Madagascar Photo Safari

Day 1, Sunday, August 29: Arrive Antananarivo   
You are met by our representative and transfered to the hotel.    O/N Hotel Colbert

Day 2, Monday, August 30: Antananarivo / Antsiranana (Diego Suarez)/ Ankarana  
Morning R&R before briefing by Wolfgang and local staff; lunch on your own.  Afternoon city tour and evening welcome dinner at one of "Tana’s" (local for Antananarivo) excellent restaurants. O/N Hotel Colbert

Day 3, Tuesday, August 31: Ankarana
Mid-morning flight, with noon arrival.  Lunch at Allamanda overlooking the Bay of Diego followed by drive to Ankarana with a late afternoon arrival at our lodging for the next two nights. Please note: our lodging will consist of a rustic lodge of traditional Malagasy bungalows. Although the facilities are somewhat primitive, with shared bathroom, its location just a short distance from the park and provides the best-available base for our forays into the park.  O/N Chez Tonton or Relais d’Ankarana

Day 4, Wednesday, September 1: Ankarana National Park
All-day exploration in the Ankarana Reserve, noted for its bizarre limestone pinnacles known as the “Tsingy” (translation: “to walk on tiptoes”).   We’ll visit the caves and grottoes inhabited by bats and sacred crocodiles and hopefully catch a glimpse of the crown lemur in the forest.  Be ready for encounters with several of the ten species of lemurs and more than 90 species of birds which call the Ankarana home. O/N Chez Tonton or Relais d’Ankarana

Day 5, Thursday, September 2: Ankarana/Diego Suarez vicinity
Most of today will be spent in this spectacular environment teeming with wildlife. Late in the afternoon, we’ll head for our night’s stay at a lovely, elegantly-designed private lodge. O/N Nature Lodge

Day 6, Friday, September 3: Diego/Antananarivo
Morning drive back to Diego and lunch prior to afternoon flight back to Tana.  O/N Hotel Colbert

Day 7, Saturday, September 4: Antananarivo/Morondava
Our mid-morning flight carries us to Morondava on the West coast of Madagascar.  Settle in at Palissandre West and in the mid-afternoon depart by 4 x 4 to arrive at Baobab Alley, a magnificent forest of Grandidier’s baobab trees for the sunset and glorious pictures. O/N Palissandre West

Day 8, Sunday, September 5: Morondava
We’ll make a day excursion with a picnic lunch to the Kirindy Reserve (dry deciduous forest of the West) and have our best chance to see and photograph a fossa in the wild. These relatives of the mongoose exist only on Madagascar and are the largest mammalian predator on the island. They are the most significant predator of lemurs.   O/N Palissandre West

Day 9, Monday, September 6: Morondava / Ft Dauphin / Berenty
Morning flight to Ft Dauphin, lunch at Le Dauphin and on to Berenty Private Reserve, some three hours by a primitive road. Our hotel lies at the very edge of the forest reserve. O/N Gite d'Etape

Days 10-11, Tuesday.- Wednesday, September 7-8: Berenty
We’ll have two full days to visit the reserve with walks along the wide, well swept paths.  The lemur Catta Maki, better known as the ring-tailed lemurs, are very friendly and seem pleased to pose for photographs.  Be ready for surprise encounters with the beautiful sifaka lemur as they "dance" across the path.  Other species include flying foxes (a bat), lizards, chameleons, the endangered radiated tortoise and dozens of species of rare birds.   O/N Gite d’Etape    

Day 12, Thursday, September 9: Berenty / Ft Dauphin
The morning drive back to Ft. Dauphin offers many photo opportunities along the way through typical Antandroy villages.   In the afternoon we visit the Nahampoana Private Reserve, once a botanical garden in the time of the colonial period with still magnificent plants and friendly lemurs.      O/N Le Dauphin

Day 13, Friday, September 10: Ft Dauphin / Tana / La Mandraka
Our morning flight back to Tana arrives just about noon, and we continue to La Mandraka - a chameleon and butterfly breeding farm where we have a great opportunity to photograph scores of species of outrageously camouflaged chameleons and colorful butterflies and moths.   O/N La Mandraka

Day 14, Saturday, September 11: La Mandraka
We’ll have another full day at La Mandraka to enjoy the infinite variety of wildlife and have all the time to photograph them at leisure.  O/N  La Mandraka

Day 15, Sunday, September 12: La Mandraka / Perinet - Andasibe National Park
Our early morning arrival in the park – altitude rainforest - finds us looking for the not-so-elusive Indri indri, largest of the lemurs who does not survive in captivity and can only be seen and photographed in the Malagasy forest.   O/N Vakona Forest Lodge  

Day 16, Monday, September 13: Perinet   
We’ll spend today in the park or visit nearby to Mantadia National Park, a primary rainforest and home to many species not found at Perinet.  The trails here are a little more rugged with greater variations in altitude and consequently a greater diversity of habitats and species.  Return to the Vakona for dinner and overnight.  O/N Vakona Forest Lodge    

Day 17, Tuesday, September 14: Perinet / Antananarivo
Our last morning in the forest, last pictures and last lemur prior to drive back to Tana with an early evening arrival. Dinner at Relais des Plateaux and overnight. NOTE: You are free to fly home anytime after dinner on September 14, but this night’s hotel is included in your tour price. O/N Hotel Relais des Plateuax

Day 18, Wednesday, September 15: Home