Andasibe - Mandrare River - Tsarabanjina Island Tour (133285),Holiday Packages to Antananarivo

Package Overview

After visiting the beautiful rainforests of Andasibe-Mantadia, where accommodation is basic but lemur viewing is at its best, fly to the luxury Mandrare River eco-camp in southern Madagascar to see ringtail lemurs and sifaka in the wild. End your holiday relaxing in paradise on Tsarabanjina Island, offering fantastic diving. English speaking guides, local flights, transfers & park fees included.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Antananarivo • Analamazaotra Indri Reserve • Mantadia Rainforest • Night Walks
• Mandrare River • Gallery & Spiny Forests • Tsarabanjina Island • Snorkelling
• Scuba Diving • Indian Ocean Beaches

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Day wise Itinerary

Day 1 : Arrival

You will be met at Antananarivo Airport and transferred to your hotel in the capital city of the tropical island of Madagascar.

Check into your hotel and relax in your warm friendly surroundings.
Day 2 : Royal Hill of Ambohimanga

Today enjoy a full day tour to the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga and the Lemur Park.

Leaving Antananarivo, we travel 40-minutes northeast to the fortified royal settlement (or 'rova') at Ambohimanga. Meaning 'Blue Hill', this complex of royal buildings and palaces is situated on the highest and most sacred of the twelve royal hills surrounding Antananarivo and is a World Heritage Site.

It is the best-preserved remains of the pre-colonial Merina Kingdom and an important source of Malagasy identity. Andrianampoinimerina was its most famous king, as he united the various Malagasy tribes into a single kingdom. The walled historic village includes the tombs of several kings and queens and remains a place of worship for pilgrims. Afterwards you will have the opportunity to visit the local village to see their lifestyle.

After lunch (own account) we continue to the Lemur Park, a private nature reserve located near the Katsaoka River. Here you can see many species of birds, medicinal plants, reptiles and lemurs. These include the ring tailed lemur, black and white ruffed lemur, common brown lemur, Coquerel’s sifaka, crowned sifaka, mongoose lemur and eastern lesser bamboo lemur. After about an hour at the park, we return to Antananarivo.
Day 3 : Analamazaotra

Today depart from Antananarivo and travel 4-hours with your guide to the small village of Andasibe. On this scenic drive you will see local villages with their long red clay houses, rice paddies and roadside markets, which will give you a good feel for traditional Malagasy life.

On arrival at your lodge, enjoy a 2 to 3-hour walk in the montagne rainforest of Analamazaotra Reserve (previously called Perinet Reserve), which covers 810 hectares. This is where you come to see the magnificent black and white Indri - the largest lemur species in Madagascar, with their eerie wailing calls as they sing from the treetops and mark out their territory.

The path into the rainforest starts with a steep ascent up some well-made steps, followed by some relatively good paths, although a longer more gentle ascent is also available. There may be some scrambling off the path to get closer to the Indri, but there are plenty of trees to hang onto for balance.

You can also hope to see the beautiful orange, grey and white Diademed Sifaka as well as the Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur - although be warned that tracking lemurs in the dense canopy of this rainforest is hard work and you can realistically hope for only two or three sightings on each walk. However the excitement of finding them hiding high in the treetop canopy, and jumping from tree to tree, is a thrilling memory that will last a lifetime - so once you find a group do linger and enjoy watching their behaviour for a while.

In the early evening enjoy a 1-hour noctural guided walk along a road close to the Analamazaotra Reserve, so remember your headlamp. Here you can hope to see the glowing eyes of the tiny Goodman's mouse lemur, little tree frogs and sleeping chameleons.

Note: Tracking lemurs requires physical mobility and stamina as some trails are demanding, although your guide will be mindful of your level of fitness and adapt your route accordingly. Remember to dress appropriately when exploring the rainforest i.e. walking boots with good tread and proper rain gear, including lightweight waterproof trousers. A head torch for night walks is essential and light gardening gloves are useful to protect your hands when scrambling through the rainforest. As the climate in the mountains is much cooler than at the coast, especially at night, also pack a fleece.
Day 4 : Mantadia National Park

Today we drive 1-hour along a rough gravel road to the massive 16,000-hectare primary montane rainforests of Mantadia National Park.

The trees in these rainforests are tall and some trails are steep and muddy. There are also streams to cross using log bridges, but you should be rewarded by a view of the gorgeous Diademed Sifaka, perhaps the most beautiful of all the lemurs with its fluffy golden-orange, grey and white coat.

You should also see the Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs that scream at each other across the forest and, if you are fortunate, maybe also the large Indri that is easily heard because of its impressive shrieks. This park is also a great place to see the giraffe-necked weevil, tenrec (similar to hedgehog), frogs and chameleons.

The indigenous flora is outstanding, with hundreds of species of orchids that blossom in October & November, many species of ferns, sacred creepers, lichens and dwarf palm trees. In total there are 12 different species of lemurs, 28 species of reptiles and over 100 bird species.

Afterwards enjoy a 30-minute visit to Lemur Island, where you can interact with and take close-up photos of habituated lemurs rescued from captivity and now living in the semi-wild near Vakona Lodge.
Day 5 : Mandrare River

This morning transfer 4-hours to Antananarivo Airport for your flight to Fort Dauphin. Here you will connect with your light aircraft flight to your luxury eco-camp stunningly located on the banks of the seasonal Mandrare River.

