Madagascar – Endemic Wildlife and Landscape Photo Tour

Endemic Wildlife and Landscape Photo Tour

INTRODUCTION

Join me as we venture to the exotic island of Madagascar for an amazing Photographic trip. Experience the extraordinary natural diversity that Madagascar has to offer, from their various species of lemurs to the exotic chameleons and frogs that reside there. Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and features over 150,000 unique flora and fauna species which can’t be found anywhere else on the planet! Nature lovers and photographers must experience this incredible dream destination! We also focus on getting milky way shots on Baobab Avenue (if the weather gods are kind to us) and the Tsingy, a UNESCO heritage site. Additionally we will provide access to some amazing local families to make portraits with flash setup and do some market Photography.

EXPERIENCE

Beginner, amateur, enthusiast and pro photographers. Isalo walk is a bit hard, unfit people can skip this trip and visit some other area near that location. Travel by private a/c car or minibus Moderate elevation changes and some walking.
(*non-photographers also welcome)

Ring-tailed Lemurs in Isalo National Park
Fosa (or Fossa), Madagascar’s unique and largest carnivore, dancing Verreaux’s Sifakas and Giant Jumping Rats at Kirindy
The famous ‘Avenue of the Baobabs’ near Morondava (Milkey Way Photography
Friendly locals (portraits) and amazing landscapes
Long-tailed Ground Rollers in the other-worldly spiny forest at Ifaty
Spectacular rainforest lemurs including the critically endangered Indri, as well as Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur and Diademed Sifaka in the Andasibe area.
The world’s most spectacular and largest chameleons: Oustalet’s, Parson’s and Panther
A wide variety of other photogenic wildlife including endemic Tomato frogs, leaf-tailed geckos, needle snakes and other reptiles

Your destination – ANTANANARIVO – Meeting at Ivato international airport and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel Accommodation: Residence Lapasoa or similar

ANTANANARIVO–ANDASIBE (140Km about 3 hour–drive) Drive to Andasibe through a landscape composed of rice paddies, aterfalls, and scarce forest stations. In Marozevo, stop at the exotic park in order to see a variety of chameleons. Continuation to Andasibe and check-in at the hotel. Before dinner, off for a night walk to see some nocturnal species of animals. Overnight at the hotel.
Accommodation: Sahatandra River Hotel or similar

ANTANANARIVO After breakfast, morning visit of the reserve to see the Indri-Indri lemurs, the largest species of the lemurs,brown lemurs, birds, chameleons. In the afternoon, you will have the visit of the private reserve of Vakona in which you see some crocs, wild ducks, snakes, tortoises and the famous fosa. You will also have the opportunity to feed and even carry some lemurs on your shoulders. After the visit, you will have a road trip back to the Capital City. Overnight at the hotel
Accommodation: Au Bois Vert or similar

ANTANANARIVO – MORONDAVA Transfer to the airport for flight to Morondava. Meeting at the airport and transfer to the city. First excursion to the Baobab avenue, and catch pictures of the sunset and the starry sky Overnight at the hotel
Accommodation: Renala au Sable d’or or similar

MORONDAVA – In the morning possibility to visit the market and catch some market scenes. Departure to the Baobab in Love and the Baobab Avenue to admire the beauty of the scenery, catch pictures of the sunset and the starry sky. Overnight at the hotel.
Accommodation: Renala au Sable d’or or similar

MORONDAVA – KIRINDY (45 km about 2 hours) You’ll drive first by 4 WD car along some villages and then through the Baobab Avenue. Continue to Kirindy and visit the Kirindy dry forest reserve (to see birds, lemurs, tenrecs and reptiles and birds), a walk of around 1,5 to 3 hours on mostly flat trails. Overnight at the new lodge near the reserve.
Accommodation: Relais du Kirindy or similar

KIRINDY -BELO – BEKOPAKA (160 Km about 7 hours) Early visit of the reserve, then drive to Tsimafana at the Tsiribihina river, and ferry transfer for you and the car to cross the river. Drive through the small town of Belo sur Tsiribihina, then to Bekopaka. On the way, you’ll see dry plains with some bush, palm and baobab trees. Before arriving in the village of Bekopaka, you and the car will have to cross the Manambolo river on a small local ferry. Overnight at the hotel.
Accommodation: Olympe du Bemaraha or similar

BEKOPAKA Visit of the large TSINGY, rare sharp limestone pinnacles, up to 50 m high, sheltering some species of lemurs, various species of birds and many endemic plants. This walk is sporty and exhausting, you need to be fit, It goes up and down, sometimes steep, you have to climb on some ladders, and will wear for security reasons a harness. This Tsingy of Bemaraha are on the UNESCO list of the world nature sites, and a large part of the park is not accessible for the public. . In the afternoon, optional visit of the small Tsingy with its limestone pinnacles, the Tsingy have been millions of years under water, and so you can also see some fossils enclosed in the limestone. Overnight at the hotel.
Accommodation: Olympe du Bemaraha or similar

