Best Of Madagascar Rainforest

“Tongasoa”, is the Malagasy word for welcome. We hope you are excited to be here! You are now in Antananarivo, the capital city, and we know that having an international flight is tiring. Don’t worry about you’re your transfer. We will be at the airport to welcome you and transfer you to your hotel, where your room will be ready for you to relax and rest as well as your dinner. We are really glad you are here.

It’s time to wake up! How was your night? Today, in the morning, we are living Antananarivo but before that, let’s go to Tsarasaotra lake, a haven of peace and tranquility in midst of the capital city! Yeah, it’s our day of discovery! Be like the Malagasy birds we’ll encounter today: free to let yourself fly around. Included into the RAMSAR sites, Tsarasaotra lake is home to egrets, herons and endemic ducks. Please note that Tsarasaotra isn’t open for visitors during the weekend (Saturday and Sunday).

Here goes the Bird Top List:
Cattle Egret (Bulbucus ibis), Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides), Blackcrowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Dimorphic Egret (Egretta dimorpha), Blackcrowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Red-billed Teal (Anas erythrorhyncha), White-faced whistling Duck(Dendrocygne viduata), Knob-billed Teal (Sarkidiornis melanotos) , Malagasy Kingfisher(Corythornis vintsioides) , Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus Newtoni).

After delighting in this first glimpse of Madagascar, we will hit the road for to Andasibe (also called Perinet), traveling through the highlands on 144 km (3 to 4 hrs). Take time to capture memories. Take pictures of all the panoramic views around. Grab every second to enjoy colors, smiles, typical landscapes. We will arrive at Andasibe for lunch, which will be at your expense.

Andasibe: here we go! In the afternoon, make the most of your day by relaxing in your room at the hotel, where dinner will be served. Make yourself ready for we made an arranged rendezvous for you: we will end our first day with a night tour to approach some species of lemurs and chameleons. (Mouse Lemur, Hairy-eared Dwarf Lemur, eastern Woolly lemur)

How was last night? Was your breath taken away? You came here to enjoy the best of Madagascar Rainforest, didn’t you? Of course, yes! That’s why we will have a transfer by car to Mantadia National Park, which is part of the Andasibe complex protected area. Its rainforest is denser and larger than the Special Reserve of Indri-Indri we’ll visit tomorrow.

Why is this park so special? Well, once there you’ll observe different specimens of lemurs (Diademed Sifaka, Ruffed Lemur), and also 4 species of Roller Madagascar. Use this opportunity to sharpen your skills in photographing nature.

And the next good news is that we will return to the hotel only in the mid-afternoon, which means: we have enough time to enjoy the Park, yeah! Therefore, we advise you to take rest before the dinner at the hotel, where you’ll stay overnight.

For lists lovers, don’t feel weird if you need to print the following ones:

Lemur’s Top list:
Black and White Ruffed Lemur, Diademed Sifaka, Brown Lemur, Red Bellied Lemur.

Birds Top list:
Blue Coua, Red-fronted Coua, Blue Pigeon, Nuthatch Vanga, Sclay Ground Roller , Short legged ground roller , long tailed ground roller , Tylas Vanga l , Nelicourvi Weawer.

Reptiles and Frogs top list:
Parson’s chameleon, Short-nosed chameleon, nose-horned chameleon, stump-tailed chameleon, and frog: 3 to 4 species of boophis and about 5 species of Mantidactilus.

Yesterday we talked about visiting the special reserve of Indri – indri. We’re so excited to lead you there today. This reserve, managed by Madagascar National Park, actually covers an area of 810 ha which is home for the largest lemur of Madagascar, the Indri-Indri.

And not only the Indri-Indri, but you will also discover other species of lemurs, birds, chameleons and frogs. This place is such a treasure. Its rich flora keeps thousands of species of medicinal plants, valuable timber species and many species of orchids and ferns.

We know you enjoyed our nocturnal tour last time. For you to get more of it, we will end our fourth day with a night tour to satisfy your adventurous spirit. And we will meet more lemurs and chameleons species. We know you love them! Today, dinner will be platted at your hotel where you’ll stay overnight. We’ll leave early tomorrow.

Lemur’s Top list : Indri-Indri, Mouse Lemur, Common Brown Lemur, Hairy-eared Dwarf Lemur, eastern Woolly lemur, Grey Bamoo Lemur , Red-Bellied Lemur
Birds Top list : Blue Coua , Red-fronted coua , Nuthatch Vanga , Madagascar wood rail , Madagascar Cuckoo-Roller , Cristed , Ibis , Magpie – Robin , Hook Billed Vanga , Collared Nightjar , Madagascar Scops Owl , Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher , Nelicourvi Weawer , Tylas Vanga

Reptiles and Frogs top list: Parson’s chameleon, Short-nosed chameleon, nose-horned chameleon, stump-tailed chameleon, and frog: 3 to 4 species of boophis and about 5 species of Mantidactilus

Let’s hit the road with a surprise along the way today! We will have an early morning departure for the Torotorofotsy marsh, where we will observe some species of birds and especially the Golden Mantella frog (aurantiaca). What about today’s accommodations? Note that we will have lunch at Andasibe, dinner and overnight stay in your hotel in Antananarivo (we will be back in the capital city in the afternoon after 3 or 4hours’ drive (144km)).

