New Year trip Madagascar to 2021
welcome the year 2021 under the Tropic of Capricorn
Travel date: 27.12.2020 to 16.01.2021
Highlights of the 21-day tour:
- Visit several local projects
- New Year at Eden Lodge
- Visit several national parks
- Diverse landscapes and people
- Fantastic swimming possibilities at the Mozambique channel
Madagascar is one of the most fascinating countries on earth. 18 tribes different cultures live on the island today, maintain their very own customs and carry on their myths and legends. Most of these legends surround the mysterious landscapes of the island. In fact, in hardly any other area can you find so many different vegetationsall of which are unique in their own way. The fertile east coast, the legendary highlands with their mystical mountain cloud forests, the hot, dry south. All these landscapes captivate the traveler in different ways and provide for unforgettable impressions of a foreign but fascinating world.
During the Madagascar round trip over 23 days you will learn both the colorful hustle and bustle of African Cities as well as the loneliness wide landscapes know. The trip takes you from Madagascar's capital in the center of the country towards the south. Imposing mountain landscapes and animated forests provide unforgettable images. The tropical beaches of the southern coast, on the other hand, offer time for dreaming, while the sparse vegetation of the thorn forest surprises with its biodiversity. Not only at the individual stations of your journey will you encounter true natural wonders. Also during the journey itself you will realize that no place on the island is inanimate and every view is fantastic. Of course, you can arrange your destinations individually. We will be happy to advise you in detail about the attractions that the island has to offer and include personal wishes in the planning.
Day 1: Arrival in Antananarivo
Your adventure in Madagascar begins in Antananarivo, the capital of the island nation. There you will be met by us at the airport and accompanied to your accommodation. In the Villa Sibyl you will be warmly welcomed and served with a substantial dinner which can be adapted to your personal wishes. Afterwards you will find rest in the comfortable rooms to recover from the flight and the journey.
Day 2: Travel to Antsirabe
The former spa town of Antsirabe was once a place of pilgrimage for the well-to-do colonial masters and for this reason has numerous imposing buildings that enrich the panorama of the city. The architecture is much more European than in most other parts of the island. For this reason, European visitors in particular always enjoy traveling to Antsirabe. The surroundings of the city grant a breathtaking View of the mountains of the highlands. During a first short walk along lush fields you can admire the waterfall of Antafofo. Back in town, the tour will take you to some of the most beautiful buildings - like the Hotel des Thermes - as well as the colorful market of Antsirabe. Afterwards you will return to your accommodation for the night.
Day 3: Antsirabe to Sahambavy
Continue through a very varied landscape that leads through the different vegetation zones up to the highlands.
Accommodation in one of the most beautiful hotels on the island, huge tropical garden on the shore of a lake, a tree house, an iron wagon as a luxury apartment, bungalows on the lake
Overnight stay at Lac Hotel***
Day 4: Ranohira - The gateway to Isalo National Park
Today you will first travel to the village of Ranohira. There in the southern highlands of the island lies the famous Isalo National Park. Rugged rocky landscapes, picturesque waterfalls and mysterious gorges cross your path here. The Piscine Bleu and the Piscine naturelle are among the most beautiful natural pools the park has to offer. Also the Piscine Noir is worth a visit. However, since you cannot see the bottom at this one, bathing is not recommended. Away from the vast savannahs, with a little luck you will discover one of the seven lemur species, which are native here in the park.
Day 5: Discover Madagascar's south
The next days you will spend on the Sarondrano Peninsula in the south of Madagascar. You will be accommodated in the well known Residence Eden Lodge. Look forward to tropical beaches with white sand and crystal clear water, a colorful culture and a first class regional cuisine. Although southern Madagascar is best known for its arid, desert landscapes, these areas have developed just as rich a flora and fauna as the rest of the island. The people living here have a harder time dealing with the climate than the inhabitants of the fertile east coast, but are no less warm and welcoming. Over the next few days you will have the opportunity to get to know Madagascar's hot south better and to understand the people.
