Madagascar is a destination without equal and for our 2026 Festival of Wildlife we visit the wildlife-filled rainforests of Andasibe and discover the special species found in the dry deciduous forests of Anjajavy - two of the countries’ finest wildlife destinations.
For our Festival, we've lined up exclusive use of two high comfort lodges on the island’s more accessible and most rewarding locations that in combination offer very different and complimentary highlights to give us the ultimate wildlife experience.
The first location is Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, arguably Madagascar’s premier eastern rainforest reserve. Our exclusive base is Mantadia Lodge, which allows easy access to several different forest sites, where we should encounter indris, diademed sifakas, several other varieties of lemur, numerous chameleons, and a bewildering array of other unique species, all at close quarters. Those with an interest in smaller creatures will also be in their element with the likes of giraffe-necked weevils, giant stick insects, colourful frogs and cryptically camouflaged leaf-tailed geckos to discover.
We then move onto the beautiful beach front Anjajavy l'Hôtel in the north-west, where we have a private reserve of dry deciduous forest and picturesque coastline on our doorstep. Even within the grounds of our lodge, stunning Coquerel’s sifakas leapfrog between the trees and brown lemurs and diminutive mouse lemurs, chameleons and endemic birds vie for our attention.
At this time of year, we can enjoy maximum wildlife activity with baby lemurs clinging to their mothers, chameleons can be found lower in the trees, the endemic birds defend their breeding territories and the summer active species of tenrecs, frogs and dwarf lemurs are all at their peak of activity.
Accompanied by a team of expert guides, we'll be treated to a unique wildlife extravaganza to a destination like no other.
Typical Itinerary
Day1: Depart UK
Fly from London Heathrow on an overnight flight to Nairobi.
Day2: Arrive Antananarivo
We arrive in Nairobi, where we have use of an airport lounge before taking the onward flight to Antananarivo. On arrival, we transfer to our hotel close to the airport.
Accommodation: Le Relais des Plateaux, 1-night
Day3: Andasibe Reserves
Today we set off for the drive (approximately four hours in total) to Andasibe arriving in time for lunch.
In the afternoon, we begin exploring the network of nearby rainforest reserves, home to some of Madagascar’s greatest concentrations of wildlife. We can continue to explore after dark to looking for the nocturnal lemurs: Goodman’s mouse lemur, Eastern woolly lemur and Crossley’s dwarf lemur, in addition to a plethora of other rainforest species.
Days4-6: Wildlife & lemur watching in Andasibe Reserves
Over the course of the next three days, we have an outstanding itinerary of wildlife walks, workshops and presentations on offer from our expert Festival Team.
We split our walks across the network of fantastic reserves and visit Analamazaotra (Andasibe Special Reserve), Mitsinjo, VOIMMA, Maromizaha and Mantadia National Park. Exploring both during the day and again into the evening, we observe not only the diurnal but also fascinating nocturnal species found in this diverse montane rainforest.
Walking conditions vary across these areas, but there's always an option for everyone. Our highlights are likely to feature intimate encounters with the iconic indri, the beautiful diademed sifaka, inquisitive bamboo lemurs and maybe the rare red-bellied or black-and-white ruffed lemur. While the intriguing life cycles of the numerous colourful frogs, geckos, chameleons and other remarkable reptiles and invertebrates will provide endless fascination. Birdlife is also rich and includes all manner of exciting and endemic species, from the charismatic ground rollers and impressive couas to the captivating vanga family with their huge diversity of bills.
Day7: Andasibe & return to Antananarivo
Today we have a last morning to enjoy the wildlife of the Andasibe rainforests. Later, we drive back to our hotel in Antananarivo, where we stay the night to be in position for our flight the next day.
Accommodation: Le Relais des Plateaux, 1-night
Day8: Anjajavy Reserve
Today, we take a scheduled charter flight to land at the wonderful Anjajavy Lodge and Reserve. This is Madagascar’s best preserved area of western dry deciduous forest, and offers us a completely contrasting ecosystem, full of a completely different set of wildlife.
With exclusive use of the luxury beachside lodge on the shores of the Indian Ocean, we can also enjoy exploration of the private reserve. We have the private reserve which covers more than a thousand hectares on our doorstep for daily exploration. The flora and fauna here is prolific, and we can enjoy the antics of both common brown lemurs and the stunning Coquerel's sifaka, perhaps the most beautiful of all lemurs, right around our villas.
