South with Ampefy

(15 days / 14 nights) A new version of the southern tour, starting with a visit of Ampefy and the Geysirs of Analavory. Then drive to the South with visits of the Ranomafana and Isalo National park and the Anja reserve. In Tulear visit of the Arboretum and then transfer to Ifaty. Beach stay with optional visit of the Reniala reserve, watersports etc.. Flight back to Tana.

(15 days / 14 nights) A new version of the southern tour, starting with a visit of Ampefy and the Geysirs of Analavory. Then drive to the South with visits of the Ranomafana and Isalo National park and the Anja reserve. In Tulear visit of the Arboretum and then shuttle transfer to Ifaty. Beach stay with optional visit of the Reniala reserve, watersports etc.. Flight back to Tana.

Meeting at Ivato international airport and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel

(125 Km about 2,5 hours drive)
Drive through the highland towards the west. Stop for visiting the lemurs park where some 9 species of lemurs can jump around freely within 5 ha big park. In a small village, you can see how many families manufacture from used beer cans and other recycled materials miniature vehicles which will be exported worldwide. Continue through the volcanic area and arrive in Ampefy, overnight near the Kavitaha lake at the hotel.

Visit of the surroundings and the waterfalls of the Lily river. Visit of the Geysirs of Analavory in a nice volcanic landscape. Overnight at the same hotel.

(295 Km about 6 hours drive)
Drive through one of the coldest mountainous areas of Madagascar over the newly renovated road through Soavinandriana until Faratsiho, then on a dirt track to Sambaina, where you’ll join the national road no. 7, and then continue to Antsirabe. In this area, there are many rice paddies, mostly in terraces on the slopes of the hills.
Tour of the “Town of Water” – so called because of its numerous thermal springs and existence of
two crater lakes. Visit of a workshop where they make miniatures from recycled materials. Overnight at the hotel.

(240 Km about 5,5 hour-drive)
After breakfast, drive to Ranomafana – a national park of rainforest which is home to various species of lemurs such as the golden bamboo lemurs, brown lemurs, birds, chameleons, frogs.

Stop in Ambositra for the visit of some Zafimaniry handicrafts centres: woodcarving
Continuation to Ranomafana. After check-in at the hotel, night walk along the road to see nocturnal species of animals, with some luck you’ll see mouse lemurs, chameleons etc. Back to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel

(85 Km about 1,5 hour-drive)
After breakfast, visit of the some 40’000 hectares big Nationalpark with its lemurs, chameleons, spiders, frogs, varieties of orchids and medicinal plants. Only in 1986 was discovered the golden Bamboo lemurs here, and there are more than 100 species of birds. This walk takes around 3 to 4 hours, and goes mostly on trails, sometimes a bit steep up and down, and sometimes you’ll go off the paths and into the forest to spot the lemurs, it’s a bit exhausting and requires endurance and agility. After lunch, off to Fianarantsoa – the capital of the Betsileo tribe. Overnight at the hotel 

(295 Km about 5,5 hour-drive)
Early departure to Ranohira. Stop in Ambalavao – the commercial centre of the southern Betsileo region, renowned for its folks, arts and crafts – to visit the “Antemoro Paper” factory (not possible on Sundays). This paper is a delicate, handmade, flower-decorated paper made of the fibres of a tree called “Avoha”. Another stop 12km south of Ambalavao to visit the Anja park, where you can see on a walk of around two, some families of ring-tailed Katta lemurs in their natural surroundings. Arrival in Ranohira, overnight at the hotel.

Morning  trek inside the Isalo National Park to discover on a walk of around three to five hours on sometimes bumpy tracks, at some parts a bit steep, the massif of Isalo, its ruin like sandstones, canyons, endemic fauna and flora (Lemurs and endemic plants such as Pachypodium , aloes,..) and to swim in its natural pool. Back to the hotel in the afternoon. Overnight at the hotel.

 (240 Km about 4 hour-drive + 27 Km about 1,5 hour-drive)
After breakfast, off to Tuléar along a straight road. The landscape is composed of high bushes, thick gallery forests and some proudly decorated Mahafaly tombs. Visit of the Arboretum with many species of endemic plants, then transfer to Ifaty, a beautiful beach, 27kms from the town, for beach life and sea activities. Overnight at the hotel.

Free days on the beach for relaxing, watersports etc.. Or optional visit of the Reniala reserve with some baobabs and other endemic plants, birds etc. Overnights at the hotel.

(27 Km about 1,5 hour-drive)

Back to Tuléar and transfer to the airport for the flight to Tana. Meet at the airport and transfer to the hotel, night at the hotel.

A day excursion to Ambohimanga – a King‘s palace built on the top of the hill covered with forests,

Then visit of a handicraft market. At the end of the afternoon, day use at the hotel, then transfer to the airport for the flight back to Europe.

END OF SERVICE

Planned hotels for this tour (subject to availability, other hotels are possible, tariff may have to be adjusted):

Name of city / Standard hotel / best hotel
Antananarivo / Rova Hotel** / Palissandre Hotel****
Ampefy / Kavitaha** / Eucalyptus***
Antsirabe / Chambres du voyageur** / Arotel***
Ranomafana / Centr’est** / Setam Lodge*** (Setam lodge on half board base compulsory)
Fianarantsoa / Villa Sylvestre** / Zomatel*** new wing
Ranohira / Isalo Ranch** / Isalo Rock Lodge**** on half board
Ifaty / La mira*** /Le Paradisier***
Antananarivo /Rova Hotel** / Palissandre Hotel****