Day 6: Sarondrano - the place of unlimited possibilities
From Sarondrano there are numerous activities that will make your stay unforgettable. You can choose from daily offered activities. Local guides will accompany you to one of the surrounding islands or provide canoes for sports enthusiasts. The wide beaches and the year-round over 30 ° C warm sea, invite to a Bath and relaxing hours on the beach a. By off-road vehicle, a day trip can be made to one of the surrounding protected areas or to coastal resorts such as Fort Dauphin. Or visit the former pirate hideout of St. Augustin. Adrenaline junkies will even find the opportunity to Paragliding. Your daily planning is thus entirely according to your wishes. For your orientation we have selected some possibilities for you, but we will be happy to advise you individually and on site.
Day 7: The charming island of Nosy Ve
Take a boat trip to the small island of Nosy Ve in the southwest of Madagascar. As the island is uninhabited today, it is an ideal habitat for the many rare seabirdswhich have found their breeding ground there. During a picnic you can wonderfully enjoy the tranquility on Nosy Ve. The whole island is also surrounded by a reef that provides very good conditions for Snorkeling offers. Safe swimmers can thus go diving and inspect the island from below. For dinner you will return to Sarondrano.
Day 8: Discover mysterious mangroves
In the immediate vicinity of the Residence Eden Lodge is located one with Mangrove forests overgrown bay. Experienced guides accompany you in canoes during high tide into this unique mixed world between land and water. Majestically, trees and bushes rise here directly from the sea and have adapted fascinatingly to the difficult conditions of the salt water. Opposite the lush green mangroves, the dry thorn forests of the south open up. An incredible contrast that you should not miss.
Day 9: Ifaty - The most beautiful thorn forests of the island
On the west coast of Madagascar is the village of Ifaty, which offers the best conditions for beach vacationers. Here you can relax under coconut trees or at one of the numerous diving stations take a trip under the surface of the sea. It is also possible to visit the nearby Baobab forest to visit. The imposing primeval giant plants are always an attraction for visitors and a welcome photo motif.
Day 10: Hikes through the Baobab forest
Today you will take a jeep safari to Madagascar's famous thorn forest. Since the southwest of the island is spared the rainy season, only plants that need little water can thrive here. The woody plants of the thorn forest, are mostly leafless and - as the name suggests - often have thorns to protect themselves. Bottle trees and dry-looking shrubs dominate the landscape here. Despite the meager conditions is the Vegetation in this area unusually rich but their external nature is quite different from the flora of the fertile east coast.
Day 11: Tulear and the Isalo National Park
On the RN7 you pass Tulear and travel again towards the Isalo National Park in the center of the island. Besides deep gorges, bizarre rocks rise into the air and again and again mysterious caves open up. Enchanted brooks find their way through the impassable rocks and run in small, light blue shining ponds together. When the sunlight hits the different minerals of the mountain, it opens up a unpredictable play of colors, which will enrich your travel impressions many times over.
Day 12: The depths of Isalo National Park
To give the unique Isalo National Park the importance it deserves, you should plan about two days to explore its untouched and breathtaking landscapes. While yesterday you were able to gather first impressions of the landscape, today you will undertake a hike into the depths of the Isalo National Park. Karguable looking rock formations alternate here with lush green countryside off. With a little luck, you can even observe the lemurs living here in their natural habitat. At the end of the hike you will travel on to Ambalavao, where you will find your carefully selected accommodation for the night.
Day 13: The Anja Park near Ambalavao
Just a stone's throw away is the Anja Park - A small village reserve in Madagascar. The locals run and protect a small reserve here with their own hands. On the only 9km² you can colorful orchids and admire other wondrous plants. The park is also home to about 300 cute calicoeswhich - unlike most other lemurs - hardly stay on trees but instead on the ground. Inside the park, a fortifying picnic awaits you, where you can wonderfully take in the natural spectacle around you. Nearby is also the Village 13. During a visit to the village, we would like to show you how great the influence of targeted humanitarian aid is. We ourselves have contributed and built a well in the village and provide financial means to enable the children to receive a school education. The boundless gratitude of the population and the warm welcome they give us during our visits are a gift we would like to share with you. Although the villagers have to make do with only simple means, they show themselves very hospitable and generous and give deep insights into their culture.
