This circuit is dedicated to you and all naturalists because you go to be into the richest part in term of the fauna, the flora and exceptional all over the world. Virgin Earth, primary forest which shelters endemic species, beach gilded unexplored and three park sailors which protect more than 10 000 hectares of coral reefs, marine plant … Produce you to the endemicity ...
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
• The East Coast Landscape and its Rosewood, greenery and vanilla
• One of the most green landscape of the big island
• The private reserve Peyrieras and its butterflies, insects, reptiles and batrachians farm
• Andasibe/Mantadia National Parks and its numerous lemurs, orchids, endemic plants
• Discover the ethnic group Antandroy’s daily life and its cultures
• Discover Berenty Private & Nahampoana reserves
• Discover Berenty Private & Nahampoana reserves
• Ambohimanga Kings Palace (UNESCO SITE)
PRICE PER PERSON SHARING
From € 1815 /pax (LUXURY HOTEL OPTION)
From € 1530 /pax (MID-RANGE HOTEL OPTION)
From € 1360 /pax (BUDGET HOTEL OPTION)
The price indicated is per person sharing room (DBL or TWIN), it is based on 2 Persons; if less or more, please contact us and we will send you the final price.
INCLUSIONS & EXCLUSIONS
Inclusions:
• Private Meet & greet at Antananarivo international airport
• Return private transfers from/in airport/hotel
• Private vehicle with a driver English speaking (Fuel included)
• Accommodations in standard DOUBLE/TWIN room with private sanitary
• The meals as specified
• Entrance Parks/reserve and local guide fees
• The domestic flight tickets Antananarivo/Fort Dauphin/Antananarivo (DECOUVERTE OFFER / LL1)
Exclusions:
• All international flight costs and visa fees or assistance unless otherwise specified.
• Tips; drinks; personal expense and none specified items.
Ticket Flight Condition:
• COUP DE COEUR (EL1): Nonrefundable and non modifiable rate after issuing the ticket flight
• DECOUVERTE OFFER (LL1): Nonrefundable and modifiable rate with penalty of € 18/person after issuing the ticket flight
• LIBERTE (YL1): Refundable and modifiable rate with penalty of € 18/person after issuing the ticket fligh
• PRIVILEGE (CL1): Refundable and modifiable rate with penalty of € 18/person after issuing the ticket flight
JOINING TOUR ABROAD
08 days/07 nights: From Antananarivo to Antananarivo. This is a tailor-made wildlife safari and can be edited to suit your needs, wants and budget. Talk to our destination specialists to find out more about this trip and to get advice on whether it is the best one you’re your specific requirements and interests.
Day 1: Antananarivo
Meet and greet at Antananarivo airport by GMT+3 representative and then transfer to your hotel in Antananarivo city. Briefing about the program and introducing the timing.
After breakfast, depart for Andasibe National Park, passing through highland scenery and rice paddies. The drive takes approximately 4 hours and gives you your first glimpse of this culturally and scenically diverse country as you pass rice fields, villages, and roadside stalls. We leave the mountainous region and make a small stop at Marovezo to visit the Peyreiras Reserve or the exotic park famous for its endemic reptiles. You will discover different types of butterflies, chameleons, tomatoes frogs, snakes and lemurs. After the visit, continue towards Andasibe and check in at your hotel. Night walk before dinner.
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel | LUNCH: Excluded | DINER: Excluded | BREAKFAST: Included TRANSPORATION: Private Vehicle
Day 3: Andasibe – Antananarivo
Today, you are going to visit Andasibe National Park (Analamazotra reserve) to discover in the wild the biggest lemur alive which is the Indri Indri; the golden (diademed) Sifaka and then brown lemurs. They are often seen in the reserve. You will discover a lot of medicinal and endemics plants... Continuation to visit Vakona private reserve and begins with the lemurs Island. You are going to discover: the common brown, the bamboo; the black and white ruffed; the red ruffed; the golden (diademed) Sifaka and then ring-tailed lemurs… to the crocodile valley to see some crocodiles, geckos, turtles, and endemic birds. After the visit, drive back in Antananarivo and then check in at your hotel.
