Solo Travel Madagascar: 15-Day Small Group Tour for Solo Travellers

DAY 1 – Friday 21st May 2027 ANTANANARIVO — ARRIVAL & WELCOME DINNER (D)

Tonga Soa! Welcome to Madagascar — the Eighth Continent, and one of the most extraordinary places on earth. Upon arrival at Ivato International Airport in Antananarivo, you will be met and transferred to your elegant hotel in the heart of the capital. Arrival transfers are included and may be shared with fellow travellers arriving on the same flight. You are free to arrive at any time.

If you arrive with time to explore, the colourful street markets of Analakely are within easy reach, as are the fascinating Ambohimanga Rova (the Sacred Hill of the Merina kingdom, a UNESCO World Heritage Site — optional tour available) and the wonderful Lemurs’ Park (optional, per person).

This evening, meet your Two’s a Crowd Host, local guide, and fellow solo travellers at a Welcome Meeting before heading out for a relaxed group dinner at a local restaurant — the first taste of Malagasy cuisine and the beginning of an unforgettable journey.

Note: If you’d like to arrive a day or two early, additional nights at the hotel can be arranged.

Your own room at Royal Palissandre Hotel & Spa, Antananarivo or similar

DAY 2 – Saturday 22nd May 2027 ANTANANARIVO TO IFATY — BAOBAB BREAKFAST & SPINY FOREST (B)

An early start for one of the most extraordinary mornings of the entire journey. Take your included morning flight to Tulear on the southwest coast, then transfer directly to Reniala Private Park (Ifaty Botanical Garden) for a truly unforgettable experience: breakfast beneath ancient baobab trees, some over 13 metres in circumference and centuries old.

A local guide leads you on a walk through the Ifaty Spiny Forest — one of the last remaining areas of primary forest in southern Madagascar and an ecosystem found nowhere else on earth. The trail winds past extraordinary baobab varieties — the ‘dwarf’, the ‘teapot’, the ‘rhinoceros’ — alongside ancient succulents and prehistoric plants. Birdwatchers will be in their element: 65 species inhabit the reserve, including the rare Long-tailed Ground Roller and Red-headed Coua. Learn about the unique flora and its traditional medicinal uses, and the vital community conservation work that protects this fragile ecosystem.

The afternoon and evening are yours at leisure — relax at the lodge, explore the sandy streets of Ifaty’s coastal village, or simply sit and watch the Indian Ocean.

Your own room at Le Paradisier, Ifaty or similar

DAY 3 – Sunday 23rd May 2027 IFATY — FREE DAY (B)

A beautifully relaxed day at your own pace on Madagascar’s southwest coast. Unwind by the pool, walk along the beach, or wander through the lodge’s stunning tropical gardens. The warm, clear waters here offer excellent snorkelling for those who want to explore below the surface.

For those seeking deeper engagement with the region, an optional visit to the Recycling Museum in Toliara — a fascinating institution dedicated to environmental education and community awareness — is available by donation.

Your Two’s a Crowd Host is available throughout the day with further suggestions.

Your own room at Le Paradisier, Ifaty or similar

DAY 4 – Monday 24th May 2027 IFATY TO ISALO NATIONAL PARK VIA TULEAR (B/D)

Depart Ifaty this morning and travel to Tulear — one of Madagascar’s most distinctive regional cities, where wide avenues lined with tamarind and flame trees give way to bustling lanes filled with pousse-pousse (traditional rickshaws), the city’s preferred and beautifully emissions-free form of transport.

Your guide leads a relaxed city tour through Tulear’s colourful streetscape, past charming colonial-era buildings and the vibrant energy of its diverse community. Pick up supplies for lunch before continuing inland toward the dramatic landscapes of Isalo National Park.

Your own room at Le Jardin du Roy, Isalo National Park or similar

DAY 5 – Tuesday 25th May 2027 ISALO NATIONAL PARK — FULL DAY GUIDED WALK (B/D)

A full and extraordinary day in one of Madagascar’s most spectacular and visually dramatic national parks. Isalo National Park is a landscape of geological wonder — vast sandstone massifs, deeply carved canyons, hidden palm-fringed oases, rolling grassland plains, and bizarre rock formations sculpted by millennia of wind and water into shapes that defy description.

