Forest walks and lemurs are the focus of this trip through the interior and east coast of Madagascar. Accommodation is varied from basic tented camp to relaxed beach hotel.
Lemurs
Pangalanes Canal
Palmarium Private Park
Anjozorobe Rainforest
Night forest walk
On the east coast the weather is known to be somewhat temperamental. We suggest optimal months for visiting would be during March, April, May and September, October, November, December. The rainy season is generally during the months of Janauary, February, March (peak) and April. A beautiful rainforest cannot grow without rain!
Day 1 Johannesburg / Tananarive Antananarivo Arrival at Ivato International airport at 14H20 (lunch will have been taken on board). Meet your guide upon arrival. Transfer to Hotel Tana Plaza in the city centre. On the way, we stop at Tsarasoatra Bird Sanctuary, a haven in the city bustle. Tsarasaotra, one of the scarce protected areas of the highlands, is watched over by the Malagasy Government, UNESCO, Ramsar (International Convention on Wetlands) and Birdlife International. It is home to about 70 different species of birds.
Dinner and night at Royal Palissandre. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 2 Tananarive / Anjozorob After breakfast, depart from the capital from the Rova d' Ambohimanga (1hr drive on a good tarred road). Ambohimanga was the original capital of the Merina royal family. A few hundred metres uphill from Ambohimanga village is the Rova, the fortress palace of the all-powerful Merina King Andrianampoinimerina. Ambohimanga is known for its cultural heritage and is a UNESCO site. Continue to Anjozorobe (2½ hrs drive) where you will settle in for lunch and dinner at Soa Camp.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 Anjozorobe / Tananarive / Andasibe After breakfast, return to Tananarive and head for Andasibe. Stop at Marozevo and visit of butterfly farming managed by a research worker and naturalist André Peyrieras. Depart to Andaside, upon arrival, installation and dinner at Vakona Forest Lodge.
Andasibe - Mantadia Natural Reserve preserves an extraordinarily lush rainforest with 60 groups of lemurs. The big star is the Indri Indri, the biggest of all lemurs, with black and white fur and no tail. Andasibe also is home to tanrecs (an endemic kind of hedgehog), chameleons (the Parson chameleon, the largest of the island, being the most impressive) and many bird species (the blue coua, the Red Fronted coua, Vangas…). The flora in the reserve is equally as interesting with numerous medicinal plants, orchids and water lilies.
Vakona Forest Lodge is the most upmarket hotel in Andasibe, with a swimming pool and terracotta coloured bungalows dotted around the beautiful gardens. The bungalows have large bathrooms, safe, mini bar and terrace. A glass walled restaurant (with a fireplace - it gets pretty cold in July and August!). At nightfall, we have another walk to spot the nocturnal lemurs.
Dinner and overnight at Vakona Forest Lodge. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 Andasibe / Manambato / Ankanin'ny nofy The best time to spot lemurs is in the early morning - so you're up early this morning to ensure good sightings and also to enjoy the unique fauna in the park. After lunch, we leave for Manambato (142km / 2 ½ hours drive). Manambato is on Lake Rasoabe, one of the numerous lakes of Canal des Pangalanes. A boat will await your arrival, and take you to Ankanin'Ny Nofy, a delightful one hour cruise on the Pangalanes canal. (see below)
Upon arrival, check in at Bushhouse eco-lodge which is located at Lake Ampitabe, the third largest lake of the Canal des Pangalanes. The area is called Ankanin'ny Nofy, which very suitably means "Nest of Dreams" in Malagasy. Just below the lodge there is a beautiful fresh water lake with a sand beach; you can swim in its crystal clear and safe waters. Five kilometres behind a narrow stretch of land lies the Indian Ocean and you can hear the low roar of the waves. Both the lake and the ocean can be seen from the bungalows.
The eight bungalows and three rooms are built of local materials accommodating a maximum of 22 guests, such occupancy usually only occurs during high season. Each bungalow has simple handcrafted furnishings including a double bed with mosquito net and shower/WC. All bungalows have a large terrace with a spectacular view over the lake and the Indian Ocean. Shower water is heated over a fire in a small water tank behind each bungalow. Electricity is powered by a generator and is available between 6pm and 10pm.
