Experience Overview
Lemurs, wild landscapes, village culture, beaches — Madagascar might be an island but there’s nothing small about it. For those who like to get remote, this isolated island is packed with wildlife, landscapes, and people you’ll find nowhere else. And everybody loves lemurs! You’ll get to embrace local life and still have time to relax at the beach. Best of all, there’s always a local CEO (Chief Experience Officer) there to lead the way and provide a link to the unusual and extraordinary.
Highlights
- Search for lemurs and unique wildlife
- Learn about native flora and fauna in world-famous national parks
- Visit local artisan workshops
- Lounge on beautiful beaches
- Savour a traditional lunch in a highland village
Trip Details
Product Code: 1989
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Budget
Transport: Private vehicle, plane, walking.
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles: Budget
Tour Operator: G Adventures
Supplier Code: DMHM
Starts: Antananarivo, Madagascar
Finishes: Antananarivo, Madagascar
Duration: 14 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating: Average
Includes
Activities
- Your G for Good Moment: Soa Zara Tree Planting Project, Ranohira Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group Your Discover Moment: Ifaty
- Andasibe Indri Special Reserve guided walk
- Paper Factory Visit
- Anja Reserve walk
- Isalo National Park visit
- Walking Near Antsirabe
- Andasibe-Perinet National Park Guided Walk
- Free time in Ifaty
- Internal flight
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
Accommodation
- Simple hotels (13 nts).
- 1 lunch
Transport
- Private vehicle, plane, walking.
Group Leader
- CEO (Chief Experience Officer), driver throughout, local guides.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $3,959 ($283 /day)
Itinerary
Day 1: Antananarivo
Arrive at any time.
There are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting. If you arrive early, we recommend speaking with the hotel reception to learn more about available activities around the area.
Day 2: Antananarivo/Ifaty
Travel by private vehicle to the airport for your flight to Ifaty. Upon arrival there will be free time for optional activities in this gorgeous beach area. From diving and snorkelling, to quad biking and the well-known Spiny Forest, there are so many opportunities for adventure.
Continue on to Ifaty today via plane where you will get to relax and enjoy the breathtaking beaches of the Mozambican Channel.
While in Ifaty, opt to ride in a dugout canoe, visit the spiny forest reserve, go snorkelling or diving on the reef, or simply relax on the beach.
Day 3: Ifaty
Sit back for a full day of free time for optional activities in paradise. Opt for some hiking or hit the beach.
Day 4: Ifaty
Take advantage of one last free day in Ifaty and participate in one of the many area excursions. Perhaps try some diving off the coast in search of colourful life under the sea, or simply relax in the sand for one more awesome beach day.
Day 5: Ifaty/Ranohira
Drive through the desert landscape, viewing Mahafaly tombs and giant baobab trees en route from the beautiful Mozambican Channel beaches of Ifaty to Ranohira. In the afternoon, visit the G Adventures supported tree planting project which is creating a green corridor to protect the biodiversity of Isalo National Park.
Drive to Ranohira and through a landscape characterized by vast Savannah stretching to the horizon and lined by impressive mountain ranges crossing the centre of the sapphire region. According to experts of precious stones, this area is among the few places on Earth that is still rich in precious stones. On the way, you will also notice a number of Mahafaly tombs—belonging to a local tribe in Madagascar—they were built for chiefs and kings, and are covered in stones, sculptures, and horns. The more important the deceased, the more horns and statues the tomb is adorned with. As those tombs ares sacred sites, we will just be passing by, and photography is not/rarely permitted. While here, please follow the instructions of your CEO carefully.
Day 6: Ranohira
Spend the day exploring Isalo National park on foot. After a short trek in a small canyon, the group will take a break from the sun and stop at a fresh natural swimming pool. Then, continue walking to the "cascades", considered among the best waterfalls in Madagascar and boasting another large natural swimming pool. If you are lucky you may see sifaka, brown lemurs, or ring-tailed lemurs.
In the morning, pack a lunch to take into the park with you to eat during a picnic break later in the day - your CEO can help you arrange this. Between September and October (in the most arid zones), you can witness the pachypodium blooms.
Day 7: Ranohira/Ambalavao
Enjoy a scenic journey heading north. Stop along the way at Anja Park to observe the wildlife in a reserve managed by the local community with many historical and cultural ties.
As you travel to your next destination, stop for a visit of Anja Park and enjoy the area's wildlife. Continue enjoying the wonderful changes of landscape along the way to the pleasant rural town of Ambalavao.
Visit a little paper factory where the locals will share their traditional methods of producing this unique, hand-made paper.
If time allows, opt to visit a silk factory in town and learn about the local way of making fabric or clothing from silk, and the process of dyeing it with natural dyes.
Day 8: Ambalavao/Ranomafana
Travel to Ranomafana today, a little village named after the hot springs in the valley. The nearby national park is one of the most important mammal sites in Madagascar. Set out on a short or long hike through the forest of the park and get a feel for the incredible wildlife of the area. In the afternoon enjoy free time to soak in one of the hot springs, explore on your own, or relax at your accommodations.
Day 9: Ranomafana/Antsirabe
Leave the rainforest of Ranomafana behind and travel by private vehicle to the colonial town of Antsirabe passing rice paddies along the way. To break up the drive the group will stop in Ambositra, a quaint town known for its woodcrafts. Spend free time here and eat lunch on your own before continuing onwards to the thermal city surrounded by volcanic lakes.
