Madagascar is a microcontinent of superlatives. The flora and fauna found here are 90% endemic, which means that the animals and plants found here only occur in Madagascar. Many of Madagascar’s animals are threatened with extinction and thus literally the last of their kind.
On this luxury safari, you will visit the legendary Baobab Alley and Madagascar’s largest predator in the dry forests of western Madagascar, before also getting to know the other side, the rainforests of the east coast. With plenty of time for nature in our luggage, we observe the largest and smallest lemurs in the world, investigate the shortest-lived chameleon on earth and follow the tracks of the fossa. In the evenings, you will enjoy fantastic menus accompanied by Madagascar’s most beautiful sunsets and cool off in the pool or directly on the white dream beach in tropical temperatures. A fantastic journey with countless unforgettable encounters. The finest hotels/lodges and an intensive nature experience combined into a unique trip that no one else but TANALAHORIZON offers in Madagascar.
Day 1: Arrival in Antananarivo
Overnight stay in Relais de Plateaux
Welcome to Madagascar! Arriving at the airport of the capital Antananarivo, you will be welcomed by our team. We will take you to your authentic Madagascan luxury hotel. After your long journey, you can relax with a massage in the spa or by the pool and let the first day in the tropics take its toll on you.
Day 2: Antananarivo – Antsirabe
Overnight stay in Couleur Café
After breakfast, our vehicles take us on a 170-kilometre tranquil drive through the southern highlands with their characteristic rice terraces. We spend the night in Antsirabe, the city of gemstones and thermal springs.
Day 3: Antsirabe – Morondava
Overnight stay in Laguna Beach Hotel
Today we drive through the western savannahs of Madagascar to the coastal town of Morondava. Around noon we stop in Miandrivazo. On our way we visit a gold prospecting site and see which fortune seekers are making big or small finds today. In the early evening, the first baobabs appear on the horizon. In our luxurious hotel right by the sea we enjoy a delicious dinner.
Day 4: Morondava – Kirindy
Overnight stay in Relais de Kirindy
After breakfast, we take a leisurely drive to the nearby Baobab Avenue. We have plenty of time to photograph the majestic trees. At noon we arrive at our beautiful luxury lodge near the Kirindy forest. A quick dip in the pool, then we head into the dry forest for our first safari on the trail of the fossa.
Day 5: Kirindy
Overnight stay in Relais de Kirindy
Early in the morning, we visit the Kirindy forest. Eight different species of lemurs and about 50 different reptiles are waiting to be discovered by us and our local guide. Larval sifakas and red-fronted lemurs are the most trusting lemurs in the reserve. But Madame Berthes’ mouse lemur, the smallest lemur in the world, is also at home here. Each day in Kirindy we dedicate our safari to a different animal group so that we have plenty of time for observation and photography.
Day 6: Kirindy
Overnight stay in Relais de Kirindy
Cryptoprocta ferox… doesn’t tell you anything? That’s just the scientific name of the fossa, Madagascar’s largest predator. Today, too, we head into the forest early to encounter these shy hunters. November is the fossa’s mating season – by the way, their sex can last up to three hours, which is unique in the animal kingdom. Furthermore, fossas are cathemeral, which means neither strictly nocturnal nor diurnal – they are awake when it suits them. After a day full of observations, we relax with a sunset cocktail back at the lodge.
Day 7: Kirindy
Overnight stay in Relais de Kirindy
The early bird catches the worm! Today we start early with the sunrise to go in search of Kirindy’s special feathered friends. The short-legged stilt rail is one of the rarest birds in Madagascar and is one of our stars today. Sharp-crested and Giant Silky Cuckoos as well as Madagascar Goshawks are also among your subjects today. We spend the afternoon at our lodge by the pool. After dinner we head back into the forest to encounter the whimsical kangaroo rat, forked striped maki and many other nocturnal forest spirits.
Day 8: Kirindy – Morondava
Overnight stay in Laguna Beach Hotel
Today you can sleep in before heading back to Morondava. In the late afternoon, just in time for sunset, we find ourselves on the famous Baobab Avenue. It is always worthwhile to linger a little longer here, as the most beautiful colours in the sky only appear after sunset.
Day 9: Morondava
Overnight stay in Laguna Beach
Today we go to Baobab Avenue before sunrise. Some of the huge trees are illuminated and make a fabulous motif against Madagascar’s starry sky. The sunrise also shines in many pastel colours. After breakfast, which this time is taken at the side of the road, we go to a small forest called Zazamalala, which is part of a private reforestation project.
Day 10: Morondava – Antsirabe
Overnight stay in Couleur Café
Today we reach the highlands of Madagascar again with our vehicles. Although the route is the same, there are completely different views and photo motifs in this direction. This is especially noticeable when we are close to our destination and can photograph the typical architecture of this country in the rich orange of the sunset.
Day 11: Antsirabe – Andasibe
Overnight stay in Vakona Forest Lodge
After breakfast, we drive the winding RN2 towards the rainforests of Andasibe. In the late afternoon we reach the small town, home of the famous Indris, and explore our luxury lodge right next to the rainforest.
Day 12: Andasibe
Overnight stay in Vakona Forest Lodge
Analamazaotra is home to Madagascar’s largest lemur. Its shrill calls can be heard from several kilometres away. Besides the indri, there are also diadem sifakas, black-headed macaws and a huge potpourri of exciting amphibians and reptiles. Here it is time to screw the macro lens onto the camera. In the evening we go on a night safari in the V.O.I.M.M.A. Community Park to experience Andasibe from its completely different side.