A full-day guided walk with your local expert explores the park’s extraordinary variety, with opportunities to encounter over 80 bird species, 30 reptile species, and 14 mammal species — including three lemur species. The absolute highlight: the dancing sifaka lemur, which moves across open ground in a sideways leaping dance that is utterly unlike any other animal movement and guaranteed to produce pure delight.

Your own room at Le Jardin du Roy, Isalo National Park or similar

DAY 6 – Wednesday 26th May 2027 ISALO TO FIANARANTSOA VIA ANJA COMMUNITY RESERVE & AMBALAVAO (B/D)

A richly varied travel day combining wildlife, craftsmanship, and community — three of the threads that run through this extraordinary tour.

Begin with a stop at the Antemoro Paper Factory in Ambalavao — where artisans create Madagascar’s famous handmade paper from the bark of the voatavolo tree, embedding flowers and leaves into each sheet using ancient techniques. An intricate, beautiful, and uniquely Malagasy craft tradition.

Continue to the Anja Community Reserve — a 30-hectare protected forest managed entirely by the local community since 1999, and a powerful model of grassroots conservation. The reserve is home to a thriving population of ring-tailed lemurs — among the most recognisable and characterful of Madagascar’s 100+ lemur species — and your village guide leads you through the forest in search of the troops that move freely through the rocky terrain.

Arrive in Fianarantsoa this afternoon — Madagascar’s second city, a place of winding cobbled streets, ornate churches, tiled colonial rooftops, and a heritage so well-preserved the entire old town is a protected historic site. This evening, dinner together at the extraordinary Ecole Hoteliere La Riziere — a hospitality school-restaurant perched on a hill above the old town, where the income from the restaurant directly funds the education of young Malagasy women (65% of students are female), and the food is exceptional.

Your own room at Hotel H1 Fianarantsoa or similar

DAY 7 – Thursday 27th May 2027 FIANARANTSOA TO RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK (B/L)

A morning exploring the extraordinary character of Fianarantsoa’s old town — wandering past tiled rooftops and flower-studded balconies, through twisting alleys and past churches built in the 19th century by Norwegian missionaries. Visit a typical Malagasy village in the surrounding countryside for a genuine insight into how most of the island’s rural population lives, and explore the patchwork of rice paddies and Betsileo vineyards that produce Fianarantsoa’s celebrated wine — with a lunch stop in the village to sample the local cuisine.

In the afternoon, descend into the lush, mist-draped landscapes of Ranomafana National Park — one of Madagascar’s most biodiverse and celebrated natural areas, established as a national park in 1991 specifically to protect the golden bamboo lemur, first discovered here in 1985. The park is home to 13 lemur species, 120 bird species, and an extraordinary diversity of frogs, reptiles, carnivorous plants, orchids, and bamboo.

If energy allows, an optional late-afternoon visit to the Station Thermale — the natural hot springs that give the town its name — is a wonderfully relaxing way to end the day.

Your own room at Hotel Thermal Ranomafana or similar

DAY 8 – Friday 28th May 2027 RANOMAFANA — RAINFOREST WALK & VALBIO RESEARCH CENTRE (B/L)

A full and deeply rewarding day in one of the world’s great rainforest parks.

Begin with a four-hour guided walk through Ranomafana National Park — one of the finest wildlife walks in Madagascar. Your expert guide navigates the forest trails in search of lemurs (including the golden bamboo lemur in its only known habitat), striped civets, mongooses, goshawks, geckos, tree frogs, and butterflies. Keep a particular eye out for the extraordinary net-casting spider and the remarkable world’s smallest chameleon — both resident in this park. The forest here is dense, green, and alive in a way that rewards slow, attentive exploration.

After lunch, visit the world-renowned ValBio Research Centre — sitting just outside the park boundary and operating under the direction of primatologist Patricia C. Wright, whose campaign to protect the golden bamboo lemur’s habitat led directly to the creation of Ranomafana National Park. Tour the centre with a researcher, attend an informal conservation lecture, and gain a rare insight into the cutting-edge work being done to protect Madagascar’s irreplaceable ecosystems. An inspiring and genuinely moving experience.

Your own room at Hotel Thermal Ranomafana or similar

DAY 9 – Saturday 29th May 2027 RANOMAFANA TO AMBOSITRA — WOOD CARVING & MARQUETRY CAPITAL (B)

Travel north through Madagascar’s central highlands toward Ambositra — the arts, crafts, and wood-carving capital of the country and home to the third-largest ethnic group in Madagascar, the Betsileo people.