Day 10: Antsirabe
Spend the whole day exploring the local life and communities of the Antsirabe highlands. Travel to Anjazafotsy for the start of the group walk. Choose between the longer or shorter option for this trail and visit villages along the route where you'll witness daily activities. Enjoy a traditional Madagascar lunch and in the afternoon opt for a cooking lesson to learn how to prepare famous Koba. Arrive back to Antsirabe in the early evening for free time.
Day 11: Antsirabe/Andasibe
Travel to Andasibe and Perinet National Park with scenic stops en route. Stay in a quiet area near Andasibe which is great base for exploring the Indri Special Reserve section of this massive landscape. The journey will take most of the day, but upon arrival, the group will have the option to go on an easy night walk alongside the park to observe wildlife like, frogs, reptiles, mice, and lemurs.
Day 12: Andasibe
Spend the day exploring Andasibe-Analamazaotra national park and the Indri Special Reserve located 1.5km (0.93 mi) from the town of Andasibe. One of the park's primary purposes is to protect the natural habitat of the indri, a large black and white diurnal species that feeds on leaves and fruit. In addition to the indri, the park has 10 other diurnal and nocturnal lemur species, large chameleons, and the rarely seen blue coua.
The flora in this park is just as spectacular, with numerous species of trees, palms, and orchids (which flower in October/November).
Day 13: Andasibe/Antananarivo
Travel by private vehicle to Antananarivo. Spend free time here before an optional last night out on the town with the whole group. There are many places to choose from and your CEO can help you with suggestions.
Day 14: Antananarivo
Depart at any time.
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
G Adventures
G Adventures is an operator of small-group escorted tours. It is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with 28 offices worldwide. It offers more than 700 itineraries in more than 100 countries, and carries 200,000 travelers from 160 countries each year.
In Business Since 1990
Reviews
Alessandra F. - Traveled, November 2023
I would recommend it only to very easy going people. every tour is different and for this reason I am not able to give a 10. But I will for sure recommend it to people that like adventure traveling
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/16/2023
Melissa L. - Traveled, November 2023
Tour was excellent - no complaints. CEO was fabulous
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/16/2023
Hannah Luise L. - Traveled, November 2023
Most things worked very well. I think though that the information on the website is not very clear and does not always show what is really done and which optional activities are there. Also that there are only 3 meals included makes budgeting very difficult. Another think was, that one of your local guides (Hari I think was his name, he guided us in the Isalo national park) he set a way to fast tempo for a group that has every hiking level included. He also did not make sure that everybody knew the way and saw the rest of the group. Instead of waiting for some group members he said that they will find their way down.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/16/2023
Judith G. - Traveled, November 2023
I personally prefer the National Geographic tours because there are less optional activities. It is easier to budget and pay for everything up front. Also the level of service is better. Though this was a great way to see Madagascar
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/16/2023
Elsa Maria L. - Traveled, November 2023
overall happy with the trip, good organization
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/16/2023
Alyssa B. - Traveled, November 2023
Good attractions but I thought we could've stayed in cleaner places. I was more clean and had less bugs when I was on the camping tour through Africa and found the bathrooms were of a better quality even though they were public camping bathrooms than the facilities we stayed in. I usually am pretty good about that but once of the places, I believe the bamboo club at iftar had bed bugs and now I have a massive skin infection from the reaction to the bugs and have them all through my bags and stuff. I believe this is an unacceptable standard for any G Adventures accommodation.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/16/2023
Craig L. - Traveled, November 2023
Not for everyone
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/16/2023
Savanna B. - Traveled, November 2023
Though group tours has not been my main style of traveling, I believe in certain areas it is the only way to go! Seeing Madagascar in this way definitely gave me the most diverse experience of the country in a safe way, and also in a way I could learn the most about the culture and give back to the community as well. It also gave me a chance to experience traveling with people from all over the world and see the world from their perspective. I couldn't have travelled Madagascar in a better way!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/16/2023
Edward D. - Traveled, November 2023
Tour experience
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/02/2023
Valerie J. - Traveled, November 2023
I have always had a great experience with G!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/02/2023
Susanne D. - Traveled, November 2023
When traveling as a single female I feel more comfortable with a group. G always hits the highlights of the countries and I feel I get a well rounded experience always!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/02/2023
Graeme M. - Traveled, November 2023
Always have good trips that are well organized
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/02/2023
Deanna T. - Traveled, November 2023
I personally love this style of travel, however, having recommended it to family members in the past I think you have to have a specific personality and sense of adventure to really dig in and enjoy this particular variety of travel. G Adventures is always amazing, but I think Madagascar may not be for everyone and I would just make sure that they're really know what to expect with hotels, travel times, fitness levels etc. No matter what, I would recommend it though!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/02/2023
Matthew K. - Traveled, October 2023
Good itinerary, good CEO, see lots of lemurs, experience local life.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/02/2023
Pauline W. - Traveled, October 2023
Well-organized, nice multinational group, interesting agenda
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/02/2023
Jo-Anne M. - Traveled, October 2023
As a solo female traveler, the tour was an ideal way to travel to different destinations safely with minimal stress.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/02/2023
Monika Z. - Traveled, October 2023
small group, off the beaten way, interest in sustainable travel and projects in the country visited
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/25/2023
Julia G. - Traveled, October 2023
smaller groups from around the world, local guide, support local projects
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/25/2023
Philip C. - Traveled, October 2023
The tours take away the stress and hassle of planning, well organized and see / experience a great deal
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/25/2023
Keith M. - Traveled, September 2023
Trying to do too much in too little time
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/25/2023
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