Days9-10: Wildlife & lemur watching in Anjajavy Reserve
Over the course of the next two full days we can enjoy exploring the reserve and its spectacular wildlife on not only day and night walks but also scenic boat trips along the remote coastline. As always, there are a series of workshops and presentations to enjoy and celebrate the wildlife in all its facets.
If you're keen on photography then both Nick Garbutt and Mark Carwardine will be on hand to offer advice and help you make the most of the excellent photography opportunities, both in the field and back at the lodge.
More creative opportunities can be explored under the guidance of international wildlife artist Jonathan Truss and renowned wildlife sculptor Nick Mackman. Sketching and observation in the field will be an important part of these activities, as well as the lodge-based workshops.
Highlights at Anjajavy start right around our villas with the daily acrobatics of the Coquerel's sifakas and brown lemurs, while at night, the highly localised and nocturnal Grewcock's sportive, fat-tailed dwarf and tiny Danfoss's mouse lemur are all common.
Birdlife is also diverse, with the majestic Madagascar fish eagle, one of the rarest birds of prey in the world, taking centre stage during scenic boat rides to the untouched Moramba Bay. Madagascar vasa parrots, crested ibis, harrier hawks and the peculiar sickle-billed vanga are all common in the forest.
At this time of year, we might also encounter other wildlife such as a snuffling tenrec on the forest floor, a multicoloured panther chameleon hunting with its long tongue, or a striking spear-point gecko or bizarre leaf-nosed snake amongst the vegetation. There's a wealth of natural beauty too, with many emblematic giant baobabs, weathered limestone formations and caves even harbouring extinct lemur skulls. Another recent addition to Anjajavy’s wildlife treasures is the reintroduction of Aldabra giant tortoises to the reserve.
An Auction for Wildlife
On our final evening, as is customary at the Festival of Wildlife, there's a gala dinner followed by an auction, the proceeds of which go directly to a local wildlife charity.
Day11: Return to Antananarivo
After breakfast, we must sadly bid farewell to the team at Anjajavy as we take our flight back to Antananarivo. We arrive back at our hotel in Antananarivo in the late morning, where we have day use of a room and the facilities at Le Relais des Plateaux.
This afternoon, there's the option to join an excursion to Lake Alarobia, a Ramsar wetland in the heart of Antananarivo that offers a surprising refuge for a wide range of birdlife.
Later, it's time to return to the airport for our flight home.
Day12: Fly to the UK
Key info
Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 12 daysfrom £9,995 pp
Duration and price excluding international flights: 10 daysfrom £8,995 pp
Single supplement:
On request – please contact us.
Chris studied Geographical Sciences in Plymouth, however his first encounter with the wider world was in 1983, when he headed off to Zambia.
Under the tutelage of the late Norman Carr, the pioneer of walking safaris, he worked as a wildlife guide and managed a wilderness camp. On his return to the UK, he had a spell at a major tour operator before setting up Wildlife Worldwide in 1992.
Since then he has travelled the world in search of first-class wildlife experiences. He devised the Festival of Wildlife concept, which has spawned the Festival of Bears. An ardent conservationist, Chris has co-led each of these since their inception. He dedicates several weeks each year to communicating his irrepressible passion for nature to those who travel with him.
An award-winning photographer and author, with a background in zoology, Nick has forged a career by combining these skills with leading tours and lecturing.
Nick has written and photographed several critically acclaimed books, including: ‘100 Animals to See Before They Die’, ‘Mammals of Madagascar: A Complete Guide’, ‘Wild Borneo’, and ‘Chameleons’. He is a regular contributor to international magazines such as National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Africa Geographic and Geographical.
Nick has twice been a winner in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. In 2000, he won the prestigious Gerald Durrell Award for Endangered Wildlife. His photographs appear widely in books, calendars and other publications worldwide. He is a Special Lecturer on the MSc course in the Wildlife Photography and Imaging at Nottingham University, where he studied.
Zoologist Mark Carwardine is a widely published wildlife photographer, an award-winning writer, a TV and radio presenter, a best-selling author of more than 50 books, a long-time BBC Wildlife magazine columnist and an outspoken environmentalist.