Visit the famous Id’om Art workshop and discover the extraordinary craft of marquetry — the painstaking art of cutting and assembling tiny pieces of naturally coloured wood into intricate artworks using hand-operated jigsaws made from old car tyre wire. A single 1-metre artwork can take up to two months to complete. Watch master craftsmen at work and browse the remarkable collection of finished pieces — each one a testament to extraordinary patience and skill.

Note: Today’s travel involves hilly terrain with some uneven steps in the national park. Trail shoes and walking poles are recommended. The dry season generally provides good conditions, though the park can be wet and muddy — leech socks are advisable.

Your own room at Artisan Hotel, Ambositra or similar

DAY 10 – Sunday 30th May 2027 AMBOSITRA TO ANTSIRABE — SILK WEAVING & HIGHLAND CULTURE (B/L/D)

A morning of profound cultural depth before continuing to the cool central highlands.

Visit the Sandrandahy Association — a remarkable community cooperative supporting over 40 women from surrounding villages through the traditional art of silk weaving. Learn about the extraordinary role of silk in Malagasy ancestral culture: the deceased are traditionally wrapped in a silk shroud — a lambamena — and families return to the tomb years later in a ceremonial re-wrapping ritual called the famadihana, honouring their ancestors in one of Madagascar’s most distinctive and deeply meaningful cultural traditions. The women of Sandrandahy share their stories with warmth and pride — this is one of the most genuinely moving cultural encounters on the entire tour.

Then continue through the scenic highlands to Antsirabe — a cool, charming spa town in Madagascar’s central plateau, known for its colonial-era architecture, beautiful crater lakes, and the extraordinary craftspeople who work recycled materials into bicycles, cars, and elaborate furniture.

This evening, enjoy a relaxed group dinner in the gazebo of the guesthouse grounds — a beautiful setting to unwind and reflect on an extraordinary day.

Your own room at Plumeria Hôtel, Antsirabe or similar

DAY 11 – Monday 31st May 2027 ANTSIRABE TO ANTANANARIVO — FREE AFTERNOON (B)

A morning drive back to Antananarivo — passing through the beautiful central highland landscape of terraced rice fields, eucalyptus forests, and red laterite roads that are so characteristic of Madagascar’s interior.

Arrive in the capital in time for a free afternoon at leisure — time to explore the lively street markets, visit the Musée de la Photographie (a fascinating small museum telling Madagascar’s history from 1850 to 1870 through archival photographs), or simply relax at the hotel and enjoy the sweeping views across the capital’s famous twelve hills.

Your own room at Royal Palissandre Hotel & Spa, Antananarivo or similar

DAY 12 – Tuesday 1st June 2027 ANTANANARIVO TO ANDASIBE-MANTADIA NATIONAL PARK (B)

A long but utterly spectacular drive east through Madagascar’s lush eastern corridor — a landscape of dense tropical forest, misty valleys, and the extraordinary biodiversity of the island’s eastern rainforest zone. Your reward at the end of this six-hour drive is arrival at Andasibe-Mantadia National Park — home to 11 lemur species and Madagascar’s most celebrated wildlife sanctuary.

Settle into your forest lodge, surrounded by the sounds of the rainforest, and rest in preparation for tomorrow’s early start. Tonight, listen for the calls that begin after dark — this forest is alive around the clock.

Your own room at Relais de Mantadia, Andasibe or similar

DAY 13 – Wednesday 2nd June 2027 ANDASIBE — GUIDED WALK & NIGHT WALK IN THE RAINFOREST (B)

The day many travellers consider the wildlife highlight of the entire journey.

Begin with a morning guided walk through Andasibe-Mantadia National Park — exploring the extraordinary rainforest canopy in search of lemurs, endemic birds, frogs, and insects found nowhere else on earth. Your guide’s knowledge of this forest is remarkable — knowing the territories of individual lemur troops, the calls that signal their presence, and the hidden corners where the rarest species shelter.

The great hope of the morning is an encounter with the Indri — the world’s largest living lemur, and one of Madagascar’s most extraordinary animals. The Indri’s haunting, wailing territorial call carries for kilometres through the forest — a sound so primeval and so unlike anything else in nature that those who hear it for the first time are often stunned into silence. Actually seeing an Indri in the canopy above you is an experience that travellers describe for the rest of their lives.

