South with Taolagnaro

(15 days/ 14 nights) First a visit of the Andasibe reserve, then classical southern tour with visit of the nationalparks of Ranomafana and Isalo, then visit of Ifaty with its nice beach and endemic flora. Flight to Ft. Dauphin and visit of the Berenty reserve.

Meeting at the airport and transfer to the hotel. City-sightseeing including a visit of lemur’s park where you can see various species of lemurs living freely in a forested area. Overnight at the hotel.

(140 km around 3 h drive)
Leave after breakfast for Andasibe through a landscape composed by a succession of rice paddies, waterfalls, and scarce forest stations. Stop the visit the reptile park of Marozevo to see many chameleons, some butterflies, frogs etc. Before dinner, off for a night walk along the road to see some nocturnal species of animals, with some luck you can see the woolly and the mouse lemur, chameleons etc. Back to the hotel and Overnight.

(140 km around 3 h drive)
After breakfast, visit of the reserve on a walk which takes around three hours, first a bit up, then mostly flat. Discover the species dwelling inside this forest like Indri Indri, the tallest of all lemur species, birds, chameleons etc. Back to Antananarivo after lunch.
Overnight at the hotel.

(169 km around 4 h drive)
Off to Antsirabe after breakfast. Check in at the hotel. In the afternoon, tour of the “Town of Water” or “Town of Rickshaws”: so called because of its numerous thermal springs and the existence of two lakes and its thousands of rickshaws. Visit of a workshop where they make miniatures from recycled materials. Overnight at the hotel.

(240 km around 5,5 h drive)
After breakfast, drive to Ranomafana. 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 and Overnight.

(85 km around 1,5 h 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 around 5,5 h drive)
Early departure to Ranohira. Stop in Ambalavao – the commercial centre of the southern Betsileo region, renowned for its folks, arts and crafts – possibility to visit the “Antemoro Paper” workshop (visit not possible on Sundays). This paper is a delicate, handmade, flower-decorated paper made of the fibres of the tree called “Avoha”, treated according to an ancient method of the Arabs. Another stop 12km south of Ambalavao to visit the Anja park, where you can see on a walk of around two hours on a little bumpy tracks, but not steep, 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. Overnight at the hotel.

(240 Km about 4 hour-drive + 27 Km about 1 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 continuation to Ifaty, a beautiful beach, 27kms from the town, for beach life and sea activities. Overnight at the hotel.

Free day on the beach or for water sports such as diving, surfing etc.. Or optional visit of the Reniala reserve with some baobabs and other endemic plants, birds etc. Overnight at the hotel.

(flights not daily, so tour arrival must be planned accordingly)
(100 km about 4 hour-drive)

Back to Tuléar and transfer to the airport for the flight to Fort-Dauphin. Meet at the airport and drive directly to Berenty (flight must arrive before 2PM, otherwise a night in Ft. Dauphin will be necessary. See some Alluaudias : spiny plants on the way. Dinner and night at the hotel.

After breakfast, visit of the private reserve of Berenty : a reserve of dry forest and succulent spiny plants which is home to different species of birds (Couas, Vangas, Drongos, Falcons, …) and of lemurs (Lemur catta, Propithecus, Lemur fulvus, Microcebus, …). Dinner and night at the hotel.

 (100 km around 4 h drive)
Drive back to Fort-Dauphin in the afternoon then. Dinner and night at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport and flight to the capital city.  Meet at the airport and transfer to the city. Overnight 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

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** / Royal Palissandre**** Std room
Andasibe / Sahatandra River** / Vakona Forest Lodge***
Antananarivo /Rova Hotel** / Royal Palissandre**** Std room
Antsirabe / Chambres du voyageur** / Arotel*** std room
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 Hotel *** /Paradisier*** suite
Berenty / Berenty Lodge** / unchanged
Fort Dauphin / Croix du sud*** room with terrace / unchanged
Antananarivo /Rova Hotel** / Royal Palissandre**** Std room