SOUTH TOUR OF MADAGASCAR FOR 6 DAYS.
« Precious stones, wooden craft, National Park guided walks, Mountains, waterfall, Lemurs, Vineyard, Paper factory and spiny forest »
TOUR ROUTES :

ANTANANARIVO – AMBATOLAMPY - ANTSIRABE - AMBOSITRA - RANOMAFANA - FIANANARANTSOA - AMBALAVAO - RANOHIRA - TULEAR .

Day 1 : ANTANANARIVO - ANTSIRABE . ( 169 km or 4 hours in the car )

Start the tour from Antananarivo to Antsirabe with your personal driver. This drive will take about 4 hours on a good, but twisting road. On route, you will meet the beautiful landscape of the rice field and merina typical tombs, villages. Stop at Ambatolampy to visit local forging making cooking pot by aluminium (metalwork). This is the largest town between Antananarivo and Antsirabe and the good place to have lunch. When you arrive in Antsirabe, you can relax for a while after the drive or take a walk to see around antsirabe including markets etc ...........Note that you can ride rickshaw which known as pousse-pousse use for local transportation.
Recommended accommodation : ( bed and breakfast are included )
  • Hotel des thermes. ( Mid range hotel option ).
  • Hotel Aro . ( Luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel villa camellia. ( Luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel le voyageur. ( Mid range hotel option ).

rice fields
vegetable stall
antsirabe

Day 2 : ANTSIRABE – AMBOSITRA - RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK . ( 272 km or 5 hours on route ).

After the morning breakfast, your driver will pick you up from the hotel to visit the highlights around Antsirabe town including precious stone factory where you can learn how they polish the stones. We then visit the natural source of the spring water at the thermal bath and then onto Andrakiba lake. You can have horse ride around Andrakiba Lake (fees is not included) and this is an optional. We then make our way to Ranoamfana National Park. After 89 km south of Antsirabe, you will pass by the centre of Malagasy hand sculptured wooden craft work called Ambositra town. There are many shops here where you can browse for souvenirs and find very good marquetery artisan with retailer price. Then continue up to the rain forest at Ranoamfana National Park. In total, the ride from Antsirabe to Ranoamfana will take about 5 hours. When you arrive at Ranoamfana national park, you can have a rest by your own or take a short walk to see around the parks and village. You can do the night walk (nocturnal visits) at the same day or wait the next day since you will have full day to visit this beautiful rain forest with your personal guide.
Recommended accommodation : ( bed and breakfast are included )
  • Hotel setam lodge . ( Luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel centr’est. ( Luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel domaine nature . ( Semi - luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel manja . ( Mid range hotel option ).

Day 3 : VISIT RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK .

After the morning breakfast, your driver will take you to the park office, where you will meet your National Park guide. Depending on your choice, the average circuit will take a minimum of two hours. Longer walks are available. Ranoamfana (which means “hot water” in Malagasy) is doubtless one the most spectacular National Parks of Madagascar. The park contains twelve lemur species. Aside from the golden bamboo lemur, visitors can spot eastern woolly lemur, red bellied lemur, eastern grey bamboo lemur, greater bamboo lemur, red-fronted brown lemur, black-and-white ruffed lemur and brown mouse lemur. Other mammals include 7 species of tenrecs, 8 bats and 6 carnivorous. Several of magascar’s birds can be found here which is recommended to the bird watcher.
Recommended accommodation : ( bed and breakfast are included )
  • Hotel setam lodge . ( Luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel centr’est. ( Luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel domaine nature . ( Semi - luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel manja . ( Mid range hotel option ).

ranomafana national park
sign to ranomafana park
Woolly Lemur at Ranomafana park

Day 4 : RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK - FIANARANTSOA - AMBALAVAO - RANOHIRA .
(345 km or 5 hours ride on route)