This afternoon, visit and learn about the Analamazaotra Special Reserve — a community conservation project established by local villagers in 1999, now supporting over 400 households through sustainable forest management.

As night falls, venture out on a night walk through the forest — where the rainforest transforms completely. Nocturnal mouse lemurs, glowing-eyed chameleons, extraordinary tree frogs, geckos, and fireflies illuminate the darkness. A magical and unforgettable experience.

Your own room at Relais de Mantadia, Andasibe or similar

DAY 14 – Thursday 3rd June 2027 ANDASIBE TO ANTANANARIVO — CHOCOLATE WORKSHOP & FAREWELL DINNER (B/L/D)

After a final morning in the forest, return to Antananarivo for a fitting and delicious farewell to Madagascar.

This afternoon, an exclusive hands-on chocolate workshop with a local Malagasy artisan reveals why Madagascar’s cacao is celebrated among chocolate lovers worldwide as some of the finest on earth. Learn the secrets of the refining and tempering process, craft your own bespoke chocolate bar to take home, and then sit down for a tasting of traditional Malagasy pastries, local coffee, and the island’s signature rhum arrangé — rum infused with local fruits, spices, and vanilla, unique to Madagascar.

This evening, gather for your Farewell Dinner — a celebration of 15 extraordinary days, the ring-tailed lemurs at Anja, the dancing sifakas of Isalo, the Indri’s call at dawn in Andasibe, the women of Sandrandahy, the breakfast beneath the baobabs, and the friendships forged across the Eighth Continent.

Your own room at Royal Palissandre Hotel & Spa, Antananarivo or similar

DAY 15 – Friday 4th June 2027 ANTANANARIVO — DEPARTURE DAY (B)

After a final breakfast together, your Madagascar adventure draws to a close. A complimentary transfer to the airport is included for all guests at an appropriate time. For those with later flights, luggage can be securely stored at the hotel, allowing you to relax or take a final wander through the capital before your transfer.

Depart carrying the extraordinary memories of a destination unlike anywhere else — the baobabs, the lemurs, the rainforest nights, the communities, the crafts, and the incomparable warmth of the Malagasy people.

Veloma, Madagascar. Until next time.

DAY 1 – Friday 21st May 2027 ANTANANARIVO — ARRIVAL & WELCOME DINNER (D)

Tonga Soa! Welcome to Madagascar — the Eighth Continent, and one of the most extraordinary places on earth. Upon arrival at Ivato International Airport in Antananarivo, you will be met and transferred to your elegant hotel in the heart of the capital. Arrival transfers are included and may be shared with fellow travellers arriving on the same flight. You are free to arrive at any time.

If you arrive with time to explore, the colourful street markets of Analakely are within easy reach, as are the fascinating Ambohimanga Rova (the Sacred Hill of the Merina kingdom, a UNESCO World Heritage Site — optional tour available) and the wonderful Lemurs’ Park (optional, per person).

This evening, meet your Two’s a Crowd Host, local guide, and fellow solo travellers at a Welcome Meeting before heading out for a relaxed group dinner at a local restaurant — the first taste of Malagasy cuisine and the beginning of an unforgettable journey.

Note: If you’d like to arrive a day or two early, additional nights at the hotel can be arranged.

Your own room at Royal Palissandre Hotel & Spa, Antananarivo or similar

DAY 2 – Saturday 22nd May 2027 ANTANANARIVO TO IFATY — BAOBAB BREAKFAST & SPINY FOREST (B)

An early start for one of the most extraordinary mornings of the entire journey. Take your included morning flight to Tulear on the southwest coast, then transfer directly to Reniala Private Park (Ifaty Botanical Garden) for a truly unforgettable experience: breakfast beneath ancient baobab trees, some over 13 metres in circumference and centuries old.

A local guide leads you on a walk through the Ifaty Spiny Forest — one of the last remaining areas of primary forest in southern Madagascar and an ecosystem found nowhere else on earth. The trail winds past extraordinary baobab varieties — the ‘dwarf’, the ‘teapot’, the ‘rhinoceros’ — alongside ancient succulents and prehistoric plants. Birdwatchers will be in their element: 65 species inhabit the reserve, including the rare Long-tailed Ground Roller and Red-headed Coua. Learn about the unique flora and its traditional medicinal uses, and the vital community conservation work that protects this fragile ecosystem.

