Get off the beaten track in two of the Madagascar’s best, but little visited, wildlife areas in the north of the country.
Although accommodation in the north is more rustic than in the south, the reward is that visitors get to see a variety of less common species. These include crowned lemur and Sanford’s brown lemur in the green mountains of Montagne d’Ambre, and the silky sifaka of the Marojejy rainforest. The final highlight is a visit to Andasibe-Mantadia to see the iconic indri.
Suggested Itinerary
Day1: Depart UK
Day2: Arrive Antananarivo
On arrival in the capital Antananarivo, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay.
Days3-4: Fly to Antsiranana & transfer to Montagne d’Ambre
Fly to Diego Suarez airport (Antsiranana) and then transfer by road to Joffre Ville. In the afternoon there will be time for a walk in Montagne d'Ambre National Park.
Day5: Fly to Sambava
Most of the morning is free before an early afternoon flight to Sambava (note this flight currently operates on Wednesdays only) for an overnight stay.
Days6-8: Marojejy National Park
After breakfast at your hotel, it's time to depart for Mandenina village and start the two hour walk up to Marojejy National Park. In the afternoon, visit the park and settle into camp, your home for the next 3 days.
Day9: Drive to Sambava & fly to Antananarivo
Today you'll transfer back to Sambava airport for a flight to Antananarivo. Arriving early afternoon, there should be time for a tour of this fascinating city.
Days10-12: Drive to Andasibe-Mantadia
Today it's a three to four hour drive eastward to your next destination, Andasibe, with a stop en route to visit the private reserve of Peyreras. Arriving in Andasibe before lunch, the afternoon is free to explore the area before an evening walk to spot nocturnal species such as the mouse lemur, dwarf lemur and woolly lemur, as well as chameleons and frogs.
Day13: Drive to Antananarivo
In the morning drive back to Antananarivo, with a free afternoon or some last minute shopping in the handicraft market of la Digue.
Day14: Transfer to Antananarivo & depart
Day15: Arrive UK
Please note: Marojejy is not accessible during the cyclone season (January-mid April)
Key info
Our trip ideas are offered to inspire you and can be tailored to suit your requirements.
Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 15 daysfrom £3,595 pp
Duration and price excluding international flights: 13 daysfrom £2,995 pp
Single supplement:
From £375
Trip type:
Tailor-made Holiday
When to go: Apr-Dec: Marojejy is not accessible during the cyclone season (January-mid April)
Marojejy National Park is the best place to look for the rare silky sifaka, famed for its long, silky, white fur. The park also has nine other lemur species and is the only place left in the country where you can walk through rugged unbroken forest from sea level to mountain summit, where the views are spectacular.
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Excellent for: Wildlife photography, Photography tours With Nick Garbutt
Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is arguably Madagascar’s premier rainforest reserve, combining Analamazoatra Reserve with the forests of Mantadia. The extensive network of trails throughout the reserve offers frequent sightings of spectacular wildlife and virtually assured views of the fabulous indri.
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Madagascar’s vibrant capital city is the beginning and end point of any trip to the island. Built on a series of hills, many of the old buildings and narrow, cobbled streets retain an almost medieval quality. Walking around the city, you will find evidence of several cultures, neither exclusively African nor Asian.
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Where: Antananarivo Province
Excellent for: City stopover
Created in 1958, Montagne d’Ambre was Madagascar’s first national park, a cool mountain oasis in an otherwise parched landscape. Crowned lemurs and Sanford’s brown lemurs are frequently seen here, and reptiles are abundant. Well-maintained trails make this beautiful park particularly rewarding.
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Where: Antsiranana Province
Ideal for viewing: crowned lemur, leaf-tailed gecko, Sanford’s brown lemur, Madagascar fish eagle, Madagascar crested ibis