Mountain cloud forests - Madagascar's east coast - Nosy Be
20-day nature tour far from the classic itineraries
Madagascar is an island whose full beauty is best discovered on a round trip. Many places, experiences and natural beauties would remain hidden if travelers would spend their vacation in Madagascar only in one place. With our unique travel package we offer you the possibility to get to know Madagascar far away from the usual travel routes. We have put together an itinerary that offers as much variety and excitement for the culturally interested as it does for all friends of the Red Island's famous natural beauty. Explore the extraordinary volcanic lakes, be amazed by the treasures on a traditional gemstone market and discover endangered, rare animal species like the Indri-Indris, which can only be found in isolated areas of Madagascar. Our 20-day trip will take you along various stops to some of Madagascar's sites and locations that the classic tours of the major tour operators usually do not take you to. For example, one destination of your trip will be the city of Antsirabe, famous among other things for its healing springs, and a side trip to Ambositra is also planned. Ambositra is the home of the Zafimaniry people. This people masters a very special art of wood carving that will amaze you. Other stops on this trip are Ambatolampy, where an exciting aluminum foundry awaits you, the mountain cloud forest of Ranomafana, where you can discover the rich flora and fauna of Madagascar and Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. At the end of the trip you will spend several days on the northern island of Nosy Be, where you can relax or have an adventure according to your individual needs.
Basic information about our 20-day nature trip
Our 20-day nature tour with stopovers in Antsirabe, the Ranomafana National Park, Andasibe and other places is planned by us as an exciting mixture of culture and nature. Many interesting places in Madagascar can only be explored on foot. Especially in the national parks it is therefore important that you are prepared to hike for several hours even in a warm and humid climate. Basically, however, there is the possibility to arrange all hikes and day trips in such a way that your individual needs are taken into account. Depending on the group composition and general interest, individual points from the tour plan can also be replaced or exchanged. If you have any questions, suggestions or ideas, please do not hesitate to contact us. The tour is planned by us in all its facets, now and then it can still come to minor delays or postponements due to external influences. However, we always make sure to the best of our abilities that the full spectrum of the tour you have booked is actually offered to you. You are not alone on your travels - transportation, accommodation as well as half-board meals are taken care of and organized by us. All other services, which are also included in our total package, you can see at the bottom of this page. We strive for maximum transparency and have therefore also listed all services that are not included in the tour price. This way you can calculate from the beginning as exactly as possible which costs you will have to pay later on.
The rough schedule of the 20-day nature trip
If you are interested in tradition and culture in Madagascar as well as in the natural beauty of this island, then you are optimally advised with this 20-day nature tour. On this trip you will visit two different national parks, the Andasibe National Park and the Ranomafana National Park. In addition, many viewpoints and spectacular places await you, where you can take dreamlike souvenir pictures for eternity. The journey begins first in the Malagasy capital Antananarivo, from where you will then drive to Antsirabe. There you will stay for two days and explore, among other things, the huge market, the surrounding landscapes of volcanic origin and the famous healing springs. The further surroundings of the city of Antsirabe are also on the itinerary, because there waterfalls and volcanic lakes are just waiting to be discovered by you. The next stops on the trip are Ambositra, where you will get to know the famous wood carving art of the Zafimaniry, and Manakara, a city on the east coast of Madagascar. From Manakara you will go to Ranomafana National Park, which awaits you with its numerous species of lemurs and many other animals. On the way back, you will come back to the east via Antsirabe and Antananarivo, where you will experience a guided tour of Andasibe National Park, where you will encounter many species of animals that only exist in Madagascar. Afterwards, you will return to the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo, where you will have numerous opportunities for individual exploration trips. Afterwards you will take off by plane to Nosy Be, the famous "Perfume Island". The time there is at your free disposal before you leave Antananarivo and return to Europe.
The detailed itinerary for the tour Mountain Cloud Forest - East Coast - Nosy Be
As already mentioned at the beginning, a round trip across the island offers you the ideal opportunity to get to know Madagascar in a very special way during your vacation. However, before you start such a round trip, you should inform yourself in advance about the exact travel planning. Especially in case of bookings from Europe, various difficulties may arise otherwise, since in Madagascar sometimes significantly different standards and guidelines apply. That is why we are there for you as a contact person directly on the spot. With us you can already get information about the concrete stations and all details of the travel planning from home. Also on site we are always available for you and take care with our entire know-how to make your vacation in Madagascar a unique experience. Transparency is for us much more than just an advertising word, because we do not want to put your trust in us at risk. Therefore, a detailed itinerary is presented below, with the help of which you can get more than just a rough overview of our 20-day nature trip. Again, the motto is that if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact us directly.
