OVERVIEW
Madagascar is the biggest of island in Africa. This package include the visit of Andasibe and the RN7. You will need at least two weeks to visit Andasibe national park and to discover the south from Antananarivo to Toliara, Anakao, and back to Antananarivo. This tour is for you if you prefer to avoid internal flight in Madagascar while experiencing everything that the route has to offer. The southern part of Madagascar offers you the beauty of the landscapes and culture varieties from the midle highland to the south-west with its way of life, customs and colors. You are going to drive past Antsirabe colonial town and Ambositra the Zafimaniry’s arts specialist of woodcarving and all handicraft made of wood. The Ranomafana national park is one of the best tropical forests for wildlife and beautiful parks in Madagascar. Back to the RN7, you drive past Fianarantsoa and arrive to Ambalavao. This village is known for zebu market every Wednesday, silk breeding and the manufactured Antemoro paper. The Anja reserve is a natural small habitat for ringtailed lemurs presently managed by villagers association. The Isalo national park next to Ranohira Village is a huge canyon to hike with its amazing sandstone massifs and natural swimming pool. You will spend one night in Ifaty and four night in Anakao before driving back to Antananarivo.
NB:
=> This is a Midrange Proposal. Let us know your Budget if you are looking for an Economy Madagascar Travel Offer
=> Visit our blog sobehatour.com
=> Contact us if you are looking for a customized Madagascar tailormade tour
DETAIL OF TOUR
Day 01 Antananarivo - Andasibe
The tour starts in Antananarivo. Drive accross the centre city before taking the national road number two (RN2) that connect the capital of Madagascar to the biggest port of the country. Visit of Perieyras reserve an exotic park to see sifaka, common brown lemurs, chameleons, snakes, and frogs. Continuation to Andasibe. Nightwalk at nightfall to see mouselemurs, amphibians and reptile especially chameleons. Night at hotel Lemurs Lodge
Day 02 Andasibe
Visit of Andasibe national park in the morning for 04 hours at least. This is the best place to experience wildlife in rainforest. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is a protected rainforest area in eastern Madagascar. The park includes the Analamazaotra Reserve, home to the large indri lemur, which is known for its distinctively loud song. The park’s rich biodiversity includes native species like the big Parson’s chameleon, plus rare orchids and ferns. Trail circuits weave through dense forest, lakes and the Sacred Waterfall. You can choose yours with the guide of parks.Visit of the Vakona reserve in afternoon where you can feed, touch lemurs and make a selfie with one of them on your shoulder. In addition to the brown lemurs, black and white ruffed lemurs and the bamboo lemurs in the main island, you can go for a canoe tour to see the red ruffed lemurs, and the ringtailed lemur or lemur catta.After the island of lemurs, you can visit the lake of crocodile with some animal in cage including the fosa or cryptocropta ferox, snakes, and birds. There is also a small representative of house construction in betsimisaraka ethnic group. Night at hotel Lemurs Lodge
Day 03 Andasibe - Antsirabe
You leave Andasibe to discover the south of Madagascar. Drive from Andasibe to Antsirabe with stop on the way to take some photos of the beautiful scenery, rice paddies and red hills. People build red bricks for house construction from the rice paddies. You can stop in Ambatolampy to see how they make pans and cooking-pots with recycled aluminum. Far of 100km from Ambatolampy, the city of Antsirabe has neither dense forests nor particularly endemic animals, but it’s a magnet for people who are looking for a quiet and inspiring place. This is the favourite place for european people who live in Madagascar from the colonization time. Night at hotel Voyageur
Day 04 Antsirabe - Ranomafana
Before driving to Ranomafana, we will visit some of the craft shops and their working places in Antsirabe to produce the handicraft made of horn of zebu, tiny bikes from recycled metals and embroidery of the daily life of Madagascar. At 100km from Antsirabe, you arrive to Ambositra. This is the biggest city next to the Zafimaniry villages who are very talented on woodcarving and all handicraft made of wood. You will stop to see how they work on it before visiting the market of 100 shops for more or less same articles. Before midday, we stop for lunch (on your expense) in Ambositra and there may be the opportunity to enjoy a traditional Malagasy meal then see a high-land folk dance from Imerina and Betsileo at the hotel Artisan. we continue driving to Ranomafana. We arrive there before the evening. Night at hotel SETAM Lodge
