Groot Avontuur

After breakfast, guided visit to the cultural and historical of Ambohimanga royal Palace, located at 20 km 

from the way out of the North of the Capital. The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga consists of a royal city and 

burial site, and an ensemble of sacred places. It is associated with strong feelings of national identity, and 

has maintained its spiritual and sacred character both in ritual practice and the popular imagination for the 

past 500 years. It remains a place of worship to which pilgrims come from Madagascar and elsewhere.

After the visit, transfer directly to the East to reach Andasibe (130 Km from Antananarivo). 

After breakfast, Guided visit to Analamazaotra National Park (It is better to leave the hotel at 7:30AM). 

This morning you need an early start to catch the Indri-Indri and the Diademed Sifaka in their forest 

home. The visit takes about 4 hours. Within a mile of the park you can hear the peculiar call of the indri 

very early in the morning until noon and again in the late afternoon. Indris (called Babakoto in Malagasy) 

are the largest living lemurs at all reaching up to 1 meter. Andasibe is the best place to observe the Indris 

given that there are a couple of families habituated to humans. It lives in small groups and cannot survive 

in captivity. There are several legends trying to explain its origins since it is considered a sacred animal in 

the whole Madagascar. Apart from the Indri, another 13 lemur species inhabit these forests, such as 

woody lemur, grey bamboo lemur, diademed sifaka, brown lemur, red mouse-lemur, red-bellied lemur, 

black and white ruffed lemur. 

In the afternoon, you will enjoy an amazing up close and personal experience with lemurs on the private 

Lemurs Island and then on to view many other species in the Vakona Reserve Zoo, where you will see 

many crocodiles in the huge river enclosure, native birds, and other wildlife in well-kept surroundings..

Around 6:30PM, beginning of the Guided night visits, the visit will take 1hour and half, and then drive 

back to the hotel.

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After breakfast, on rout to go to Antsirabe with some stops to enjoy the landscape, for photos and for 

some little breaks if it is necessary. One special stop at the Pereiras park. The fascinating park owned by 

the Peyrieras family, to see Cocquerel's Sifaka, and chameleons and many other reptiles, and some other 

Malagasy animals such as butterflies, moths (the giant Atlas Moth) and tenrecs. Continue to the town of 

“Fois Gras” for lunch. On the way, as you head out of the city into the country side, you will pass through 

the beautiful landscapes of the Merina people, witnessing along the way the everyday life of the these 

people, who were (and really still are) the ruling class in Madagascar. Stop briefly at Ambatolampy and 

visit the manufacturers of pots and decorative items from aluminium. This is a really important local 

industry and the artisan forgers now make, as well as the pots and pans used every day by all Malagasy, 

beautiful polished trinkets made from aluminium, and then reach directly Antsirabe.

Early in the morning, after breakfast, city tour in Antsirabe by rickshaw (visit: Independence Avenue, the 

famous Hotel des Thermes, the stone market and the horn small factory). Then transfer directly to the 

south with enjoying the beautiful landscape of Betsileo composed of rice terraces. Main stop in

Ambositra for lunch, followed by a short city tour to discover the typical Malagasy crafts of the region: 

marquetry, weaving and especially wood carving. Then continue to Sahambavy.

After breakfast, transfer to the train station to Manakara (by train). (Departure at 7 am in Fianarantsoa, it 

will pass through 17 stations, including Sahambavy around 7:50 and where the breaking point is longer 

than the others, and Manampatrana. The route of this train is composed of 67 bridges and 47 tunnels, it is 

one of the steepest course in the world, you can admire one of the most beautiful landscapes of 

Madagascar: the hill of the highlands leading to the sea. Plan for a picnic lunch. Reception by the driver 

in Manakara, then transfer to the hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the place where you will begin your excursion by canoe on the Pangalane 

Chanel. Visit to the village followed by a picnic lunch. Around 1:00 pm, drive directly to Ranomafana, 

the village of Ifanadiana, well known for the Ranomafana National Park and to enjoy the green landscape 

on the road. Arrival in Ranomafana late in the evening. Check in at the hotel.

In the morning, departure for a visit to the heart of the rainforest of Ranomafana National Park, a typical 

reserved area belonging to the last forest corridor along the eastern part of the Big Island. Discovery of 

the wealth of endemic biodiversity of the region, such as rare species and lemurs seriously endangered, 

many species of rare and endemic plants used by the local population for traditional medicine ... Trekking 

in the forest by following a track longing the forest passing through beautiful waterfall, meeting the rare 

species on the way. Back to the hotel for lunch. After the long day of tiring morning or visit of the spa 

source, nap and rest for the end of the day. Around 17:30, start of the guided night walk.

Breakfast at the hotel, then drive directly to Ambalavao with one stop at the capital of betsileo, guided visit in

the city of Fianarantsoa and the photo lab of the famous photographer Pierrot Men, buy postcards .... 

(Fianarantsoa is the Kingdom of Betsileo, an important stage city needed to take up the next step in good 

health, obligatory passage to reach the South. Fianarantsoa is somehow the Catholic center of the large island with many churches towards the way to Ambalavao). Stop at Ambalavao. Visit of the Antemoro hand-crafted 

fabrication shop. (The fabrication of the Antemoro paper provides this hand-crafted paper,which once dried, 

is decorated with dried flower petals : rare handicraft, writing letter in the lampshade. Any chronology of this 

craft can be seen in the site).

In the morning, after breakfast, departure to the reserve of Anja, small peasant associative park which 

shelters in particular several species of orchids and makis catta little wild, these famous lemurs striped 

white and black! By a chaotic track, continue to our camp of canvas, in a sumptuous setting facing the 

huge granite cliff Tsaranoro 800 m high. End of free day to enjoy quietly this idyllic setting: rest or 

optional walk (sacred forest, Chameleon mountain ...) in the valley from your accommodation.

After breakfast, back to the road RN7 for the South to reach the city of Ranohira to meet Isalo National 

Park by passing through the city of Ihosy for lunch. During the journey, we can often stop to notice the 

various change of the mountain and rice field landscape. Arrival at Isalo at the end of the day.

After breakfast, a day dedicated to trekking and discovery of the park, composed of massif in form of ruin 

dating from Jurassic, discovery of the most beautiful landscape of Madagascar. Hike and visit across: the 

natural pool, where you can go for a dip, etc… picnic lunch in the park. At the end of the afternoon, back 

to the hotel, with a stop at the famous window of Isalo to appreciate a breathtaking and spectacular scene 

of the color of the sun.

After the breakfast, direction to the great city of the South, Tuléar. On the arrival, a little detour at the 

arboretum of Antsokay for discovering the endemic and threatened plants of the area, then lunch at a local 

restaurant. Continuation towards the small village of fishermen Vezo of Ifaty located at 30 km in the 

North of Tuléar. Free times for the rest of the day to discover the beach one of the beautiful lagoons of the 

great island.

Today, early in the morning visit in 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). After the 

visit, transfer directly to the airport for flight back to the capital Antananarivo. On arrival, 45mn visit in 

the Queen's Palace on the top of the hill (Rova Manjakamiadana), then transfer directly to the hotel in 

town.

After breakfast, shopping and purchase some souvenirs at the craft market of La Digue. And then, transfer 

to the airport for the external flight.