He presented BBC Radio 4’s weekly programme Nature for many years and is best known for his Last Chance to See books, radio series and TV series with Douglas Adams and Stephen Fry. He was Chair of the Judging Panel of the prestigious ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ competition for seven years and was selected as one of ‘The World’s 40 Most Influential Nature Photographers’ in Outdoor Photography magazine. He recently presented and produced the brand new BBC Wildlife Photography Masterclass series on YouTube.
Mike Dilger has been an obsessive naturalist since childhood, equally at home either identifying wild flowers in the British countryside, or surveying the Amazon for hummingbirds.
With degrees in Botany and Ecology, Mike’s obsession with the tropics began when studying moths in the South American Andes. This then led to over five years carrying out research work in the tropical forests of Ecuador, Vietnam, Tanzania and Peru.
Finally emerging out of the bush and returning to Britain to find a job in television, Mike is probably best known as the wildlife expert on the BBC’s The One Show. Pontificating about everything from bumblebees to basking sharks, Mike has racked up over 450 appearances during his 15 years on the show.
His main job now is as a professional plate spinner, which involves intermingling TV commitments, tour-leading, writing and giving talks. Mike leads trips for Wildlife Worldwide from the Somerset Levels to the Scottish Highlands in the UK, while abroad he takes guests to Ecuador and Madagascar.
A columnist for BBC Wildlife Magazine, Mike has also written eight nature-themed books, with his most recent being One Thousand Shades of Green - A Year in Search of Britain’s Wild Plants.
Nick is an award-winning ceramic sculptor, who gains inspiration from the animal kingdom. The majority of her pieces are based on observations of animals in the field.
Many of her subjects are highly endangered and, in depicting them, she seeks to enlighten the viewer to their beauty, humour and tenderness. She aims to get under the skin of the animal, giving each sculpture its own personality.
Her work is widely exhibited in international collections, and in 2010 she won the Wildlife Artist of the Year Open Category. In 2012 was again a category winner and overall runner-up. Each year she makes the trophies for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. In 2015 she won the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation 2015 Artist of the Year award with her fantastic collection of ceramic warthogs.
Jonathan is a wildlife artist ‘extraordinaire’ with an exceptional eye for detail and a passion for wildlife and the natural world.
‘JT’ has joined us on a number of early Festivals of Wildlife as one of our experts, and was also a keen participant at Festival of Whales in Mexico’s San Ignacio Lagoon. JT has moved on from his early career as a cabaret artist, comedian, impersonator and guitarist (with a mere 1,500 gigs under his belt!) to spend his life concentrating on painting and has been guest artist aboard many cruise ships. His work is in high demand worldwide.
Ian has had a fascination for the natural world for as long as he can remember. After studying wildlife conservation and working on projects for the RSPB and Wildlife Trusts, he then spent time working as a guide at a lodge in Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest.
Since then, he has travelled to a wide range of destinations in search of some of the world’s most iconic and secretive wildlife. With a particular enthusiasm for mammals, birds and reptiles and a deep passion for the preservation of biodiversity, Ian is in his element when out in wild places, sharing in the joys that come with watching wildlife.
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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Located on a peninsula on the remote north-west coast, this private reserve is an oasis for wildlife and visitors. Many species of lemurs, birds and reptiles can be seen in its deciduous forest while, along the coast, white sandy beaches are punctuated by dramatic limestone outcrops and mangrove fringed estuaries.
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Where: Sofia Region
Ideal for viewing: Commerson’s leaf-nosed bat, common brown lemur, Coquerel’s sifaka, Madagascar fish eagle, Milne-Edwards’ sportive lemur
This upmarket retreat, a member of the Relais & Chateaux group, stands on a remote peninsula, surrounded by its own private nature reserve, home to a variety of lemur and bird species. 25 luxury villas each offer a sea-facing terrace, and the large swimming pool looks out to sea.
Find Out More about L’Hotel Anjajavy
Located near Andasibe village overlooking montane forest, Mantadia Lodge offers an excellent base for exploring the wonderful wildlife rich reserves of Andasibe and Mantadia National Park. It features modern facilities and spacious grounds with a small infinity pool, spa, and an excellent restaurant.
Find Out More about Mantadia Lodge
