Madagascar Tour of the East

Upon arrival at Ivato International Airport you will be met by our Ground Handler, KoloTours Mada, and their English-speaking driver-guide. Antananarivo was founded around the years 1610-1620 by King Andrianjaka, where he has decided to build his Rova (Palace) in the highest hill in the city. He assigned 1,000 men in arms to protect it and the city takes its name “the City of the Thousands”. Transfer to your hotel as you get ready to begin your Madagascar adventure.

After breakfast, your driver and guide will collect you from your hotel and you start the journey by road to Andasibe, a stunning rainforest park, about 5 hours’ drive from the city. The journey to Andasibe offers first time travelers to Madagascar a gentle introduction to rural life with rice fields, redbrick houses and roadside stalls selling seasonal fruits and vegetables lining the route. The Park consists of two protected areas, the Périnet Analamazaotra and Mantadia National Parks. These are world famous for their population of Indri lemurs, which is the largest living lemur species. A night walk will be organized in late afternoon in the forest surrounding the reserve with a local guide. You will see a variety of nocturnal lemurs: mouse lemurs, white footed sportive lemur, fat-tailed dwarf lemur, as well as the woolly lemur.

Today, you will head to Mantadia National Park (~ 1-hour 30mn). Analamazaotra or Perinet is Madagascar’s most accessible rainforest park. It is famous for the Indri, a lemur that sings like a whale but looks like a cross between a human and a panda. The species is readily seen—and heard—in Perinet and in the adjacent community forest run by Mitsinjo. Perinet is also known for its biodiversity of other lemur species, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Excellent guides are available in both the park and Mitsinjo. Description: The park consists of two protected areas, the special Reserve of Indri d’ Analamazaotra and the National park of Mantadia. Analamazaotra, better known as Perinet, is world famous for its population of Indri lemurs which are the largest living lemur. There are a couple habituated groups of Indri found within easy walking distance of the park entrance and seeing this lemur is almost a sure thing for visitors willing to walk a couple of miles on the park’s maintained trails. Anyone within a mile of the park is sure to hear the haunting call of the indri in the morning from day break to around noon and then again in the late afternoon. More advanced trails can be hiked in the nearby park of Mantadia where you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of diademed sifaka and black and white ruffed lemurs. Both Perinet and Mantadia are exceptionally rich in frogs and reptiles. FAUNA Birds: 112 Reptiles: 51 Frogs: 84 Mammals: 31 Lemurs: 14 Lemur species: Additional notes: Just opposite of the entrance to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is a local initiative by Association Mitsinjo who manages the Analamazaotra Forest Station. Here’s what Rainer Dolch had to say: “Their forest is in an excellent state, you see indri (one group of which has been habituated by an extraordinary guy called Joseph), and it seems you have a much better chance to see Uroplatus and Parsons chameleon in the Mitsinjo forest than in the national park. Also, Mitsinjo are the only guides that offer night walks in the forest (and not the usual walk along the road that most Andasibe visitors are used to). Tours to the Mitsinjo forest are cheaper than tours in the national park, and your money will be used for community projects in agriculture and health for the people living around the forest managed by the association.” Look for some of the lemur species in this stunning park including the Indri-indri, diademed sifaka, grey bamboo lemur, red-bellied lemur and white ruffed lemur. While the trails are slightly more difficult, the rewards are great as the forest is taller, wilder and less crowded than Périnet. There is an abundance of birds including the scaly ground roller, the pitta-like ground roller and the breasted coua. This is a naturalist’s goldmine with many seldom seen species of mammals, reptiles and birds. Enjoy your lunch by the Rianasoa Waterfall before hiking back to the vehicle and back to the lodge. Have an afternoon walk into the VOI reserve, a private park run by local villagers. A few species of lemurs can be seen there, such as Indri-indri, brown lemurs and diademed sifaka, as well as chameleons and birds. Another night walk will be organized in late afternoon.

After an early breakfast you have a quick visit to  Mitsinjo Forest Reserve. This is a private reserve operated by local NGO Mitsinjo. The NGO funds reforestation, community education and sensitization to conservation issues as well as running Madagascar’s first amphibian captive-breeding facility. Here you will see a stunning array of wildlife and can also plant an indigenous species along the reforestation trail. Begin your journey by road to Manambato, located on the shores of Lake Rasoabe, named after the first wife of the giant Darafify. Either enjoy the picnic lunch you ordered from the hotel OR have lunch at the little restaurant in Manambato. Lunch at own cost 2:00pm board your boat transfer. Arrive at to Akanin’ny Nofy, also known as “the Dream Nest”.

A quiet day devoted to visiting  the Palmarium private reserve, to explore at your own pace, where families of Indri, Coquerel’s sifaka, black lemurs, crowned lemurs, black and white ruffed lemurs and red lemurs, can be spotted easily as you can get very close to them. This provides excellent pictures opportunities. Around 5:30pm embark on a 15 minute boat trip to Aye Aye Island where you will go on a night walk in search of these illusive lemurs.

Depending on Tsaradia/Madagascar Airlines’ schedules, you will be transferred to the Tamatave Airport in time for your flight to Sainte Marie (depending on flight availability and flight schedules). You will receive a warm welcome by your hotel and enjoy a very unusual airport transfers.

An amazing tropical paradise, Sainte-Marie is an authentic island with its secluded beaches and small fishing villages with a traditional and secular lifestyle. The trails are numerous and the size of the island (60kms long and 5kms wide) allows to visit it smoothly on foot, by bicycle or even quad bike. Suggested activities and excursions: Day trip to Ile aux Nattes Visit the world’s only pirate cemetary Visit Coco Bay or go even further north to the natural pools for a day of relaxation. Visit Sand Island for some snorkeling and, if you are there between June and September, go for a whale watching boat trip. There is also good diving and fishing to be found.

Transfer back to Sainte Marie airport in time for your domestic flight back to Tana (depending on flight availability and flight schedules). You will be met again by the KoloTours Mada English-speaking driver-guide and transferred to your hotel.

Transfer back to the airport for your international flight back home.