Tongasoa aty Madagasikara! Dear friends, welcome to Madagascar! We will do our very best to make your trip in Madagascar unforgettable! Our bureau's team will be at the airport to welcome you from your international flight. Your special tour will begin in Antananarivo, where we will go by car, but before getting to a hotel we will visit the Ivato crocodile farm, also called “Croc Farm”. Spanning three hectares, this lush green oasis is ideal for you to relax, we know that having an international flight is tiring.

Afterwards, we will go by car to your nice hotel, where a prepared-room with a comfortable bed will be available for you to have a rest. Discover the City of a Thousand as you are taken to hotel where you will stay overnight. And in the evening after dinner, over a cocktail we discuss our program.

From the first day to the last day our experienced and professional guide and the driver will be next to you, they are near to make sure you have everything you need, so don’t worry about it. Tomorrow we are leaving the capital city.

During the course of the morning you travel to Tsarasaotra which means bird‘s island, a small green oasis in the north of the city. The park is a refuge for many birds that can be easily watched and photographed here – among them 14 endangered species that only occur in Madagascar.

After visiting Tsarasaotra Park, we will drive along a scenic road to Andasibe, base for discovering the Mantadia National Park, a journey of about 4 hours. Here the adventure really starts. You will notice that the landscape changes. The road in comparison to many Malagasy roads is in excellent condition but with many uphills and downhills, many curves. In general, it is a beautiful landscape, composed of small villages, rice paddies, tropical plants and forest.

En-route we will stop at a farm specializing in Madagascan reptiles and butterflies, before arriving at our lodge. You visit the exotic farming centre of Mr. Pereyras, Marozevo, where you will see chameleon species of Madagascar, butterflies, lizards, snakes and other interesting animals.

We arrive just after noon in time to stroll around the private reserve – Lemur island with the opportunity to get close to lemurs as they are known to jump on your shoulder to get a closer look!

Early in the morning you'll wake up in the Andasibe to the characteristic cry of the indri. The sound carries for kilometers, and is intended to delineate their territory. Sometimes you hear ten different families, some distant, others nearby.

We just after early breakfast, take an half day trip to visit the reserve of indri or, better known as the Analamazaotra Special Reserve (Perinet), during which, you will certainly start to see the various species, including the Indri, the largest of the species of lemurs. You’ll see them jumping from tree to tree with incredible agility despite their size and above all, you’ll hear them scream. Our guides help you to find the indri and almost always they'll find a family of them. Also 'Woolly Lemurs' and 'Brown Lemurs' are frequently seen. Furthermore there are chameleons, various very special frogs and many species of birds including Couas. The tour will largely be along well-trodden paths, but to see lemurs you will occasionally need to leave the path and embark on a little scrambling and climbing.

In the afternoon, we will head off on the next part of the adventure. We’ll spend the time visiting the great park of Mantadia, few kilometers north of where we are staying. We will do a circuit of about 4 hours, to meet groups of lemurs as the Indri, the Diadem sifaka and the Bamboo lemur. This circuit is also very spectacular for its landscapes we’ll see waterfalls and rivers surrounded by strikingly beautiful tropical plants. The path is pretty good, but with some hills.

When we return to your hotel, enjoy the view. Discover the beauty of your hotel before dinner!

Before breakfast, just a snacking, we get a visit to the lovely private reserve of Vakona lodge known as the "Island of lemurs" to take part in their feeding and to meet some of the friendliest primates of the island. You'll be keen to experience this unique activity! The lemurs - brown, ruffled, dancing, lemurs galore - they will want our bananas and they will be willing to do whatever it takes to get them. Including jumping on our heads, shoulders, arms, and gouging our eyes out. Get ready! - many lemurs will be intent on boarding a canoe! Lemurs pirates!

After a leisurely breakfast we leave the rain forest of Andasibe and continue east for about 2 hours to the small village of Manambato - the point at which we join the Pangalanes Canal. After about a 1hr cruise along this intriguing canal with its many little villages and masses of different water plants, we arrive at Akanin'ny Nofy (The nest of dreams) and the Palmarium Hotel.

