manda. Continue north to Mahambo, a relaxed surf town.
Overnight: La Pirogue Hotel, deluxe bungalow.
Day 12: Mahambo – Soanieran Ivongo – Motor Boat to Sainte Marie – Hotel
Drive time: 3 hours (without long stops)
Early departure (around 4 a.m.) to Soanierana Ivongo, the ferry point to Île Sainte-Marie. The motor boat leaves at 7:30 a.m. and takes about 3 hours. Upon arrival, transfer to Libertalia Hotel.
Afternoon free to relax and enjoy the sea view.
Overnight: Libertalia Hotel, luxury bungalow with sea view (“Pieds dans l’eau”), glass-fronted, with fan.
Day 13: Sainte Marie Island
During winter, humpback whales migrate from Antarctica to warmer waters for reproduction and giving birth. This migration brings them to the Sainte-Marie Channel in Madagascar. These magnificent marine mammals can reach lengths of up to 16 meters and weigh as much as 30 tons!
From July 1st to the end of September, the hotel staff organizes daily whale-watching experiences. This offers an unforgettable opportunity to observe whales up close, guided by an eco-expert who will answer all your questions. Departures are scheduled every morning for approximately three hours of whale watching.
After returning to the hotel, you’ll have the rest of the day free to relax or explore the island at your own pace.
Optional activities organized by the hotel:
Scuba diving / Water dives / Beach excursion to Îles aux Nattes / Paddling to Îles aux Nattes in dugout canoes.
Overnight: Libertalia Hotel, luxury bungalow with sea view (“Pieds dans l’eau”), glass-fronted, with fan.
Day 14: Sainte Marie Island
Take a boat excursion to Îlots aux Sables, a stunning sand island offering panoramic views of Sainte Marie and home to a variety of seabirds. Located 4 km off the east coast and surrounded by three coral islets, Îlots aux Sables is famous for its seashells and clear lagoons — perfect for diving and snorkeling.
Spend your morning swimming, snorkeling, and relaxing on the white sand. Later, continue to Île aux Nattes for lunch (not included). This small island is a true paradise with turquoise waters, palm trees, and peaceful beaches. Enjoy a canoe ride to spot lemurs, rare orchids, and tropical vegetation before returning to the hotel in the afternoon.
Overnight: Libertalia Hotel, luxury bungalow with sea view (“Pieds dans l’eau”), glass-fronted, with fan.
Day 15: Sainte Marie Airport – Ivato Airport – Antananarivo City – Hotel
Morning transfer by car from Libertalia Hotel to Sainte Marie Airport (SMS) – approximately 10 to 30 minutes.
Flight: Sainte Marie (SMS) to Antananarivo (TNR), around 1 hour 15 minutes.
Upon arrival at Ivato Airport, meet our driver and transfer by car to your hotel in Antananarivo City (distance: around 15–20 km; duration: roughly 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on traffic).
Overnight: Samsara Hotel, suite room.
Day 16: Antananarivo City – Ivato Airport – Fly Out
Before your transfer to Ivato International Airport, we can arrange a complimentary city tour if time allows. This includes a visit to the upper town of Antananarivo and a stop at La Route Digue for some last-minute shopping before heading to the airport for your flight home.