Leave Ranomafana Park after breakfast then continues to ranohira or known at isalo national park. On route, Stopping at the Soavita vineyard where we learn how they produce wine from grape to glass and of course taste the finished product. An entrance fee is in your charge. You can also purchase bottled wine here, at factory prices. Then continue on to Ambalavao where you can visit the Antaimoro paper factory, which is bark Arabian Paper by Avoha tree. Women will demonstrate to you how they make this famous Antaimoro paper using colourful flowers by their hand. There is also a shop where you can buy the finished products. This town is the centre for Zebu (Malagasy horned cattle) trading for all the surrounding countryside. Many tribes bring their herds of cattle here to the weekly Zebu market (every Wednesday). With normally over 1000 animals here it is a fascinating and noisy experience. After the visits, we then drive to Anja Park. Here we stop for a 2-hours guided walk. This rocky park is the best place to see the troops of ring tail lemurs in their natural environment. These animals, although wild, are easy to spot and so friendly. Closed with high quality photograph is well promised. After the park, your journey continues through a range of spectacular rugged mountain tops, to arrive at Isalo national Park where you are free to relax for the rest of the day.
Recommended accommodation : ( bed and breakfast are included )
  • Hotel isalo ranch. ( Mid range hotel option ).
  • Motel d’isalo. ( Mid range hotel option ).
  • Hotel relais de la reine. ( Luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel jardin du Roy. ( Luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel rock lodge. ( Luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel satrana lodge. ( Luxury hotel option ).

anja park
ring tial lemur at anja park
zebue market in ambalavao

Day 5 : TREK THROUGH A DOOR OPENED ON THE PAST AT ISALO NATIONAL PARK.

After breakfast, your driver will introduce you the best local guide who will explain to you your circuit options. You choose the circuit that is best for you. The price for the local guide will depend on your circuit’s option. Though wildlife is here not as prominent as in other parks since there are few of lemurs here including sifaka and brown lemurs. The park homes also approximately 80 species of birds (including the rare Benson’s rock-thrush, the knob-billed duck or the crested ibis), 35 of reptiles and several endemic frogs. The flora is indeed more interesting than the fauna. There are several local endemic plants among the 500 species which are found within Isalo, such as the elephant´s foot and some rare palms, aloe species and Pachypodiums. A natural stone cave overlooks a crystal-clear waterfall, which tumbles into a deep green pool surrounded by overhanging pandanus trees. The piscine is a true oasis in the heat of the canyons. Museum of isalo can be visited in the afternoon after your treks from the park or the next day on your route to tulear.
Recommended accommodation : ( bed and breakfast are included )
  • Hotel isalo ranch. ( Mid range hotel option ).
  • Motel d’isalo. ( Mid range hotel option ).
  • Hotel relais de la reine. ( Luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel jardin du Roy. ( Luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel isalo rock lodge. ( Luxury hotel option ).
  • Hotel satrana lodge. ( Luxury hotel option ).

gate to the south
isalo national park
taxibrouss to the south

Day 6 : ISALO NATIONAL PARK - TULEAR . ( 243 km or 4 hours ride on route )

On the way, you can see some traditional tombs of the Mahafaly and Antandroy tribes. Each grave is decorated to tell the story of the person’s life with drawings and often animal heads. Ask your driver or assistance guide about the fady or known as taboo in English. On route, you will see very poor village and few of baobab trees. Then 14 km before entering to tulear, stop at Arboretum Park known as Antsokay. It is a botanical garden specialized in the flora and fauna of Southwest of Madagascar that should not be missed by anyone. There are almost 900 species of plants, 90% endemic to the region. A trained English-speaking guide takes you on a two-hour tour of the improved area, where visitors see around a hundred of species of Euphornia and 60 species of Kalanchoe, as well as an abundance of reptiles and birds. You can have your lunch here after your visits. When you arrive in Tulear you are free to relax or walk around.
Recommended accommodation : ( bed and breakfast are included )

  • Hotel paletuvier. (Semi- luxury hotel option).
  • Amazon hotel. (Luxury hotel option).
  • Hotel victory. (Luxury hotel option).


" NB : In tulear, there are not much things to do and it’s one of the hot place. Ifaty beach or Anakao beach are recommended place to relax with its sandy white beach and this can be organizing through our agency too. The main way of leaving Tulear is by plane to Tana and you can purchase these local flight tickets through our agency. "