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There are no included activities today so you are free to arrive at any time. The group flights usually arrive in the early afternoon. This evening's welcome briefing is the perfect opportunity to meet your guide and get to know your fellow travellers.Accommodation: Belvedere Hotel or similarStandard Hotel
This morning we embark on a city tour of Tana, the picturesque capital of Madagascar. With its bustling markets, friendly people and ancient town on a hill with freestone churches and ancient royal places, it is unique among the world’s other capitals. We then drive to Andasibe through the green and luxuriant vegetation of the east. This first step brings us to the humid part of the country with many primary forests and lakes. Along the way we will see Merina villages in the rocky mountains. We will arrive in Andasibe at around 4pm and the rest of the afternoon is free to relax. In the early evening we take a twilight/nocturnal walk along the road, close to the Andasibe Nature Reserve, looking out for the nocturnal species of lemur as the torchlights pass their eyes.Accommodation: Hotel Feon’ny Ala or similarStandard Hotel
Discover Andasibe National Park (also known as Perinet) and its wildlife on a 4 hour walk. The park is home to the teddy bear-like Indri, the largest of Madagascar's lemur species, as well as other forms of flora and fauna and a wide array of bird life. Listening to the piercing yet melancholy cry of the Indri in the morning is an evocative sound and for those who are prepared to follow them through the thick rainforest, the reward is often a close-up view of these beautiful creatures. A group of five Diademed sifaka have recently been re-introduced to Andasibe from Mantadia, and if we are lucky, we may spot one of these unusual creatures.In the afternoon we visit the Vondron’olona Miaro Mitia Ala Reserve. This is a community run reserve where you are able to see several species of lemurs and birds. The reserve is an untouched paradise for endemic animals and plants. There are groups of Indris which we hope to see here in their natural habitat, and their white-headed relatives, the Diademed sifakas, jump between the tree tops. For reptiles and amphibian lovers, the reserve offers countless frogs along its crystal clear river and several amazing chameleons can be found in the forest.Accommodation: Hotel Feon’ny Ala or similarStandard Hotel
We drive back to Tana, and head south to Antsirabe, across the highland landscape with its beautiful rice fields on stage. The spectacular eroded hills called ‘lavaka’ remind us of the Far East with its rice fields and green landscape with vegetables and fruit trees. Antsirabe, or ‘the place of salt’, is an elegant city well known as the centre of the beer industry and we can smell the Star Brewery as we enter the town. Founded by the Norwegians in 1856, it is the only place which really feels and looks like a European city. It has a temperate climate and all fruits and vegetable, which grow in cold climates, are found in Antsirabe.Accommodation: Les Chambers du Voyageur or similarStandard Hotel
After breakfast we drive to Ambositra, the centre of Madagascar's wood carving industry. We are still in the highlands, which are characterized by their architecture: the houses are made with ornately carved wooden balconies and shutters with bright colours. Further on we pass the ‘le col de tapia’, a type of tree, which is resistant to the bush fires of the area. The landscape is still dominated by rice fields on stage, pine forests and eucalyptus trees and rocky mountains. Our destination for the day: Ranomafana National Park. Accommodation: Centrest Hotel or similarStandard Hotel
Parc National de Ranomafana (approximately 40,000ha), with its rain forested hills and abundant wildlife, has long been considered one of Madagascar’s highlights, and is one of the most heavily visited of the country’s national parks. Its entrance lies about 7km from Ranomafana village. Altitudes in the park range from 800m to 1200m. In addition to its densely forested hills, Ranomafana’s terrain is characterised by numerous small streams, which plummet down to the beautiful Namorona River. Although much of the region has been logged, the easternmost part of the park retains relatively large areas of primary forest.We go for a walk in the national park for approximately five hours in the hopes of spotting some of the lemurs, chameleons and other animals found here. We hope to see Golden bamboo lemurs who are unique to this park, as well as other lemurs such as the Eastern woolly lemur, the Red bellied lemur, the Grey bamboo lemur, and the Red-fronted brown lemur. This park is also home to other mammals including tenrecs, bats and some of the carnivores such as mongoose and the Malagasy striped civet. Accommodation: Centrest Hotel or similarStandard Hotel
An early start as we leave Ranomafana National Park behind us. The scenery changes dramatically as we head to the small town of Ranohira, a journey of approximately 9 hours. We stop near Ambalavao to visit Anja National Park along the way - a small reserve where several families of Ring-tailed lemurs can be seen amongst the vegetation. Accommodation: Orchidee de l’Isalo or similarStandard Hotel
