Classic Madagascar

On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure.

Travel south to Antsirabe, following a winding road through Madagascar’s picturesque highlands. Along the way, pass rice paddies, vegetable fields, traditional villages and dramatic granite mountains, with opportunities to see locally made handicrafts such as raffia figures, musical instruments and miniature wooden cars.
Antsirabe is an important agricultural and industrial centre, known for fruit growing, dairy farming, textiles and the production of Madagascar’s popular Three Horses Beer. The city is also closely connected to the surrounding farming communities and the country’s distinctive zebu cattle.
On arrival, settle into your hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day.

After breakfast, depart for Ranomafana, travelling through Madagascar’s scenic highlands.

Around 20 kilometres before your first stop in Ambositra, cross the Fatihita Bridge, with views of the old stone bridge that was damaged during Madagascar’s political unrest in 2002.

Stop in Ambositra, renowned for the traditional woodcarving and marquetry skills of the Zafimaniry people. Visit local workshops and boutiques showcasing beautifully crafted wooden sculptures, decorative pieces and other handicrafts. You may also find locally produced silk scarves from Soatanana and the surrounding region. The town is home to an impressive Benedictine monastery opposite the cathedral and, on Saturdays, a lively weekly market where farmers and artisans sell local produce and handmade goods.

Continue approximately 150 kilometres to Ranomafana, whose name means ‘hot water’, and check into your hotel.

Before dinner, there may be an opportunity to join a guided night walk along the road in search of nocturnal wildlife. With luck, you may spot mouse lemurs, sleeping chameleons, frogs and other creatures that emerge after dark, before returning to your hotel.

After breakfast, explore Ranomafana National Park with an experienced local nature guide. Set along the Namorona River and reaching elevations of up to 1,400 metres, the park protects magnificent mountain rainforest and an extraordinary diversity of flora and fauna.

Keep watch for several lemur species, including red-bellied lemurs, red-fronted lemurs and the rare golden bamboo lemur. The park is also home to more than 100 bird species, along with an impressive variety of ferns, mosses, orchids and giant bamboo.

Today’s guided hike takes approximately three to four hours, following narrow forest trails across steep and uneven terrain. A good level of fitness, stamina and sure-footedness is required, with plenty of time allowed for wildlife sightings and observations along the way.

After your hike, continue towards Fianarantsoa, stopping near the park to see Andriamamovoka Waterfall. Frogs can also sometimes be spotted on the damp rock faces nearby.

Continue to Fianarantsoa and check into your hotel for the night.

After breakfast, depart for Ranohira, stopping in Ambalavao after approximately 56 kilometres.

Visit a traditional Antemoro paper workshop, where handmade paper is produced from the bark of the Havoha tree using techniques believed to have been introduced centuries ago. Visits may be limited on weekends, although demonstrations are sometimes available.

On Wednesday and Thursday mornings, Ambalavao also hosts one of Madagascar’s largest zebu cattle markets, attracting farmers and traders from across the region.

Continue approximately 12 kilometres to Anja Community Reserve, established and managed by the local community and set beneath the dramatic granite formation known as the ‘Three Sisters’. The reserve is home to a thriving population of ring-tailed lemurs, which can often be observed at close range as they rest, feed and move through their natural habitat.

From here, continue via Ihosy, the heartland of the Bara people, and across the vast Horombe Plateau towards Ranohira. Along the way, expansive grasslands are broken by enormous granite outcrops, rivers and small villages shaded by mango trees.

Arrive in Ranohira and check into your hotel for the night.

In the morning, set out with a local guide for a three to five-hour hike through Isalo National Park. Trails are mostly rocky and can be steep in places, leading through a spectacular landscape of rugged sandstone massifs, deep gorges and unusual rock formations.

Along the way, discover the park’s distinctive flora, including the endemic Pachypodium, often known as the ‘elephant’s foot’, and keep watch for wildlife such as ring-tailed lemurs, sifakas and brown lemurs.

Visit the Natural Swimming Pool, a beautiful oasis surrounded by lush vegetation, where conditions permitting, you can cool off with a refreshing swim.

Later, visit the famous Window of Isalo, a naturally formed opening in the sandstone that frames the surrounding landscape. Sunset is particularly beautiful, when the rocks and plains are bathed in golden light.

Return to your hotel for the night.

After breakfast, continue towards Tulear, travelling through the distinctive landscapes of southern Madagascar. Pass tall scrub, cactus forests, traditional Mahafaly tombs decorated with carved wooden stelae, and impressive baobab trees.

Travel through Ilakaka, a town that grew rapidly following the discovery of sapphires in the region, before passing the protected dry forests of Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park.

Visit the Antsokay Arboretum, a 40-hectare botanical garden dedicated to the unique flora of southern Madagascar. Established by Swiss botanist Hermann Petignat, the arboretum protects around 1,000 plant species, including an impressive collection of endemic succulents and other plants adapted to the region’s dry climate.

Continue through Tulear before travelling north to Ifaty, passing endemic spiny forest vegetation and mangroves along the way. Settle into your hotel near the coast, where sandy beaches and a protective offshore coral reef provide a relaxing change of scenery after your journey through the south.

Spend the day at leisure in Ifaty, relaxing on the beach or enjoying the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Optional activities include snorkelling or diving on the offshore coral reef, along with walks through the surrounding area.

Nature lovers can explore the region’s distinctive vegetation and birdlife, with unusual endemic plants adapted to Madagascar’s dry southwest.

You may also choose to visit the nearby Reniala Reserve, a 60-hectare protected area known for its impressive baobabs and unique spiny forest. Walking trails of approximately 1.5 to 2.5 hours offer the chance to discover the reserve’s fascinating flora and birdlife. A turtle sanctuary is also located nearby.

Return to your hotel for another night in Ifaty.

Relax on the beach then transfer to the airport and flight to the capital city of Madagascar.

On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for overnight.

Depending on the departure time of your flight you may have time to embark on a captivating morning excursion to Ambohimanga, a historical gem located just 21 kilometers north of the city.

This remarkable site holds the significance of being a King's palace and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore the rich history and cultural heritage of Ambohimanga as you wander through the palace grounds, taking in the architectural splendor and learning about the fascinating stories embedded within its walls.

Afterwards visit a market with Malagasy handicrafts and, if your flight is late in the evening, you have use of a day-use room in the hotel. Afterwards, transfer to the airport and check-in for departure for the flight home.