18 days Madagascar Expedition group tour departure 2025 (especially for senior traveler)

Arrival in Ivato International Airport. Reception by HT Agency Tours, Meet and greet. Once you have passed customs formalities, it is to the Guide to smooth through the rest of the arrivals process - changing money, setting up your phone with the new SIM card, and anything else you need. it will be easier for us to contact each other. Transfer directly to the hotel in town.

In the morning, after breakfast, transfer directly to the Airport for flight to the south to reach Toliara. A private bus with Driver will be waiting for you at the Toliara Airport.  Drive directly to the Reserve of Reniala, a dry forest typical of the dry south, meeting the diversity of fauna and flora of the region, including the varieties of Baobab (Baobab Forest). Then, continue to the fisherman village called Ifaty. Ifaty brings together the small Malagasy seaside villages along the bay of Ranobe in the South-west region. The village of Ifaty is also a fishing village composed mainly of Vezo and Masikoro, the visit consists on a village immersion. After lunch, back to the road for the North to reach the city of Ranohira, to meet Isalo National Park with one stop for a little detour at the arboretum of Antsokay for discovering the endemic and threatened plants of the South Area. After the visit, Continue up to Isalo. During the journey, you could often stop to enjoy the various changes of the mountain and landscape, for picture or for some breaks if necessary. Toward in the afternoon, arrive in Isalo.

We'll have the full day to enjoy the delights of Isalo on foot. We'll start with a short trek to a beautiful natural swimming pool and then continue deeper into the canyon. Isalo is known for its strange geological formations, eroded by the rain and the wind, which offer some of the most spectacular scenery of the country. This is also a place where the Bara tribes used to bury their dead. If we are lucky, we may see lemurs during our walk today. A picnic lunch is organized in the park. In the middle of the afternoon, back to the hotel for preparing a short visit to the famous Window of Isalo to appreciate a breathtaking and spectacular scene of the color of the sun (Sunset). Drive back to the hotel after.

Plateau before coming to Anja, a community run park started by local villagers, where part of the income pays the teachers of the local school. Here we'll walk for a couple of hours into the nearby forest to see almost guaranteed up-close sightings of large families of ring-tailed lemurs. From here we'll continue to Ambalavao, which houses the fascinating Anteimoro paper factory and the Silk factory. Tonight we'll stay in the middle of the Betsileo highlands.

Ambalavao has its market day on Wednesdays and hosts the second largest Zebu market in Madagascar where cattle sellers have been known to walk from Tulear (400km's away) to attend, we will get to experience the spectacle of market day before we leave for Fianarantsoa for a city tour. Then, we head to Ranomafana, which lies in tropical rain forest typical of Madagascar's east coast. Here, rather than rice fields or zebu herdsmen, we're more likely to see small villages selling bananas or charcoal. There may be time this evening to wander the friendly streets of the small village which sits near the entrance. Here we'll take a short night walk outside the park, hoping to encounter some of the endemic chameleons, tree frogs mouse lemurs that make Ranomafana their home.

We'll have the morning to explore some of the best trails inside the National Park. With our specialist guide we'll enter the rainforest in the hope of seeing, amongst others, the golden bamboo lemur which was only discovered in 1986. However in addition to lemurs, the park is also rich in birdlife, reptiles, butterflies, lichens, and orchids. The tracks are steep and can be very slippery, but we do not plan to cover a huge distance on foot as the emphasis is very much on experiencing the diversity of the rainforest. Then, we'll head north towards Ambositra for a city tour to discover the typical Malagasy craft of the region : the marquetry, weaving, and especially wood carving. Then, continue to the city in the highlands of Madagascar, capital of the Vakinankaratra region. Arrive in Antsirabe late the afternoon.

Antsirabe is considered Madagascar's most elegant city as well as being home to more pousse-pousses (local-style rickshaws) than anywhere else in the country. We will start the day by city tour on a Rickshaw, we will pass by the Independence Avenue, then to the Hotel des termes. Then we'll have the morning to discover some of the craft skills mainly to the Horn Factory for which this temperate city is well known before heading west towards Miandrivazo, some 4-5 hours away and located in the savannah of the lowlands as opposed to the green of the highlands.

We wake up and drive to Morondava and have lunch. Afterwards, we head to the famous 'Avenue of the Baobabs' in time for one of Madagascar's most iconic sunsets and then we drive to Kirindy Forest Reserve. After checking in to our accommodation we'll head out for a night time nature walk in the hope of seeing the fossa and the giant jumping rat! 

We start with a short hiking in Kirindy Forest Reserve  before we get to the airport of Morondava to take our flight to Tana. After breakfast, around 7:30 AM, beginning of the Guided day visits at Kirindy reserve. Kirindy Reserve is home to seven species of lemur. The most common are the common brown lemurs and the Verreaux's sifakas. These long-legged, seven-pound lemurs, white with dark patches, leap among tree trunks high in the canopy, propelled by their powerful hind legs but continually maintaining an upright posture. 40 bird, 50 reptile and 15 amphibian species are also found in this magnificent forest. After the visit, drive back to Morondava to reach the your flight departure for Antananarivo.

