East Madagascar Safari
Day 1 - Antananarivo
On your arrival into Antananarivo (Tana), the capital of Madagascar, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for the night. Antananarivo is a colourful city with lively markets through the centre of town. Spend the day relaxing or exploring the city.
Days 2, 3 and 4 - Adasibe-Mantadia National Park
After breakfast, your driver/guide will collect you from the hotel and drive you 3 hours east to Andasibe National Park for the start of your Madagascar lemur safari. Andasibe is one of the more accessible national parks in Madagascar, making it one of the most popular forests to explore. Home to some of the more impressive lemurs including the largest lemur in Madagascar, the indri-indri. A large black and white teddy bear-looking lemur, the indri’s calls can be heard echoing through the forest mist in the mornings. The eerie cry gives their location away as you head into the forest in search of these beautiful animals.
Other iconic lemurs in Andasibe-Mantadia include the diademed sifaka which is a gold, grey, white and black sifaka. Truly arboreal, they are masters of the forest moving from tree to tree with such ease.
Spend your days exploring the forests in search of lemurs, chameleons, and the other endemic creatures of this incredible island. This is the best way to start your Madagascar safari.
Days 5, 6 and 7 - Palmarium Reserve
From Andasibe-Mantadia National Park you continue east to Manambato village where you will be met and transferred along the Pangalanes Canals to the private reserve of Palmarium. The small reserve is home to several semi-habituated lemur species from around the country, making it an ideal place for photographers and families. The reserve has indri-indri, diademed sifakas, black lemurs, crowned lemurs as well as black and white ruffed lemurs. One of the strangest and rarest lemurs to live in Madagascar is the aye-aye, a gremlin-looking creature that only comes out at night looking for grubs that live under the bark of trees. The Palmarium Reserve has some wild aye-aye that lives on a wooded island in the middle of the lake, making this one of the best places in Madagascar to see them.
Spend 3 nights at the Palmarium Reserve exploring the forests in search of the charismatic lemurs that live here.
Days 5, 6 and 7 - Palmarium Reserve
From Palmarium Reserve head back to Tana for the night.
Days 9, 10, 11 and 12 - Masoala National Park
Today you fly north to Maroantsetra where you are met and transferred to the jetty for your 2-hour boat transfer to the stunning Masoala National Park, one of the remotest national parks in Madagascar. The Masoala Forest Lodge is only accessible by boat or on foot making for a very exclusive wildlife experience. Masoala Peninsular is a true Eden with thick, lush rainforest tumbling down mountains and hills and spilling onto deserted golden beaches flanked by turquoise waters. The forests of Masoala are home to one of the prettiest lemurs in Madagascar, the red-ruffed lemur. Spend your days trekking through the forest in search of lemurs, chameleons, and endemic birds that live here. Being on the beach you can also find a secluded spot and relax with a book. The lodge has sea kayaks for guests to use. Head out to sea and if you are lucky you will see dolphins, turtles, and humpbacked whales in the crystal waters of the peninsular.
This is a true gem and one of our favorite spots in Madagascar.