After an early start, we spend our day exploring Isalo National Park. Isalo is a vast region of wind-polished and water-scoured rock towers, deep canyons, gorges and oases often described as Eden. We go walking in the magnificent Canyon des Makis in search of cheeky Ring-tailed lemurs and the Verreaux Sifaka. We also visit the 'Piscine Naturelle' (natural swimming pool), a beautifully lush spot in such an arid landscape where we can swim and relax. Perhaps the magic is just to soak up the sheer beauty of the park, the combination of coloured eroded rock formations, strange plants and enveloping silence make this one of the most captivating places in Madagascar. Accommodation: Orchidee de l’Isalo or similarStandard Hotel
After breakfast, we continue to Tulear. This brings us new scenery, among the dry forests of the west and the spiny desert of the south. On the way admire the different ‘Mahafaly tombs and the ‘Antandroy tombs’ from the road and visit Zombitse National Park for a few hours. The Zombitse National Park forest is of particular interest to birdwatchers, as it is home to one of Madagascar's rarest endemics, Appert's greenbul, as well as other species such as Giant coua, Crested ibis and Cuckoo roller. Verreaux's Sifakas, Red-fronted Brown lemurs and Sportive lemurs are also seen here. Accommodation: Hotel Victory or similarStandard Hotel
This morning we take a boat transfer to Anakao arriving at around 9.00 am. This Vezo (meaning 'the people who fish') fishing village lies on the south west coast of Madagascar and boasts white sandy beaches.The rest of the day is free for optional activities, including snorkelling, diving, pirogue (small boat similar to a canoe) excursions, swimming and more. Accommodation: Hotel Lalandaka or similarSimple Hotel
An early 4x4 transfer of approximately two hours takes us to Tsimanampetsotse for a full day visit of the national park. The large, shallow soda lake is the focus for this terrific 43,200ha national park. The large limestone plateau here has some of the most striking spiny forest vegetation in Madagascar with countless endemic species. The park sits on a large underground aquifer that runs north, evidenced by the numerous sinkholes and caves. The lake is renowned for its waterfowl, notably flamingoes and other rare endemic birds including the Madagascar plover. We may even be lucky and spot the emblem of the park, the very rare Grandidier’s mongoose! In the afternoon we return to Anakao. Accommodation: Hotel Lalandaka or similarSimple Hotel
Today we take a boat excursion to Nosy Ve to see the world's most southernmost all-year breeding colony of Red-tailed tropic birds, stunning all-white seabirds with red bills and long, thin, red tails, nesting in this small island. If we are lucky we may see the females roosting under small shrubs, well hidden from any airborne predators such as hawks or eagles. A stroll around Nosy Ve’s shoreline including a long white sand beach takes about one hour. After our exploration we will return to Anakao, usually around lunchtime. The rest of the afternoon is free for optional activities. Accommodation: Hotel Lalandaka or similarSimple Hotel
Today we transfer to Tulear airport for our flight to Antananarivo. Depending on the flight schedule, you may have some time in the afternoon free to explore Antananarivo on your own. Accommodation: Belvedere Hotel or similarStandard Hotel
This morning we visit Ambohimanga, the fortified village and its Royal palace. Ambohimanga, otherwise known as Blue Hills, was for a long time forbidden to Europeans. The kings and queens returned here for rest and relaxation on top the forested slopes of this hill-top village. From here began the line of kings and queens who united Madagascar into one country. Ambohimanga still remains of spiritual significance for the Malagasy people with ceremonies and rituals still taking place.Our adventure ends after Ambohimanga. Those on the group flights will be transferred to the airport.
10 nights standard and 3 simple hotels, all en suiteTravel by private bus and
internal flightSome long drives on poor roads
Food standards in Madagascar can vary and are probably not of the same
standard you are used to at home. The cuisine has been strongly influenced by
the French and a three-course meal should cost €9-€15. A one-course lunch
should cost €4-€7. Please allow approximately €300 for the meals not
included, plus a little more if you enjoy a drink with dinner! Malagasy lager
is reasonably priced and easily available. Malagasy wine is also reasonably
priced but is not to everyone's taste. It is sometimes possible to get hold
of French or South African wine. A delicacy in Madagascar is the various
flavoured Rum’s which are widely sold and very reasonably
priced.Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for on this holiday -
please do inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so that
our local team can be well prepared.