Day 13: Andasibe
Overnight stay in Vakona Forest Lodge
Today we have a little adventure on the programme: we visit the Vohimana Reserve. The access is a bit adventurous, but the animals found here are very special and particular. The largest chameleon on earth and the Pinocchio chameleon can be found here. With a bit of luck you will discover the helmeted vanga, which looks a bit like the South American toucans. In the afternoon, we can take portraits of these cute semi-monkeys on the hotel’s own lemur island.
Day 14: Andasibe – Manambato – Akanin’ny Nofy
Overnight stay in Hotel Palmarium
Today we will travel further east to the Lake of the Kings. At the beach you will board our motorboat that will take you 28 km along the famous Canal des Pangalanes to our next destination. Akanin’ny Nofy means “the nest of dreams” – and that’s exactly what it is! Heavenly bungalows between lake and rainforest welcome us.
Day 15: Akanin’ny Nofy
Overnight stay in Hotel Palmarium
Already at the delicious breakfast you better have your camera with you, because many a little lemur hand is fishing for tasty bananas, pineapples and the other luscious delicacies on the table. Today’s safari is all about the animals: you get to know a family of indris up close and make friends with the black and white varis. Comfortable trails, friendly Madagascans, tons of animals and delicious food make this place a real paradise.
Day 16: Akanin’ny Nofy
Overnight stay in Hotel Palmarium
We head to the nearby coast before sunrise today. The local fishermen are just setting out on their perilous dugout canoe trip through the high surf of the Indian Ocean. After this spectacular photo session, we head for breakfast. Our second safari of the day again focuses on chameleons, geckos and lemurs of the rainforest. In the evening we take you by boat to a small island, and here in the darkness we can encounter the strangest of all lemurs – the fingered animal or aye-aye.
Day 17: Vohibola
Oevrnight stay in Hotel Palmarium
In the morning we go to a small, relatively unknown protected area called Vohibola. It lies between the Indian Ocean and Lake Ampitabe and is home to rare amphibians and reptiles, including a small chameleon named after the place. The afternoon is at your leisure: Swim in the lake, take more photos or sift through the pictures taken so far over a cold beer. In the evening, we can take pictures of the starry sky from the jetty and thus slowly bring a perfect Madagascar photo trip to an end.
Day 18: Akanin’ny Nofy – Andasibe
Overnight stay in Hotel Feon’ny Ala
Today we say goodbye to the many lemurs and drive back towards the capital Antananarivo. We will spend the night in Andasibe and in the evening we can make a small excursion to the edge of the rainforest. Here you can find lots of frogs, sleeping chameleons and the odd mouse and tufted-eared lemur.
Day 19: Andasibe – Antananarivo
On the last morning of the trip, we are woken up by the songs of the Indris and can take a last wistful look at the rainforest during breakfast. Afterwards, we return to the capital. We quickly buy spices and souvenirs, have a last dinner and then it’s time to say goodbye. And that will certainly be hard for you!
Base price per person in a double room 6250,- €
Single room supplement 740,- €
Flights are not included in the tour price.
Tour itinerary
The last of their kind
This trip first takes you to the hot west of Madagascar and all the way to the sea, to Morondava. There, the famous Baobab Avenue and the fantastic dry forest of Kirindy are waiting to be discovered. Then it’s back to Antananarivo via Miandrivazo and Antsirabe between luminous rice terraces. The east coast of Madagascar is rich in fascinating inhabitants, above all the indris and diademsifakas. The journey ends in a private retreat at Lake Ampitabe, where black and white varis greet us at breakfast. The journey “once from west to east through Madagascar” shows the whole range of biodiversity – the last of their kind!
Travel period
This luxury safari is particularly suitable in October and November, as this is the fossa’s mating season. This is when observations of the fossa in Kirindy are most impressive. At the same time, the young lemurs are just old enough during this period to be able to observe them on their first independent excursions. In principle, however, the trip can be done all year round.
Can it be a group trip?
“Group travel, that’s such coffee trips with strange strangers!” That’s probably exactly what many travellers think of as group travel. We at Tanalahorizon would like to prove to you that it is also possible to do something completely different than “all-inclusive and boring”! On every group tour, we only bring together hand-picked guests who have similar interests and are just as close to nature and open to new things as we are. A sense of humour and good humour quickly bring our small groups of a maximum of ten people – on luxury safaris even only six people – together. We help and support each other in exploring the red island, in getting to know foreign cultures and in searching for animals. Many eyes see more than two! For us, travelling in small groups is the most fun and we look forward to seeing old familiar faces and meeting new ones every year. On Madagascar, we have already made many lifelong friends
Or would you prefer something of your own?
Would you prefer to travel to Madagascar alone or as a couple? You already have a circle of friends with whom you travel, but you don’t know your way around Madagascar? Then we have just the thing for you! With individually planned trips, you can experience your dream trip together only with your family, friends or partner. We offer you our best guides, experienced drivers as well as the entire planning and organisation of your entire trip as a complete package (without flights) on Madagascar. We are only limited by the local conditions, which we have known for 27 years. Let us create your perfect Madagascar dream trip together – with heart, mind and the right feeling for the country and its people on the eighth continent.
What makes this trip special?
This luxury trip combines extra time to photograph and experience nature with extra luxurious accommodation. Nature during the day and relaxing by the pool with a cocktail in your hand in the evening – your dream holiday in Madagascar can look exactly like this! You will also experience the following highlights on the trip:
Reserve Kirindy with red-fronted lemurs and Verreaux’ sifakas
Watching the Fossa mating
Photography at Baobab Alley
Night safari to kangaroo rat and Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur
Night walk in Andasibe
Indri and Chameleon Game Walk in Analamazaotra
Boat trip on Canal des Pangalanes
Day excursion in Vohibola Reserve
Night expedition in search of Aye-Ayes
Safari to the Indris and other Lemurs
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