Those who have purchased flights with Temple World will board an Air France flight to Paris early this morning. Changing aircraft in Paris, continue to Antananarivo, arriving the same evening at 22.20.  A group airport transfer will meet anyone taking this flight and transfer them to our hotel near the airport in Antananarivo.  As this flight arrives after the restaurant has closed, a snack will be left in the rooms for those arriving on this flight.

Those arriving independently today may check in at the Relais des Plateaux, which is located around 10 minutes by car from the airport, from 14.00. Private airport transfers can be arranged to meet all inbound flights – please ask us for prices.  There are no planned activities today, but dinner at the hotel is included for those who arrive before the restaurant closes for the evening.

Overnight: Relais des Plateaux   |  Meals: – D

Transfer to the airport and fly from Tana to Tulear in the far south of the island. Drive north through degraded spiny forests to the small fishing village of Ifaty overlooking the Mozambique Channel.

Check in for a two night stay at Les Dunes, a comfortable Malagasy-style resort built above Ifaty’s beach.  There is a welcoming swimming pool and the property is set within six hectares of gardens containing a wide variety of indigenous plants from this dry region.

Dinner and overnight at Les Dunes Hotel.

Overnight: Les Dunes Hotel   |  Meals: B, L, D

This morning, explore the Reniala Botanical Garden. The forty-five hectares of spiny forest include two majestic species of baobab and the flora is a chaotic ensemble of drought-resistant plants such as Pachypodiums, Moringas, Hildergardia and Delonix.

There are orchids as well as aloe and commiphora. Birding is superb with long-tailed ground-rollers, Lafresnaye’s vangas, sub-desert mesites, running couas and Archbold’s Newtonia. The remainder of the day is at leisure to enjoy time at the beach. The hotel can arrange snorkelling or mountain bikes for those who wish. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Overnight: Les Dunes Hotel   |  Meals: B, L, D

From Ifaty, drive to Isalo, home to some of Madagascar’s most stunning scenery, and a sacred place for the Bara tribe, whose burial sites are marked by mounds of tiny stones placed in crevices in the rock face. Stop at the dry deciduous forest at Zombitse on the way, and pass by some impressive baobabs (Adansonia za and A. grandidieri).  It will be obvious that Isalo is nearby when the ruiniforme rock formations start to appear.

Check into the Relais de la Reine, a well-run hotel with a swimming pool close to the Isalo National Park, which features stunning views from the main lounge. Set in over 40 hectares of gardens and made from materials found in the local area, there’s a good restaurant on site which uses produce from the owners’ organic farm.

Dinner and overnight at the Relais de la Reine.

Overnight: Relais de la Reine   |  Meals: B, L, D

Explore Isalo National Park, a vast, dry massif of ‘ruiniforme’ sandstone formations with a fascinating plant community including some very localised species of palm, aloe and the squat ‘elephant’s foot’ pachypodiums, which flourish on the rock faces. With luck, some ringtail lemurs or Verreaux’s sifakas may be seen in dense vegetation lining the canyon streams. There is the option to take a dip in a natural pool after exploring some of the massif on foot.

Dinner and overnight at the Relais de la Reine.

Overnight: Relais de la Reine   |  Meals: B, L, D

Leaving the highlands early after breakfast, drive across the desolate southern interior to the rainforests of Ranomafana via Ambalavao, the southernmost town in the highlands.

Here, visit Anja Community Reserve, a particular favourite of Dr Rocha’s, and known for its iconic ring-tailed lemurs.

Continue to the Ranomafana National Park area, which is carpeted with exquisite upland rainforest and as a result is one of Madagascar’s top wildlife hotspots.

The 12 lemur species resident at Ranomafana National Park include not only all 3 bamboo lemurs, but also the striking Milne-Edward’s diadem and the robust Black and white ruffed lemur. There are also scores of reptiles and beautiful chameleons.

Dinner and overnight at the Centrest Sejour,  a simple but comfortable property just outside Ranomafana National Park which has recently been renovated.  The hotel does not have a website.

Overnight: Centrest Sejour Hotel |  Meals: B, L, D

Full day in Ranomafana National Park,  which has an excellent network of walking trails. It is in this park that Dr Rocha has undertaken much of his research in Madagascar, and Dr Rocha hopes that the group will be able to meet with some of his research colleagues on the day of our visit.  Expect to see various lemurs, such as red-fronted brown lemur, red-bellied lemur and the shy grey bamboo lemur, and more again on night walks. Ranomafana is superb for birders as many of the rainforest dwelling endemics occur in the park such as brown mesite, blue coua and the velvet asity. Ranomafana is a herpetologist’s paradise, with a variety of chameleons, geckoes, skinks and frogs. The floral diversity is bewildering, with numerous species of palm, bamboo and orchid thriving here.

Dinner and overnight at Centrest Sejour.

Overnight: Centrest Sejour   |  Meals: B, L, D

Depart Ranomafana and transfer by road to Andsirabe, a small spa town with a crumbling colonial past. Located on a high plateau, Antsirabe is known for its multitude of local craft workshops making sweets, delicate lacework and tiny model bicycles.

On the way, pass through Ambositra, the ‘woodcarving capital’ of Madagascar, and stop for lunch at scenic Imhasoavahiny which overlooks the stunning valley of Ambohimahasoa.