The afternoon and evening are yours at leisure — relax at the lodge, explore the sandy streets of Ifaty’s coastal village, or simply sit and watch the Indian Ocean.

Your own room at Le Paradisier, Ifaty or similar

DAY 3 – Sunday 23rd May 2027 IFATY — FREE DAY (B)

A beautifully relaxed day at your own pace on Madagascar’s southwest coast. Unwind by the pool, walk along the beach, or wander through the lodge’s stunning tropical gardens. The warm, clear waters here offer excellent snorkelling for those who want to explore below the surface.

For those seeking deeper engagement with the region, an optional visit to the Recycling Museum in Toliara — a fascinating institution dedicated to environmental education and community awareness — is available by donation.

Your Two’s a Crowd Host is available throughout the day with further suggestions.

Your own room at Le Paradisier, Ifaty or similar

DAY 4 – Monday 24th May 2027 IFATY TO ISALO NATIONAL PARK VIA TULEAR (B/D)

Depart Ifaty this morning and travel to Tulear — one of Madagascar’s most distinctive regional cities, where wide avenues lined with tamarind and flame trees give way to bustling lanes filled with pousse-pousse (traditional rickshaws), the city’s preferred and beautifully emissions-free form of transport.

Your guide leads a relaxed city tour through Tulear’s colourful streetscape, past charming colonial-era buildings and the vibrant energy of its diverse community. Pick up supplies for lunch before continuing inland toward the dramatic landscapes of Isalo National Park.

Your own room at Le Jardin du Roy, Isalo National Park or similar

DAY 5 – Tuesday 25th May 2027 ISALO NATIONAL PARK — FULL DAY GUIDED WALK (B/D)

A full and extraordinary day in one of Madagascar’s most spectacular and visually dramatic national parks. Isalo National Park is a landscape of geological wonder — vast sandstone massifs, deeply carved canyons, hidden palm-fringed oases, rolling grassland plains, and bizarre rock formations sculpted by millennia of wind and water into shapes that defy description.

A full-day guided walk with your local expert explores the park’s extraordinary variety, with opportunities to encounter over 80 bird species, 30 reptile species, and 14 mammal species — including three lemur species. The absolute highlight: the dancing sifaka lemur, which moves across open ground in a sideways leaping dance that is utterly unlike any other animal movement and guaranteed to produce pure delight.

Your own room at Le Jardin du Roy, Isalo National Park or similar

DAY 6 – Wednesday 26th May 2027 ISALO TO FIANARANTSOA VIA ANJA COMMUNITY RESERVE & AMBALAVAO (B/D)

A richly varied travel day combining wildlife, craftsmanship, and community — three of the threads that run through this extraordinary tour.

Begin with a stop at the Antemoro Paper Factory in Ambalavao — where artisans create Madagascar’s famous handmade paper from the bark of the voatavolo tree, embedding flowers and leaves into each sheet using ancient techniques. An intricate, beautiful, and uniquely Malagasy craft tradition.

Continue to the Anja Community Reserve — a 30-hectare protected forest managed entirely by the local community since 1999, and a powerful model of grassroots conservation. The reserve is home to a thriving population of ring-tailed lemurs — among the most recognisable and characterful of Madagascar’s 100+ lemur species — and your village guide leads you through the forest in search of the troops that move freely through the rocky terrain.

Arrive in Fianarantsoa this afternoon — Madagascar’s second city, a place of winding cobbled streets, ornate churches, tiled colonial rooftops, and a heritage so well-preserved the entire old town is a protected historic site. This evening, dinner together at the extraordinary Ecole Hoteliere La Riziere — a hospitality school-restaurant perched on a hill above the old town, where the income from the restaurant directly funds the education of young Malagasy women (65% of students are female), and the food is exceptional.

Your own room at Hotel H1 Fianarantsoa or similar

DAY 7 – Thursday 27th May 2027 FIANARANTSOA TO RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK (B/L)

A morning exploring the extraordinary character of Fianarantsoa’s old town — wandering past tiled rooftops and flower-studded balconies, through twisting alleys and past churches built in the 19th century by Norwegian missionaries. Visit a typical Malagasy village in the surrounding countryside for a genuine insight into how most of the island’s rural population lives, and explore the patchwork of rice paddies and Betsileo vineyards that produce Fianarantsoa’s celebrated wine — with a lunch stop in the village to sample the local cuisine.