Day 05 Ranomafana
This day is dedicated to visit Ranomafana national park and the villages of Ranomafana : after breakfast, you drive to the entrance of the national park and will start your daytime visit to this beautiful humid tropical forest. In this misty rainforest, covering elevations of 500–1,500 metres, numerous endangered lemur species can be found here, including the Milne-Edwards’ sifaka, different species of bamboo lemurs and black-and-white ruffed lemurs. A variety of other animals also exist in this cloud forest, such as satanic leaf-tailed geckos, elusive ground rollers and streaked tenrecs. Lunch at the restaurant (on your expense) in Ranomafana. The afternoon is dedicated to a walk-around the Ranomafana village : the market of fruit, and the natural warm spring – hence the name of the city – are some curiosity that you may discover by yourself or with assistance of your driver/guide. It is also recommended to spend some times drinking beer in one of local restaurant of the village to see the particularity of Malagasy people.
After dark, you will meet your driver and guide for the nightwalk of one hour next to the national park. During this night walk, you may see a variety of nocturnal lemurs, reptiles such as Uroplatus geckos, many tree frogs and fascinating invertebrates including the Madagascar comet (lunar) moth. Night at hotel SETAM Lodge
Day 06 Ranomafana - ANJA - Ranohira
Returning to the main road after Ranomafana, you will notice the change of the landscape once you drive past Fianarantsoa. A short visit of paper Antaimoro working place, handmade silk working place, and market of zebu if wednesday in Ambalavao. Stop at Anja reserve : a forest of ficus, lianas and orchids developed in between a spectacular rock forming caves used as shelter by animals. In this lush green paradise live in small colonies the ringtailed lemurs, the symbol of Madagascar. They are easy to find and to make close-up photo as they spend a lot of time on the ground, on the rocks and on trees. The profit of Anja's reserve are managed by the AMI (Anja Miray) organization, and are donated to finance social and economical projects, which purposes are to improve crop yield, crafts development, health and education towards the villagers. Continuation to the south and arrival to Bara ethnic group territory from Ihosy and crossing of the largest plateau of Madagascar, you will be surprised by the desert of Ihorombe one day after being in Ranomafana area. This is an evidence that Madagascar is a very big island. Arrival to Ranohira late in the afternoon. Night at hotel H1
Day 07 Isalo
After breakfast, you drive to Isalo National Park, park the car and start to hike. You can choose your itinerary according to the brieffing with the local guide for a beautiful day of hiking, discovering the Isalo National Park, between deep canyons, plateaux, natural swimming pools. Isalo National Park was created in 1962. It is large of 100 km from North to South and unique in Madagascar thanks to its geological formation, dating from the Jurassic period. You can also find there an exceptionally rich fauna including natives rock reptiles. You will be able to spot endemic species of lemurs, birds, reptiles, plants and butterflies. The main ethnic group in this region is the Bara, living essentially of farming zebus and agriculture. Considered as descendent of the Bantu, the Bara are livestock breeders but also fierce warriors, proud and ready to give up their life to defend their freedom. Night at hotel H1
Day 08 Ranohira - Toliara - Ifaty
