Day 1: Saturday, arrival in Tana
Arrival in Tana, meet and greet at the airport then transfer to your hotel. Night at a hotel on B&B.
Day 2: Sunday, Tana – Ambositra
After breakfast, drive southward across the landscape of the highlands, mainly composed of rice field and lavaka or “big hole” caused by erosion. Stop in Ambatolampy, “the city built on the flat rock”, traditionally agricultural, the town is also famous for age-old foundries: a technique transmitted from father to son. Head on to Antsirabe where we can stop for lunch. Then we drive till Ambositra, our final destination through rice field on terrace, Night at a hotel on BB.
Day 3: Monday, Ambositra – Ambalavao
Morning quick visit of Ambositra, the centre of Madagascar’s wood carving industry. The architecture is so nice as the houses are made with ornately carved wooden balconies and shutters with nice colours. Head on to Fianarantsoa, the landscape is still dominated by rice fields on stage, forest of pine and eucalyptus. Upon arrival, a city tour of Fianarantsoa. Then head on to Ambalavao, visit to a wine factory then the Paper Anteimoro workshop, which is a remaining of the Arabian civilisation in Madagascar. Then walk till the colourful market of Ambalavao Overnight at a hotel on BB.
Day 4: Tuesday, Ambalavao- Ranohira
Morning head on to Anja, a park run by the village whose part of income serves to pay the local school teachers’ salary. During the 2 hours hike, we can see many ring-tailed lemurs. Then we carry on southwards and pass by the famous “3 hillocks” and the huge dome called “archbishop’s cape” a sacred place for the local people, as it is a place where their ancestors preferred to make a collective suicide rather than to surrender to Merina’s domination. Stop in Ihosy, the capital of Bara tribes, nomadic cattle raisers. Then drive on through the huge ” plateaux de Horombe “with its very spacious red soil that reminds us of “the no man’s land». Night at a hotel on BB.
Day 5: Wednesday, Ranohira: Isalo National Park
After breakfast, we will have a guided half-day or full day excursion in the National Park of Isalo, to the famous «Natural swimming pool» or the “canyon” depending on our wishes. This park is very famous for its strange geological formation. Composed with sandstone and eroded by the rain and the wind, this mountain offers the most spectacular scenery of the country. This is also a place where the BARA tribes used to bury their dead until they have enough money to buy a silver coffin. If we are lucky, we will see the lemur catta during this walk.
On our way back to the hotel, we will visit our second school project, which consists of providing school furniture, benches, and some foods for the day care school. This project started in 2014 and visitors are welcomed to participate if they want.
Around 16.30, we’ll drive to the “The Natural window” where we see the beautiful sunset between rocks which look like window. Night in the same hotel on B&B.
Day 6: Thursday, Ranohira – Ifaty : Zombitse National Park
After breakfast, head on to Tuléar, the terminal of the National road N° 7. After 1 hours drive, stop in Ilakaka, a tiny village transformed into a busy town since the discovery of sapphire 15 years ago. From here, new scenery arises, composed with semi-dry forest of the west, baobabs tamarin trees. We pass through Zombitse National Park where we will have 1-hour hike with a special guide in a semi-dry tropical forest, home to few endemic birds and 6 species of lemurs. As we come closer to Tulear, we start to see thorny bush and from time to time some colorful tombs of Mahafaly and Antandroy tribes. Arrival in Tuléar, the end of this long and stunning National Road 7. Afterwards we take the National 9, and head northwards to Ifaty along the coast along mangroves, thorny bushes, dunes. Overnight at a hotel on BB.
Day 7: Friday, Ifaty
Day at leisure. Ifaty lies on the north of Tuléar. Situated in the largest lagoon of the country, it is an ideal place for relaxing.
Many excursions are possible on the spot like whales watching or sea excursion with local boat. From July to mid-September, whales are coming to the cool sea of Madagascar to give birth. It is a very spectacular experience, as sometimes we will see the whales very near our boat. Situated in the largest lagoon of the country, Ifaty is also protected by a large coral reef, which makes it an ideal place for diving and snorkelling. In the afternoon, we can walk to the village of Mangily where we can have an experience off the Vezo Fishermen’s life, especially when the fishermen come back from fishing. Overnight at a hotel on BB.
Day 8: Saturday, Ranohira (Isalo)
After breakfast, we are on the tar road again, and left behind the dirt track of the west. Our first stop is in Tuléar and have a short city tours.
