Lemurs and Landscapes: Trip to Madagascar

Touch down in Antananarivo, Madagascar’s highland capital. A driver will take you to Hotel Nosy Manga, a quiet place to rest up after your flight. Spend the afternoon relaxing, with your first Malagasy meal overlooking the city from the hotel’s rooftop restaurant. If you’re in the mood for a stroll, head down to Tsarasaotra Park for tree-lined lakes and peaceful walking paths.

After breakfast, your guide will transfer you to Andasibe, a sprawling rainforest park home to indri, the largest of the lemurs. Settle into Mantadia Lodge, your forest refuge for the coming days. In the afternoon, set out with your guide to Mitsinjo Reserve, a conservation success story, for your first chance to witness the wonderfully weird-looking indri. Head back to your lodge for dinner and a restful night: this wild adventure is only just beginning. 

The following days will be punctuated by wild treks in search of all manner of rare species. Begin at Mantadia National Park, a less-traveled tract of Andasibe, in search of cackling lemurs, iridescent tree frogs, and clandestine chameleons. Stop for lunch at Rianasoa Waterfall before hiking back through the jungle, and remember: the tougher the trail, the greater the reward. On day 3, venture to Perinet Reserve. Be wowed by your naturalist guide, as they pause to reveal endemic orchids and decipher the eerie call of the indri. Birders, be aware: this is a prime spot for flying fauna. Keep an eye out for the green-striped velvet asity and brilliant blue coua. 

Return to Antananarivo for a one-night stopover, this time bedding down at Maison Gallieni, a relaxed hilltop spot with just four rooms. While this stopover is a necessity due to Madagascar’s size and transport links, see this as an opportunity to rest and lounge by the pool before heading back into the wild. If you’re looking for things to do in Antananarivo, Analakely, the city's main flea market, is on your doorstep. 

Fly to Tsingy de Namoroka National Park, a far-flung park of razor-sharp limestone peaks forged over millennia. Few travelers journey to this remote chunk of Madagascan wilderness, making your visit even more extraordinary and personal. Settle in at Namoroka Tsingy Camp, a safari-style tented camp that feels as if it grew out of the landscape. Take the rest of the day to relax; in the evening, join your naturalist guide for a sunset walk among baobabs in search of the secretive aye-aye lemur. 

The next two days are yours to explore this otherworldly landscape as you choose. When we say yours, we mean it. Just 50 visitors a year make it to Namoroka, so hard is it to reach. Head out on walks in search of the park’s six lemur species, including sifaka and red lemurs, and over 100 types of exotic birdlife. Venture deep into the otherworldly Tsingy, where your days are spent climbing, scrambling, and threading your way through a dramatic maze of razor-sharp limestone and narrow canyons. With an expert guide, descend into an immense cave system to uncover fossilized remains of Madagascar’s long-extinct giant lemurs—an evocative glimpse into the island’s ancient past. 

Arrive by private charter to Madagascar’s remote northeast coast. The Masoala Peninsula protects the island’s largest lowland rainforest, alive with red-ruffed lemurs, jewel-toned chameleons, prolific birdlife, and coral reefs just offshore. Reached only by boat, it rewards the curious. Arrive by charter flight and boat to Masoala Forest Lodge, your thatched treehouse overlooking a golden beach. Settle in with a coastal walk, forest sightings, and sunset drinks on the sand as night falls over the rainforest canopy nearby. 

Days here begin with the sun lighting the ocean in dazzling golds and end with the soulful noise of the forest. The days in between are packed with adventures that will stay with you forever. Trek through primary rainforest in search of red-ruffed lemurs, listening out for their chattering shriek. Venture out on a night safari with a local guide. Glide over coastal waters by kayak to watch the sunset. Swim in the refreshing jungle pools of the Tampolo River. Snorkel right from the shore among kaleidoscopic fish above pristine coral reef. On your final evening, walk along the beach, sand between your toes, and file that feeling away in your mind’s eye. 

After 11 action-packed days, your Madagascar journey draws to a close. A boat and then a plane transfer you to Antananarivo. When the time comes, board your international flight, bound for home with safari memories never far from mind. Depending on your flight time, a dayroom will be arranged.