All accommodation in this area is fairly simple but the Couleur Cafe is one of the nicest in Antsirabe, a home-from-home guesthouse with a well-regarded restaurant and 20 bungalows set amidst pleasant gardens, each with a sitting area containing a fireplace – welcome on cooler highland nights.

Overnight: Couleur Cafe  |  Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast, depart Antsirabe and continue the journey north along the RN7 road towards Antananarivo. Stop to visit the aluminum foundries in Ambatolampy, where around 100 small workshops melt down scrap metal to hand-cast everyday cookware and decorative items.

On reaching the city, check into our hotel,  the Radisson Hotel Tamboho Waterfront Antananarivo,  an upscale modern hotel next to Masay Lake in the Tana Waterfront commercial zone of Antananarivo, with just 30 rooms.

Overnight: Radisson Hotel Tamboho Waterfront   |  Meals:  B, L, D

Today, travel to the country’s scenic high plateau, around 140km east of Antananarivo.

On arrival in the Andasibe area,  head to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, a pristine primary growth rainforest reserve, separated into two sections, each home to plants and animals found only in that part.  Today’s walk will be in the Analamazaotra National Park section. Spanning 9 square km, this small, densely forested protected area has a temperate humid climate and is one of the best places in the country to see lemurs. A jewel of biodiversity, there are 14 species of lemurs in the park, including Madagascar’s largest primate, the Indri indri, and the bamboo and the brown lemurs. The park is home to 108 species of bird and 51 species of reptiles, such as the emerald-green parson’s chameleon.   

Afterwards, check into our hotel for the next three nights, Echoes of the Forest Lodge, located next to the Mitsinjo Reserve, a few km from Analamazaotra.   This brand new lodge opened in July 2026 with accommodation is in comfortable private bungalows, and a large central swimming pool for use in warmer months.

Dinner and overnight at Echoes of the Forest Lodge.

Overnight: Echoes of the Forest Lodge   |  Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast, head back to the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, this time to visit the Mantadia section,  looking for lemurs, reptiles and rare endemic birds.  One of the strangest lemurs can be found here, the rarely seen nocturnal Aye Aye, known as a living fossil for its archaic features which have lead to confusion in its classification.

Also visit the Vakona Private Reserve nearby, and its famous “Lemur Island” ,  a small forested tract surrounded by water where visitors take a short canoe ride to interact closely with habituated, rescued lemurs.

Dinner and overnight at Echoes of the Forest Lodge.

Overnight: Echoes of the Forest Lodge   |  Meals: B, L, D

Today, round out our wildlife explorations with visits to some local community reserves.  The first, Maromizaha, is a rugged, lesser-visited experimental protected area with excellent birdwatching and the chance to observe habituated lemur groups in denser, older-growth sections of the canopy.

Also visit Mitsinjo and VOIMMA,  both community-managed reserves. Mitsinjo specialises in  conservation education, reforestation and orchid protection, and VOIMMA hosts exceptional night walks targeting endemic frogs and nocturnal reptiles, with profits from ticket sales directly supporting local residents.  Afterwards, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Overnight: Echoes of the Forest Lodge   |  Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Mantadia Lodge   |  Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast, drive back Antananarivo and transfer to the Relais des Plateaux hotel in Antananarivo where we have day-use rooms and can leave luggage etc.

Then head out to enjoy a guided exploration of Antananarivo, including the UNESCO heritage listed Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, one of the most important spiritual and historic sites for the Malagasy people. Occupied since the fifteenth century, it was a fortified political capital, royal palace and royal burial ground. In the nineteenth century, the French colonial authorities made several attempts to undermine the significance and national symbolism of Ambohimanga, all of which proved unsuccessful.

Visit the wonderful craft market which has beautiful fossil specimens for sale as well as stalls selling baskets, woodcrafts and of course vanilla pods.  This is an ideal place to pick up souvenirs or gifts for friends and family.

A final dinner as a group will be served at the hotel,  then those on the Air France flight back to Paris and London in the early hours will transfer to the airport late this evening to check in.

We can arrange a private transfer for anyone leaving later (such as on the Ethiopian Airlines flight at 03:30am), and can quote a small supplement for anyone who needs to turn the day-use room into an overnight stay if staying on in Madagascar or departing on a later flight the following day.

Day use: Relais des Plateaux   |  Meals: B, L, D

Those who have purchased coordinating flights with us using Air France will fly at 00:25 this morning and will arrive in Paris the same day, with a connecting service to London in the afternoon.

NOTE:  From time to time either the international airline or domestic airline we are using for this tour changes its schedule without warning. In this event we will substitute the airline, re-order the domestic itinerary, or in extreme circumstances alter the departure date of the tour by a day or so.  All changes will be notified to clients as soon as they happen and a refund will be offered in the event of large or ‘material’ changes as per our booking conditions.

LECTURES: All our tours are accompanied by an academic ‘trip scholar’ as well as local guides. The local guide or guides provide the day-to-day guiding on our tours, whilst the trip lecturer will give regular lectures on his/her specialist subject throughout to provide an academic overview. Lectures/talks usually last 30-40 minutes including questions and answers (if applicable). These are generally held in the evenings before dinner and attendance is optional. We don’t usually specify before travel which days the lectures will be given (for operational reasons) but guests can expect them roughly every other day as a minimum, with some lecturers giving some kind of talk or presentation more frequently.