From there, we take the National 7 and head northwards on to Isalo. This step brings us to the interior part of Madagascar, the land of Mahafaly. Along the way we’ll see many tombs of these tribes. Arrival in Isalo by the beginning of the afternoon. Settling and overnight at a hotel on BB.
Day 9: Sunday, Ranohira – Ranomafana
After breakfast, we head on to Ihosy the capital of Bara tribes, which are shepherds of Zebu. We pass through the huge “plateaux de Horombe”, with its very spacious red soil which reminds us of “the no man’s land”. This is a huge savannah and empty grassy plain. From one place to another, we can see some droves of zebus, accompanied by a Bara man with his rifle. We arrive in Ihosy, the land of Bara who are darker skinned with African features if compared to Merina. They are cattle-raisers and many activities during their life are associated with Zebu. For instance, to get a wife, a man has to steal few zebus to show his strength and virility. When they die, they have to kill many zebus as well. The landscape is becoming more and more grandoise. Huge Granite Mountains are imposing themselves in the spacious and empty plains. We feel like being swallowed by this emptiness, by this tranquillity. From a long distance, we can already spot a huge imposing rocky hill called “Bishop’s hat”. This is a sacred place for the local people, noon ever venture to walk down there though it is nice area for trekking as it is a burial site and was a place where the local peoples ancestors preferred to make a collective suicide rather than to render to Merina’s domination. Then we will see the “3 hillocks” which area also among the imposing rocky hill. Another spectacular is the huge granite dome with twin rock towers called: “the gate of the south” which marks the beginning of the highland and the end of the south. Then continuation to Ranomafana, we pass through Fianarantsoa the capital of Betsileo tribes. Called “the gate of the South”, Fianarantsoa is the capital of Betsileo tribes. A very catholic city, this is the seat of Jesuits and the best university is found there. We continue our drive to Ranomafana. Night at a hotel on BB
Day 10: Monday, Ranomafana National Park
4 hours expedition in the forest with a local guide to see 12 species of lemurs, Ranomafana is the most important site of lemurs in Madagascar, it is the only confirmed site for the two rarest species the greater bamboo lemur Hapalemur simus and the golden bamboo lemur Hapalemur aureus. Different species like Fulvus Rufus, Varieca Variegata, Hapalemur griseus, Avahi lanigeur, Lepilemur mustelinus, Propithecus diadema edwardsi, Cheirogaleus major and Daubentounia madagscariensis are also seen there. More than 100 birds, five species of viverrids, reptiles, lizards, butterflies and other insects have been recorded in this park. The area is covered with forest, in the higher areas,the trees are festooned with mosses and lichens, much of this secondary forest is dominated by the introduced tree Psidium cattleyarum, also giant bamboo Cephalostacyum viguieri. Various orchids such as Bblophyllum and Eulophiella, steep mountains, dramatic waterfalls and natural hot springs make this endangered and exotic forest charming and unusual. The name Ranomafana means “hot water” due to its thermal springs. Overnight at a hotel on BB.
Day 11: Tuesday, Ranomafana – Antsirabe
Departure to Ambositra after breakfast. Today we come across the highlands, characterised by its terraced rice fields beautifully arranged on the hills, its valleys decorated with wide vegetable plantation, its chilly climate and its Asian featured population. Arrival in Ambositra by noon. We visit some workshop for local handcraft mainly made from wood. Continuation to Antsirabe, that we reach in the afternoon. Antsirabe or “the place of salt “, an elegant city best known as the centre of beer, we can smell the Bewery as we enter the town. With its temperate climate, all fruits and vegetable, which grow in cold climate, are found in Antsirabe. Known as a city of handcrafts, we will visit some ateliers, like “miniature of bike, old cars of 2 CV, then the zebu horn workshop where we can see the transformation of Zebus horn into decoration. Overnight at a hotel on BB.
Day 12: Wednesday, Antsirabe – Antananarivo
After breakfast, then we drive back to Tana. Upon arrival, transfer to the airport for the international flight back.
Price per person sharing in double room in a group of:
2 people: Euro 1315
3 people: Euro 1075
4 people: Euro 940
Single supplement: Euro 270
The price includes:
Price does not include:
Guaranteed dates of departures for min. 2 people:
05.09.2020-17.09.2020
10.10.2020-22.10.2020
07.11.2020-19.11.2020
05.12.2020-17.12.2020
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
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