MADAGASCAR: ANDASIBE + SOUTH BY ROAD
12 Days - Explore "Madagascar" including internal flight

ANTANANARIVO - ANDASIBE - ANTANANARIVO - ANTSIRABE - RANOMAFANA - FIANARANTSOA - RANOHIRA - IFATY - ANTANANARIVO

ANDASIBE: This tour offers you the opportunity to enjoy the Malagasy nature and its beauty. Andasibe reserve is the home if the largest lemurs named Indri Indri. SOUTH BY ROAD: This is the most popular tour of Madagascar because of its dramatic landscapes from the highlands through the hills and mountain, through the rain and dry forests, through the mountain ranges of Ankaratran and Andringitra and Isalo, ending by the savanna and the spiny bush of the Southern part of Madagascar. During the trip you will encounter different tribes and its culture of Madagascar.

ITINERARY & PRICES

DAY 1 ARRIVE ANTANANARIVO
Arrival in Antananarivo. Meeting and greeting at the airport, transfer to the hotel. Accommodation on bed and breakfast basis at the LES  3 METIS hotel or similar.

DAY 2 ANTANANARIVO – ANDASIBE. 150 kms - 5 hours with stops  (Drive)
After breakfast, drive eastward to Andasibe through the typical landscape of the highland and the eastern rainforest. On the way, stop at the Peyreiras reptiles farm for observing different endemic species of chameleons, lizards, geckoes, frogs. Arrival in Andasibe by the end of the morning. In the afternoon, visit of the Vakona private reserve including its small island for lemurs. Accommodation on half board basis at the ANDASIBE HOTEL or SAHATANDRA HOTEL or similar 2 nights. (B)

DAY 3  ANDASIBE : Analamazaotra Reserve
Breakfast at the hotel, then morning walk within the Anlamazaotra reserve for spotting the Indri Indri, which is the largest living lemur. Other lemur species might be spotted during the walk including the grey bamboo lemur, the common brown lemur as well as different endemic species of birds. Back to the hotel after the visit. Afternoon at leisure. Evening walk for spotting nocturnal species as the mouse lemurs, chameleons, frogs….. Overnight at the hotel. (B)

DAY 4 ANDASIBE - ANTANANARIVO - ANTSIRABE (Drive)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive back to Antananarivo. Then continuation to Antsirabe  through the mountains , the hills and the rice fields En route you will see many burial tombs some simple, others elaborate which play an important role in the local people and their fascination with the afterlife. Arrive at Antsirabe at the mid-afternoon. Short city tour and drive to the hotel. Accommodation on bed and breakfast basis at the CHAMBRE DU VOYAGEUR or similar. (B) 

DAY 5 ANTSIRABE – AMBOSITRA – RANOMAFANA  240 kms 8 hour driving with stops (Drive)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Ambositra the capital of the Malagasy handicrafts. Visit of different shops then continuation to Ambohimahasoa where you’ll have the opportunity to have a Malagasy dish accompanied by a folkloric entertainment. After lunch (at your charge, continuation to Ranomafana. Leave the highland and drive through the tropical rain forests. Late arrival at your hotel. Accommodation on bed and breakfast at the CENTREST HOTEL or similar. (B)

DAY 6 RANOMAFANA – FIANARANTSOA 56 kms - 2 hours driving (Drive)
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning visit of the forest. The forest of the Ranomafana National Park for spotting birds and lemurs. Three species of bamboo lemurs are found in this forest (grey bamboo lemur, golden bamboo lemur and the greater bamboo lemur) as well as other lemur species as the Milen’s edwards sifaka, the common brown lemur, the red bellied lemur. With chance you might spot as well some of the biggest chameleons in the island: The Parson’s chameleon. After the visit drive to Fianarantsoa. city tour of Fianarantsoa and drive to the hotel. Accommodation on bed and breakfast basis at ZOMATEL or similar. (B)

DAY 7 FIANARANTSOA – AMBALAVAO - RANOHIRA  290 kms – about 8 hour driving with stops (Drive)
Morning departure from Fianarantsoa for the very long days drive south wards, going down to the southern part. In Ambalavao there is an interesting factory making hand-made paper which is well worth visiting. It takes ten minutes or so to see the various processes at work and there is a small gift shop at which you can buy some of the products. A visit to a local vineyard will also be made. On Wednesday the zebu market is very interesting. Visit of the Anja villagers reserve where you can spot easily the ring-tailed lemur. In the afternoon the second part of the journey is over Ihosy to the wide Horombe grassland plains and on towards Ranohira. The scenery begins to change as you travel through the ‘Gateway to the South’ mountain and enter the attractive countryside of the Betsileo people where granite outcrops dominate the skyline. Here the village architecture also begins to change, from the single-storey ‘African-style’ house to the double-storey buildings of the central highlands where the people a more akin to those from south-east Asia than Africa. Accommodation on half board basis at the ISALO RANCH  or similar for 02nights. (B)

DAY 8 RANOHIRA
Early start for the drive through to nearby Isalo National Park. Collect a local guide at the park headquarters in Ranohira and walk up (90 min) to the natural swimming pool of the National park through the Tapia forest. For the nature lovers, they have the opportunity to learn about the endemic plants of Isalo: the aloes, the pachypodium or bottle plants. Stop at the natural swimming pool. Possibility to swim.  Possibility to continue the visit until Namaza site or drive back to the hotel and free at leisure.  Overnight at the hotel. (B)

DAY 9 RANOHIRA – TOLIARA – IFATY 5 hour driving 270 kms (Drive)
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Toliara through different villages of sapphire miners and the southern savannah and bushes. Along the way baobab trees, well painted tombs as well as typical villages of the southern tribes can be seen. Possibility for lunch in Toliara. In the afternoon, transfer to Ifaty fishermen’s village. Accommodation on half board basis at NAUTILUS HOTEL or similar for 02nights. (B)

DAY 10 IFATY
Day at leisure. Optional visit of the Reniala spiny and baoaba forest, or excursion by pirogue to visit the coral reef. Overnight at the hotel. (B)

DAY 11  IFATY – TOLIARA - ANTANANARIVO (Drive & Flight)
Breakfast at the hotel. At leisure until departure. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Antananarivo. Meet upon arrival, then shopping to the handcrafts market of the La Digue. Transfer to a hotel accommodation on bed and breakfast at the LES 3 METIS HOTEL. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 12 DEPART ANTANANARIVO
Breakfast and transfer to the airport. (B)

Single supplement is extra $505.00         

INCLUDED
-          Accommodation on bed and breakfast throughout the trip
-          entrance fees and local guide at the parks according to the itinerary
-          means of transportation and driver: 4x4 car for 2 -3 passengers / minivan from 4 to 6 passengers / a bus from 8 to 10 passengers.
-          English speaking driver for 2 -3 passengers traveling
-          Driver + English speaking private guide from 6 passengers (upward) traveling
-          1 bottle of mineral water per day per person during transfers
-          Any taxes
-          Internal flight - subject to change unless tickets are issued.

NOT INCLUDED
-          Lunches not stated in the itinerary
-          Dinners in Antananarivo
-          Drinks, tips and all personal expenses
-          Visa fee: $40.00 for a 30 day stay
-          international flights and airport taxes
-          any changes of itinerary for any reason