Eclipse Tour

Eclipse Tour

eclipse_tourThe annular eclipse on Sept. 1st can be seen in several African countries and also on Madagascar and Reunion island. It will be an annular eclipse, which means that the moon will not cover the sun completely, but a ring of the sun can still be seen around the moon. Nevertheless, this is a beautiful and quite rare spectacle.
We’ll do this eclipse tour with a group from 4 to 14 Pax, so preferably for people who want to join in into a small group to see this event.

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 1, Aug. 30th, Tue: Arrival in Antananarivo

Arrival in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, and by far the largest city of the country. Welcome and assistance at the airport. Then transfer to the city and overnight. Antananarivo (or shortly called “Tana”) means the city of a thousand, and the name was taken from the 1000 soldiers who were defending the house of the King Andrianjaka on top of the hill. Tana is also the cultural, administrative and industrial center of the country, and also an important junction as the roads and air traffic go often via Tana. The town has seven hills and is situated on around 1200 to 1435 m above sea level, and it has now more than two million inhabitants.
Distance:  20 km
Accommodation:    AU BOIS VERT or similar

 

DAY 2, Aug. 31st, Wed: Antananarivo – Mahajanga/Majunga
Early breakfast, and then a long day of driving (around 11 hours of driving time) in the bus or 4WD cars on the National Road RN4. We’ll pass first through the suburb of Ambohidratrimo and at the golfcourse  “Golf du Rova”, which is known to be challenging. We continue on mostly winding roads (optional : fly with domestic flight to Majunga) across the savannah plateau and bald hills of the western highland. There’s not much water here, only then and when we’ll cross a river, and you’ll see that around the rivers, the landscape is much greener. We’ll later pass the village of Ambondromamy, where the junction to the RN6 is, which leads to the northern city of Diego Suarez or also via Ankify to Nosy be. But we’ll continue on the RN4  to the west coast town of Majunga, which is also the second biggest harbor city. Majunga also has strong Muslim community, who came formerly from Northern India and from the Comoros, there’s also a direct ferry connection to the Comoros from here.  There are also some good restaurants, and some beaches in the north of the city. Overnight at the hotel.
Distance:  565 km
Accommodation:         FAMI RESORT or similar

 

DAY 3, Sep. 1st, Thu: Mahajanga /Majunga
The Eclipse day ! Breakfast, after that we’ll find a good spot to watch the annular eclipse, which should happen at 12.40 local time. The weather should be good and stable in September. Afternoon free for relaxing. Majunga is in the holiday months of July and August also popular with the Malagasy people from the highlands, who enjoy in the cold winter months (south winter)the warmth there, as even at night, it stays pretty mild here, contrary to the nights in the highlands during this months. The towns landmark is the baobab tree with a circumference of now more that 21 m, it is more than 800 years old, and is situated in the middle of a junction at the sea. Overnight at the hotel.
Accommodation:          FAMI RESORT or similar

 

DAY 4, Sep. 2nd, Fri: Mahajanga /Majunga  – Ankarafantsika
Morning relaxing in Majunga, or we can visit the local market. In the afternoon, we drive to Ankarafantsika National Park (about 2 hours driving ) on a mostly straight road southeastward, in this area, there’s some ricepaddies. We then drive until the Ankarafantsika national park where we overnight at the lodge.
Distance:  115 km
Accommodation:         BLUE VANGA LODGE   or similar

 

DAY 5, Sep. 3rd, Sat: Ankarafantsika Ampijoroa National park
After breakfast,  a full day visit of Ankarafantsika NP with its birds and lemurs etc., it also contains several lakes with water birds and crocodiles etc.. WIth some luck, you’ll see some of its eight species of lemurs as for example the Coquerel Sifaka, five of the lemur species here are nocturnal, among them the golden braun mouse lemurs (microcebus ravelobensis, the smallest primate on earth) and the fat tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius). And then we’ll also try to spot the birds, Ankarafantsika hosts 75 endemic species of birds, such as two species of Vanga birds, the Madagascar fish eagle etc., and 54 other species. We may also see some endemic reptile species and some amphibians, some of the species we’ll see with some luck are very rare, for example the horned chameleon (Furcifer rhinoceratus) or the dwarf chameleon (Brookesia decaryi). Ovenight at the lodge
Accommodation:    BLUE VANGA LODGE or similar

 

