Mandrare & Namoroka, 10 Days

Day 1	Arrival in Antananarivo
Day 2	Antananarivo - Mandrare River Camp (Scheduled charter flight / 07:00 - 09:30)
Day 3	Mandrare River Camp
Day 4	Mandrare River Camp
Day 5	Mandrare River Camp
Day 6	Mandrare River Camp - Antananarivo (Scheduled charter flight/ 10:00 - 13:30)
Day 7	Antananarivo - Soalala (Scheduled charter flight /08:00 - 09:30) - Namoroka (by road)
Day 8 & 9	Namoroka Tsingy Camp
Day 10	Namoroka - Soalala (by road) - Antananarivo (Scheduled charter flight /10:00 - 11:30)

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Antananarivo

Upon arrival into Ivato Airport you will be greeted by an English speaking guide from MCC who will accompany you to your hotel in the upper town of Antananarivo. ‘Tana’ - as the locals call it has fascinating traditional architecture and a more Indonesian influence than the rest of Madagascar. Maison Gallieni is a restored colonial mansion with an elegant mix of modern and traditional décor. Take a dip in the pool and enjoy the lovely views over the city before dinner.
Overnight at Maison Gallieni in a standard room (Half board)

Day 2: Antananarivo - Mandrare River Camp (Scheduled charter flight / 07:00 - 09:30)

After breakfast, drive back to Ivato Airport in time for your scheduled charter flight to Ifotaka (2hrs 30 min). Upon arrival you will be met by our guide and vehicle and transfer to the camp (5min). Settle into your tent and enjoy the majestic views over the Mandrare River. Around 5pm you will depart for a night walk in the Forest of Zenavo. This is a fantastic way to see diurnal lemurs bedding down, and the nocturnal lemurs begin to wake in the eerie and prehistoric spiny forest. You will spot sifakas and sleeping white-foot sportive lemurs, then once the sun has set, two mouse lemur species, sleeping birds, chameleons, owls and now active sportive lemurs.
Overnight at Mandrare River Camp in a luxury tent (All inclusive)

Day 3: Mandrare River Camp

After breakfast you will head out to the stunning sacred gallery forest to the south of the camp. Depending on the river depth, you will walk or take a boat across the Mandrare River to reach this largely deciduous forest. Inquisitive groups of ring tailed lemurs and the always entertaining Verreaux sifaka are the highlight of this excursion. Return to camp for lunch and a relaxed afternoon by the pool. In late afternoon, head for a walk through the sacred spiny forest filled with the ancestral tombs of the local Antandroy tribe, as well as an extraordinary array of flora and fauna, unique to the spiny forest. Your English speaking guide and a tracker from the local community will give you an introduction to Antandroy culture and customs. Your visit is followed by sundowners on the Mandrare River banks.
Overnight at Mandrare River Camp in a luxury tent (All inclusive)

Day 4: Mandrare River Camp

After a cup of tea or coffee head to the Spiny Forest for an early morning walk. Witness the sunlight break through the octopus trees while looking out for the many endemic birds such as crested coua, a variety of vangas and the running coua. Head back to camp for a sumptuous breakfast followed by a visit to the local market or the local village to meet the fascinating Antandroy tribe. Lunch will be served at the camp followed by a relaxed afternoon watching life along the river from your tent terrace. At 5pm, depart for a sundowner amidst the baobabs. Watching the sun set and moon rise with a view across the baobabs to the mountains beyond is a magical experience. In the evening the local village may come to perform beautiful traditional dances, accompanied by singing and music. Song and dance is at the heart of Antandroy culture and is used to accompany the major rituals and events of everyday life.
Overnight at Mandrare River Camp in a luxury tent (All inclusive)

Day 5: Mandrare River Camp

After breakfast depart for a day trip to the stunning Lac Anony. This saltwater lake is separated from the Indian Ocean by a series of large sand dunes and is home to greater flamingos and a variety of salt water birds. The lake is a two-hour drive from the camp. On arrival, walk along the lake shore to a beautiful picnic spot. Then scale the 70-foot-high sand dunes for an incredible view of the surrounding area and go for a swim the lake. Return to the camp in time for dinner.
Overnight Mandrare River Camp in a luxury tent (All inclusive)

Day 6: Mandrare River Camp - Antananarivo (Scheduled charter flight/ 10:00 - 13:30)

This morning, transfer to the airstrip (5 min) in time for your scheduled charter flight to Antananarivo (20 min Mandrare - Fort Dauphin / 30 min refuelling in Fort Dauphin / 2hrs 30 min Fort Dauphin - Antananarivo). Upon arrival into Ivato Airport you will be greeted by an English-speaking guide from MCC who will accompany you to your hotel. Ideally situated next to the airport, the Nosy Manga Hotel offers large comfortable ensuite bedrooms equipped with air-conditioning and satellite tv. The hotel is equipped with a roof-top pool, and a stylishly-decorated bar and restaurant area. In the afternoon, drive to Ambohimanga, 20 km north-east of Tana. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the ancestral home on the Merina kings and queens who united Madagascar under one rule. It is a fortified sacred hill with 16 gates leading to king Andrianampoinimerina’s house (ruled 1787 - 1810) and a series of elegant royal summer homes.
Overnight at Hotel Nosy Manga in a King Standard room (Full board)

Day 7: Antananarivo - Soalala (Scheduled charter flight /08:00 - 09:30) - Namoroka (by road)

Today, fly to the port town of Soalala by scheduled charter. On arrival you are met by your guide and transfer to Namoroka Tsingy Camp by road (2hrs 30 min) with a stop along the way for a village walk among the mango trees. On arrival, settle into your tent. In the late afternoon, depart for a walk in the forest surrounding the camp. Along with birds, chameleons, Von der Deckens sifakas or red lemur, you may spot fossa or Aye Aye during your walk. In the evening, enjoy sundowners amongst the baobabs.
Overnight at Namoroka Tsingy Camp in a tent (All inclusive)

Day 8 & 9: Namoroka Tsingy Camp

Two days to explore the tsingy of Namoroka National Park and its surrounding areas. This national park welcomes just 50 visitors per year due to the challenges of accessing it by road. It is one of the more pristine protected areas on the island with an incredible abundance of birds (100 species) and other wildlife. There are 6 lemur species to see including the playful Von der Dicken’s Sifaka, Milne-Edwards Sportive lemur, the Red lemur and the incredibly secretive Aye Aye. Depart for an exploration of the unique cave system that stretches under the entire massif. Here, you will encounter rare fossil remains of species such as the Archaeolemur, a giant lemur species with a body mass of up to 26kg which went extinct, along with much of Madagascar’s megafuna about 1,000 years ago. Picnic lunch in the shade of the tsingy.
Overnight at Namoroka Tsingy Camp in a tent (All inclusive)

Day 10: Namoroka - Soalala (by road) - Antananarivo (Scheduled charter flight /10:00 - 11:30)

After an early breakfast, transfer by road to Soalala (2hrs 30 mins) in time for your scheduled charter flight to Antananarivo. On arrival your private guide will accompany you by road to the international terminal.

Download Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Maison Gallieni, Antananarivo
Day 2 - 5 : Mandrare River Camp, Ifotaka
Day 6: Hotel Nosy Manga, Antananarivo
Day 7 - 9: Namoroka Tsingy Camp, Soalala