10 nights standard and 3 simple hotels, all en suiteTravel by private bus and
internal flightSome long drives on poor roads
Madagascar is a rewarding destination with its wealth of flora and fauna,
however, before you decide to travel, we would highlight the following issues
for you to consider:Travelling by vehicle in Madagascar can be uncomfortable
as some of the road quality varies. The majority of the roads are
well-surfaced, but it is worth noting that Madagascar is one of the poorest
countries in the world and the infrastructure reflects this. Some roads will
be better than others, and at times a little patience, humour and flexibility
may be required! There will be a lot of very early starts and long days on
this itinerary, but the diverse scenery more than makes up for time spent on
the bus. We break up our road journeys with stops at villages, to take photos
and to stretch our legs.The tourist infrastructure in Madagascar is
relatively new and some services are limited. It is not unusual for there to
be changes to accommodation or internal flights and for this reason, the
order of the itinerary (but not the content) may sometimes have to be
changed.
HotelsWe use standard hotels throughout the trip except for three nights where we
stay in a simple hotel in Anakao.Please note that although all the hotels are
said to have a reliable electricity and water supply there may be instances
in which you experience some gaps in supply - this is more a reflection of
life in Madagascar than the standard of the hotel. Please be aware that some
hotels do not have 24 hr electicity, and in some, hot water is not always
available. There is WiFi in most of the hotels but often this is only in the
communal areas and not in the rooms.Please note that while the hotel in
Anakao has Wifi in the main reception/restaurant area there is no electricity
to charge devices in the rooms - these can be left to charge at reception.
The rooms do have electric lighting. Solar heated hot water for washing will
be delivered to each bungalow every morning and evening as there is no
running water in the bathrooms, just a large container of fresh water and a
traditional ‘bucket shower’. This container of fresh water is also used
to manually flush the toilet.
Food standards in Madagascar can vary and are probably not of the same
standard you are used to at home. The cuisine has been strongly influenced by
the French and a three-course meal should cost €9-€15. A one-course lunch
should cost €4-€7. Please allow approximately €300 for the meals not
included, plus a little more if you enjoy a drink with dinner! Malagasy lager
is reasonably priced and easily available. Malagasy wine is also reasonably
priced but is not to everyone's taste. It is sometimes possible to get hold
of French or South African wine. A delicacy in Madagascar is the various
flavoured Rum’s which are widely sold and very reasonably
priced.Vegetarians and vegans can be well catered for on this holiday -
please do inform us before departure of any special dietary requests so that
our local team can be well prepared.
Travel is mainly by small private bus. Most of this trip is on well-surfaced
roads with only the occasional poor and bumpy section while in the national
parks. There are several days where the drives are long but we make plenty of
stops along the way.There is one internal flight; from Tulear to Tana. There
is also a return boat transfer from Tulear to Anakao and a 4WD transfer to
Tsimanampetsotsa National Park. We use 4WD vehicles on this section of the
trip as the road is a dirt road and can be a little uneven at times (though
the surrounding landscape and destination more than make up for it!).The
driving distances are as follows. Approximate driving time including stops in
is brackets: Antananarivo - Andasibe: 135 km (5 hours) Antananarivo –
Antsirabe: 169 km (6 hours)Antsirabe – Ranomafana : 250km (10
hours)Ranomafana - Fianarantsoa - Ranohira: 370km (11 hours)Ranohira -
Tulear: 240 km (5 hours)
Travelling flight inclusive from London: 16 DaysThe group flight from London
is an overnight flight departing the day before Day 1 of the
itinerary.Flights from LondonWe normally use the scheduled services of Kenya
Airways (depending on availability). As flight timings and schedules change
regularly we recommend you call one of our specialist sales staff or your
agent to confirm up‐to‐date timings. Please note timings may change at a
later date and cannot be confirmed until approximately two weeks before
departure.Internal flights during the trip are normally with Air
Madagascar.Travelling land only: 14 days starting and ending in
AntananarivoPlease note that security conditions at the airport
in Antananarivo do not allow for the leader to be able to access the airport
building. The leader will be waiting directly outside the building to meet
you on arrival.