DAY 6, Sep. 4th, Sun: Ankarafantsika -Antananarivo
After breakfast,  drive back to Tana, you’ll pass over several impressive bridges, and then through Maevatanana, which is one of the hottest places in Madagascar, as the heat get’s stuck in a kind of bowl. Maevatanana used to an important trade center, but has lost its importance over the years. Some gold is found nearby, in the past and up to now. We then continue through a winding road through the highland to Tana.
Distance:  450 km
Accommodation:    HOTEL AU BOIS VERT or similar

 

DAY 7, Sep. 5th, Mon: Antananarivo – Andasibe
After breakfast,  drive on the National Road RN 2. On the way, stop at the reptiles park in Marozevo where we can see chameleons and other animals like frogs, uroplatus etc. close up. Continue to Andasibe and Check-in at the hotel. Possibility to do a nocturnal visit with a local nature guide where with the help of flashlights you can see nocturnal lemurs (mouse lemurs), sleeping chameleons, tree frogs, etc.. Overnight at the hotel, surrounded by nature.
Distance:  150 km
Accommodation:    ANDASIBE FOREST LODGE or similar

 

DAY 8, Sep. 6th, Tue: Andasibe
The morning walk leads with a local parkguide through the evergreen secondary forest of the Park Analamazaotra, on the trail Indri 2. Here we can see with some luck two families of the biggest lemur, the Indri, with its distinctive call. You can also see many birds, some reptiles and other species of lemurs (Diadem Sifakas, Brown lemurs etc.). In the afternoon explore the lemurs island of the Vakona Lodge, where you can see several species of lemurs (Bamboo lemurs, brown lemurs, black and white varis) up close, some may even jump on your shoulder. Overnight at the Hotel, surrounded by nature.
Distance:  30 km
Accommodation:    ANDASIBE FOREST LODGE or similar

DAY 9, Sep. 7th, Wed: Andasibe – Antananarivo
Morning relaxing, we can also make a walk in the village of Andasibe which is inhabited mainly by the Betsimisaraka people. We then drive back to the capital city, along the way, we’ll see on the first part some charcoal sellers. In Moramanga, we can visit the local market, Moramanga is also an important junction, as the road and train to Ambatondrazaka, which is also called the rice bowl of Madagascar, go from here. We then continue up to Antananarivo on the winding RN2.  Before check in at the hotel, we will do a short city tour.
Distance:  150 km
Accommodation:    HOTEL BELVEDERE  or similar

 

DAY 10, Sep. 8th, Thu: Antananarivo
In the morning, excursion to the lemurs park, where 9 species of lemurs jump around freely, with nice chances for good pictures. In the afternoon excursion to the « blue hill » Ambohimanga – a UNESCO World heritage site: a King‘s palace built on the top of the hill covered with forests. Then back to Tana and if time allows it, visit of a handicraft market. In the evening around 22.00, transfer to the airport for the flight back to Europe. End of services
Distance:  60 km

 

DAY 11, Sep. 9th, Fri: Antananarivo – Europe
Take off oft he AF flight at around 01h45.

 

Rates per person :

In double room : EUR 1600.00

In single room :  EUR 1925.00

 

Supplement for the domestic flight from Antananarivo to Majunga if clients prefer to fly on day 2 with MD822 16.25/17.25, plus transfer to the airport and from the airport to the hotel: EUR 270.00 ( subject to change )

Extensions to this tour upon request

 

Are included in the tariffs:

  • Accommodation based on bed and breakfast in midrange hotels
  • Airport transfers
  • Car rental with a driver from Antananarivo to Majunga and back, and from Tana to Andasibe and back
  • english speaking guide during the tour
  • Park and reserve fees
  • Service of park or reserve guides
  • Driver’s indemnities and Fuel
  • tourist levy and VAT

 

Are excluded:

  • International flights with airport taxes
  • Visa fee (around 20 € for  a stay up to 30 days)
  • Arrival tourist levy (10 €)
  • All other meals and drinks
  • Personal expenditures
  • Personal insurance for eventualities like accidents, theft or damage to luggage, cancellation etc

Tariffs are subject to changes, especially if heavy fluctuation in exchange rate and/or fuel prices. All tours and tariffs are subject to changes in case of cancellations or overbooking of flights, changes in timetable, bad weather and road conditions, strike, political troubles, problems with fuel supply, tribal and other war, closing of sites, natural disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods and other acts of God.