Adventure in the magical island of Lemurs and Baobabs

Upon arrival at Ivato International airport (TNR) you will be met by the team and transferred to the hotel.

Antananarivo city tour Antananarivo means “City of thousands”. Its story began 500 years ago, the place which unified the tribes of Madagascar. The city is built on 3 levels: the high city where the queen's palace is situated, the mid-city, which is an administrative area with nice boutique shops, and the low city which is the commercial area of the town.

Start driving southwards to Antsirabe. Stop in Ambatolampy, a village known for its aluminium workshops. Later on continue to Antsirabe. Combining a typical Malagasy style with the tranquillity of a small European provincial town, Antsirabe is the perfect place to be discovered by rickshaw. Visit to the craft shops of miniatures, made from recycled tins. If time available, visit to the semi-precious stones factory.

• Ambatolampy A charming and very typical plateu town, among the picturesque forests and hills of the Ankaratra Massif. The town is the best-known for its aluminium artisans, who make the aluminium pots wich you can see in every household, lodge or hotels
• Visit Antsirabe by rickshaw… We will do a tour of Antsirabe, an elegant spa-town with a European feel, founded by Norwegians, is well worth a stop. After having lunch in Antsirabe, visit local ateliers by rickshaw. There are many interesting workshops of miniature bikes and old cars, sweets, embroidery and the Zebu horn.

Early morning drive in the direction of Miandrivazo in the western part of Madagascar. Turn west to the village of Betafo. On the way stop in a few villages to visit the markets. Barren hills will accompany your way.  Arrive at the destination towards the evening .

After an early breakfast, drive to Masiakampy. Board on a barge for the river cruise.

• Day 1 of the descent… As you drift along the river, you might catch the flash of a kingfisher from the reeds; hear a zebu being driven down to drink or lemurs staring out from the branches of the forest. During the cruising you will see luxury forests. The boat is equipped with a rooftop, tables, benches and a small kitchen where the crew will prepare food for the guests. Start descending following the current of the river on the plain Betsiriry. Later on the boat will begin to enter a small limestone gorge of Bemaraha. Full board on the boat in provided.

Continue navigation through basalt cliffs richly decorated with aloe and other succulent plants. Visit the village of Begidro. Full board on the boat is provided.

• Navigation in the heart of the meanders of the Tsiribihina River …The barge continued its navigation in the heart of the meanders of the river Tsiribihina. You will come across boatmen, barges, motor freight destined for local product and means of transport and exchange for the villagers, herds of zebu cattle that cross the river. Along the day you stop to Begidro village’s (which housed tobacco concessions) and Berevo which has a dispensary run by nuns. Landscapes succeed (cliff bats, giant capoquiers, rice fields …). At the end of this day where birds such as herons, teal, knob-billed duck will accompany the crew will find a sandbar for the camp.

The boat will start entering the plains of Menabe, the land of huge baobabs and the territory of the fishing eagle, humpback ducks and the ash-colored herons. Stop in a charming baobabs village.  After that you will arrival in Tsimafana around noon. Cross to Belo on Tsiribihina, where 4wd vehicles will be awaiting for you. Drive to Bekopaka. There will be a small river to cross on a ferry in Manambolo, just before Bekopaka. Arrive in late afternoon. At night you may well hear people singing in the distance – a really lovely atmosphere.

A World Heritage Site, the National Park of Tsingy de Bemaraha is formed by a huge massif, spectacularly eroded into a chaos of karsts pinnacles. Tsingy de Bemaraha is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The high rocky plateau is made of deep cracks, labyrinths, canyons, covered with a dry forest. The park is a shelter for many species of lemurs and reptiles which can only be found here.

• Visit the great Tsingy This is probably the most rewarding half-day trip within the park as it goes deep into the limestone forest passing through several hanging bridges with the impressive karstic formations below your feet. The trail is not technically difficult and even children can cope with it, but you certainly should not suffer from vertigo! The look down from the hanging bridge is something to avoid for the easily fainted

After breakfast, embark in a pirogue and sail to the Gorge of Manambolo. High sandstone cliffs are guarding the river banks. Then cross the Manambolo river and take the dirt road back to Morondava via Belo and Tsimafana.  Stop at the Avenue of the Baobabs. Enjoy a splendid sunset. One of the interesting baobabs are the ‘baobabs in love’, a must-see. Arrive early evening in Morondava

• Manambolo gorge It is a canoe trip along the gorge combined with an easier path through caves, stalactites, stalagmites and the famous family tomb of the Vazimba tribe

• Baobab Alley Baobabs are usually solitary trees, standing tall and proud in the midst of empty spaces. Yet in Baobab Alley, they cluster together forming an avenue of columns that border the dirty road

After an early breakfast, start driving back to Antsirabe. You will pass through Mahabo, an ancient Sakalava royal village, which once had a notorious cruel king.  Then, after 8-9 hours’ drive passing through the Malagasy countryside, you will reach Antsirabe.

Return drive to the capital. The picturesque highlands with beautiful terraced rice-fields and Merina tribe villages will accompany your journey. Afternoon visit of Manjakamiadana.

Visit of the Queen’s palace The Queen Palace, also called Manjakamiadana, was destroyed almost completely by a fire in 1995 leaving only the stone walls of the building. The palace belongs to a complex of further seven monuments, which originally occupied the royal palace complex, also called Rova, which is translated as "Fort" which lays at an altitude of 200 m on the highest hill of the city, the Analamanga hill  (translated “blue forest”)

According to your flight’s schedule, you will be transferred to the airport to take your onward flight