Family Tours : The hidden treasures of Madagascar
Embark your kids to discover the hidden treasure of Madagascar. This tour is designed for young children from 3 to 9 years. Distances are short, and many activities are made especially for them to maintain and keep their attention. The key is to see many lemurs, reptiles and combined with contact with local children and to get an experience of the life of local people. Sea excursion and the turtle are a plus that kids will love.
Day 1 Antananarivo
Arrival in Tana, meet and greet at the airport then transfer to your hotel.
ANTANANARIVO
Antananarivo means “City of thousands”. Its story began 500 years ago, the king Andrianjaka sent over 1000 soldiers to cut the forest and to conquer the land. Then the great King Andrianampoinimerina, attracted by the beauty of the city, decided to build a palace there, which became later his successor’s main palace. From here the same king started to unify the different kingdoms of the island. During King Radama’s reign Antananarivo became the capital of all Madagascar. Antananarivo is built on 3 levels: the high city where the queen’s palace is situated, the first area occupied during the royal period, then the mid-city, the administrative area where all the better boutiques of the capital are found, then the low city which is the commercial area of the town.
Included:
Transfer airport – hotel
Accommodation on BB
San Cristobal BB
Day 2 Antananarivo – Andasibe
Morning city tours of Tana before heading eastward for 4 hours’ drive to Andasibe, through the green landscape of the east. This step brings us to the humid part of the country with many primary forest and lakes. Our first stop is in the waterfall, which is place for “collective laundry”, in fact after a funeral; the whole family comes here to do their washing. This is a ritual in the highland, meaning that the river takes away all the bad luck. Our second stop is in Manjakandriana, which is a huge agricultural city. It supplies milk and vegetable to the whole region. On the way, we stop in Pyereras Reptiles Park to see farmed chameleons and other species of reptiles. On a walk inside the forest, we can spot 2 species of lemurs: the sifaka “coquereli” and the brown lemurs “fulvus”. Night in Hotel
Included:
Accommodation on BB
Guided visit: Peyreras Reptiles Park
Vakona Forest Lodge BB
Day 3 Andasibe
2 to 4 hours morning exploration of the Special Reserve of Andasibe, to see the Indri Indri the biggest lemurs of the island. This 810-ha reserve is a unique with endemic fauna and flora. It contains a wide variety of orchids, canopy, animals like chameleons, tenrecs, and many birds. Afterwards, visit the “Island of lemurs” of Vakona where we can see 3 different lemurs ‘species which come close to visitors. In the afternoon, visit to Andasibe village, a typical Betsimisaraka village, the second largest tribe. Overnight in the same hotel on B&B.
Included
Accommodation on BB
Guided visit: Andasibe Special Reserve
Vakona Forest Lodge BB
Day 4 Andasibe – Manambato – Ankanin’ny Nofy
After breakfast, 3 hours’ drive to Manambato. Stop and visit the town of Brickaville, an old colonial city known for its sugar cane plantation. Then continuation on a dirt track to Manambato where we take a 1-hour boat transfer to Akanin’ ny nofy. We cross the Rasoabe Lake then the Pangalanes channel built during the colonisation period for commercial use. We can admire many birds along the luxuriant vegetation of the east. Arrival in the afternoon. Ankanin’ny Nofy means nest of the dreams. Surrounded by a huge and blue lake, this is the ideal place for rest and to be in contact direct with nature.
Included
Accommodation on BB
Boat transfer Manambato – Ankanin’ny Nofy
Palmarium Hotel BB
Day 5 Ankanin’ny Nofy
We’ll have 2 hours hike to explore « PALMARIUM” private park which is home to 7species of lemurs, with “ Indri Indri” as a highlight, many species of reptiles and birds. Flora is also very rich with its garden of palm trees, orchids and the famous vanilla. Since the bungalows are situated inside the park, making it very easy to access, guest will be permanently in contact with lemurs, which makes makes this park ideal for kids who will during the day come across with different species of lemur. The visit to Andranokoditra village on the other side of the canal is an opportunity to meet and play with the local children. By 05.30 pm, we take a 30 minutes boat across the Ampitabe lake and visit the “aye aye” island, a newly created park to protect the endangered lemurs “aye aye”. This 1-hour visit enables us to see very closely these unique and seldom seen lemurs in its natural habitat. This is a unique adventure for the children as they will search for the “aye aye” and will enjoy the show of “aye aye” having their daily diet.
Included
Accommodation on BB
Guided visit of Palmarium Reserve
Night walk « aye-aye island »
Palmarium Hotel BB
Day 6 Ankanin’ny Nofy – Tamatave – Tana
Breakfast at hotel then 3 hours boat transfer to Tamatave along the Pangalanes channel. During this journey, enjoy the life of the people living along the channel, where the only means of communication is by the canal. Bamboo pirogue transporting charcoals, boat – brousse transporting goods and passengers, women washing dishes and laundry, kids swimming, and many fishing nets are the scenery that you will find along the navigation. Arrival in Tamatave Transfer to the airport and fly back to Tana
Included:
Accommodation on BB
Boat transfer Ankanin’ny Nofy – Tamatave
Transfer airport – hotel
San Cristobal BB
Day 7 Tana – Diego
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Diégo-Suarez. After landing, short city tours of Diego, then transfer and check-in to your lodge: Overnight in hotel.