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel | LUNCH: Excluded | DINER: Excluded | BREAKFAST: Included TRANSPORATION: Private Vehicle
Day 4: Antananarivo – Fort Dauphin – Berenty (1h15 flight & 90km +/- 3h)
After breakfast transfer to the airport for your flight to Fort Dauphin. Upon arrival, meet and then depart to Berenty. Check in at your lodge. Time to discover the reserve with your guide. You will see very close several species of lemurs, some snakes, parrots, eagles, and other wildlife in the virgin forest. After the visit, drive back to the lodge throughout Antandroy museum and a re-constructed Antandroy village.
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel | LUNCH: Included | DINER: Excluded | BREAKFAST: Included TRANSPORATION: Regular flight & Private Vehicle
Day 5: Berenty
With its large populations of Ringtails, Brown Lemurs and Verreaux’ Sifakas, the private Berenty Nature Reserve is probably the country’s best known protected area. The reserve contains nearly a third of the remaining tamarind gallery forest in Madagascar and is the best place on the island to see Ringtail Lemurs and Verreaux’s Sifakas. These large white lemurs are among nature’s most accomplished acrobats, hurling themselves across vast distances between the tamarind trees. In addition to lemurs, we may see civets and flying foxes (large fruit bats). The reserve is one of the best bird watching sites in the country with 83 varied species, including nine birds of prey. In the evening, you have the exciting opportunity to go on a night walk in search of the nocturnal Grey Mouse and White-footed Lemurs.
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel | LUNCH: Included | DINER: Excluded | BREAKFAST: Included TRANSPORATION: Private Vehicle
Day 6: Berenty – Fort Dauphin
After breakfast, depart for Fort Dauphin with the same road. Upon arrival, check in at your hotel and have lunch. In the afternoon, you are going to visit Nahampoana private reserve. An old French botanical garden and research center. Habituated Verreaux's Sifaka, Ring-tailed and Red fronted Brown Lemurs, play in the trees and on the grounds near the old colonial house. Other animals we should be able to find include chameleons, tortoises, crocodiles, and a variety of birds. After the visit, drive back to your hotel.
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel | LUNCH: Included | DINER: Excluded | BREAKFAST: Included TRANSPORATION: Private Vehicle
Day 7: Fort Dauphin – Antananarivo (1h15 flight)
Free morning at the leisure and then transfer to the airport for your flight to Antananarivo. Upon arrival, you will be met and then transfer to your hotel.
ACCOMMODATION: Hotel | LUNCH: Excluded | DINER: Excluded | BREAKFAST: Included TRANSPORATION: Private Vehicle
Day 8: Antananarivo
After breakfast, depart for Ambohimanga Kings Palace which is located at 22 km from Antananarivo, it is the cradle of the Merina dynasty, the Mecca of the Merina Kingdom and the starting point for the unification of Imerina. This ancient royal city was reputed to be a sacred city where no foreigner could enter. There's a lot to admire in this place. From the entrance of the village, the old stone gate-shaped disc in the chamber, the royal box of Andrianampoinimerina, the summer palace of the queens, the Horse Park and sacred ponds. The enclosure is surrounded by a wall consisting mainly of egg whites in place of cement. The door to the east has "Ambatomitsangana" inscribed on it and is a large stone disc 4m in diameter rolled closed every night and open every morning by dozens of men. After the visit, continuation to the Digue market, the place for handcrafts Malagasy that you will be able buy some souvenirs. Transfer to the airport for your international flight.
Grading is a somewhat difficult topic as much depends on the individual's own perception of his or her abilities. The following is intended as a general guide to our walking grades. This tour is rated medium so everyone can join it. We will usually involve easy walks (2 to 6 hours/day) at low altitudes (below 2000m). Some previous hill walking experience would be beneficial but these walks should be within the capabilities of those who lead a normal active life.
PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR PREFERENCE.
You can still modify according to your needs and choice.