Day 1: Evening arrival in Antananarivo
The first day of your 20-day nature trip is still relatively unspectacular: Late in the evening you will land at Ivato airport in the capital of Madagascar, where we will be waiting for you. We will take care of the transfer and bring you directly to the guesthouse. Villa Sibylwhere you will spend the night. If you have any special wishes regarding food or drink for your arrival, you should contact us in advance with confidence.
Day 2: From Antananarivo to Antsirabe
At the beginning of your trip you will have only a short stay in Antananarivo, because on day 2 you will start directly after breakfast. Our driver will take you via Route Nationale No. 7 first to Behenjy. On the way you will already get a first impression of the spectacular dimensions of the upcoming journey: Route Nationale No. 7 is one of Madagascar's most famous roads and has a length of almost 1,000 kilometers. It runs from our starting point in Antananarivo down to the southern tip of Madagascar, the city of Tulear, which is a port city on the Mozambique Channel. Our journey will first take you through the various suburbs of Antananarivo and through the highlands that follow. In Behenjy you will rest and have a tasty lunch in one of the famous local restaurants. The variety of some restaurants is partly known beyond the country's borders and we recommend a visit to Au Coin du Foie de Gras. After lunch, there is a short drive to the town of Ambatolampy. This town is reminiscent of European conditions in terms of cleanliness and order and testifies to the wealth of the inhabitants living there. This wealth, in turn, is based on three causes:
1. there are several small gold deposits near Ambatolampy, which the inhabitants have exploited
2. the city is known as an important center in the forwarding industry
3. the aluminum industry in the place is particularly concise
If you wish, you can visit one of the adventurous-looking aluminum foundries in Ambatolampy. The workers employed there have made it their business to procure aluminum from a wide variety of sources. Therefore, they rarely work with the pure, unprocessed material. Instead, cooking pots, engine parts and other utensils are simply melted down and further processed. After the stopover in Ambatolampy, the journey continues directly to Antsirabe, 170 kilometers away. Antsirabe is an important economic center in Madagascar and was once founded by Norwegian immigrants. The town is known for its healing springs and former gemstone deposits. The gemstone market will become another stop on your trip if you wish. The overnight stay in Antsirabe is at the hotel "Les chambres du voyageur" planned, where a delicious dinner awaits you.
Day 3: Exploration of Antsirabe and surroundings
On the third day you will have plenty of time to explore the city of Antsirabe and the surrounding area. After breakfast you will go to Betafo. There you will go on a short hike to enjoy the impressive mountain panorama. The waterfall of Antafofo is an important stop on this hike and if you want you can also take a refreshing bath there. After returning to Antsirabe, there are several options for you to spend the rest of the day. City visits will be suggested spontaneously depending on the interests of the guests. Towards evening, dinner awaits you again at the hotel "Chambres du Voyageur" with subsequent overnight stay.
Day 4: Drive to Ambositra and Ialatsara Camp
On the fourth day of the trip you will leave Antsirabe directly after breakfast and continue south. There, the town of Ambositra is already waiting for you, home to a very special cultural heritage. The Zafimaniry people, who still live there, practice an overwhelming form of woodcarving art that will amaze you. It is not for nothing that this art has already been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Afterwards, the Tana Masoandro restaurant awaits you for a delicious lunch that will strengthen you for the rest of your journey. Afterwards, you will visit a reforestation project for citrus trees, where you can experience directly on site how intensively different environmental protection projects work on the preservation of the original vegetation on Madagascar. The next stop is then the so-called Ialatsara camp. This small reserve is privately owned and is home to many different species of lemurs. Many of the small inhabitants can be observed quite easily on a hike through the reserve, before you go to a simple accommodation in the camp for a night's rest.
Day 5: Via Ambohivaky to Manakara
The fifth day of your trip holds many different stops and exciting experiences in store for you. After an invigorating breakfast, you will head directly east to Ambohivaky. A very famous forge awaits you there: industrial steel is processed there with the simplest, almost prehistoric means. After an informative guided tour, you will continue towards the jungle, which lines both sides of the road you are driving on. At Ranomafana National Park, you will only make a short stop at this point to enjoy the imposing view you have of the wild Namorona River. Now is the ideal time to take photos that will remind you for eternity of this eventful vacation in Madagascar. Next, again from the car, you can marvel at the imposing hilly landscape near Irondro before heading straight to Manakara on the Indian Ocean. The hotel La vanilla welcomes you to Manakara and treats you to an excellent dinner.
Day 6: Stay in Manakara with visit to Pangalan Canal
In Manakara, on the sixth day of your Madagascar trip, you will first head a little outside by car. The Pangalan Channel is the destination this morning. The private reserve Eden Sidi is already waiting for you here on a headland. In Eden Sidi live numerous lemurs, which are used to humans and therefore do not shy away from you. They will gladly accept bananas and other delicacies from you. Immediately afterwards, you will take a boat across the 600-kilometer-long canal, although of course you will not travel the entire distance. The journey across the canal includes a short break where you will meet local farmers who grow exotic fruits and spices on the banks of the canal and take a short hike with you if you wish. After that you will drive back to Manakara and the hotel La vanilla is once again available for your overnight stay.