Day 14: Manakara - The gateway to the world of spices
You will travel on to Manakara, a multicultural port city on the east coast of the island. On the fertile soils of the eastern regions of Madagascar, numerous luxury goods such as vanilla and cloves were cultivated in colonial times and subsequently shipped to Europe. The former plantations still exist today and spices of exceptional quality are still shipped all over the world. With the many Europeans and Asians living here, Manakara is the symbol of a vital port city.
Day 15: Cruise on the Canal des Pangalanes
Today you will take a boat trip on the Canal des Pangalanes. In order to transport colonial goods quickly and efficiently, the French occupiers built this impressive waterway that runs parallel to the Indian Ocean and connected the ports with the plantations. With Madagascar's independence, the great economic importance of the canal disappeared. In many places it is no longer navigable today. In Manakara, however, boat trips can still be made on this former showpiece of the colonial masters be undertaken.
Day 16: Impressive rainforest in the highlands - Ranomafana
Now that you've had a chance to breathe some city air again, continue your journey towards the Ranomafana National Parks in Madagascar away. Here you will visit one of the last mountain cloud forests on earth. In the dense green of the forest lives an incredible variety of insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds. Again and again the forest opens up in front of you and gives a view of the densely forested mountain ranges free. The park is located in close proximity to the main town of Ranomafana and is extremely visitor friendly. In Ranomafana you will stay at the hotel Grenat accommodated. In the city you can also visit a soothing spa and gather strength and rest for the last, exciting stages of the journey.
Day 17: Back to Antsirabe
On the RN7 you will travel further north and stop again in Antsirabe. In the following days you will have the opportunity to get to know the city better. During your first visit you have already gained a first impression of the city. You now have time for an extensive city stroll in the relaxing atmosphere of the former spa.
Day 18: Antsirabe and surroundings
Today you will follow in the footsteps of the former colonial masters, who appreciated Antsirabe for the thermal springs in the surrounding area. Because of these springs located in the volcanic rock, Antsirabe was also called "Vichy from Madagascar" designated.
Day 19: From the highlands to the mountain cloud forest
Early in the morning you will drive east on the winding and well-maintained RN 2. On the way you will have the opportunity to visit the well-known MadagascarExotique" Private Reserve of the famous Researcher Andre Pereyras where an unimagined variety of reptiles, amphibians and - in a nearby forest - lemurs pose unabashedly for the camera. Moramanga is the next stopover before heading to the nearby area of Analamazoatra goes. Near the national park of Andasibe you will take up quarters and already have the opportunity to listen to the singing cries of the Indri-Indris To listen, which often go right into the hotel complex.
Overnight stay in hotel " Vakona Lodge".
Day 20: Andasibe and Mitsinjo Reserve
In the morning there would be another area of Andasibe N.P. to explore but you can also already drive comfortably towards Antananarivo. On the way there are still some possibilities to visit which will be proposed depending on the interest of the participants on the spot.
Overnight stay in the "Villa Sibyl"
Day 21: The departure towards Europe
Today your adventure trip through Madagascar ends. Normally, flights to Europe leave in the evening, so you can pack your bags and make all travel arrangements at your leisure on this day. Also, there is certainly still time to do last errands. Of course we will organize your transfer to the airport and we are happy to have convinced a new traveler of the unique beauty of the island.
Facts and figures about the tour
At the beginning we have already pointed out that it is very important for us with our individual trips to give you a lot of freedom on the one hand, and on the other hand the most beautiful places and spots of Madagascar to show. If you yourself still Ideas or questions to this detailed trip over the island, we would be pleased if you contact us directly. The same applies, of course, when it comes to the following Statement of costs and services goes. With this we would like to offer you a Maximum transparency enable. However, if something is unclear, we ask you to contact us directly:
| 21 days tour from Antananarivo to Tulear | |
| Price per person | 2690 € |
For single rooms we have to charge a supplement of 590 €.
Integrated into the basic price:
- English speaking tour guide
- Accompaniment and logistics
- all nights
- Breakfast and dinner
- Transfers and trips as specified
- Four-wheel drive car and driver and fuel
Not integrated into the basic price:
- Lunch
- personal expenses
- individual leisure activities
- Entrance fees to the national parks (about 20€ per person and per park)
- Sightseeings and excursions (about 20€ per person and per park)
- national and international flights
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Villa Sibylle Antananarivo (Madagascar)