DAYS
CITIES
LUXURY
MID-RANGE
BUDGET
1
Antananarivo
Radisson Blu
Sakamanga
Niaouly hotel
2
Andasibe
Vakona Forest Lodge
Andasibe Lemurs Lodge
Feon'ny Ala
3
Andasibe
Vakona Forest Lodge
Sahatandra Hotel
Feon'ny Ala
4
Berenty
Berenty Forest Lodge
Berenty Forest Lodge
Berenty Forest Lodge
5
Berenty
Berenty Forest Lodge
Berenty Forest Lodge
Berenty Forest Lodge
6
Fort Dauphin
Talinjo Hotel
Talinjo Hotel
Nephentes hotel
7
Antananarivo
Radisson Blu
Sakamanga hotel
Niaouly hotel
Most of the hotels in Madagascar do not have the standard internationnal level, except some hotels in Antananarivo, Sainte Marie and Nosy Be but GMT+3 guarantees to find you the best hotels and accommodation for your budget. We will supply all of the necessary details for you to prepare your holidays and have a memorable stay in each hotel. Please note that in Madagascar, there is only one 5 star hotel, which is the Carlton Hotel in Antananarivo,. Once you leave the capital, the ranges of hotels are varied.
GMT+3 LUXURY (hotels/Lodges/guest house/Camping)
Wherever you stay in Madagascar, we will guarantee to find comfortable hotels, lodges or guesthouses with twin or single rooms and en suite facilities. Our hotels have air-conditioning/heating where appropriate and reliable hot and cold water. They generally have a very good level of service and mosthaveadded amenities such as a restaurant, bar, gardens or swimming pool.
These hotels usually have twin or single rooms with en suite facilities. They are generally standard, no-frills hotels with adequate amenities and service standards. Whilst comfort levels are perfectly acceptable to most, please don’t expect too much! These are often small, family-run establishments
GMT+3 BUDGET (hotels/Lodges/guest house/Camping)
These accommodations may be communal or dorm-style, and WC / washing facilities are usually shared. Running hot and cold water may be unreliable or even unavailable. However, these can be the most rewarding and memorable places to stay, despite the comfort levels being low.
SAINTE MARIE
Sainte Marie Island (Nosy Boraha) is situated on the East Coast of Madagascar. The most Beach tourist place after Nosy Be and known by its kilometrical sandy beaches shaded by coconut palms, bays and coves protected by coral reefs. Please note that the best beaches are located in the northern; western and in Islet aux Nattes. In the same time, you will like its lush vegetation and animals. In winter (from June to the end of September) the humpback whales (Megaptera) are present around Madagascar but the best place to spot is in Sainte Marie Island …
HOW TO GET THERE ?
Location: You need to return in Antananarivo first and then take the flight from Antananarivo to Sainte Marie or continuation to Tamatave and then to Soanierana Ivongo + speed boat to Sainte Marie. Transportation: by plane; vehicle & Speed boat
NOSY BE
Nosy Be island lying about 5 miles (8 km) off the northwestern shore of Madagascar. The name means “Big Island.” It is 19 miles (30 km) long, 12 miles (19 km) wide, and has an area of about 120 square miles (310 square km). Formed by volcanoes, the island is forested and has numerous craters and crater lakes. Its highest point is Mount Passot (1,079 feet [329 metres]). It has an annual rainfall of 78–118 inches (1,975–3,000 mm). The island’s products, chiefly sugar and oils for perfumery, also include rum, vanilla, black pepper, and bitter oranges. Nosy Be is the top beach destination in Madagascar with its surrounding islands remain paradise in the buff. A lot of activiies are available to make your holidays more Unforgettable .
Area: 594,180 sq km. Population: 24,890,189. Language: French, Malagasy. Religion: Christian, Muslim. Local Time: GMT +3 Electric Supply & Plugs: 220V, 50Hz, two pin round plug. Recommended Maps: Freytag & Berndt 1:2,000,00 Madagascar. Recommended Books: Bradt Guide: Madagascar, Dervla Murphy: Muddling through Madagascar, G. Durrell: The Aye-aye and I, D. Attenborough: Zoo Quest to Madagascar, I. Sinclair: Birds of the IndianOcean Islands, I. Tattersall: The Primates of Madagascar.
SEASON & CLIMATE
The climate is tropical, but very cold in the highlands (dropping as low as 5°C at night in July/August in Antananarivo). The dry season is March to October continuing into November in most areas. The southwest area is hot, dry and semi-arid. November (spring) is generally the best time for wildlife and birds, but lemurs can be viewed all year round. Additional information and climate charts can be accessed here.
