Itinerary

• Day 1: ANTANANARIVO

  Arrival at Antananarivo International Airport. Once you have cleared customs, passport control, and visa procedures, one of our representatives will be waiting for you at the airport exit to assist you with your transfer to the hotel. You will be given a brief presentation about the next leg of your trip and will receive informational materials and a welcome gift. The rest of the day is free. Overnight stay.

• Day 2: ANTANANARIVO - ANDASIBE P.N.

  Breakfast and departure for Andasibe National Park. Today, our journey to the east of the island will take us through a landscape of rice paddies to the tropical rainforests of this region inhabited by the Bezanozano and Betsimisaraka ethnic groups. We will be able to observe the famous ravinala, the traveler's tree, a symbol of Madagascar. Free time for lunch (not included) in the town of Moramanga, a crossroads of several secondary roads and an important meeting point for ethnic groups from the east of the island. We will visit its lively market and continue to Andasibe National Park. Arrival at the lodge and a presentation by the guide about our particular route and Madagascar in general. Overnight stay.

• Day 3: ANDASIBE NATIONAL PARK

  After breakfast, we'll depart very early for Analamazaotra National Park (within Andasibe National Park) for an approximately 4-hour hike to observe the island's largest lemur, the famous Indri indri, as well as chameleons, frogs, tree ferns, and pandanus. After lunch (not included), we'll take a stroll through the small village of Andasibe, where we'll meet the Betsimisaraka people. Later, we'll make a nighttime visit to the Voimma or Vakona Reserve, during which we'll see various endemic species of the rainforest, such as the endearing microcebu (a headlamp is essential for enjoying the visit). Return to the lodge and overnight stay.

• Day 4: ANDASIBE P.N - BEHENJY - ANTSIRABE

  Early breakfast and departure for the Malagasy Highlands, crossing landscapes of terraced rice paddies along the famous RN7 road. Free time for lunch (not included) in Behenjy, the foie gras capital, where you can sample this exquisite delicacy if you wish (tasting not included, extra cost depending on consumption). Continue to Ambatolampy to learn about the unique artisanal production of the aluminum pots found in every Malagasy home. In the afternoon, arrive in Antsirabe, a thermal spa town thanks to the discovery of its sodium chloride-rich waters, founded by Norwegian Lutheran missionaries in the late 19th century. Check-in at the hotel and overnight stay.

• Day 5: ANTSIRABE - MANANDONA VALLEY - ANTSIRABE

  After breakfast, we'll depart on an excursion to the vast valleys of the Vakinankaratra region, one of the most fertile on the island and known as the "vegetable garden" of Madagascar. From the village of Manandona, we'll walk for approximately one hour through a landscape of rice paddies to learn about the agricultural culture and daily life of its inhabitants. We'll have the opportunity to participate in their daily tasks, visit a traditional house, learn about their "fady" (traditional Canarian dances), and perhaps, if magic intervenes, enjoy an impromptu musical performance. Along the way, we'll see the summit of Mount Ibity, the third highest mountain on the island at 2,345 meters, a waterfall, and a natural pool where we can take a dip (during the austral summer). After the visit, we'll return to Antsirabe, where you'll have free time for lunch (not included). Afterward, we'll take a ride in a pousse-pousse (similar to Indian rickshaws) or on foot to explore the historic center of this city from another era. We will visit the Atsena Kely (small market), the train station, the Notre Dame de la Salette Cathedral, the Ethnic Monument, as well as the countless buildings from the French colonial era, such as the decaying Hotel des Thermes, where King Mohammed V stayed during his exile in 1953. Overnight stay.

• Day 6: ANTSIRABE - AMBOSITRA - RANOMAFANA P.N

  Breakfast and departure for Ambositra, the capital of Malagasy handicrafts. At an altitude of 1,350 meters, this Malagasy town is renowned for its Zafimaniry artisans, declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, as they are the last community to preserve an original woodworking culture. The Zafimaniry, who have been lumberjacks, carpenters, and artisans for generations, have developed a whole set of techniques and knowledge around woodworking. This artisanal tradition testifies to the fundamental role of wood in all aspects of life and death, and they are masters of wood carving. Located in the heart of the highlands, Ambositra is the cradle of the Betsileo ethnic group. We can visit various marquetry workshops or stroll through its streets and mingle with its diverse inhabitants. If we travel between July and September, in the highlands we might encounter the famous "Famadihana" or return of the dead. However, to attend a "return of the dead" ceremony, we must be invited, as it is a family celebration, not a tourist event. Should we receive an invitation, and if the itinerary allows, we would only attend briefly so as not to intrude on the family's privacy. After lunch (not included), we will continue to Ranomafana National Park. Overnight stay.

