Itinerary

• Day 1: CITY OF ORIGIN - ANTANANARIVO

  Scheduled flight departure to Madagascar. Overnight on board.

• Day 2: ANTANANARIVO

  Arrival at Antananarivo International Airport. After completing your visa formalities, our representative will be waiting for you at the airport exit to assist you with your transfer to the hotel. A brief briefing about the following day's stage will be given, along with informational materials and a welcome gift. The rest of the day is free. Overnight stay.

• Day 3: ANTANANARIVO - ANTSIRABE

  Breakfast and departure for Antsirabe through the Malagasy Highlands, amidst a landscape of terraced rice paddies, traveling along the famous RN7 highway and passing through the foie gras town of Behenjy, where you can sample various types of this exquisite delicacy (at an extra cost). Continue to Ambatolampy to learn about the unique artisanal production of the aluminum pots found in every Malagasy home. Arrive in Antsirabe, a thermal city thanks to the discovery of its sodium chloride-rich waters. The city was founded by Norwegian Lutheran missionaries at the end of the 19th century. Check-in at the hotel. Free time for lunch (not included). In the afternoon, enjoy a tour in a pousse-pousse (similar to Indian rickshaws) to explore the historic center of this city steeped in history. Visit to the Atsena Kely (small market), the Cathedral, the train station, the Notre Dame de la Salette Cathedral, as well as the numerous buildings from the French colonial era, such as the decadent Hôtel des Thermes, where King Mohammed V stayed during his exile in 1953. Dinner and overnight stay.

• Day 4: 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, masters of wood carving, declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The Zafimaniry, who have been woodworkers, 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 this material in all aspects of life and death. Located in the heart of the highlands, Ambositra is the cradle of the Betsileo ethnic group. We can visit various marquetry and silk workshops, or stroll through its streets and mingle with its diverse inhabitants. If we travel between July and September, we might encounter the famous "Famadihana," or return of the dead, in the highlands. However, to attend a "return of the dead," we must be invited, as it is a family celebration, not a tourist event. Should we receive an invitation, and if the schedule allows, we would attend only briefly so as not to intrude on the family's privacy during the celebration. After lunch (not included), we will continue to Ranomafana National Park. Arrival at the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay.

• Day 5: RANOMAFANA - SAHAMBAVY NATIONAL PARK

  Early breakfast followed by a hike through part of Ranomafana National Park. During this approximately four-hour trek, we'll search for lemurs such as the Edward's lemur (Propithecus edwardsi), the gray-headed lemur (Hapalemur griseus ranomafanensis), and the variegata (Varecia variegata), among the 12 different lemur species that inhabit the rainforest teeming with tree ferns, wild orchids, and pandanus trees. Ranomafana is nature in its purest form. The park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the Antsinanana Rainforests, which comprises six national parks stretching along the island's eastern coast. We'll make a brief stop to enjoy a panoramic view of the waterfall on the Namorona River, before continuing to the rural village of Sahambavy, where we'll stroll through the island's only tea plantations. Free time for lunch (not included). We will learn firsthand about the production process and taste the two varieties of tea produced in the area. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel next to the plantation and overlooking Lake Sahambavy.

• Day 6: SAHAMBAVY - FIANARANTSOA - AMBALAVAO - ANJA RESERVE - ISALO

  Breakfast and very early departure for Ranohira. Stroll through the "old town" of Fianarantsoa and enjoy panoramic views 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). Afterward, 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, with its desert landscapes and settlements scattered across the landscape. Arrival at the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay.

• Day 7: ISALO NATIONAL PARK

  Breakfast and visit to Isalo National Park (easy-moderate level). The tour will take us to the Waterfall of the Nymphs, the Blue Pool, and the Black Pool in Namaza Canyon (picnic lunch not included). This is the most visited park on the island, with deep canyons where water flows in the form of streams, Bara tombs, and caves where the Portuguese and Arabs hid. It is a living testament to the history of Madagascar, home to several species of lemurs such as the red-fronted lemur (Eulemur fulvus), the rufous-fronted lemur (Eulemur rufifrons), and the Verreaux's lemur (Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi), among others, as well as the endemic Bismarckia nobilis palm, aloes, and pachypodiums. We will visit the village of the semi-nomadic Bara herders of Antabara in Ikazandreno and enjoy the spectacular sunset from the "window of Isalo." Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

• Day 8: ISALO - RENIALA RESERVE - TULEAR - IFATY

  Early breakfast and departure south, observing along the way the famous Mahafaly tombs, stone graves with sculpted funerary stelae or paintings of animals, couples, and scenes of daily life, almost always covered with zebu skulls and horns. During the journey, you will also have the opportunity to photograph the first baobabs of southern Madagascar. Free time for lunch (not included) at the Auberge de la Table. Afterward, you can see the unique Tropic of Capricorn Monument, a work by the Belgian artist Bruno Decorte, who resides in Tuléar. We will be at the exact spot where the imaginary curved line of the Tropic of Capricorn crosses, and we will be presented with a certificate acknowledging our passage along one of the great parallels of the planet. Continue to the Reniala Reserve for an approximately one-hour walking tour of its beautiful baobab forest. In every corner of the Reniala Reserve, nature unfolds in its fullest expression, offering a visual and emotional spectacle that is impossible to forget. Finally, arrival at the hotel on Ifaty or Madiorano beach. Dinner and overnight stay.

• Day 9: TULEAR - ANTANANARIVO

  Breakfast and free time until your transfer to Tulear Airport. Arrival at Antananarivo Airport 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 10: ANTANANARIVO

  Breakfast and transfer by regular service to Antananarivo International Airport.

  Flight from Antananarivo airport to your hometown.

• Day 11: CITY OF ORIGIN

  Arrival in the city of origin and end of the trip.