Rainforest, Rugged Landscapes & Remote Islands

A Madagascar Wildlife Adventure

DAY 1 Arrive in Antananarivo

You will arrive in Johannesburg early this morning and have plenty of time to connect across to your onward flight to the Madagascan capital Antananarivo. The onward flight takes three hours and you will arrive in the early afternoon. You will then be transferred to your boutique hotel, a restored colonial house with buckets of charm. Within walking distance are a number of great restaurants for a bite to eat before an early night.

DAY 2 To Andasibe-Mantadia National Park

After a hearty breakfast at your hotel, you will be met and transferred by car to Andasibe, a protected rainforest area in eastern Madagascar. The journey takes around four hours so make sure to have a good book to hand (check out our regional reading lists for our top picks). Along the way, see a snapshot of rural life as you pass rice fields, red brick houses and roadside stalls selling seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Check into your boutique hotel (where you will be staying for the next few nights) in time for lunch before stretching your legs on a late-afternoon visit to the Mitsinjo Forest Reserve - a private reserve named after a local NGO that funds reforestation and community education as well as Madagascar's first amphibian captive-breeding facility.

As evening rolls in you'll be setting off on a night walk with a local guide. This is the prime time to see some of the area's nocturnal lemurs in the forests surrounding the reserve including mouse lemurs, white footed sportive lemur, fat-tailed dwarf lemur and the woolly lemur.

DAY 3 To Antananarivo

Trade the remote wilds of Palmarium for the bustling streets of Antananarivo today, a journey that takes approximately six hours. It's the longest travelling day of your tailor-made Madagascar adventure but the journey is far from dull as it is a great way to see a snapshot of local life as you gaze out the window.

On arrival into the capital, you will be transferred to your luxury hotel where you will be spending the night. Surrounded by lush gardens and with a heated outdoor pool, this is the perfect spot for a relaxing evening after your long journey.

DAY 4 From Capital to Coast

From Madagascar's capital, you will be catching a short two-hour morning flight to the coastal city of Antisiranana that sits on the northern tip of the country. On arrival, make your way to your lodge where you will be staying for the next two nights in a thatched chalet. Nestled within nature, the lodge is wonderfully tranquil with plenty of cosy spaces in which to relax, from low-lit lounges to the expansive terrace.

We've left the afternoon free for you to enjoy some R&R and, come evening, a delicious dinner crafted from fresh, seasonal produce collected from local markets and the lodge's lush gardens.

DAY 5 Wonderful Wildlife in Tsingy

After a breakfast of buttery croissants with home-made jam, set off with your local guide for a tour of Tsingy Reserve that's entirely tailored to your physical aptitude and interests. As you trek through the wilderness, take in the astonishing richness of wildlife in the park. There are a number of lemur species as well as approximately 100 bird species and a wealth of fauna and flora which have not even been completely recorded.

While you wander through the park, make sure to tick off some of the top sites along the way from baobab forests and bat caves to crater lakes and turret-shaped rock formations; this is a true wonderland of nature.

Return to your bush camp this evening for a wholesome meal followed by a sundowner on the balcony with a glass of home-made rum as the sun paints the surroundings golden.

DAY 6 Island Living

After an early breakfast this morning, head off for the final part of your tailor-made Madagascar adventure which sees you soaking up the serenity of the country's idyllic islands. You will be driven four hours to Nosy Be port where you will board a boat to Tsarabanjina, a small island off the northwest coast of Madagascar. Part of the Nosy Mitsio Archipelago, the island is only accessible by boat, making it the ultimate escape.

For the next six nights, you will be staying in a luxurious resort in a beautiful beach villa. This is a chance to experience a true island paradise with powder-soft beaches, lush tropical vegetation and a kaleidoscopic underwater world that is truly captivating.

After bobbing up to the island by boat, get settled into your villa before heading to the restaurant for magnificent Malagay cuisine in a friendly, laid-back atmosphere. As evening rolls in, watch the sun dip over the watery horizon and the sky light up with thousands of stars; with no light pollution the stars here are utterly unbelievable.