This is your last day along the RN7. The temperature rises as you lose height and head for the coast through savannah plain. You cross the villages of Ilakaka and Sakaraha, small towns which used to be quiet, until a huge sapphire reservoir was discovered there, turning these quiet towns into mining cities worthy of the American Far West Gold Rush. Visit of the mining site. Then, you continue your trip passing by few baobab trees and a number of fascinating Mahafaly Tombs. Lunch (on your expense) in Toliara. In afternoon, you go to Ifaty to visit the reniala baobab forest : Reniala is a malagasy name of baobab tree. The place is known as home of many species of baobabs within just 60 ha. You will learn more about the Baobab and other endemic vegetal species in the dry area of the South or in spinny forest. If you are lucky enough you might taste baobab fruit. But the highlights of the day is to be in front of the biggest baobab of Ifaty Mangily area that looks like a coffee pot. This biggest baobab has over 1200 years with 7 meters of height and 12 meters of circumference. It belongs to the species of “Adansonia robrostipa” called also “Baobab FONY”. During your visit you’ll meet many endemic birds including Uratelornis and Monias, lemurs, reptiles, lizards that has the head of dinosaur and caiman’tail, and also turtles. Transfer to the hotel in Mangily Ifaty. Night at hotel Bella Donna
Day 09 Ifaty - Toliara - Anakao
After breakfast, departure to Toliara by car. Visit of the market of seashell and handicraft market. Anakao is a Vezo fishing village around fifty kilometres south of Tulear. It will take one full day to drive from Toliara to Anakao. That makes the boat transfer more practical as i twill last only for one hour. Enjoy the afternoon at the hotel with white sandy beaches and clear water. You can start to choose and organize your activities for the coming days. Night at hotel Safari Vezo
Day 10,11,12 Anakao
recommended (on your expense) if you want to do more than beach relax at the hotel:
- Visit of the village of Anakao : you can walk around to visit the village of Anakao and meet local people
- excursion to Nosy ve : it is a sacred small island right in front of the village of Anakao. There is no hotel on this island. You can get there with sailing-pirogue arranged with the fisherman of Anakao. The island is a sacred place for vezo people. It is surrounded by white sand and shallow clear stunning white beaches excellent for snorkelling.
- excursion to Nosy satrana : It is a small island about dozen kilometer south of Anakao. It is nice place for snorkelling with his white sand bottoms that refer sunlight and give a turquoise colors.
- excursion to Tsimanampetsotse national park : This park is accessible by car or by boat from Anakao. Tsimanampetsotsa is a birders paradise. More than 100 birds’species can be found there including pink, greater and dwarf flamingos, and five coua species. Apart from birds, there are twelve species of mammals, among them the extremely rare and local endemic Grandidier´s mongoose. Among the 39 reptile species, the most significant one is the radiated turtle, which is endemic to this region and extremely endangered to extinction. You can hire vehicle or Quad from hotel at Anakao
Day 13 Anakao - Toliara – Fianarantsoa
Transfer by boat back to Toliara according to the timing and the schedule of the boat agency. You can have a breakfast in Toliara as you are likely to have no time for breakfast at Anakao. After breakfast, departure to Fianarantsoa and you will enjoy the panorama even if you were there few days ago. Stop according to the interest. Night at hotel Zomatel
Day 14 Fianarantsoa - Antananarivo
Departure to Antananarivo and stop according to the interest. You can stop at the local market along the road if you want to buy souvenirs. Our drive can drop you off at the hotel of your choice (on your expense) or at the airport. END OF OUR SERVICE
Important Notice :
- This is a midrange proposal or ADVANCED. Let us know your Budget and we will design a customized tour especially for you
- Price is per person sharing room as double occupancy. Departure is guarantee for 02 persons. Contact us for Single Price
- Are included into the price: 4X4, fuel, Driver Speaking Basic French and English, Tour Guide Speaking Good English, all listed activities (entrance and guide of park, night walk), boat transfer to Anakao, your hotel and breakfast,
- Are NOT included: lunch, diner, beverage and alcohol, additional activities, tips
- Please to specify if you need an AC car while booking otherwise you may have no-AC car
- Payment modality: bank transfer or VISA/Master Card or CASH on arrival. We accept USD and Euro with exchange rate online.
- Contact us for further detail. You can ask for tailor made tour according to your length of stay, your wish-to-see-list, your category of hotel, and your budget