Day 7: Exotic spice plantations near Manakara
The seventh day of your trip is dedicated to various exotic flavors. Manakara is famous for the production of various so-called colonial goods. After all, in earlier times the city had a seaworthy port and was accordingly an important transshipment point for spices, essential oils and the world-famous vanilla, which grows nowhere as well as in Madagascar. To learn more about this world of flavors, you will visit various plantations and get a comprehensive insight. The return to Manakara is scheduled for the afternoon. You will spend the night again at the hotel Le Vanille.
Day 8: From Manakara to Ranomafana
On the eighth day you will turn your back on Manakara and drive back on the route a bit to Ranomafana. The village of the same name is your first stop on this day. At the hotel "Grenat"First of all, you will have the opportunity to move into your quarters. Afterwards you will go on a relaxing excursion to a nearby thermal spa. The hot springs there will give you a lot of relaxation after the exciting experiences of the last days. If you wish, you can also meet your guide for the tour to Ranomafana National Park on this day and discuss the excursion for the next day. Afterwards you will go to the hotel for the night Grenat.
Day 9: Ranomafana National Park
Early in the morning, before breakfast, you will start the ninth day of your trip, where you will be allowed to explore the green expanses of Ranomafana National Park. First, you will drive up serpentine roads to the park entrance. The early morning departure is important because the shy lemurs that live in the national park are best observed at this time of day. The rest of the day depends on your needs as well as your physical condition. Different tours will be suggested by your guide. The way back to Ranomafana on foot is particularly interesting, but also a bit strenuous. This way leads over a steep slope and is therefore only recommended for people with a good constitution. But you will experience some really unforgettable sights. Alternatively, smaller tours through the park are possible, followed by a return trip in the car. In the evening you will return to the hotel Grenat one.
Day 10: From Ranomafana back to Antsirabe
On the tenth day you go back to Antsirabe, where some more sights are waiting for you. For example, you will visit the famous volcanic lakes, and in the so-called city of stones, a varied program awaits you. The main focus will be on the activities for which there was no time on the outward journey due to the time schedule. At the hotel "Chambres du voyageur", which is already known to you from the outward journey, the night's lodging and a delicious dinner await you again.
Day 11: On the way to Andasibe National Park
The eleventh day is a real spectacle for all friends of the famous lemurs. Via Antananarivo we first go to Moramanga and then to Andasibe. This city is located in a protected area complex with several nature reserves. This complex is also known as Analamazoatra. As accommodation we have chosen a special place for you: The hotel is called Vakona Lodge. The Indri-Indri are the main attraction of the place, this very special lemur species, which today can only be found in a few places in Madagascar, feels right at home in Andasibe. The nocturnal sounds of the rainforest near the hotel will gently lull you to sleep with their soft melodies after a good dinner.
Day 12: Visit Andasibe National Park
On the twelfth day you will enter the Ansadibe National Park, also known as the Mountain Cloud Forest. You will be accompanied by an experienced guide who will lead you on a tour through the park and can provide you with a lot of interesting information about the flora and fauna. The tour has been planned so that most of the time you will be in the so-called primary forest. Here you can get to know the Malagasy rainforest in its original form and have a look at the species-rich life forms inside it. On the one hand there are the Indri-Indris, which you can admire in the Andasibe National Park. These lemurs are among the largest of their kind and only in a few places on the island can they find the food sources they need to survive. In addition, in the green of the rainforest there are many other animal species to discover, many of which are endemic and accordingly only found in Madagascar. The bamboo lemur, dwarf chameleons or snakes, birds and frogs can be found with a little luck in the green leafy thicket. Depending on your feeling in the jungle as well as your physical constitution, the guided hike through the park takes up to five hours. Afterwards it goes back to the hotel "Vakona Lodge" where you can also see many hand-tame lemurs.
Day 13: From Andasibe National Park back to Antananarivo
For all those who just can't get enough of the cute lemurs, we will first visit Vakona Zoo on day 13. There you can have close contact with many extremely rare lemur species. Most of the lemurs living there have been released from captivity and are therefore used to people. With pleasure you will get closer to them and maybe ask for one or the other treat on this occasion.
In any case, we will then return to Antananarivo, where the guest house "Villa Sibyl" already awaits you.
