Madagascar with Mike Dilger

Typical Itinerary

1. Day 1: Depart UK

   Today, we depart the UK on overnight flights, travelling via Addis Ababa.

2. Day 2: Arrive Antananarivo

   After arriving in Antananarivo in the morning, we transfer to our nearby hotel where we can relax after our journey.

   Accommodation: Le Relais des Plateaux, 1-night

3. Day 3: Transfer to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park

   This morning we leave the capital and drive eastwards to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, which takes around three to four hours. Once we reach our destination, we visit VOIMMA Reserve, which is situated right on the edge of the national park. This reserve was established by the local community, and it's a wonderful place to observe some of the island’s endemic species.

   As we walk through the reserve, we could encounter diademed sifaka, common brown lemur and indri, the largest lemur species on the island of Madagascar. However, there's much more to see here than just the mammals. We also spend time watching the reserve's reptiles, amphibians, insects and birds. Possible species that we may see include Parson's chameleon, giraffe-necked weevil and mossy leaf-tailed gecko. Afterwards, we check in at our hotel.

   Accommodation: Vakona Forest Lodge, 3-nights

4. Day 4: Visit Mantadia National Park & Night Walk

   Today, we visit the primary forest of Mantadia National Park. As we explore, we hope to encounter a great variety of wildlife, with indri, diademed sifaka, eastern grey bamboo and red-bellied lemur all possible. We look for more of Madagascar’s beautiful chameleons, as well as frogs, which we hope to find along streams. Mantadia is also an excellent place to encounter birdlife, and we hope to find scaly ground roller and Madagascar cuckooshrike, among many others.

   In the evening, we enjoy a guided night walk, where we hope to catch a glimpse of nocturnal lemurs, geckos, reptiles, and frogs.

5. Day 5: Visit Analamazoatra Reserve

   We spend today at the Analamazaotra Reserve, enjoying a guided walk through its beautiful forest. This is one of the finest primate-watching locations in the world. This reserve has the perfect habitat for indri and, as we venture deeper into the forest, we may well hear their haunting call before seeing these stunning animals.

   Other lemurs commonly seen here include common brown, red-bellied, eastern woolly, eastern grey bamboo lemur and diademed sifaka. The park's special birds include nuthatch and hook-billed vangas, cuckoo roller and rainforest scops owl. Madagascar tree boas are also often seen.

6. Day 6: Palmarium Reserve

   This morning, we’re transferred further eastwards to the coast as we journey to the Palmarium Reserve at Akanin'ny Nofy. We also stop for lunch en route close to Manambato. The last part of our journey is on a boat as we navigate along the Pangalanes Canal until we arrive at the reserve and our lodge.

   In the evening, we enjoy a night walk providing opportunities to see the incredible aye aye.

   Accommodation: Palmarium Lodge, 1-night

7. Day 7: Palmarium Reserve & Return to Andasibe

   This morning begins with another chance to enjoy the wildlife of Palmarium Reserve, this time in the daylight. We're likely to have outstanding encounters with wild indris here and may also see common brown lemur, eastern grey bamboo lemur and roosting eastern woolly lemur. There's also a fine array of reptiles and amphibians to be seen here, including speckled day gecko, small lined day gecko and an introduced but thriving population of panther chameleons. 

   Afterwards, we transfer back to Andasibe, once again via a combination of boat and road and in the evening we head out on a walk in search of nocturnal wildlife near our lodge.

   Accommodation: Vakona Forest Lodge, 1-night

8. Day 8: Morning Wildlife Excursion & Overnight in Antananarivo

   We begin today by visiting either Mitsinjo or Maromizaha Reserve. Whichever we visit should bring us more encounters with several species of lemur, as well as diverse birdlife and reptiles.

   Afterwards, we make the return journey to Antananarivo, where we spend the night.

   Accommodation: Le Relais des Plateaux, 1-night

9. Day 9: Domestic Flight & Transfer to Berenty Private Reserve

   Today, we catch a domestic flight from Antananarivo to Fort Dauphin, before continuing the journey by road to Berenty Private Reserve. 

   We aim to arrive in time to begin exploring the area in the mid-afternoon, and we also enjoy a night walk in the evening in search of nocturnal species such as grey mouse lemur and white-footed sportive lemur.

   Accommodation: Berenty Lodge, 2-nights

10. Day 10: Explore Berenty Private Reserve

    We spend today exploring Berenty Private Reserve and its semi-arid spiny forest habitat. Our main aim is to encounter the charismatic ring-tailed lemur, red-fronted brown lemur and Verreaux’s sifaka, but there's plenty of other wildlife to see. Birdlife is also excellent here, with a diverse array including species of coua, Chabert’s vanga and plenty of raptors. 

11. Day 11: Return to Fort Dauphin

    After heading back into Berenty Private Reserve this morning for a final chance to explore, we drive back to Fort Dauphin where we spend a night by the coast.

    Accommodation: Croix du Sud, 1-night 

12. Day 12: Domestic Flight Back to Antananarivo

    Today, we catch a domestic flight from Fort Dauphin taking us back to Antananarivo. On arrival, we transfer to our accommodation.

    Accommodation: Le Relais des Plateaux, 1-night

13. Day 13: Domestic Flight to Toliara & Transfer to Ifaty Spiny Forest

    This morning, depending on our flight schedule, we hope to visit Lake Alarobia, also known as Park Tsarasaotra, an urban oasis with a bird-rich lake, dotted with islands and fringed with woodland within the heart of the city.

    Afterwards, we catch a domestic flight to Toliara. From here, we drive to Ifaty Spiny Forest and have some time to settle into our lodge.

    Accommodation: Dunes Hotel, 3-nights

14. Days 14-15 : Exploring the Spiny Forest

    For our next two days, we start early as we head to the otherworldly spiny forest at Reniala in search of long-tailed ground roller, subdesert mesite, sickle-billed vanga and banded kestrel. After our mornings of birdwatching, we return to the hotel for lunch.

    On one of our days here, we visit the nearby salt pans for some more birdwatching in the hope of seeing the endangered Madagascar plover and other wading birds such as Kittlitz's and three-banded plovers, Humblot's heron and greater flamingos, returning to the hotel in time for a rest and time to watch the sun set over the sea with a drink in our hand.

    We then have the option of a night walk each evening in the wonderful spiny forest before dinner to spot the nocturnal grey-brown mouse lemur, Petter’s sportive lemur and various reptiles.

15. Day 16: Domestic flight back to Antananarivo

    After a final morning exploring the spiny forest, we transfer back to Toliara Airport in time for our domestic flights back to Antananarivo. Depending on our flight schedule, we may have time to visit Arboretum d'Antsokay en route to admire the collection of arid adapted plants and hopefully spot some of the birdlife such as red-capped coua and olive bee-eater.

    On arrival in Antananarivo, we’re transferred to our hotel for our final night in Madagascar.

    Accommodation: Le Relais des Plateaux, 1-night

16. Day 17: Depart Antananarivo

17. Day 18: Arrive in UK