This 10-day tour of the southern region of Madagascar highlights the variety of landscapes the eighth continent offers. From the rice paddies and cassava plantations to the arid grounds to the tropical rainforests of the extreme south. We’ll stop into local villages along the way so you can learn more about crafts and culture. You’ll also have plenty of time for spotting various wildlife, including lemurs and a variety of birdlife.
You could also take a look at our 14-day tour of the fabulous north of Madagascar. If you need any help choosing the best tour for you, feel free to contact us so we can learn about your travel preferences and interests. We’re happy to advise you so you get the most out of your experience in magical Madagascar.
The landing of your international flight at Ivato airport in Madagascar. Welcome! Upon your arrival, you can get your visa at the airport, and we recommend you exchange currency right away. Our driver/guide will wait for you at the exit of the customs area and will be available to help you throughout these initial steps. Afterwards, the driver will transfer you to your hotel near the airport, to relax and rest after your flight.
Accommodations: CHEZ JEANNE or similar
Accommodations: RICOLODGE or similar
After breakfast, you will spend the morning visiting the Andasibe National Park. There, you will find 11 species of half monkeys, many species of birds, large chameleons, an orchid park, rosewood trees, lianas, etc. In this forest, the largest of the lemurs is found: the Indri. Then, you will head back to the capital city, located 3.5 hours’ drive away. Once in Antananarivo, your driver will take you to your hotel near the airport again because of your flight the next day to the Extreme South of Madagascar.
Accommodations: CHEZ JEANNE or similar
Today, you will take a flight toward the southern city of Taolagnaro/Fort-Dauphin. The latter is well-known for its piracy past and for its people, mainly of the Antanosy tribe. Located at the Southeast tip of the red island, it is a green setting.
It is surely one of the most beautiful regions of Madagascar for its natural beauty, its authenticity, its diversity, and its wealth.
Bordered by the Indian Ocean, the region receives trade winds and rain, so that the grounds are generous. This provides all the ingredients (water, rice, fruits, cassava, sweet potato, etc) for the game to enjoy. This is only at the point; further inland in this area, we find very dry regions.
Upon your arrival, you will be transferred to Lavasoa hotel where you will spend the night.
Accommodations: Hotel Lavasoa
Today, you will be transferred to the Berenty reserve, about 4 hours’ drive West. You will pass several sisal plantations and spiny forests – but you are going to the dryer region. The reserve of Berenty has a reputation for its many ring-tailed makis (lemur catta) and the Propithecus verreauxi. Furthermore, more than 50 species of birds and different species of turtles live in its dry forest. You will also spot the Antandroy museum at the reserve, where you can find out everything about the local area and its uses and habitats. You will spend the night in Berenty in a bungalow inside the park.
Accommodations: Berenty Lodge
Today, you have a half-day to visit the park. Please discuss what you would like to do with the local guides and enjoy “living” with the lemurs! In the afternoon, the driver will bring you back to Fort-Dauphin.
Accommodations: Hotel Lavasoa
Today, enjoy a day excursion by starting with a 3km drive from Fort Dauphin to the shore of Lac Lanirano, and then continue by boat to Lac Ambavarano and the tiny fishing village of Evatra. From here, it is about 20 minutes on foot over the hills to a good beach. Once at Evatra, you can arrange a pirogue to visit nearby Lokaro Island, or just stay and explore the peninsula itself, which has numerous opportunities for canoeing and walking. A picnic lunch will be included today and you’ll have absolutely marvellous views over the sea. By the end of the afternoon, you’ll be back in Fort-Dauphin.
Accommodations: Lavasoa Hotel
After breakfast, enjoy a visit to Andohahela National Park. Located about 40 km north-east from Fort-Dauphin (about a 1.5-hour drive), this park is remarkable for the extremes of habitats that are represented within it. The park covers 760 sq km (293 sq mi) of the Anosy mountain range, which is the southernmost spur of the Malagasy Highlands, and contains the last humid rainforests in the southern part of Madagascar. The Park was inscribed as the World Heritage Site in 2007 as part of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana. You will have a picnic there in the park and, afterwards, you will go back to Fort-Dauphin.
Accommodations: Lavasoa Hotel
Today, you’ll have a last day free to spend in the city of Fort-Dauphin. We suggest you enjoy the beach or visit the Nahampoana reserve, an old botanical garden that can be found 7km east of Fort Dauphin and can be easily reached by taxi. This well-maintained garden, formerly named Garden of Acclimatization, covers an area of 50 hectares. Good hiking trails wind through the vegetation that is typical of the east and south of Madagascar.
Amongst the many exotic plants that can be found in the park are the Ravenala Palm, Pachypodium, Madagascar Pitcher Plant, Oil Palm, Canela Cinnamon, Lemon Eucalyptus, young Baobab Trees and the conifer Arokaria, as well as the Triangle Palm Tree which exists in Madagascar only around the area of Fort Dauphin. Every lemur species native to the south of Madagascar lives in this park. During the early morning hours various groups of lemurs, such as Verreaux’s Sifaka, Ring-tailed Lemur or Brown Lemur, usually play in the trees and on the ground near the old colonial-style building. Other animals in the park include chameleons, tortoises, crocodiles and a wide variety of birds.
Accommodations: Lavasoa Hotel or similar
Today, you will be transferred to the airport of Fort Dauphin. There, you will take your return flight to Antananarivo. Upon your arrival in the capital, you will be transferred to a hotel near the airport for a day-use. Afterwards, you will be taken to the international Ivato airport and will leave Madagascar or continue your journey, hopefully with unforgettable memories.
Mora Travel dedicates itself to organizing ‘sustainable’ trips to Madagascar every day. Sustainability is very important to us! By organizing these trips, we believe our travelers can experience Madagascar and enjoy everything that the country has to offer. And because you are traveling with us, we can contribute to preserving biodiversity and endemicity and giving local people in Madagascar a real chance.
Madagascar is not an easy destination to promote sustainable tourism as the logistics in remote areas are often very basic, the options are limited, and many resources are hard to get by. There aren’t always sustainable options, but wherever possible we opt for the most sustainable choice. Nevertheless, we do promote responsible travel to lessen our negative impact on our destination as much as possible.
This means we work together with partners that are environmentally conscious (renewable energy, sustainable waste management) while also looking after the social and economic wellbeing of the local people. We give preference to local Malagasy accommodations, businesses or for example parks that employ local staff under good conditions, that use mainly local products and/or are engaged in community initiatives. This means that the hotels during the trip are a real mix of very simple and luxury hotels depending on the criteria mentioned above.
We also contribute to reforestation. To compensate for the carbon dioxide emissions of all tourists who travel with us, we plant trees. The purpose of planting trees is to house animals, because they have less and less place to live because of deforestation. We still have a long way to go, but we feel that making this a choice and communicating this to our partners will help create a larger sustainable tourism community in the long run.