BEKOPAKA – BELO – MORONDAVA (200 km about 9 hours drive) After breakfast, you and the car will have to cross the Manambolo River on a small local ferry again. Drive to Belo, and after this small town, cross the Tsiribihina river on another local ferry boat, then continue to Morondava through the Baobab Alley again. You may want to experience the sunset there, a magic moment! Continuation to Morondava and overnight at the hotel.
Accommodation: Renala au Sabre d’or or similar

MORONDAVA – ANTSIRABE (555 km about 10 hour drive) After an early breakfast, you will be driven to Antsirabe – the “Town of Water”: so called because of its numerous thermal springs and the existence of two crater lakes. Overnight at the hotel
Accommodation: Chambres du Voyageur or similar

ANTSIRABE – RANOMAFANA (240 Km about 5 hour-drive) After breakfast, drive to Ranomafana. – Stop in Ambositra for the visit of some Zafimaniry handicrafts centres: woodcarving. Continuation to Ranomafana. Check in at the hotel. Night walk along the road to try to see the nocturnal species of lemurs (mouse lemurs) and perhaps fossa (the Malagasy “Puma”). Back to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel
Accommodation: Centrest Séjour or similar

RANOMAFANA – AMBALAVAO (141 Km about 3 hour-drive) After breakfast, visit of the some 40’000 hectares big National park with its lemurs, chameleons, spiders, frogs, varieties of orchids and medicinal plants. Only in 1986 was discovered the golden Bamboo lemurs here, and there are more than 100 species of birds. This walk takes around 3 to 4 hours, and goes mostly on trails, sometimes a bit steep up and down, and sometimes you’ll go off the paths and into the forest to spot the lemurs, it’s a bit exhausting and requires endurance and agility. After lunch, off to Ambalavao – the commercial centre of the southern Betsileo region, renowned for its folks, arts and crafts – to visit the “Antemoro Paper” factory. Overnight at the hotel.
Accommodation: Tsienimparihy Lodge or similar

AMBALAVAO – RANOHIRA (240 Km about 4 hour-drive) A short drive and then stop 12km south of Ambalavao to visit the Anja park, where you can see on a walk of around two hours on a little bumpy tracks, but not steep, some families of ring-tailed Katta lemurs in their natural surroundings.. Another stop 12km south of Ambalavao to visit the Anja park, where you can see on a walk of around two hours on a little bumpy tracks, but not steep, some families of ring-tailed Katta lemurs in their natural surroundings. Continuation to Ranohira. Overnight at the hotel.
Accommodation: Isalo Ranch or similar

RANOHIRA Morning trek inside the Isalo National Park to discover on a walk of around three to five hours on sometimes bumpy tracks, at some parts a bit steep, the massif of Isalo, its ruin like sandstones, canyons, endemic fauna and flora (Lemurs and endemic plants such as Pachypodium , aloes,..) and to swim in its natural pool. Back to the hotel and overnight. Accommodation: Isalo Ranch or similar

RANOHIRA – TULEAR (240 Km about 4 hour-drive) After breakfast, off to Tuléar along a straight road. The landscape is composed of high bushes, thick gallery forests and some proudly decorated Mahafaly tombs. In Tulear, visit of the Arboretum with many species of endemic plants. Overnight at the hotel. Accommodation: Victory Hotel or similar

TULEAR – ANTANANARIVO MD713 09.35/11.15 According to the flight , transfer to the airport for the flight back to the capital . Meeting at the airport and transfer to the city. Overnight at the hotel.
Accommodation: Residence Lapasoa or similar

ANTANANARIVO – Your destination Visit of a handicraft market then transfer to the airport for the flight to your home airport.

INCLUDED IN THE EXPEDITION

All airport transfers
Accommodation based on bed and breakfast
Parks and reserve fees
Service of local guides in parks and reserves
Car or bus rental with a driver for the road trip
Ferry transfers across the rivers
Road transfers Morondava – Belo – Bekopaka – Morondava in 4 wheel drive cars
Fuel and driver’s indemnities
Tourist levy and VAT -English speaking guide during the whole tour

EXCLUDED IN THE EXPEDITION

Domestic flights with airport taxes: Antananarivo – Morondava, Tuléar – Antananarivo: € 520 per person (EURO NOT USD)
Visa fees 35 €
International flights and their taxes
All other meals and drinks
Personal expenditures
Personal insurance for eventualities like accidents, theft or damage to luggage, cancellation etc
Personal insurance for eventualities like accidents, theft or damage to luggage, cancellation etc

Tariffs are subject to changes, especially if heavy fluctuation in exchange rate and/or fuel prices. All tours and tariffs are subject to changes in case of cancellations or overbooking of flights, changes in timetable, bad weather and road conditions, strike, political troubles, problems with fuel supply, tribal and other war, closing of sites, natural disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods and other acts of God.