The western coast of Madagascar is much drier than the eastern coast. In general, we can say the climate here is dry tropical. During the dry months between May and November it does not rain at all and the temperatures are pleasant (20 to 25°C on average). Between December and April it can rain torrentially or just a couple of showers, depending on the area and the year. The northern area is greener and indeed considerably wetter than the south. The hottest months are March, April, November and December, when the average temperature is 30° C or even more.
FORMALITIES
VISA REQUIRMENTS:
The visa is always free for an holidays less than month and subject to change. We will confirm you before your arrival. Your passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond the date of return.
All visitors must obtain a tourist visa (maximum duration 3 months). This costs approximately 25.00 Euro per person and can be obtained in any Madagascar Embassy or upon arrival at the international airports of Antananarivo, Diego Suarez, and Nosy Be or in Tamatave (Toamasina). Return International flight tickets.
VACCINATIONS & PROTECTIONS:
Please consult your doctor when planning your journey: Malaria is present in most parts of Madagascar. Some form of anti malarial is recommended. Always use mosquito repellent and avoid being bitten. Vaccinations against tetanus, cholera and yellow fever are recommended. Bring your usual medicines because they may not be available in Madagascar. In top Urgency, GMT+3 works with specialist doctors to assure and assist you before your evacuation.
INSURANCE:
We recommend you to see a Travel insurance to secure your holidays in Madagascar. You must take your policy document with you on tour and it should state in writing that you are the named policyholder and that the cover is valid for your period of travel. Your policy document must also indicate that you have medical expenses and emergency repatriation cover and a 24-hour contact telephone number for your Insurance Company must be shown on your documentation in case of emergency.
MONEY
CREDIT CARDS & TRAVELERS CHEQUES:
Credit cards are still not used widely in Madagascar. However, they are accepted in big cities, international hotels and in the banks of all cities. You will find ATMs in most main cities, where you can withdraw Ariary. VISA and MASTERCARD are most commonly accepted cards. It is also useful to bring some Travelers Cheques or cash in Euros or US dollars. AMERICAN EXPRESS is seldom accepted outside of Antananarivo. Please note that $100 date 1996 bills are not accepted (better from 2006 dated)
TIPPING:
Tips are expected for most services. The size of the tip depends on your satisfaction but 5 to 10 % is an acceptable level. We suggest that you plan on average 10 Euros per person per day for a guide. Remember that wages are very low in Madagascar so be careful not to over tip and create unreasonable expectations for other travelers
PERSONAL EQUIPMENT TO BRING
LUGGAGES:
Unfortunately it does occasionally happen that luggage does not always reach its destination on the same flight as its owner, or possibly it may be damaged in transit. If you are unlucky enough for this to occur, it is important that you file a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) with the airline before leaving the airport. This is essential when you come to make a claim either against the airline or from your travel insurance company. Please note that 20kg per person is allowed for the internal flight.
CLOTHING:
Given the variations of day and night temperature, and the changes of altitude between the highlands and the coast, we recommend that you dress in layers. Bring light clothes but have additional layers (fleece, pullover, jacket, windbreaker or raincoat). Make sure you have long sleeves and long trousers to protect against mosquitoes in early morning and dusk.
PERSONAL FIRST AID KIT:
On each tourt a first aid kit is carried but you should have your own blister kit, supply of plasters, aspirin and other essentials. Please do not give medicines to local people without consulting the tour leader. See the list in the General Information Booklet for more information. A good pair of sunglasses is essential for protection against UV rays and glare at high altitudes. Sun Hat, High Factor Sun Cream/Block & Lip Salve. Choose a high factor sun cream (Factor 30 or more) to protect your skin against the sun at high altitudes. A combination sun block/ lip salve are ideal for facial protection. A head torch is essential for NOCTURNAL visit. Remember to bring some spare batteries and a bulb. Sun screen and insect repellent. Make sure you have enough camera film and spare batteries, as both are difficult to obtain locally. Bring a beach towel and swimming costume.
