The exciting Midwest and East of Madagascar

Explore some of the highlights of the exciting midwest of Madagascar: Ankarafantsika Ampijoroa, one of two last remaining examples of western Malagasy tropical dry deciduous forests. The famous National Park of Andasibe (Perinet), the green and luscious East Coast with its beautiful beaches and tropical Sainte Marie island.

Please scroll down for a detailed day to day program.

Ampijoroa, Andasibe, East coast, Sainte Marie Island

15 days / 14 nights

Antananarivo – Ampijoroa – Antananarivo – Andasibe NP (Perinet) – Manambato – Palmarium – Tamatave – Mahambo – Soanierana Ivongo – Sainte Marie – Antananarivo

Including: Transport by private car, car fuel, driver, guide (incl. rooms, food, ect… for driver and guide), Hotels incl. breakfast (Continental / American), Entrance fee to all the parks, local guides, all transfers by car and speedboat.

Price on request

Best time: February to November,
nature in Madagascar is fresher between April and July

Part 1 – The Exciting Midwest

Day 1: Antananarivo

(Tana)
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 accommodation: 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. Hotel Ivato.

Day 2: Tana – Ampijoroa

7 am after breakfast we will drive to the north western part of the island through a beautiful mountainous scenery of forests and rice paddies. Lunch at Maevatanana, the Malagasy ‘sun city’ and expected arrival at Ampijoroa by 3h30 pm. Check in at the Park hotel. At dusk, before supper, we embark on a short nightwalk along the road and the patch of forest near the park to look for chameleons, the grey mouse lemur and the newly rediscovered golden mouse lemur. Stay at Gites Lodge. Pictures and info.

Day 3: Ampijoroa

After breakfast, morning expedition in the park to look for the beautiful coquerels sifaka and brown lemurs. There is a chance of seeing day roosts of Milne Edwards sportive lemur during the walk. Along the hike we may also see endemic birds such as coquerel’s coua, red capped coua and we end the hike at the scenic landscape of lavaka where we’ll see a soft Tsingy, caused by erosion and wind. Walk back to the campsite for lunch. In the afternoon we explore the lake, its crocodiles and the endemic Malagasy fish eagle. A visit to the breeding station of the Durrell trust preservation where we’ll be able to see the ploughshell tortoise, radiated tortoises and spider tortoises. Stay at Gites lodge.

Day 4: Ampijoroa to Antananarivo

Leave Ampijoroa then drive back to Tana. Stay at Niaouly.

Part 2 – The Green East

Perinet, the reserve of palmarium and the channel of pangalane, the lovely beach of Mahambo and the splendid landscape of the East coast, the island Sainte Marie- Whalewatching and Scuba Diving

Day 5: Tana – Perinet

Leave Tana for the drive eastward to Perinet. Midway stop at the Reptile farm of Pereyras to see a huge variety of chameleons and geckos which are difficult to see in the wild. Late lunch at Feon’ny Ala Hotel. Afternoon relax after the long drive. Before supper we’ll do a night walk along the road to look for pygmy chameleons, tree frogs and mouse lemurs. Stay at Feon’ny Ala

Day 6: Perinet

Morning expedition to encounter the Indri and other lemurs such as brown lemur, bamboo lemur, wooly lemur and other creatures such as chameleons, giraffe necked weavel… The park of Andasibe accommodates a lot of animals – 108 species of birds are known in the park, of which some play a role in the survival of plants like Terpsiphone mutata. We can also find 14 species of lemurs, 51 species of reptiles and snakes (one being the famous Boa Manditra) and 84 species of amphibians. Afternoon walk through Andasibe Village. Nightwalk in the forest to look for nocturnal animals like the mouse lemur and the dwarf lemur. Stay at Hotel Feon’Ny Ala.

Day 7: Perinet

Early in the morning after breakfast, we leave the hotel then drive 18 km to Mantadia National park to look for the elusive black and white ruffed lemur, diademed Sifaka. Packed lunch (sandwiches). Before heading back to the hotel, you can have a swim in a natural stream with small pool. Afternoon at leisure / project work. Stay at Feon’Ny Ala.

Day 8: Perinet – Manambato – Palmarium

Leave Perinet for a 3 hour drive through tropical wetlands and small villages toward the east: Manambato. In Manambato take the boat towards ANKANIN’NY NOFY (nest of dream) where you will be surrounded by lemurs. This is a relaxing place with a lovely seaside and lakeside full of vegetation. The edge of this Channel is often bordered by lush tropical vegetation which characterizes the eastern part of the Great Island. The Palmarium is located on a peninsula of more than 30 hectares on the Ampitabe Lake, which is good for swimming. Overnight at Palmarium Hotel.

Day 9: Palmarium

Morning expedition in the forest to see the Indri again – but while you are having breakfast lemurs like the crowned lumur, black and white ruffed lemur and red fronted brown lemurs will play near the restaurant. Afternoon visit to the fishing village of Andranokoditra with its distillery of essential oil from the niaouly plant. Stroll along the beach before heading back to the hotel where a group from the village will put on a performance of Malagasy music before supper. Stay at Palmarium Hotel.

Day 10: Palmarium – Manambato – Tamatave – Mahambo
We leave Palmarium Hotel and then sail back to Manambato where we will take the bus to Tamatave and have lunch. We’ll do a small city tour before heading to Mahambo which is close to the place where we will take the boat to St. Marie island the following day. Overnight at La Pirogue Hotel.

Day 11: Mahambo – Soanierana Ivongo – Sainte Marie island

After breakfast we leave Mahambo. It’s only a short trip to Soanierana Ivongo where we will take the boat to Sainte Marie. Stay at Vanivola.

Day 12 and 13: Sainte Marie island

Whale watching & Scuba diving. We will do a PADI Discovery Scuba course here, divided into 2 groups (we will alternate Scuba/Whale watching over the 2 days). The course will include training as well as 2 Open Water Dives. Beach excursion to Iles aux Nattes – paddling out to Iles aux Nattes in dug out canoes. Hotel Vanivola

Day 14: Sainte Marie – Tana

Fly back to Tana. Stay at Niaouly.

Day 15: Tana – end

Shopping at the craftsmarket of La Digue then the tour ends / transfer to the Airport for your flight back home.