In the afternoon, descend into the lush, mist-draped landscapes of Ranomafana National Park — one of Madagascar’s most biodiverse and celebrated natural areas, established as a national park in 1991 specifically to protect the golden bamboo lemur, first discovered here in 1985. The park is home to 13 lemur species, 120 bird species, and an extraordinary diversity of frogs, reptiles, carnivorous plants, orchids, and bamboo.

If energy allows, an optional late-afternoon visit to the Station Thermale — the natural hot springs that give the town its name — is a wonderfully relaxing way to end the day.

Your own room at Hotel Thermal Ranomafana or similar

DAY 8 – Friday 28th May 2027 RANOMAFANA — RAINFOREST WALK & VALBIO RESEARCH CENTRE (B/L)

A full and deeply rewarding day in one of the world’s great rainforest parks.

Begin with a four-hour guided walk through Ranomafana National Park — one of the finest wildlife walks in Madagascar. Your expert guide navigates the forest trails in search of lemurs (including the golden bamboo lemur in its only known habitat), striped civets, mongooses, goshawks, geckos, tree frogs, and butterflies. Keep a particular eye out for the extraordinary net-casting spider and the remarkable world’s smallest chameleon — both resident in this park. The forest here is dense, green, and alive in a way that rewards slow, attentive exploration.

After lunch, visit the world-renowned ValBio Research Centre — sitting just outside the park boundary and operating under the direction of primatologist Patricia C. Wright, whose campaign to protect the golden bamboo lemur’s habitat led directly to the creation of Ranomafana National Park. Tour the centre with a researcher, attend an informal conservation lecture, and gain a rare insight into the cutting-edge work being done to protect Madagascar’s irreplaceable ecosystems. An inspiring and genuinely moving experience.

Your own room at Hotel Thermal Ranomafana or similar

DAY 9 – Saturday 29th May 2027 RANOMAFANA TO AMBOSITRA — WOOD CARVING & MARQUETRY CAPITAL (B)

Travel north through Madagascar’s central highlands toward Ambositra — the arts, crafts, and wood-carving capital of the country and home to the third-largest ethnic group in Madagascar, the Betsileo people.

Visit the famous Id’om Art workshop and discover the extraordinary craft of marquetry — the painstaking art of cutting and assembling tiny pieces of naturally coloured wood into intricate artworks using hand-operated jigsaws made from old car tyre wire. A single 1-metre artwork can take up to two months to complete. Watch master craftsmen at work and browse the remarkable collection of finished pieces — each one a testament to extraordinary patience and skill.

Note: Today’s travel involves hilly terrain with some uneven steps in the national park. Trail shoes and walking poles are recommended. The dry season generally provides good conditions, though the park can be wet and muddy — leech socks are advisable.

Your own room at Artisan Hotel, Ambositra or similar

DAY 10 – Sunday 30th May 2027 AMBOSITRA TO ANTSIRABE — SILK WEAVING & HIGHLAND CULTURE (B/L/D)

A morning of profound cultural depth before continuing to the cool central highlands.

Visit the Sandrandahy Association — a remarkable community cooperative supporting over 40 women from surrounding villages through the traditional art of silk weaving. Learn about the extraordinary role of silk in Malagasy ancestral culture: the deceased are traditionally wrapped in a silk shroud — a lambamena — and families return to the tomb years later in a ceremonial re-wrapping ritual called the famadihana, honouring their ancestors in one of Madagascar’s most distinctive and deeply meaningful cultural traditions. The women of Sandrandahy share their stories with warmth and pride — this is one of the most genuinely moving cultural encounters on the entire tour.

Then continue through the scenic highlands to Antsirabe — a cool, charming spa town in Madagascar’s central plateau, known for its colonial-era architecture, beautiful crater lakes, and the extraordinary craftspeople who work recycled materials into bicycles, cars, and elaborate furniture.

This evening, enjoy a relaxed group dinner in the gazebo of the guesthouse grounds — a beautiful setting to unwind and reflect on an extraordinary day.

Your own room at Plumeria Hôtel, Antsirabe or similar

DAY 11 – Monday 31st May 2027 ANTSIRABE TO ANTANANARIVO — FREE AFTERNOON (B)

A morning drive back to Antananarivo — passing through the beautiful central highland landscape of terraced rice fields, eucalyptus forests, and red laterite roads that are so characteristic of Madagascar’s interior.