Day 14: From the capital of Madagascar to Nosy Be
After a hearty breakfast you will be driven to Antananarivos airport, Ivato. There, a domestic flight is planned for you, which will take you to the island of Nosy Be. Among other things, this island is also known as Perfume Island, because ylang-ylang is cultivated there, for example. This plant has an extraordinarily beguiling scent and is widely used in the perfume industry. At the airport of Nosy Be, Facenne, you will already be expected and driven to your hotel Vanila Hotel ***. There, a cozy night's lodging awaits you along with a delicious dinner.
Day 15 - 17: Individual stay on Nosy Be
After a hearty breakfast you will be driven to Antananarivos airport, Ivato. There, a domestic flight is planned for you, which will take you to the island of Nosy Be. Among other things, this island is also known as Perfume Island, because ylang-ylang is cultivated there, for example. This plant has an extraordinarily beguiling scent and is widely used in the perfume industry. At the airport of Nosy Be, Facenne, you will already be expected and driven to your hotel Vanila Hotel ***. There, a cozy night's lodging awaits you along with a delicious dinner.
Three full days are now at your free disposal on Nosy Be. You will always stay at the beautiful Vanila Hotel *** and can freely decide whether you want to spend the days on the beautiful sandy beaches and relax or whether you want to take a few exploration trips. We are happy to assist you in planning your individual stay on Nosy Be. Recommended, but not included in the basic price are especially the following points:
- Visit the neighboring island of Nosy Komba
- Sailing trip to the surrounding islands
- Visit to the Lokobé reserve with jungle giants up to 40m high
- Visit to Mt. Passot, an extinct volcano that offers an amazing panoramic view
Day 15 - 17: Nosy Be and surroundings
Nosy Bé has a lot to offer besides dream beaches! We recommend under
other:
- the visit to the Lokobé reserve, where jungle giants grow up to 40 meters high into the sky.
- the visit of the small neighboring island Nosy Komba
- a sailing trip to the surrounding islands in the northwest of Nosy Bé
- an evening visit to Mt. Passot, an extinct volcano that offers an incomparable panorama and, at sunset time, the opportunity for unique sights.
- Overnight stay in each case in the beautiful "Vanila Hotel ***".
Day 18: Back to Antananarivo
After the relaxing stay on Nosy Be, you will return to the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo, on day 18. This time you will fly in the opposite direction from Facenne Airport on Nosy Be to Ivato Airport. Of course, the transfer is taken care of. Afterwards, in Antananarivo, the guesthouse awaits you again Villa Sibylwhich you still know from your first arrival in Antananarivo.
Day 19: Exploration Antananarivos and surroundings
The last day of your trip through Madagascar is of course dedicated to the impressive capital Antananarivo. Basically, you can decide for yourself on this day where your way should lead you. We recommend excursions to the Lemurs Park, where you can once again experience the small, cute animals up close. Alternatively, we also recommend a trip to Ambohimanga-Rova, the former royal seat on Madagascar. The Merina, a people on Madagascar, still see their spiritual center in this place and the impressive fortifications are now marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dinner will follow at the already known guesthouse Villa Sibyl, where your personal luggage will be well stored throughout the day. After dinner you will return to the airport where your plane will take off towards Europe around midnight.
Day 20: Return flight to Europe
The last day of this trip you will spend completely relaxed on the plane that will take you back to Europe. Here you can relax and reminisce about the amazing experiences you had in Madagascar.
Nature trip 20 days in half board :
| 20 days | Price per person |
| 2 to 3 guests | 2455 € |
| 4 to 5 guests | 2380 € |
| 6 - 7 guests | 2290 € |
| 8 - 9 guests | 2230 € |
| 10 guests and more | 2150 € |
For the provision of a single room, a total surcharge of 590.00 euros will be charged.
20-day nature tour: The services included in the basic price
- complete planning and logistics
- English speaking experienced tour guide accompaniment
- Four wheel drive car including driver and fuel
- all nights in the specified hotels
- Catering concerning breakfast and dinner
- Transfers, taxes and trips specified in the program
20-day nature tour: Services not included in the basic price
- Lunch and drinks as well as other individual catering
- Tips and all personal expenses
- Entrance fees for the two national parks Andasibe and Ranomafana
- additional local guides and optional leisure activities
- Airfares for international flights and domestic flights
- Taxes for flights as well as airport fees
- Travel health insurance and travel cancellation insurance
- Visa costs (currently not applicable)
As already mentioned above, you always have the possibility to express individual suggestions or wishes on our nature tours. As far as it is possible, we will do everything to make your trip to Madagascar one of the most beautiful experiences of your life. If you have any questions about our travel package, the organization or the prices you can contact us directly under konnerth1@hotmail.com. The same applies, of course, if you already have a concrete booking request. We are looking forward to meeting you!
Klaus
konnerth1@hotmail.com
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Villa Sibylle Antananarivo (Madagascar)
