Magical Madagascar

Day 1/ Monday, 4 July 2011
Perth – Mauritius
Depart Perth with Air Mauritius at 2.30am, arriving into Mauritius at 7.05am.
On arrival, transfer to hotel.  Afternoon free.  Mauritius is very easy to get around and your tour guide can help you with local transportation to anywhere on the island, including the capital Port Louis.

Day 2/ Tuesday, 5 July 2011
Mauritius
A tour of the island’s harder-to-get-to spots, including the Isle des Aigrettes, where the Durrell Wildlife Preservation Trust is working with the endangered fauna of Mauritius, the fascinating Hindu temple with the southern hemisphere’s largest statue of Shiva, the town of Curepipe with its model boat workshops, the stunning Black River Gorge and the unique Seven Colour Earths National Park.

Day 3/ Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Mauritius - Antananarivo
Depart Mauritius with Air Mauritius at 1.00pm, arriving into Antananarivo at 1.40pm.
Upon arrival in Antananarivo's Ivato Airport, we are met by our local guide and transferred to our hotel.  This afternoon we enjoy a city tour of Antananarivo, often referred to locally as 'Tana', and drive up to the Rova, the former residence of Malagasy royals & Andafivaratra Museum.
Overnight: Pavillon L’Emryne
 
Day 4/ Thursday, 7 July 2011
Perinet (Parc National d’Andasibe)
This morning after breakfast we travel to Parc National d'Andasibe, the home of the Indri - the largest of all lemurs. Their beautiful liquid calls float our from the jungle to your chalet at dusk and dawn – an amazing sound as you wake.  As  well as various other lemur species, such as woolly lemurs, grey bamboo lemurs & red-fronted lemurs, other wildlife includes chameleons and up to 100 different bird species. We also visit Marozevo Insect Farm and later we take a night walk along road in the hopes of seeing tenrecs as well as mouse & dwarf lemurs.
Overnight: Feon’ny ala Hotel
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner

Day 5/ Friday, 8 July 2011
Perinet (Parc National d’Andasibe)
Today we take a morning walk in Andasibe, a former logging village and take a look at the town’s old buildings. We then head to Vakona Private Park to visit Lemur Island and have a chance to see the lemurs up close.
Overnight: Feon’ny ala Hotel
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner

Day 6/ Saturday, 9 July 2011
Tamatave (Toamasina)
We take the bus to Toamasina, stopping along the way at Pangalanes Canal - a series of lagoons linked by inland waterways.  On arrival in Toamasina, the remainder of the day is free.  Toamasina has wonderful markets and is the main port of Madagascar.  We will have the opportunity to visit one of the local charities run by an Australian expatriate.
Overnight: Central Hotel
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 7/ Sunday, 10 July 2011
Tamatave (Toamasina)
A short drive out of Toamasina is Ivoloina Zoological Park which is our next stop. This park has a halfway house for animals, especially black and white ruffed lemurs, to be introduced to the wild. The park is run by the Madagascar Wildlife Trust, a consortium of zoos from all over the world. Also within the Park are botanical gardens and an arboretum that contains species of exotic and native plants.  We return to Toamasina for a city tour in the afternoon..
Overnight: Central Hotel
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 8/ Monday, 11 July 2011
Antananarivo
Today is free until we transfer to the airport after lunch for our short flight back to Tana. On arrival we transfer to our hotel. This evening is at leisure and your tour leader will be on hand to recommend places to eat.
Overnight: Pavillon L’Emyrne
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 9/ Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Parc National d’Ankarafantsika
This morning we visit Akany Avoko, Malagasy community who offer refuge to destitute children and promote environmentally sound ways of improving life in Madagascar. We then take a flight to Majunga (Mahajanga) and continue to Park National d'Ankarafantsika, arriving in time for dinner.
Overnight: Park chalets
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner

Day 10/ Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Parc National d’Ankarafantsika
We spend the day in Ankarafantsika National Park, where Coquerel’s sifaka and Oustalet’s Chameleon are the star attractions.  The Durrel Wildlife Preservation Trust works with the critically endangered Madagascar Radiated Tortoise at Ankarafantsika National Park.
Overnight: Park chalets
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner

Day 11/ Thursday, 14 July 2011
Antananarivo
We depart after breakfast for the long drive back to Tana (approximately 8 hours).
Overnight: Pavillon L'Emyrne
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 12/ Friday, 15 July 2011
Antsirabe
This morning after an early breakfast we visit Tsimbazaza Zoo and Botanical Gardens, before heading to Antsirabe stopping en-route in Ambatolampy for lunch where we also visit an aluminium saucepan ‘factory’. Antsirabe used to be a 'chic' thermal city and has maintained its superb colonial architecture. Today it is mainly known for its gemstones, its pousse-pousse (rickshaws) and handicrafts.
Overnight: Chambre du Voyageur
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 13/ Saturday, 16 July 2011
Fianarantsoa
After visiting a local gem shop in Antsirabe we then take the winding roads of the terraced highlands, as we make our way south. We have the opportunity to stop for some shopping at Ambositra, a small town known for its Zafimaniry woodcarvings and handicraft. The Zafimaniry people live in the Malagasy highlands, near Ambositra. They are known for the typical wooden architecture of their houses and fine ancestral woodcarving art. Their culture and lands are classified UNESCO World Heritage.
Overnight: Hotel Cotsoyannis
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Days 14-16/ Sunday-Tuesday, 17-19 July 2011
Isalo
After breakfast we depart to Isalo National Park - a journey of approximately 4 hours, stopping in Anbalalvao en-route to visit the extraordinary Antaimoro handmade paper workshop, run by a cooperative of local women. Isalo is known is the ‘Malagasy Colorado’. A unique combination of sandstone rocks cut by deep canyons, bush plains and rare endemic plants make this Park particularly rewarding. Covering an area of 81,540 hectares, Isalo National Park comprises the entire stretch of the Isalo Massif, a very spectacular mountain chain made up of eroded sandstone. This strikingly beautiful reserve is filled with golden plains punctuated by craggy pinnacles of terracotta rock, valleys, canyons and waterfalls and we enjoy two half-day hikes in this surreal environment. Our second day in the park begins with a morning walk for approximately four kilometres (return) to the Canyon of Lemurs, where we may spot ring-tailed lemurs and Verreaux's sifakas in the lush forested entrance to the canyon. The park is also home to approximately 55 species of birds, including the endemic Benson’s rock thrush, as well as various lizards and snakes. In the afternoon a six kilometre hike amidst stunning rock formations takes us to Piscine Naturelle, a natural swimming pool in an oasis-like setting. As Madagascar is home to more than half the world’s chameleon population, there is also a very good chance of seeing these unusual, highly adaptable creatures.
Overnight: Relais de la Reine Hotel
Meals included: 3 breakfasts, 3 dinners

Day 17/ Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Tuléar
Departing after breakfast we continue to Tuléar, the finishing point of National Road N° 7. Here we experience new kind of scenery which comprises of dry forests to the west and spiny deserts to the south and spectacular baobabs in between. Tuléar is in the driest area in Madagascar, with landscape dominated by spiny forest like cactus and various euphorbia plants. On arrival in Tuléar we visit the Marine Museum. The remainder of the day is free.
Overnight: Mahayana Hotel
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 18/ Thursday, 21 July 2011
Tuléar -Taolagnaro (Fort Dauphin) /Berenty
We take a morning flight to Fort Dauphin which is beautifully situated along a curved sandy bay on the south-eastern tip of Madagascar. On arrival we then continue 80km along a very rough road to Berenty, the country’s most popular nature lemur reserve. As we leave the town, we discover impressive desert scenery that includes a surreal spiny forest, vast sisal plantations, rugged mountains with rare palms, cactus and very strange plants. Even the villages here appear to belong in another century. We will arrive into Berenty by mid-afternoon and after checking into our hotel, the remainder of the day is at leisure.
Overnight: Berenty Lodge
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner

Day 19/ Friday, 22 July 2011
Berenty
Berenty Reserve is a private 260 hectare reserve that offers the chance to experience the magic of the forest. As well as being one of Madagascar’s most isolated regions; it is also the driest and hottest. On the property, a sisal factory and an interesting anthropologic museum are worth a visit but the main attraction is the lemurs! The opportunities here to photograph close-up lemurs are second to none, as many of them are habituated to humans. We are sure to see brown lemurs and ring- tailed lemurs. One of the highlights of our trip is sure to be witnessing graceful white Verreaux's sifakas 'dancing' their way across clearings in wild and comical leaps on their two hind legs. Upon arrival, we settle into our bungalows, located at the edge of the forest. At night we also embark on an evening walk, using flashlights to see observe the nocturnal life in the forest. Here we may see mouse lemur and sportive lemur. Our two days at Berenty Reserve are sure to leave us with some magnificent memories and are a fitting finale to our Madagascar discovery.
Overnight: Berenty Lodge
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner

Day 20/ Saturday, 23 July 2011
Antananarivo
We return to Fort Dauphin in the late morning, along the same stretch of rough and bumpy road. After lunch we take a flight back to the capital, Antananarivo where we arrive in the late afternoon. After checking into our hotel, there is time to go to the Digue, which is considered to be the largest market of local African handicrafts.
Overnight: Pavillon L’Emryne
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 21/ Sunday, 24 July 2011
Antananarivo – Mauritius
This morning our tour comes to an end in Mauritius. We have some free time before being transferred to the airport for our flight back to Mauritius.
Depart Antananarivo witb Air Mauritius at 3.25pm, arriving into Maurituis at 6.05pm. on arrival, transfer to hotel.
Overnight: Pavillon L’Emryne
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 22/ Monday, 25 July 2011
Mauritius – Melbourne
Morning is free. 
Depart Mauritius with Air Mauritius at 7.45pm, arriving into Melbourne at 11.40am on 26 July.

Day 23/ Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Melbourne
Arrive into Melbourne at 11.40am.