After light refreshments and some entertainment from the resident Lemur family you have the balance of the day free for you to enjoy at your leisure either exploring the area or just relaxing. In this reserve, you can really leave all your cares behind! Soon you forget all your daily life sorrows trying tasty Malagasy food and self-made rum. You can take a sunbath on the beach, let your feet dangle from the boat stage or enjoy swimming in the warm water of Lake Ampitabe.

We will have a night program the Aye Aye walking.

An early start at 6.30 am is called for, either breakfast first or a 2 hour walk seeing and interacting with various lemurs, including the largest Indri Lemur, plus various exotic birds and rare plants in the forest, and breakfast on your return.

Afterwards, together with our guide, you may also explore the lowland rainforest via simple paths. All paths inside the reserve are quite flat and easy to walk. From the viewpoint you have a great view over the reserve, the lake with crocodile and lake Ampitabe. For years, Akanin’ny Nofy (Palmarium) has been famous for its many very tame lemurs. Ten species of lemurs live in freedom in the reserve, as well as reptiles, amphibians and crocodiles.

In the afternoon we visit by a boat a fishing village located between the ocean and the Pangalanes Canal. It is a relaxing moment alongside the local fishermen. The scenery is guaranteed, you will enjoy visiting, the swim and picnic with fresh seafood on the white sand of the Indian Ocean beach.

In the evening there is often a local band at the hotel bar, where you can relax and enjoy the Malagasy music, and lemurs will spy around the restaurant.

At around 9 am you board your speed boat again to continue northwards along the Pangalanes Canal to Tamatave approx. 3 hours. Along the route our boatman will give you the opportunity to visit a fishing village and interact with the fishing folk. Further along as you get closer to Tamatave you will see more and more fishermen tendering their fish traps in their dugout canoes as the village children wave you by. Bamboo rafts are used to transport various small goods up and down the canal as well as large canoes and some motor vessels. On arriving at Tamatave, the main port of Madagascar, you transfer to the hotel.

Toamasina is comfortably located between the Bay Ivondro and the immense beach along the bay and the Indian Ocean. Its colonial past resurfaces through wide boulevards with ancient colonnaded buildings straight stand side by side. For travellers, it’s a pleasant place, with long, wide avenues lined with flamboyants and palm trees, a seaside promenade and a good selection of restaurants.

After lunch, either on foot or by pousse-velo (tricycle), excursion to learn about the history of Toamasina and its sights, as well as about a cheerful night life of the city. There are excellent restaurants and bars, of course, we will also pay a visit to the waterfront and get barbecue. Must-see is Tamatave clubbers. They have done on the dancefloor the fame of the nights of Tamatave for years. Place your bets! The Casino welcomes you every evening in a cozy atmosphere.

Do you want to relax a bit and be closer to the ocean? Today we have Relaxing visit: Ile aux Prunes (Plum Island). Tamatave's best-kept secret and little paradise! A one-day trip to the uninhabited island some way offshore from Toamasina, to relax, to swim or snorkel, underwater life here is superb, a mask and a tuba will help you to approach closely the wonderful ocean wildlife and bathing is also safe, since the coral barrier keeps the sharks away. You can also walk through the island`s forests to climb the lighthouse, to see the Flying Fox, and maybe the whales.

Today we are starting an exciting adventure from your hotel in the city of Toamasina. To relax from our escapades on the East coast of Madagascar, enjoy the tranquility and charm of the seaside resort of Mahambo. This fishing village has kept its authenticity.

We now get the opportunity to relax looking out onto the azure blue seas of the Indian Ocean... This place deserves to have you stay here as long as possible. Mahambo is an extremely small paradise preserved, hemmed with huge almost virgin beaches and coves but easily accessible. There are many recreational sports including surfing in the company of fishermen and their sailing canoes. It’s an ideal place to relax in peace.

For restless ones among you, why not to take advantage of the rolling waves and thrill of surfing (if you are not already a surfer, this is a memorable place to learn). Mahambo is a small coastal town and is still a relatively new destination on the East Coast.  After the opening of the first school of Surf, this small town has become a destination for surfers.

Or why not try your hand at sea kayaking? Whilst in Mahambo, you will be able to enjoy your time at your leisure. In the evenings you will be able to enjoy fresh seafood and cold beers in one of the local restaurants. Wherever you go, you will receive the warmest greetings from the residents of Mahambo. The tranquility is the main mode of the village but does get interrupted by a village party. A guitar will be playing somewhere most of the nights as song, beer and rum are part of what the locals call “The good, easy life in Mahambo”.

