DAY 1, Thursday: ARRIVAL IN ANATANANARIVO,
Arrival in Tana, meet and greet at the airport then transfer to your hotel. Night at a hotel on BB.
DAY 2, Friday, TANA – ANTSIRABE: 169 km: 3 to 4 hours with stops
After breakfast, briefing for the tours then with a private car, 3 hour’s drive southward to Antsirabe across the highland landscape with its terraced rice-fields and its spectacular eroded hills called “lavaka”. Stop in Ambatolampy and visit artisanal aluminum fabric, which start from melting the old coke bins, and transform them into cooking pots. Continue to Antsirabe that we will reach around noon. Founded by Norwegians in 1856, it is an elegant city, which really feels and looks like a European city. With its clement climate, thermal springs and wide avenues, it is one of the most attractive towns in Madagascar. Afternoon, hike in Betafo village and meet the “blacksmith” along the countryside of the area. This is also to experience the rural life of the highland tribe. Night at a hotel on BB.
DAY 3, Saturday, ANTSIRABE – MORONDAVA: 510 km: 10 hours’ drive
Breakfast at hotel, then we head on to Miandrivazo for 3 to 4 hours drive. The landscape is changing step by step, from green highland to savannah, erosion called « lavaka ». the landscape is still dominated by rice fields, empty hills, red soil, and palm trees. Just before entering Morondava, we see our first couple of baobabs. Centre of the Sakalava kingdom, Morondava is a prosperous rice-growing area, it is also known as a seaside resort, with a laid-back atmosphere. Many different cultures and religions manage to intermingle in this region, which makes it special. Arrival in Miandrivazo around noon. Visit to a local village to meet the Sakalava people. Overnight at a hotel on B&B.
DAY 4, Sunday, MORONDAVA – KIRINDY: 2 hours drive
Departure to Kirindy through the alley of baobabs. Arrival and check in at the lodge. This area is known for its baobab and its dry western forest. Night expedition to see six species of lemurs like lepilemur ruficandatus, microcebus myoxinus or murinus, phaner furcifer, cheirogaleus medius, mirza coquereli. Night at a lodge on B&B.
DAY 5, Monday, KIRINDY – BEKOPAKA 200 km: 6 hours with the ferry transfer
Morning walk with a special guide. Kirindy is one of the most rewarding wildlife sites where visitors spot 8 species of lemurs: the most common one is: Verreaux’s sifaka, fulvus rufus, red-fronted brown lemurs. Then we drive straight to Belo through the Baobabs forest and the red soil of the west. Arrival at the Tsiribihina River, then take a ferry to cross to Belo sur Tsiribihina to reach Bekopaka. This drive brings us to profound Madagascar, close to the real life of Malagasy people in the driest part of the country. Arrival in Bekopaka around 18.00. Overnight at a hotel on BB,
DAY 6, Tuesday, BEKOPAKA: TSINGY DE BEMARAHA NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, 4 to 6 hours hike in the reserve of “Tsingy de Bemaraha classified as World Heritage. This massif is spectacularly eroded into a chaos of karsts pinnacles. Here nature is in perfect harmony with this wild and sharp limestone massif. The flora consists of a dry western deciduous forest, typical plants of these dry limestone areas, such as Aloe and baobab Andasonia, the red-flowered flamboyant tree Delonix regia which is so widely planted in the tropics. Madagascar’s sole native banana Musa perrieri also occurs here. We can also see plants, which grow in the stone like different species of pachypodium and orchids. Concerning the fauna, we can see the stump-tailed chameleon Brookesia perarmata known from only handful specimens. The bird list contains 53 species. The 7 species of lemurs include Decken’s sifaka Propithecus verreauxi deckeni. Night at the same hotel.
DAY 7, Wednesday, BEKOPAKA – MORONDAVA: 8 hours with the ferry transfer
Breakfast at hotel then we drive back to Morondava. Stop in Belo and cross the Tsiribihina River with the ferryboat.
We arrive by 4.00 pm in « ALLEE DES BAOBABS » and have time to do our optional environment project, which is planting baobabs around area. This is to embellish the place, to raise the local village’s awareness on the importance of protecting the baobab and of course to get more baobab trees after the fire happening in the area few years ago. This project takes about half an hour, depending on the number of the baobab everyone wants to plant. The money collected is to fund the protection of the site.
Afterwards, we will have plenty of time to enjoy the area and take our beautiful sunset photo. This is the region of splendid Grandidier’s baobab, Andasonia grandidieri. Night at a hotel on B&B.
DAY 8, Thursday, MORONDAVA – ANTSIRABE: 380 km: 6 – 7 hours with stops
After breakfast, 4 hours drive to Miandrivazo then have 3 hour’s drive to Antsirabe. Night at a hotel on B&B.
DAY 9, Friday, ANTSIRABE – TANA – ANDASIBE: 269 km: 6 to 7 hours with stops
Today we drive northward to Tana across the highland, and then take the RN2 for 3 hour’s drive eastwards to Andasibe, through the green landscape of the east. This step brings us to the humid part of the country with many primary forest and lakes. Night at a hotel on B&B.
DAY 10, Saturday, ANDASIBE NATIONAL PARK
In the morning, 3 to 4 hours hike to Andasibe National Park, a huge tropical rainy forest in the east. 9 species of lemurs can be spotted there. The highlight is the “Indri Indri” which is the largest lemur of the island. This 810-ha reserve is also home to numerous unique species. It contains a wide variety of orchids, canopy, endemic animals like chameleons, tenrecs, and many birds.
Just after our visit, visitors are invited to join our second environment project, which consists on planting trees in the community run forest of Mitsinjo – Andasibe. This project started in 2014 and visitors have 3 or 4 trees to plant in a specific place allocated by Mitsinjo Association. The objective is to make Madagascar green again and to plant different trees needed for the rainforest eco system.
In the afternoon we will visit the private par of Vakona in the “islands of lemurs” which is the best spot to take pictures of lemurs. Back to your Hotel where you overnight.
DAY 11: Sunday, ANDASIBE – TANA – INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT or Another destination
Very early in the morning, 4 to 5 hours transfer back to Tana to catch your international flight
Price per person sharing in double room in a group of:
2 people: Euro 1,420
3 people: Euro 1,180
4 people: Euro 1,040
5 people: Euro 995
Single supplement: Euro 375
The price includes:
Price does not include:
Guaranteed dates of departures for min 2 people:
24.09.2020-04.10.2020
22.10.2020-01.11.2020
26.11.2020-06.12.2020
and our experts will work with you
to create the perfect safari.
mail: safpol@safpol.co.za
cell: +27 83 448 5351
Tel. +27 11 706 31 84
Fax. +27 11 463 80 38
