Wildlife Tours to Madagascar MADAGASCAR CLASSIC
Photo: Lemur (Nick Garbutt).
| Tour Ref. | Days | Dates | Party Size |
Cost |
Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MG1/10 | 19 | Friday 5th November to Tuesday 23rd November 2010 | 12 plus leader | £4075 (*£425) | TBA |
*Single room supplement.
Tour Destinations :
- Masoala National Park
- Ranomafana National Park
- Anja Reserve
- Isalo National Park
- Zombitse National Park
- Ifaty Spiny Forest
- Analamazaotra Reserve
- Mantadia National Park
Tour Summary
Madagascar Classic
Had Charles Darwin sailed to Madagascar instead of the Galapagos, his thoughts on evolution would surely have been provoked in a similar fashion, for the array of wildlife on this island is totally unlike anywhere else. There are no monkeys or apes, only lemurs – charming off-shoots of the primate family-tree that are confined to Madagascar. Ring-tailed Lemurs live in large troops like baboons, Sportive Lemurs are solitary, the Aye-aye feeds like a woodpecker, while the Indri resembles a giant teddy bear that sings in the rainforest canopy.
Like Darwin’s Finches in the Galapagos, there is a family of birds – the Vangas – that display a huge variety of beak shapes to exploit different sources of food. There are also Couas that peck through leaf-litter like pheasants and elusive Ground Rollers that nest in burrows and haunt the darkest recesses of the forest.
Photo: A Madagascar scene (Nick Garbutt).
Reptiles too abound – in Madagascar chameleons have found their ‘promised land’ – over 60% of the world’s species live on the island and nowhere else. Other reptiles include the amazing Leaf-tailed Gecko whose camouflage is near perfect, and the beautiful mottled green and black Tree Boa. Add to this a myriad of colourful tree frogs and a multitude of peculiar insects and there is always something to grab your attention.
Madagascar is also a country rich in habitat diversity. There can be few places where it is possible to experience lush rainforests, rugged mountain plateau, dry forests andsemi-desert spiny forests with a single tour. It is an intoxicating country that many visitors fall in love with. The strange and incongruous mixture of Indonesian, Polynesian and African influences combine to produce a country unlike any other.
Photo: Camelion (Nick Garbutt).
Itinerary
Day 1 : Depart UK, arriving in the evening: overnight in Antananarivo.
Day 2 : Transfer on internal flight to Maroansetra. Overnight Relais du Masoala
Day 3 : Morning boat journey to Tampolo, Masoala NP. Overnight Arol Lodge.
Day 4 : Full day in Masoala NP. Overnight Arol Lodge.
Day 5 : Early boat to Maroantsetra and fly to Antananarivo, then onward drive to Antsirabe. Overnight Hotel Arotel.
Day 6 : Drive to Ranomafana. Overnight Domain Nature or Setam Lodge.
Day 7 : Ranomafana National Park. Overnight Domain Nature or Setam Lodge.
Day 8 : Ranomafana National Park. Overnight Domain Nature or Setam Lodge.
Day 9 : Ranomafana National Park. Drive to Fianarantsoa. Overnight Tsara Guest House or Zomatel.
Day 10 : Drive to Ranohira with stop at Anja Reserve. Overnight Hotel Relais de la Reine or Jardin du Roy.
Day 11 : Isalo National Park. Overnight Hotel Relais de la Reine or Jardin du Roy.
Day 12 :Early morning drive to Zombitse National Park. Continue to Toliara, and fly to Tolagnaro. Drive to Mandrare River Camp. Overnight.
Day 13 : Gallery and Spiny Forest. Mandrare River Camp.
Day 14 : Gallery and Spiny Forest. Mandrare River Camp.
Day 15 : Late morning drive to Toliara and fly to Tana. Onward drive to Andasibe. Overnight Hotel Feon’ny’ala.
Day 16 : Analamazaotra Reserve. Overnight Hotel Feon’ny’ala or Vakona Lodge.
Day 17 : Analamazaotra Reserve/Mantadia National Park. Overnight Hotel Feon’ny’ala.
Day 18 : Afternoon drive to Tana. Day rooms and evening meal at Tonga Soa. Transfer to airport.
Day 19 : Late flight to Paris with Air France, 01.30 departure. Arrival in Paris and onward connection to UK.
NB: This itinerary provides a good insight into the activities on the tours. Changes to these activities may occur but these will always be due to matters beyond our control or in the interests of improving the tour.
Photo © Nick Garbutt.