Arrive in the capital in time for a free afternoon at leisure — time to explore the lively street markets, visit the Musée de la Photographie (a fascinating small museum telling Madagascar’s history from 1850 to 1870 through archival photographs), or simply relax at the hotel and enjoy the sweeping views across the capital’s famous twelve hills.

Your own room at Royal Palissandre Hotel & Spa, Antananarivo or similar

DAY 12 – Tuesday 1st June 2027 ANTANANARIVO TO ANDASIBE-MANTADIA NATIONAL PARK (B)

A long but utterly spectacular drive east through Madagascar’s lush eastern corridor — a landscape of dense tropical forest, misty valleys, and the extraordinary biodiversity of the island’s eastern rainforest zone. Your reward at the end of this six-hour drive is arrival at Andasibe-Mantadia National Park — home to 11 lemur species and Madagascar’s most celebrated wildlife sanctuary.

Settle into your forest lodge, surrounded by the sounds of the rainforest, and rest in preparation for tomorrow’s early start. Tonight, listen for the calls that begin after dark — this forest is alive around the clock.

Your own room at Relais de Mantadia, Andasibe or similar

DAY 13 – Wednesday 2nd June 2027 ANDASIBE — GUIDED WALK & NIGHT WALK IN THE RAINFOREST (B)

The day many travellers consider the wildlife highlight of the entire journey.

Begin with a morning guided walk through Andasibe-Mantadia National Park — exploring the extraordinary rainforest canopy in search of lemurs, endemic birds, frogs, and insects found nowhere else on earth. Your guide’s knowledge of this forest is remarkable — knowing the territories of individual lemur troops, the calls that signal their presence, and the hidden corners where the rarest species shelter.

The great hope of the morning is an encounter with the Indri — the world’s largest living lemur, and one of Madagascar’s most extraordinary animals. The Indri’s haunting, wailing territorial call carries for kilometres through the forest — a sound so primeval and so unlike anything else in nature that those who hear it for the first time are often stunned into silence. Actually seeing an Indri in the canopy above you is an experience that travellers describe for the rest of their lives.

This afternoon, visit and learn about the Analamazaotra Special Reserve — a community conservation project established by local villagers in 1999, now supporting over 400 households through sustainable forest management.

As night falls, venture out on a night walk through the forest — where the rainforest transforms completely. Nocturnal mouse lemurs, glowing-eyed chameleons, extraordinary tree frogs, geckos, and fireflies illuminate the darkness. A magical and unforgettable experience.

Your own room at Relais de Mantadia, Andasibe or similar

DAY 14 – Thursday 3rd June 2027 ANDASIBE TO ANTANANARIVO — CHOCOLATE WORKSHOP & FAREWELL DINNER (B/L/D)

After a final morning in the forest, return to Antananarivo for a fitting and delicious farewell to Madagascar.

This afternoon, an exclusive hands-on chocolate workshop with a local Malagasy artisan reveals why Madagascar’s cacao is celebrated among chocolate lovers worldwide as some of the finest on earth. Learn the secrets of the refining and tempering process, craft your own bespoke chocolate bar to take home, and then sit down for a tasting of traditional Malagasy pastries, local coffee, and the island’s signature rhum arrangé — rum infused with local fruits, spices, and vanilla, unique to Madagascar.

This evening, gather for your Farewell Dinner — a celebration of 15 extraordinary days, the ring-tailed lemurs at Anja, the dancing sifakas of Isalo, the Indri’s call at dawn in Andasibe, the women of Sandrandahy, the breakfast beneath the baobabs, and the friendships forged across the Eighth Continent.

Your own room at Royal Palissandre Hotel & Spa, Antananarivo or similar

DAY 15 – Friday 4th June 2027 ANTANANARIVO — DEPARTURE DAY (B)

After a final breakfast together, your Madagascar adventure draws to a close. A complimentary transfer to the airport is included for all guests at an appropriate time. For those with later flights, luggage can be securely stored at the hotel, allowing you to relax or take a final wander through the capital before your transfer.

Depart carrying the extraordinary memories of a destination unlike anywhere else — the baobabs, the lemurs, the rainforest nights, the communities, the crafts, and the incomparable warmth of the Malagasy people.

Veloma, Madagascar. Until next time.