Tropical East Madagascar Tour (11 days)

Landing in Antananarivo

• On arrival in Antananarivo, you'll be met and transferred to Maison Gallieni atop a hill overlooking the vibrant city. Enjoy the sights and sounds during your city drive. 
• Please note that your transfer through the city may take up to an hour, as the traffic is very heavy in the city. 

Antananarivo to Andasibe

• After your breakfast, your tour-driver will drive you to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Stretching across 154 square kilometres of eastern Madagascar, Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is a place of great beauty and biodiversity. It is divided into two distinct sections: the smaller Analamazaotra or Perinet Reserve to the south and the larger Parc National de Mantadia to the north. The region is swathed with thick tropical rainforests made up of lush ferns, tangled lianas, hundreds of orchid species and myriad other jungle flora and teeming with a diverse array of endemic wildlife. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you hear the peculiar call of the Indri, the largest living lemur in existence, which can reach up to one metre in height. Visitors can enjoy spectacular hikes, discover hidden waterfalls, and hunt for rare orchids.
• After the visit, drive to Andasibe check-in at your hotel. At the end of the afternoon, you will be taken on a late visit to Vakona forest.  

Andasibe to the Pangalanes Canal

• Today, drive to Manambato over the old suspension bridge of Brickaville. Manambato is a charming village lying on the Pangalanes Channel where Tananarivians use to come for short beach holidays. Embark on a one-hour boating expedition to reach Ankanin’ny nofy, literally translated to the “nest of dreams”.

• Explore the surroundings of Lake Ampitabe where you have the option of exploring the Palmarium Private Reserve either by day or night. Home to a dozen species of lemurs and tropical plants that you've never seen before. Spend your afternoon at leisure,
  where several activities can be organized on the spot such as:

   - Boat trip to visit a typical Betsimisaraka village (school and nursery)
   - Contemplate the dozens of kilometers of empty beach in the wild Indian Ocean shore
   - Walk along the Pangalanes canal to see the endemic carnivorous plant nepenthes madagascariensis

Mahambo via Tamatave

• After breakfast, you will boat along the Pangalanes Canal to Tamatave. This boat trip allows you to “readapt” to the bustle of city life after your restful experience at Bush House. 
• Taomasina (formerly known as Tamatave) is Madagascar’s main port city. The region is characterised by long beaches, split by rivers that empty into the sea. High concentrations of unique flora and fauna can be found, as well as exotic plantations of coffee, vanilla, clove, banana, coconut and lychee. The city itself is an enticing mix of bric-a-brac sophistication – boulevards lined with palm trees and upmarket hotels sit alongside old, crumbling colonial buildings and creole houses built on stilts.
• Enjoy lunch before your drive to Mahambo. You will drive along the coast where you can buy coconuts straight from the roadside. Do not hesitate to stop at one of the shops bordering the road to discover unusual tropical fruits. Mahambo is a small village well shaded by coconut trees. It is famous for surfing and resort holidays, even if it remains very traditional.

Mahambo to Sainte Marie via ferry

• Enjoy your breakfast with a view of the Indian Ocean. Thereafter, you'll jump aboard a ferry to Sainte Marie island. 
• Sainte Marie’s Malagasy name is “Nosy Boraha”. The shallow waters and secluded bays around Nosy Boraha make it an excellent destination for snorkelling. The best spots are near Atafana and La Crique on the central western shores where the mix of healthy coral reefs and shallow wrecks make for an enchanting underwater experience. Further out, black-coral reefs and expansive granite-bouldered seabed are the perfect environment for scuba divers to encounter grouper, grey sharks, stingrays and barracuda. There are also a handful of deeper wrecks for more experienced divers to explore. For solitude and total isolation, this small island off the southern tip of Nosy Boraha is perfection. There are no roads and no cars, the beaches are gorgeous and the coral reefs some of the best in the world.
• Suggested activities

- Whale watching (mid-July to mid-September): Sainte Marie is a worldwide hotspot for humpback whale. You can easily see them from the shore, but also during a boat tour with a local
- Available land activites: quad biking, biking, hiking. The island is very small with only one main road and little traffic. This allows you to tour the island safely by yourself
 - Available sea activities: Diving, fishing, kitesurfing thanks to the lagoon surrounding a part of the Island.

Sainte Marie Island back to Antananarivo

Enjoy a morning of leisure in Sainte Marie, whereafter you'll hop on a short flight back to the capital. 

End of journey

You'll be transferred to Ivato International Airport for your flight home.