This morning we take the National Road N2 to Andasibe, a journey of approximately 5-6 hours (dependent upon Tana traffic!). This drive brings us to the humid part of the country through the green landscapes of the east, with primary forest and lakes. En route we'll stop in Mandraka to visit the private reserve of 'Peyrieras' where we can see all different kinds of chameleons, snakes, lemurs and butterflies. We will then continue on to Andasibe National Park, arriving late in the afternoon where we'll check-in to our hotel for the night. Around 6:30PM, you end this day with a guided night visits which will take 1 hour and half, and then drive back to the hotel.

After breakfast we will enter Andasibe National Park and hike for around 3 – 4 hours. The National Park comprises a huge tropical rain forest in the east boasting of nine species of lemurs. The highlight is the 'Indri Indri' which are the largest lemurs of Madagascar. This 810 ha reserve is home to other unique flora and fauna and contains a wide variety of orchids, a verdant canopy, endemic animals such as chameleons, tenrecs, and many varieties of birds. After the hike we will take a stroll through Andasibe village, a typical Betsimisaraka (The-Many-inseparable) village, home to Madagascar's second largest ethnic group, who cultivate rice and vegetables. This will give us an opportunity to experience their lifestyle and culture. Then we drive to Manambato and from there we will take our boat to our lodge. We will arrive there toward the end of the afternoon, so you will check-in at the hotel and then start the guided night walk to search for the famous Aye-Aye.

In the morning, you will start a guided day walk at the Palmarium Reserve. It is a little island where inhabit ten species of lemur as Indri, Sifaka, Coronatus, Varécia, variegata, Propithèques. There is the best and endemic palm trees of Madagascar, as Dypsis, Ravenea, Orania, Voanioala, and Lemurophoenix. This day, we’ll also discover an authentic fishing village, visit and meet the local people. 

This day is dedicated to transfer you to Tamatave by following the Pangalane Chanel and to Mahambo by Car. So after breakfast, embarkation on a motor boat. On this boulevard, we will cross barges, "bush-boats" (taxis-bush fluvial), canoes ..., local transport ... Spontaneous greetings between sailors ... The shouts of joy of the children on the banks accompany us all along our navigation. We are spectators of unusual and unforgettable scenes of life. A private car will be provided for you at the river port of Tamatave. Transfer to the hotel , free day.

Before we drive to Mahambo,  you will spend your time to visit the second economic capital of Madagascar which called Toamasina. This town is also called Tamatave ; Is a port city located on the east coast of Madagascar. Its old town includes Creole houses built on stilts. The wide, palm-lined Independence Avenue leads to a seaside boulevard. Archaeological exhibits and traditional tools are on display at the Regional Museum of the University of Toamasina. One stop in Ivoloina Zoological Park.  Then, continue to Mahambo.

At 09:00am you live  Mahambo and board on the El Condor ferry to Sainte Marie Island, travel time 04:00 hours. Opportunity to see whales around. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel and relax for the rest of the afternoon.

Ile Ste Marie, or Nosy Boraha, is a narrow granitic island 57 km long 8 km off the east coast of Madagascar. This tropical paradise with endless palm fringed beaches and bays surrounded by coral reefs. The island boasts lush vegetation which many species are endemic to the island. The landscapes are diverse: on the South the small Ile aux Nattes with a magnificent lagoon, on the East the mangroves, on the North the natural swimming pools, the forests on the centre and most of the activity to the West. The island lush vegetation with orchids, clove trees, cinnamon, vanilla, and many others. This is a full day excursion to discover the most beautiful landscapes of Saint Marie during the day. You'll across small villages, forest, wild beaches, mangroves, rice fields and so much more. You'll learn everything about vanilla, cinnamon, clove and orchids and the Malagasy way of life in the island.

Free time at leisure and transfer to airport.

After breakfast, we explore Madagascar's capital, known simply as "Tana". We drive to the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, consisting of a royal city and an ensemble of sacred places. The Queen's Palace here is a symbol of the Merina Kingdom, the dynasty that made Madagascar a modern state. This is a place of pilgrimage and  the burial ground for its sovereigns since 1817. Sitting atop the highest hill in Antananarivo, it offers spectacular views of the surroundings. We then drive down to Independence Avenue and Anosy Lake. Here we get a good picture of the diverse communities that come together from all over the island in the capital. Next to the queen’s palace, you will have a panoramic view of Antananarivo, followed by a shopping and purchase of some souvenirs in the artisanal market of the Digue. And then, transfer to the airport for the external flight.