Situated near the small village of Ifotaka, here you will see the dry "spiny forests" of southern Madagascar. As we drive to your tented camp, you will be able to observe the lifestyle of the people who live here. They have important burial rituals associated with ancestor worship and measure their wealth in zebu (cattle). You will also see huge sisal plantations, large cacti and magnificent baobab trees.

After checking in your lodge, enjoy a night walk to search for nocturnal lemurs in this fascinating flora and fauna frontier - so don't forget your headlamp, which is an essential item.
Day 6 : Mandrare River

Today is devoted to exploring the wildlife along the banks of the Mandrare River, which is the lifeblood of this otherwise dry region.

In the morning, we drive along the river bank to a crossing point and walk for 2 to 3 hours in the magnificent sacred Gallery Forest (in the wet and shoulder season, you will wade across the river). Here you can hope to see magnificent Ringtail Lemur (the national animal of Madagascar) and the gorgeous white Verreaux's Sifaka in the wild - a memory that will last a lifetime.

After lunch, enjoy another 2 to 3 hour walk through the sharply contrasting sacred dry Spiny Forest, where you will see interesting tombstones and learn more about local customs and fadys (taboos). You may also see chameleons and other interesting insects and reptiles.

Enjoy sundowners against a magnificent backdrop of baoba trees, before returning to camp for dinner.

Note: Tracking lemurs requires physical mobility as some trails are demanding, although your guide will be mindful of your level of fitness and adapt your route accordingly. Remember to dress appropriately i.e. walking boots with good tread. A head torch for night walks is essential.
Day 7 : Mandrare River

Today is devoted to exploring the wildlife along the banks of the Mandrare River, which is the lifeblood of this otherwise dry region.

In the morning, we drive along the river bank to a crossing point and walk for 2 to 3 hours in the magnificent sacred Gallery Forest (in the wet and shoulder season, you will wade across the river). Here you can hope to see magnificent Ringtail Lemur (the national animal of Madagascar) and the gorgeous white Verreaux's Sifaka in the wild - a memory that will last a lifetime.

After lunch, enjoy another 2 to 3 hour walk through the sharply contrasting sacred dry Spiny Forest, where you will see interesting tombstones and learn more about local customs and fadys (taboos). You may also see chameleons and other interesting insects and reptiles.

Enjoy sundowners against a magnificent backdrop of baoba trees, before returning to camp for dinner.

Note: Tracking lemurs requires physical mobility as some trails are demanding, although your guide will be mindful of your level of fitness and adapt your route accordingly. Remember to dress appropriately i.e. walking boots with good tread. A head torch for night walks is essential.
Day 8 : Antananarivo

Transfer to the airstrip for your light aircraft flight to Fort Dauphin and onward connecting flight to Antananarivo.

You will be met at Antananarivo Airport and transferred to your hotel situated near the airport.
Day 9 : Nosy Be

Transfer to Antananarivo Airport for your flight to the spice island of Nosy Be.

You will be met at Nosy Be Airport and transferred 20-minutes by road to Mango Soa, to connect with your 1-hour speedboat to the paradise tropical island of Tsarabanjino in the Nosy Mitsio archipelago. This is a gentle beach launch, so be prepared to take off your shoes and roll up your trousers!

On arrival check in and relax on idyllic Tsarabanjino Island - which means "beautiful to look at" - with its warm crystal clear turquoise waters and white sandy beaches offering outstanding swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving and deep sea game fishing.
Day 10 : Nosy Mitsio

At leisure to relax and enjoy the beaches of this romantic island in the Nosy Mitsio archipelago.

You can swim and snorkel all year round, but diving is best from September to December. As diving conditions are easy in warm calm waters (26-30 degrees) with excellent visibility (15-25 m), this is a perfect place to learn to scuba.

From August to early October you may see migrating humpbacked whales and mantas, and from September to October you may see whale sharks. Bottle nosed dolphins are also sometimes seen frolicking in the waves.

Optional excursions are also available to nearby Nosy Be Island.
Day 11 : Nosy Mitsio

At leisure to relax and enjoy the beaches of this romantic island in the Nosy Mitsio archipelago.

You can swim and snorkel all year round, but diving is best from September to December. As diving conditions are easy in warm calm waters (26-30 degrees) with excellent visibility (15-25 m), this is a perfect place to learn to scuba.

From August to early October you may see migrating humpbacked whales and mantas, and from September to October you may see whale sharks. Bottle nosed dolphins are also sometimes seen frolicking in the waves.

Optional excursions are also available to nearby Nosy Be Island.
Day 12 : Antananarivo

Transfer 1-hour by speedboat and 20-minutes by road to Nosy Be Airport for your flight to Antananarivo.

You will be met at Antananarivo Airport and transferred to your airport hotel.
Day 13 : Departure

Transfer to Antananarivo Airport for your flight home.

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Inclusions

Hotel
Sightseeing

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Price & Rates

No of pax	Age Limit	Price per pax (Rs)
Adult	Above 12 years	$ 4416 / Adult

* Mentioned prices may vary depending upon date of travel, hotel availability, surge pricing and seasonal rush.

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Package Start From

Antananarivo, Madagascar, Africa

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Terms & Conditions

Payment Terms & Methods :
* Some Advance Percentage of total booking amount
* Airfare/Transport fare to be paid full at one time in advance.

Cancellation & Refund Policy :
* Upon cancellation, refund will be made after deducting the Retention Amount.
* Retention Amount varies as per the number of days left before your package start date.

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