Lists lovers don’t stress. We didn’t forget. Here you go:

Birds Top list:
Slender-Billed Flufftail Sarothrura watersi, Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis and aggregations of waterfowl: such as Meller’s Duck Anas melleri.

Frogs top list:
Golden Mantella, Mantella Painted

Today? You will have your flight to Maroantsetra. It is very important for you to know that these flights are only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Then, from the airport, we’ll transfer you by car to the small port where you take the boat to Masoala Forest Lodge. The boat trip takes between 1 to 3 hours. Hum! The best is yet to come!

On arrival, you will be free to swim or walk along the beautiful beaches. Take beautiful pictures for your family and your Instagram account. Dip your feet in the sand or the ocean. Did you bring your hat and your sunscreen? In the late afternoon, the sunset over the sea is just G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S! Do not go too far, at twilight; you will be able to see some of Masoala’s secretive nocturnal wildlife such as the Leaf-tailed Gecko or the Dwarf and Mouse lemurs. Don’t worry, once there, you will have time to settle at your hotel where you will have dinner and stay overnight.

Lemur’s Top list:

Black-and-white ruffed lemurs, white-fronted brown lemurs and mouse lemurs, aye-aye.
Birds Top list:
Not particularly diverse or abundant: Helmet Vanga, red owl.

Reptiles and Frogs top list:
Please note: Masoala Rainforest is the best place in Madagascar to see the leaf-tailed gecko, pygmy stump-tailed chameleons, panther chameleon, green-backed frogs and mantella.

You are right: Masoala is stunning. What you’ve seen yesterday is just a kick starter. Today we will leave early in the morning to explore the primary rainforest, and look for the Red-ruffed lemurs, Dwarf chameleons and other endemic wildlife. Then, we will go back to the camp for lunch.

After lunch, appreciate free time to relax. Many activities can be done in the surroundings: snorkeling on the nearby reefs, rich in underwater diversity, whales watching if you come between July and September… In the evening, we will delight in a nocturnal walk on the nearby coastal forest. We’ll try to spot some more wildlife (maybe even the elusive Aye-Aye, Youpee!) You will have to rest at your hotel after dinner. What is your favorite Malagasy dish so far? Get ready for tomorrow’s new discoveries!

Lemur’s Top list :

Black-and-white ruffed lemurs, white-fronted brown lemurs and mouse lemurs, aye-aye, Malagasy striped civet..

Birds Top list :
Madagascar red owl, Helmet vanga, Nuthatch vanga, red-breasted coua, scaly ground-roller, short-legged ground roller, Velvet Asity.

Reptiles and Frogs top list:
The best place in Madagascar to see the leaf-tailed gecko, pygmy stump-tailed chameleons, panther chameleon, green-backed frogs, tomato frog, green-backed mantella.

In the morning, we will have a boat transfer to Nosy Mangabe, which is a tiny island, covered by 520 ha of lowland rainforest. We make today unforgettable with a visit of Nosy Mangabe special reserve: the best place to see black and white ruffed lemurs, the Greater dwarf Lemur, and the Mouse lemur. Have a dinner and overnight stay at your hotel today.

Did you bring an agenda or a diary? It is now time for you to read it again while looking at all the amazing pictures you took during your trip. Lists lovers will laugh. It seems like you receive very special treatment here. Here are what you were looking for:

Lemur’s Top list :

Black and white ruffed lemur, white-fronted brown lemur, mouse lemur, greater hedgehog tenrec.

Birds Top list :
Madagascar paradise flycatchers, Madagascar bulbuls, Madagascar malachite kingfishers, dark phase dimorphic egrets.

Reptiles and Frogs top list:
Leaf-tailed gecko, pygmy-tailed chameleons, panther chameleon, plated lizard, green-backed matella.

So how was your Madagascar trip? Take time to enjoy every second, even during your transfer to the airport to take the flight to Antananarivo. Please, note that flights from Maroantsetra are only possible on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Once in Antananarivo, you will get assistance to your connection flight.

Did you have enough time and place to write every memory down in your diary? We hope you did. We’re sure your pictures are amazing. With or without us, we hope you will come back. Thank you for entrusting us your trip in Madagascar. See you soon!