Airport transfers are included for those on the group flights. Please note
that transfers are not included for clients arriving on any other flight,
even if Exodus has booked it.If you require airport transfers, you may (by
prior arrangement only) be able to join the group transfer. Transfers are
arranged to coincide with the arrival time of the group flight - please check
the group flight details 2 weeks before departure. If you do not take this
transfer, or miss it, you must make your own way to the joining point at your
own expense.
Madagascar has a tropical climate with two seasons - rainy and dry. The
driest season extends from April to October. It can be cold on the central
plateau (including Antananarivo) in the evenings, and in the rainforest
areas, so you should bring warm clothes (fleece and waterproof). There is
considerable regional variation but coastal areas will normally be very hot
and dry. Expect daytime in the shade temperatures up to 38ºC from
October-December and up to 30ºC during the trips running from April-June and
September.
Lightweight clothing, to include at least one pair of long trousers and a
long‐sleeved shirt (for protection against mosquitoes and scratchy
plants)Walking boots or training shoes with good treadRain jacket (all year
round)SunscreenSunhatSunglassesWater bottleTorch/flashlight for use when
camping, wildlife viewing at night and for powercuts.Internal flights in the
destination country are subject to a weight limit of 20kg.
Warm sweater or fleece jacket (as nights can be
chilly)BinocularsCameraDaysackSwimming costumeEarplugs if you have trouble
sleepingMosquito repellentSome clients might find walking poles useful.Please
note that tampons are virtually impossible to get hold of in Madagascar.Due
to laws in Madagascar about the dispensing of medicine, the guides are not
able to carry any basic medicines should you feel unwell. These include
Paracetamol, Imodium and Aspirin. Although they are available to buy in
Madagascar, if you believe you may need these we advise you to bring them
with you from home.
A Visa card or Mastercard can be used to obtain a local currency cash advance
at some banks, but note that we advise you to bring your spending money in
Euros or US$ cash as these are easiest to change to local currency. Bills of
100 € or USD usually get a better rate than bills of 20 or less. British
pounds Sterling can only be exchanged at banks at the airport, but even
there, they are not always accepted. You can bring maximum 7500 € or the
corresponding amount in other currency without declaring it on arrival, above
that amount, you have to declare it. Please note that you can import and
export a maximum of 400’000 Ariary in the local currency Ariary. You cannot
rely on credit cards for payment as they are rarely accepted and the ATM
doesn’t always work, and American Express or Diners cards are hardly
accepted anywhere in Madagascar.All money should be exchanged at the airport
on arrival, as in the banks in the provincial towns, it’d take too long
time. Also, the exchange rate at the airport is generally better than in the
banks in Antananarivo or other cities. Optional Excursions
Antananarivo:Visit to Lemur’s park near Tana:MGA 210 000 for 1 personMGA
140 000 per person for 2 people MGA 105 000 per person for 3 peopleMGA 95 000
per person from 4 peopleVisit of the botanical and Zoological park of
Tsimbazaza near Tana:MGA 175 000 for 1 personMGA 112 000 per person per
person for 2 peopleMGA 95 000 per person per person for 3 peopleMGA 80 000
per person per person from 4 peopleAnakao:Scuba diving: Single dive –
Approx. EUR 50 per personScuba diving: Night dive – Approx. EUR 70 per
personWhale watching excursion (July to September) – Approximately EUR 25
per personKite Surfing – Approximately EUR 50 per person, per hourSurfing
– Approximately EUR 60 per person for three hoursStand Up Paddle Boarding
– Approximately EUR 20 per person, per hour
Our local staff are paid well and fairly for their work with Exodus. You may
feel that your leader has performed well over the course of your time in
Madagascar and want to show your appreciation of their services. If you would
like to tip your leader we suggest a figure of approximately 4 GBP
(approximate US$5) per person per day.It is also courtesy to tip any extra
guides/ drivers you may have over the course of the trip, though certainly
not compulsory. Shortly after arrival the leader will suggest to the group
that they donate a sum of 50 GBP (approx. US$ 65) per person towards a kitty
on arrival. This money is then used for tipping local guides, hotel porters,
drivers etc and will be distributed by the leader.
Travel insuranceSingle accommodation (available on request)Visas or
vaccinations
Ved skriftlig aksept av vårt tilbud bekrefter du/dere at våre betingelser er både lest og forstått og at evt kansellerings gebyrer kan tilkomme ved en evt. avbestilling av reisen.