Included
Transfer hotel – airport- hotel
Accommodation BB
Mantasaly Hotel BB
Day 8 Diego
Day free, the hotel is situeded in a private bay in Indian Ocean. You can enjoy the wilderness of the surroundings, perfect equatorial climate 12 months and oceandiversity enjoying comfort at the same time.
Many activities are organized on the spot.
Included
Accommodation BB
Mantasaly Hotel BB
Day 9 Diego – Amber Mountain – Red Tsingy – Ambilobe
After breakfast, 1-hour drive to Joffre Ville, where you have 3 to 4 hours visit to the Montagne d’Ambre National Park, accompanied by a local guide. The park located on the mountain of Ambre, consists of a tropical rainforest of 18,200 ha covering a volcanic massif composed mainly of basaltic rocks. This park is rich in wildlife and is home to a lot of endemic fauna and flora. Reptiles are impressive, stump-tailed chameleons, snakes and insect life is particularly rich. Numerous rivers have their source here and flow out in different directions, so the park is a vital water catchment area for the nearby town of Diego Suarez. There are several attractive crater lakes and some spectacular waterfalls. Much of the park is covered with upland moist tropical forest, with numerous giant trees, smaller ferns and several orchid species. On the way stop in Anivorano and take a dirt road for 1-hour drive to the “Tsingy Rouge”, a strange sculpture resulting from the erosion of a red sandy mountain. Then back to the main road and have 2 hours’ drive to Ambilobe via Ankarana.
Included
Accommodation BB
Guided visit : Amber Mountain National park
Visit of Red Tsingy
Kozobe Hotel BB
Day 10 Ambilobe – Ankarana – Ambilobe
After breakfast, drive to Ankarana: we start our morning exploration of the « Tsingy Ankarana », where the limestone highland has been worked by the erosion and which gives us the impression of walking on a spiny land. It offers us an extraordinary spectacle. The vegetation itself is as unusual as the Tsingy itself. The area consists of 18,225 ha covering a massif of Jurassic limestone rising abruptly from a surrounding savannas-like plain. Dominant canopy trees include Dalbergia and casia various figs, and superb specimens of the baobab Adansonia madagascariensis, numerous palms. The Tsingy harbours a fascinating assemblage of drought-adapted succulent plants. These include Pachypodium decaryi, Adenia neohumbertii and so on…Abundant wildlife in forested canyon.
Included
Accommodation BB
Guided visit : Tsingy de l’Ankarana National park
Kozobe Hotel BB
Day 11 Ankarana – Ankify – Nosy be
After breakfast, drive towards Ankify. Our first stop is in the town of Ambilobe to visit the picturesque market of this Muslim city. Then a 2 to 3 hours drive across the coffee, cacao and ylang ylang plantations. This region is volcanic and the most fertile land of Madagascar. You drive along the mountain chain of Tsaratanana, with the highest peak of the island, before reaching Ankify, the main harbour to Nosy Be island. Stop in Ambanja for a visit to a cacao and vanilla plantation of Cyrille. Then 1-hour transfer by speedboat to Hell Ville the main town of the island of Nosy be. Transfer by car to your hotel.
Included
Accommodation BB
Visit of Cyrille cacao Plantation
Boat transfer Ankify – Nosy be
Home residence BB
Day 13 Nosy be : Nosy Iranja
90minutes boat transfer to Nosy Iranja, located on the north of Nosy be. Called “Turtles’ Island” for the visiting Hawksbill turtles that bury their eggs in its immaculate white beaches. This perfect sanctuary is also home to unique fauna and flora that live in gentle tranquillity surrounded by azure seas and natural coral reefs teeming with exotic fish. For a few unforgettable days, the stunning natural beauty of Nosy Iranja could be your very own tropical paradise Sun kissed beaches, a azure ocean boasting natural coral reefs teeming with exotic fish, breathtaking sunsets and a tropical climate combined with absolute tranquility, natural beauty and unique flora and fauna, provide the perfect setting for an unforgettable getaway in this paradise. Sun kissed beaches, a azure ocean boasting natural coral reefs teeming with exotic fish, breathtaking sunsets and a tropical climate combined with absolute tranquillity, natural beauty and unique flora and fauna, provide the perfect setting for an unforgettable getaway in this paradise. Back to Nosy be by 2.00 pm. Transfer to your hotel.
Included
Accommodation BB
Boat excursion to Nosy Iranja
Home residence BB
Day 14 Nosy be – Tana
Flight back to Tana and transfer to hotel. Overnight in the hotel
Included
Accommodation BB
Transfer hotel – airport – hotel
San Cristobal BB
Day 15 Tana – Departure
At the appropriate time, transfer to the airport and connection with your international flight.
Included
Transfer hotel – airport
Price from 2558 Euro per person