Madagascar Wildlife Tours 2008

We are proud to present our 2008 Madagascar wildlife tour led by Bradt author and Madagascar specialist, our own Derek Schuurman.

Madagascar Wildlife Tour

Tour Leader: Derek Schuurman
21 September - 4 October 2008

The Madagascar Wildlife Tour provides the opportunity to see a wide variety of lemurs, birds and extraordinary reptiles, frogs and invertebrates, and amazing and diverse flora. The trip encompasses three of the eastern rainforests and spectacular Ankarana National Park.

ITINERARY
September 2008

Sun 21
Depart from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport‡ for Antananarivo on either the Air Madagascar overnight flight or the Air France flight from London Heathrow and other UK regional airport via Paris†.

Mon 22
Your tour leader, Derek Schuurman, and your professional guide, Toky Andrianamora, will meet you on arrival. Connect with the flight to Maroantsetra. On arrival, you will be met and transferred by boat to the Masoala Peninsula (about 2 hours). Spend 3 nights at Masoala Forest Lodge, all meals included. Introductory walk in the Masoala.

Tue 23 & Wed 24
Days to explore Masoala National Park.

Masoala National Park is the largest (230,000ha) of Madagascar’s protected areas. The park encompasses rainforest, coastal forest, marsh and mangrove habitats, and is one of the few places where the primordial rainforest extends unbroken from the mountains to the sea.
Masoala is a World Heritage Site because it is one of Madagascar’s richest ecosystems in terms of species diversity. It contains ten lemur species, including white-fronted lemur and the nocturnal Eastern woolly lemur, Brown mouse lemur and Eastern fork-marked lemur. Masoala is the sole location for the Red-ruffed lemur. Lowland streaked tenrecs are commonly encountered at night and both fosa and the rare mongoose are present.

Thur 25
Transfer by speedboat to the island reserve of Nosy Mangabe. Explore the island with your guide. Overnight in the campsite, all meals and equipment included. Night walk in the reserve.

Fri 26
Transfer to Maroantsetra airport to check in for the Air Madagascar flight to Tamatave. On arrival, travel east along the RN2 to Manambato on the shore of Lake Rasoabe, where we meet the boat for the journey to Lake Ampitabe. Stay 2 nights at the rustic Le Palmarium, all meals included.

Sat 27
You will have the opportunity to visit Vohibola, an environmental project dedicated to preserving one of the last remaining fragments of littoral forest in Madagascar (run by the NGO MATE, 'Man and the Environment'). The forest is home to a number of critically endangered species of tree included one, Humbertiodendron saboureaui, which was previously thought to have been extinct. You will have the chance to plant an indigenous tree, quite literally putting something back.

Sun 28
In the morning, visit the Palmarium Reserve. The 50-hectare reserve is home to several species of lemur as well as orchids, chameleons, frogs and insects. Depart by boat to Manambato, where we meet our driver for the journey to Perinet Reserve, in the eastern rainforests. Overnight at Eulophiella, all meals included.

Mon 29
Spend the morning on a guided walk in Perinet. In the afternoon, visit the orchid garden and adjacent Mitsinjo, where there is a nursery for endangered endemic trees, the aim of which is to establish forest corridors linking isolated blocks of rainforest. Travel to Antananarivo toovernight at the Royal Palissandre Hotel & Spa, all meals included.

Tue 30
Transfer to the airport for the flight to Nosy Be where there is a bit of time to relax at Vanila Hotel, all meals included.

October 2008

Wed 1
Transfer to the port of Hell-Ville and then by speedboat to Ankify, where our driver will be waiting. Travel through cocoa plantations and market towns to Ankarana National Park, where we explore the western side of the park. Stay 2 nights in one double room at Chez Robert, all meals included. Accommodation is in basic cases villageoises and washing/toilet facilities are shared.

Thur 2
We have a full day for Ankarana National Park.

Fri 3
Travel overland to explore the rainforest of Montagne d'Ambre. Overnight at Domaine de Fontenay.

Sat 4
Travel to Diego airport for the flight to Antananarivo. On arrival, we will tour the city and visit the artisans’ market before our early farewell dinner and the transfer to the airport for the overnight flights to Paris and the UK.

Price 2008
£2850 per person sharing
Single supplement: £475
Maximum number: 10

Price includes:
Domestic flights specified (economy class); airport taxes; all transportation, accommodation and meals; all transfers; guides in and entrance permits to the reserves specified; the services of Derek Schuurman as tour leader and Toky Andrianamora as guide throughout the tour.

Not included:
Gratuities, items of a personal nature, travel insurance, Madagascar entry visa.

†International flights to Antananarivo from the UK or Paris cost from £785 per person and can be booked on request.
Air France add-on fares are available from certain UK regional airports.
‡ You are welcome to join and leave the tour in Paris, Johannesburg or Antananarivo. Contact us for further information.
Optional beach extensions or private tours to additional wildlife hotspots can be arranged on request.