This morning, we drive to the small harbor town Soanirana Ivongo, where we will shop the groceries and drinks for the next days. We take the National Road, which is an entire show.

RN5a starts or better to say: what is left from RN5a. You really cannot call it a street, not even a road. When we leave the asphalt road at “Soanirana Ivongo” on the first ferry of RN5, we will get the experience of real dirt track! So hard to believe that it can still be called “National Road”… when the hourly average is close to 10 km/hour. We can observe the daily life of residents during a trip on three ferries, moving in perfect disorganization.

This track dominates beautiful sea shores, gets lost on beaches, and allows you to cross (by means of ferries) rivers and mouthpieces to reach places simply magical and populated with many birds.

After lunch we will have a walk to The ADEFA protected area of Manompana and bathe in the waterfall. An hour chaotic trail will lead to the forest where we will walk and discover the biodiversity of the reserve managed by the Ambodiriana ADEFA (Association of Defense of the Forest Ambodiriana). We will go up the Manompana river in the canoe through the mangroves to discover the flora and fauna typical of the region.

It’s gonna get wild!  On the way, we have to cross several rivers on rickety wooden bridges and improvised ferries. For some of those “ferries”, we have to bring our own gasoline… Time and time again, we will have to push our cars manually out of the mud together. Of course you’re on the road with well-equipped 4×4.

Antanambe - it is the door in the untouched and secluded world of Mananara-Nord Biosphere Reserve. The Mananara park is classified as "Biosphere Reserve, by UNESCO".

Today we will make the hike for one-day in the Mananara-Nord National Park. You can choose: The circuits established are longer than in other National Parks and take almost the whole day. The Verezanantsoro and the Ivontaka circuits are 15 to 20 km trails going up through the tropical forest and some vanilla and clove plantations looking for lemurs, birds and reptiles.

This day will be fully devoted to the discovery of Mananara-Nord Biosphere Reserve. The unusual tranquility and beautiful scenery, where numerous lemurs live, invite you to explore the forest. You will also see a multitude of birds, reptiles, and batrachians which live together in a rich vegetation.

If paradise exists, it must not be very far from these enchanting landscapes of Madagascar! The particularity of the North Mananara Biosphere Reserve is to be composed of a lowland wet forest and a coral reef. On the land side, well-equipped paths lead to the encounter of a fauna and flora of an extreme biodiversity. The rocky coasts present their collection of living corals, all immersed in translucent waters where abounding “coral browsers” fishes.

Mananara Nord shelters a remarkable variety of fauna. Small mammals are especially well represented: 17 rodents and 13 lemur species live in these humid forests, such as aye-aye, eastern woolly lemur, brown mouse lemur and the biggest of all lemurs, the indri indri. The indri in this reserve are much darker than the other groups living further south, making spotting them a little bit easier and extremely fascinating.

Mananara Nord is also home to 77 bird species: including Red-tailed Vanga, Helmet Vanga and Madagascar Kestrel, as well as 21 reptiles and 8 amphibian species. The flora is also exceptionally diverse, as more than 1200 different plants have been recorded. Palm trees (47 species) and tropical flowers including some local endemic orchids are representative of this magnificent forest.

After a night in Antanambe, it’s time to enjoy marine nature. Today we reach by motor boat to the island “Nosy Antafana”, an island of dreams in the Indian Ocean, that locates the marine park of the same name.

Nosy Antafana which is a marine national park is far and the most beautiful thing you will ever see. Untouched coral reefs, mangroves, giant fruit bats, and sea grasses where dugongs and sea turtles frequently visit are among the draws of this place.

Relax, snorkel or watch animals, you will soon forget all the efforts that brought you here.

Time to drive RN5a again! After 30 km through mud and sand, we arrive in Mananara Avaratra. The portion between Antanambe and Mananara is the most terrible of all. We plan at least 3 hours to complete the miserable 30 kilometres.