The small outside restaurant, which is sheltered under palm roofing, serves Malagasy, Creole and French food. The bar offers a selection of drinks and cocktails, and of course the traditional local rum assortment.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 Ankanin'Ny Nofy Today is spent in the "nest of dreams"! In the morning, visit of the Palmarium private parc, where you will see lemurs (and Indri Indris!) very closely (of all places in Madagascar, the Palmarium is the place you are most likely to see them the closest). They are wild but are quite used to human presence and guides are particularly good at spotting and approaching them). Apart from the lemurs, in this 60ha little Eden Parc, we can also see orchids, palm trees, ravinalas (the emblem of Madagascar), endemic frogs. Lunch at Bush House. After lunch, we will go to visit the typical village Betsimisaraka..
Diner and night at Bush House. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 Ankanin'Ny Nofy / Tamatave / Foulpointe After breakfast, take a 2 and a half hour boat ride to Tamatave, along the Canal des Pangalanes. The cruise offers the opportunity to observe everyday life on the Pangalanes canal: villages on the banks, overcrowded bus-boats, fishermen in their boats, wooden rafts loaded with goods… Very genuine and lively! Tamatave is the main harbour of Madagascar. Arrive in Tamatave and transfer from the harbour to Ivoloina Park. Picnic lunch in the park.
Ivoloina Park is a Botanical garden, run by Madagascar Wildlife Trust. This organism has set up an education centre, breeding programs for endangered species and a halfway house for animals being reintroduced into the wild. More than 100 lemurs (caged and wild) amongst the very rare aye-aye (the smallest of all), and other animals such as endemic radiata tortoises, boas, tomato frogs… Over 75 species of plants in the botanical garden where a model farm has also been created. The model farm's goal is to demonstrate sustainable agricultural methods. Transfer to Foulpointe (1hours drive), and check in at your Hotel.
Accommodation and dinner at Manda Beach Hotel. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 Foulpointe / Tamatave / Tananarive Leisure day. Transfer to Tamatave airport for flight back to Tananarive with MD 508 at 18h. Arrival Tananarive at 19h . Transfer to Hotel Tana Plaza. Accommodation and dinner at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 Tananarive / Johannesburg There is a morning excursion before a transfer to the airport for return flight. Departure at 15H20 / Arrival in Johannesburg 17H50.
More about the Pangalanes Canal The Pangalanes is a chain of fresh water lakes and lagoons parallel to the coast of the Indian Ocean, separated by a narrow stretch of land. The lakes are connected by a man-made channel system that forms an inland waterway from Tamatave through to Farafangana, making it the longest canal in the world, covering a distance of 600km. The canal was constructed under the governance of General Joseph Gallieni during the early French colonial years of 1896-1904. It was designed to facilitate transportation of goods to the main trading port of Tamatave, because shipping on the Indian Ocean was too dangerous. The canal still dominates daily life in this region as it provides the main source of trade, transport and travel. Cruising by boat on the calm waters of Pangalanes is a fascinating journey through time and history. Many traditional Betsimisaraka villages can be seen along the banks, as well as pirogues (traditional dugout canoes), local fishermen, over-crowded ferries and rafts with straw huts carrying timber en-route to Tamatave as it has been done since early colonial times. Along the many islets and riverbanks there are plenty of Mangroves and other aquatic vegetation such as Typhonodorum, Carex, Cyperus, Pandanus, Fimbristylis, Melaleuca and Scirpus, and to a lesser extent Nymphaea and Najas water-lilies. There are also Casuarina, Cocos, Eucalyptus, Raphia and Musa plantations
Rate includes . Accomodation as mentioned - based on 02 double room with private sanitaries. . Car renting from Tananarive to Anjozorobe, Manambato. Gas included, as well as English speaking driver guide on Tananarive. . Boat transfer from Manambato to Ankanin'ny nofy and from Ankanin'ny nofy to Tamatave. . Mentioned car transfers hotels / airport or vice versa. . To the National Park, private park and reserve entrances as mentioned. . Hotel taxes
Rate excludes . International and national flights (the flight Tamatave / Tananarive and from Johannesburg, South Africa) . Drinks and tips . Personal expenses