Madagascar Natural History Tour

Tour Leader: Lyn Mair
October 2007

This tour provides the opportunity to see a wide variety of lemurs, birds and extraordinary reptiles, frogs and invertebrates, and amazing and diverse flora. The trip encompasses the eastern rainforests, the semi-arid south and the bizarre 'spiny desert' of Madagascar. On the northwest coast, you discover the dry deciduous forest; and end at Anjajavy, where you can relax by the sea, explore the reserve and, with luck, observe the whales. The tour leader is Lyn Mair, who has been conducting tours to Madagascar for the past decade.

ITINERARY

12 Fri
Fly from London on the Air Madagascar overnight flight to Antananarivo via Paris.†

13 Sat
Lyn Mair and your professional, English-speaking guide will meet you on arrival. Travel overland to ‘Périnet’ (Andasibe-Mantadia NationalPark) in the humid eastern rainforest band (≈ 3 hours). Introductory walk in the rainforest. Stay 2 nights at Vakona Forest Lodge.

14 Sun
Explore the lush rainforest of Périnet. Star attractions include troops of Indri (largest of the surviving lemurs), birds such as the Blue coua and Parson’s chameleons.

15 Mon
Visit the rainforest of Mantadia National Park, to seek rare mammals such as Diademed Sifaka and sought-after birds like the Pitta-like and Scaly ground-rollers. This 10 000ha primary rainforest also holds a plethora of reptiles, frogs and invertebrates.
Towards the end of the day, travel to Antananarivo. Overnight at Hotel du Louvre.

16 Tue
Transfer to the airport for flight to Fort Dauphin. On arrival, travel inland to Berenty Private Reserve, which protects parcels of the bizarre 'spiny desert' habitat as well as dry gallery forest. Stay 2 nights in a twin room at the simple Berenty Lodge.

17 Wed
Best known for its large and well habituated populations of Ringtail lemur and the "dancing" Verreaux’ sifaka, Berenty also holds a wide variety of birds, reptiles and fascinating dry country flora. We have the whole day to explore the reserve.

18 Thu
Towards the end of the day, travel back to Fort Dauphin with stops en route to see localised and rare flora including baobabs and the peculiar, endangered Triangulated palm. Overnight at Croix du Sud.

19 Fri
Transfer to the airport for the flight to Antananarivo. On arrival, we tour the capital and overnight at Hotel du Louvre.

20 Sat
We fly to Mahajanga on the north-west coast and travel 2 hours along a good road to Ankarafantsika National Park (‘Ampijoroa’) for day and night walks in this wildlife-rich tropical dry forest. Night walks are particularly rewarding and one of the forest denizens we will be seeking is the recently described and locally endemic Golden-brown mouse lemur. Overnight at Gîte d’Ampijoroa.

21 Sun
Ampijoroa is one of Madagascar's top wildlife hotspots. Key species include the acrobatic Coquerel’s sifaka, the critically endangered Madagascar fish eagle and the Rhinoceros chameleon. In the late afternoon, travel back to Mahajanga. Overnight at Sunny Hotel.

22 Mon

Depart on the Air Hotel flight to the exclusive Anjajavy Lodge, the perfect end to a tour.
Anjajavy is the only place in Madagascar where you can combine superb tropical deciduous forest habitat packed with wildlife with the beach. Viewing wildlife is effortless here. Mammals include Coquerel’s sifaka, Brown lemur, and at night, Mouse lemur and Sportive lemur. Birds include Madagascar fish eagle, White-breasted mesite, Crested coua, Greater vasa parrot, Grey-headed lovebird, Malagasy green pigeon, Madagascar cuckoo, Madagascar hoopoe and a variety of Vangas. Commonly encountered reptiles are Madagascar ground boa, Giant hognose snake, Oustalet’s and Rhinoceros chameleons, various Phelsuma [Day] geckos, the striking, nocturnal Homophilis sakalava and Henkel’s leaf-tailed gecko. Fosa are present.

23 Tue & 24 Wed
Explore the tropical deciduous forest of Anjajavy, see the baobabs and tsingy, and go swimming or snorkelling.

25 Thu
Depart on the Air Hotel flight to Antananarivo. Time permitting, visit the World Heritage Site of Ambohimanga and the artisans market. After an early supper, transfer to the airport for the Air Madagascar overnight flight to Paris.

26 Fri
Arrive in Paris at 07h40.

Price: £3625 per person sharing.
The price includes: Air Madagascar international and domestics flights from London Heathrow†‡, prepaid departure taxes, and fuel surcharges; accommodation and meals; transfers and transportation; the services of Lyn Mair as tour leader and the services of a dedicated, professional English-speaking guide; reserve permits and entry fees; excursions; the services of our local representatives throughout your stay.

Not included: Entry visas (currently 15 euros on arrival), travel insurance, items of personal expenditure, gratuities.

† Participants may also join the tour in Paris or Antananarivo.
‡ Add-on fares are available from certain UK regional airports.

MASOALA SEASCAPE by JUDITH DE WITT, RAINBOW TOURS; BLUE COUA courtesy of MASOALA FOREST LODGE; COQUEREL'S SIFAKA, MALACHITE KINGFISHER & BOTTLE BAOBAB by courtesy of MARION EDWARDS; DIADEMED SIFAKA by courtesy of MARIUS BURGER; TENREC AT ANJAJAVY by courtesy of HILTON HASTINGS

Updated 7 February, 2008.