After lunch, we will take the boat trip on the Mananara River. Transportation in the area makes extensive use of the river, and the river is a tourist attraction in its own right. We will admire the plantations and villages from our boat. Due to its humid tropical climate, the Mananara region is conducive to the cultivation of exotic fruits, but also spices and aromatic plants. As in many areas of the East Coast, the majority of the population gives themselves to the cultivation of vanilla, cloves, lychees, papayas, pepper, and sugar cane... The life of the inhabitants agrees with the seasons of cultures. You will appreciate the walks in these plantations where you will meet the population in their daily activities. Some plantations mix with forests and offer an exceptional landscape, especially during the harvest period.

At sunset we cross over to the island of the Aye-aye, where we hope to experience these bizarre creatures of the night.

This morning leads us along the “Malagasy Riviera”. Here the trail goes too low, putting, even dangerous. We leave the 4×4 for a comfortable and fun boat trip on our “dhow” equipped with an engine “inboard” 130 hp.

The island of Nosy Mangabe located at the bottom of the bay Antongil is a treasure of intact biodiversity lemurs, uroplatus, birds… The island is part of Masoala National Park and an untouched paradise. We will make a tour over the island and at the end of the day we will be camping.

We will camp here for two days, the golden beach at our feet and the rainforest at the back. Dinner will be prepared by our team.

Nosy Mangabe: the best place to see black and white ruffed lemurs, the Greater Dwarf Lemur, and the Mouse lemur. Small mouse lemurs can be watched even directly on the campground in the evening. Dolphins and sea turtles can also be found in the bay around the island.

Nosy Mangabe is word for word a real paradise – not only for lemur and reptile friends. Aside from the hiking, you can spend some time just relaxing on the golden-coloured beach under trees at the sea and swimming just a few meters away from the rainforest. It’s an idyllic spot. If that doesn’t bring out the Robinson Crusoe in you, check your pulse.

When you will have your quiet time, close your eyes. Take a deep breath. You are now in Madagascar, and everything you saw was authentic reality!

After breakfast, we will leave Nosy Mangabe and we will again sink into our boat and make a trip to Farankaraina Tropical Park.

The park covers an area of 1,650ha forest and is home to the Aye-aye and other rarest lemur species. The park has set up four tracks for visitors to explore the nature of the park. Track A (4.1km) leads from the encampment to Vohilingoza's Beach. Track B (2km) follows the Farankaraina River in the north-east direction. Track C (1.2km) also follows the Farankaraina River, but on the other side and towards the north. Track D (1.5km) starts as Track C and continues direction east.

After relaxing on the beautiful beach, about 19-00 we will begin a night expedition in search of famous Aye-Aye, Brown mouse Lemurs, Sportive lemurs, snakes.

Today we explore this park in search of day lemurs, birds, frogs, geckos, chameleons. It is a very rewarding walk because we are enjoying our direct contact with the nature that warms us in the north-eastern part of the island. You will notice that the place where we stay is like paradise on earth.

Of course, swimming, the beach and cocktails will be in the program of the day.

Closer to the evening, we'll head to Maroantsetra. A pleasant boat trip through the Antongil bay will await you. We will see the beautiful island of Nosy Mangabe, it is a good opportunity to make panoramic photos.

Today you will proceed to your transfer to the airport and prepare yourself for a safe flight to Antananarivo. Transfer in your hotel in Tana.

Excursion "Tana-city" and Goodbye-dinner in the cozy atmosphere of the Le Restaurant «La Varangue».

We also can make a visit to the Chocolaterie Robert factory and Chocolatière boutique. Chocolaterie Robert is a traditional cocoa producer and chocolate maker using Trinitario and Criollo cocoa beans organically grown in the Sambirano region (Ambanja). The result is an irresistible range of pralines and chocolate bars made by ancient recipes containing only natural Malagasy ingredients. Prize-winner "GOLDEN BEAN AWARD 2017".

Alternatively, we can make visit The PALA. The "PALA jewelers" is a gem trader with a reputation for its premium quality gemstones and handcrafted jewelry design. Established in 1922, PALA is one of the original gem traders of Indian heritage to have settled on Madagascar. Today, the PALA Group is in its third generation of business.

Today your tour ends. A transfer back to the airport Ivato. We wish you a comfortable journey home and are sure you will take with you some wonderful memories of Madagascar. Experienced travellers are used to goodbyes, but that doesn't mean they get any easier. When the time comes to depart the wonderful Madagascar, we wouldn't be surprised if you were already planning a return trip!