• Day 7: RANOMAFANA - SAHAMBAVY NATIONAL PARK

  Early breakfast and departure for a walking tour of Ranomafana National Park. During this approximately four-hour hike, we will search for lemurs such as the Edward's lemur (Propithecus edwardsi), the gray-backed lemur (Hapalemur griseus ranomafanensis), and the variegata lemur (Varecia variegata), among the twelve species that inhabit this lush rainforest, with its tree ferns, wild orchids, and pandanus trees. The park is part of the Atsinanana Rainforests, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a panoramic view of the waterfall on the Namorona River, we continue to Sahambavy to stroll through its unique tea plantations, learn about the production process, and taste its varieties (free time for lunch not included). Finally, arrival at the hotel next to the plantation, on the shores of Lake Sahambavy. Overnight stay.

• Day 8: SAHAMBAVY - FIANARANTSOA - AMBALAVAO - ANJA - ISALO

  Breakfast and departure for Ranohira. Stroll through the "old town" of Fianarantsoa and enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the "Haute Ville" (Old Town). Continue to the village of Ambalavao, where we will discover the curious production of Antemoro paper and the Anjà Nature Reserve, an ideal place for easily observing the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), as well as chameleons and Betsileo-South tombs (the walk will last approximately one and a half hours). Free time for lunch (not included) and continue to Isalo National Park. This stage marks the end of our journey through the highlands and the beginning of our descent through the Malagasy savanna, desert landscapes, and villages that have sprung up in the middle of nowhere. Arrival at the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay.

• Day 9: ISALO NATIONAL PARK

  Breakfast and departure to explore Isalo National Park (easy-to-moderate hike). We will visit the Waterfall of the Nymphs, the Blue Pool, and the Black Pool in the famous Namaza Canyon (picnic lunch not included). It is the most visited park on the island and features deep canyons where water flows in the form of streams, Bara tombs, and caves where the Portuguese and Arabs hid. This park is a living testament to the history of Madagascar, home to several species of lemurs such as the Rufus Lemur, the Red-fronted Lemur, and Verreaux's Lemur, among others. Also noteworthy are the endemic Isalo palm, the Bismarckia nobilis, aloes, and Pachypodium. Return to the lodge for a short rest. Afterwards, we will visit the village of the semi-nomadic Bara pastoralists of "Antabara" in Ikazandreno and enjoy the spectacular sunset from the "window of Isalo." Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

• Day 10: ISALO - TULEAR - RENIALA RESERVE - IFATY

  Early breakfast and departure south, observing along the way the famous Mahafaly tombs (stone tombs with stelae carved or painted with animals and everyday scenes, mostly covered with skulls and zebu horns) and photographing the first baobabs of the south. En route, we will make a detour to visit the Tropic of Capricorn Monument, a work by the Belgian artist Bruno Decorte, who resides in Tulear, as we will be at the exact spot where the imaginary curved line of the Tropic of Capricorn crosses, and where we will be presented with a certificate acknowledging our passage along one of the great parallels of the planet. After lunch (not included), transfer to the Reniala Reserve and its baobab forest. Just 1 kilometer from the Mozambique Channel and near the picturesque village of Ifaty-Mangily, the Reniala Reserve is home to an amazing, strange, and unique ecosystem found only in southern Madagascar: the spiny forest. This particular forest forms part of the last remaining fragments of primary forest in the south. The imposing spiny shrubs are home to more than 2,000 plant species, many of them endemic, such as some spectacular baobabs (Adansonia rubrostipa), including a giant baobab 13 meters in diameter, which locals affectionately call "teapot" due to its appearance and which is said to be 1,500 years old. The reserve also boasts an entire family of endemic plants, the Didieraceae, as well as Pachypodium, Euphorbias, and others. We will take an approximately one-hour walk to observe these endemic trees of the island. Finally, arrival at the hotel and overnight stay. Dinner and overnight stay.

• Day 11: TULEAR - ANTANANARIVO

  Breakfast and free time until your transfer to Tulear Airport. Arrival in Antananarivo and transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay.

  Note: If the Tulear-Antananarivo flight arrives in the capital before 12:00 PM, a complimentary tour will be offered, consisting of a visit to the La Digue Handicraft Market, the largest handicraft market on the island and one of the largest markets in Africa, as well as a short visit to the city center, Soarano Station, and Independence Avenue. If the flight arrives between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM, only the visit to the La Digue Handicraft Market will be offered. If the flight arrives after 4:00 PM, the complimentary tour will not be available.

• Day 12: ANTANANARIVO

  Breakfast and transfer by regular service to Antananarivo International Airport.