Best for those looking for the exhilarating blend of cultural diversity, scenic grandeur and fascinating flora and fauna.
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Situated off the African coast, Madagascar is the world’s fourth-largest island and one of Africa’s least explored regions. Largely unaffected by mass tourism and home to a staggering variety of flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world, Madagascar is one of nature’s most unique creations. Of its 200,000 known species some 75% are endemic to the island, including its entire lemur population. There is an impressive variety of landscapes to explore, from Baobab Alleys and Spiny Forests to the beautiful islands and beaches of Nosy Be and Ile Sainte Marie. Madagascar is an ideal destination for those willing to trade modern comfort for a unique experience.
Conditions and infrastructure in Madagascar are still in their infancy and generally, drives are long. Expect some very rough driving conditions. Visits to remote areas will involve some air travel.
Covering nearly 13,000 hectares of Madagascar’s eastern escarpment, Andasibe consists of the Mantadia Park and the Analamazaotra Reserve. This protected reserve is home to the lndri lndri, Madagascar’s largest lemur, whose loud shrieks can be heard echoing across the forest. Encompassing these two distinct conservation areas, the park is filled with montane forests and nearly all the endemic species of the eastern rainforest, including the common brown lemur, eastern grey bamboo lemur and the black and white ruffled lemur.
Isalo National Park encompasses over 80,000 hectares of the lsalo Massif in south western Madagascar. The eroded sandstone landscapes of this haunting national park are renowned for their unique rock formations. Set against the backdrop of the rugged lsalo Mountains, the park features dramatic canyons and stone caves, where natural swimming pools provide welcome respite from the heat.
Known as the ‘Perfumed Isle’, Nosy Be is an idyllic spot to relax after time exploring the landscapes and wildlife on the mainland. You can enjoy many of the activities on offer or visit the neighbouring islands and the spectacular Nosy Tanikely Marine Reserve. With idyllic beaches and reefs offshore, Nosy Be offers some of the best diving and snorkelling in Madagascar.
Covering nearly 13,000 hectares of Madagascar’s eastern escarpment, Andasibe consists of the Mantadia Park and the Analamazaotra Reserve. This protected reserve is home to the lndri lndri, Madagascar’s largest lemur, whose loud shrieks can be heard echoing across the forest. Encompassing these two distinct conservation areas, the park is filled with montane forests and nearly all the endemic species of the eastern rainforest, including the common brown lemur, eastern grey bamboo lemur and the black and white ruffled lemur.
Isalo National Park encompasses over 80,000 hectares of the lsalo Massif in south western Madagascar. The eroded sandstone landscapes of this haunting national park are renowned for their unique rock formations. Set against the backdrop of the rugged lsalo Mountains, the park features dramatic canyons and stone caves, where natural swimming pools provide welcome respite from the heat.
Known as the ‘Perfumed Isle’, Nosy Be is an idyllic spot to relax after time exploring the landscapes and wildlife on the mainland. You can enjoy many of the activities on offer or visit the neighbouring islands and the spectacular Nosy Tanikely Marine Reserve. With idyllic beaches and reefs offshore, Nosy Be offers some of the best diving and snorkelling in Madagascar.
Situated in Madagascar’s west, The Avenue of the Baobabs is a small collection of Baobab trees lining a dirt road between Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina. Over the years the forests were cleared for agriculture, leaving only the baobab trees. Known locally as renala (‘mother of the forest’), these baobab trees are more than 800 years old. Visiting the Avenue of the Baobabs at sunrise or for a spectacular sunset, allows the opportunity for some excellent photographs.
Accessed by a light aircraft from Antananarivo, Ile Saint Marie is a thin strip of land off Madagascar’s northeast coast. The island is a place of soft, sandy beaches backed by palms and fishing villages and is a perfect place to spend a few days relaxing after a trip around Madagascar. Time can be spent relaxing on the shores and snorkelling or diving in the reefs. Between June and September, excursions are available to witness the humpback whales migrate from Antarctica to Madagascar’s warm waters to breed and calve.
Berenty Wildlife Reserve is located west of Fort Dauphin in Madagascar’s south. Situated on a private reserve amongst the tamarind forest of the Mandrare River, Berenty is home to families of ring-tailed and ‘dancing’ sifaka lemurs, which over the years have become habituated to the close proximity of humans. Encompassing spiny forest and dry tamarind gallery woodland, a stay here offers excursions to discover the reserve’s endemic flora and fauna.
At The Explorer Society, we are always discovering new pockets of wonder on our own adventures and through chats with our local logistics team. Get in touch with us to find out what hidden gems you might discover on your trip.
At The Explorer Society we firmly believe that there is no right or wrong time to go anywhere.
Instead, we think that each time of the year offers different experiences that better suit different travellers.
After all, high and low season often refers to the amount of travellers present, not whether something is ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
Madagascar is a very large country and the average trip is around 12 days. Travelling from the east to the west coast you can visit numerous parks and reserves along the way. You should add an additional three or four days minimum if you’d like a relaxing beach stay.
Everyone is different, so please note that these guidelines are general in nature.
Ultimately it will depend on your own expedition’s requirements.
Planning travel should be exciting, but it can be exhausting. There is so much information and so little clarity, you often end up more confused than when you began.
Sometimes it’s simple and easy to figure out. Sometimes it means asking you more questions and diving deep into your motivations.
We’ll walk you through the whole planning and booking process. We want to make sure you are travelling on the trip that best suits you, not anyone else.
We will be there from the first moment you get in touch until after you come back home with countless memories to share.
