Madagascar –Red Island Wonders – NEW

Madagascar – Red Island Wonders

Ring Tailed Lemur

Encounter some of the earth’s rarest and most fascinating, colourful and unusual creatures as you journey through the captivating landscapes of the ‘Red Island’.

Red Eye Tree Frog

Available Sep to Nov 2022, Jan to Jun & Sep to Nov 2023 Fly direct (flight upgrades available). Prices from

• Heathrow £3,445 (UK connecting flights available – call us for details)

Tour Only without flights from £3,395

On selected dates make your own arrangements to the airport or your hotel. Room for Sole Use from £680

Malagasy woman Panter Chameleon

Madagascar

Ifaty Antananarivo

Antsirabe Andasibe

Sahambavy Ranohira

• Included tour of colourful Antananarivo or ‘Tana’ • Enjoy a rickshaw tour of the ‘City of

Water’ Antsirabe • Discover the UNESCO-listed rice paddies of the high plateau • See Ambositra’s ornate woodcarvings • Visit the quiet town of Sahambavy, boasting Madagascar’s only tea plantation • Take in Ranomafana National Park, a

World Heritage of Humanity Site, home to some of the rarest lemurs • Explore desert landscapes and big skies in Isalo National Park • Relax in laid-back, beach-side Ifaty • Entrance fees to national parks • Fly back north from the southern capital

Tuléar and crown your stay with wildlife encounters in Andasibe-Mantadia

National Park • 13 nights’ carefully chosen bed and breakfast accommodation • Return flights to Antananaviro, an internal flight, with coach travel and transfers throughout • Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Some 250 miles off the coast of Africa, and home to extraordinary mammals, reptiles, bird, and plant species found nowhere else on earth, Madagascar, known as the ‘Eighth continent’, is the setting for an adventure-filled travel experience. Discover the fascinating national parks, UNESCO-listed landscapes, cool, lush highlands, desert scrublands and idyllic beaches as you get to know this truly remarkable ‘treasure island’.

Day One – Fly to Antananarivo Fly overnight to the Malagasy capital Antananarivo, more popularly known as ‘Tana’. Day Two – Arrival in Antananarivo Upon arrival in Madagascar’s bustling, colonial capital, meet your tour manager and transfer to your comfortable hotel, overlooking the city’s Lake Anosy. Day Three – Included tour of Antananarivo Join your tour manager this morning for a guided tour of ‘Tana’, with the highlight being the colonial buildings of the upper town, crowned by the former royal palace, the Rova. You’ll then head south through the verdant highlands, stopping for lunch in tiny Ambatolampy. Continuing south, you’ll arrive in Antsirabe for two nights. Enjoy an introductory tour of this elegant spa city, and dinner at the hotel. Day Four – Day at leisure in Antsirabe A relaxing day sees you take in the delights of the city and its surroundings, which include the terraced rice paddies and the ornate Lutheran church at nearby Betafo. There may be a chance to ‘take to the waters’ in one of the numerous natural spas that have drawn visitors to Antsirabe for years. Day Five – Journey to Sahambavy Bid farewell to Antsirabe on a morning’s rickshaw tour, taking in some of the artisans’ markets before you continue through the highlands to the ‘City of Roses’ Ambositra. Following lunch, you’ll journey further south into an increasingly tropical rainforest, arriving by late afternoon in Sahambavy. Nestled by a tranquil lake at the foot of Madagascar’s only tea plantation is your welcoming hotel for the next two nights. Day Six – Included visit to to Ranomafana National Park Today sees your first encounter with Madagascar’s extraordinary wildlife, as you visit the famed Ranomafana National Park, home to the rare and endangered golden bamboo lemur and 30 bird species, unique to the highland region. One of the most picturesque parks in Madagascar, this classified World Heritage of Humanity Site is enveloped in dense low-altitude and medium-altitude forests, a sprawling marshland, and a labyrinth of bamboo forest. Day Seven – Journey to Isalo A longer day’s travelling brings you from lush Sahambavy, through the mountains and down into the red desert landscape of the south. Call en route at the charming town of Ambalavao. Arrive by late afternoon at your spectacularly located hotel, at the gateway to the Isalo National Park. Day Eight – Included guided tour of Isalo From your beautiful hotel base, join your guide for a day in stunning Isalo, with its savannah grasses, towering sandstone buttes, rocky outcrops, and hidden pools. Wildlife includes the fabled ringtailed lemur. Day Nine – Journey to Ifaty After the second night in Isalo’s incredible surroundings – and perhaps a memorable sunrise – continue through the southwestern desert, with its ‘upside-down’ baobab trees, and arrive in time for lunch in Tuléar. This afternoon, transfer along the dusty, shoreside track to your lagoon-side hotel in the fishing village of Ifaty. Day 10 – Optional excursion to Reniala Nature Reserve Rest and relax in the hotel, perhaps indulge in some watersports or snorkelling, watch the local fishermen at work, or take the optional excursion to Reniala Nature Reserve, with its baobab trees, spiny forest, and lemur rescue centre. Day 11 – Included flight to Antananarivo After a restful stay ‘on the beach’, make the short transfer back Tuléar Airport and fly north to ‘Tana’ once again, from where you’ll make the journey east to the Vakona Forest Lodge, a gateway to the wildlife paradise of the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Madagascar’s most celebrated, UNESCO-protected rainforest reserve. Day 12– Included visit to Analamazaotra Reserve and Mantadia Park Spend the day exploring the national park, beginning with a guided visit to the Analamazaotra Reserve, home to several species of lemur. After a visit to the glorious Mantadia Park, there’s the chance, on your return to the lodge, to explore Vakona’s own private reserve, completing a very special day. Day 13 – Stopover at Peyrieras Reptile Reserve Leave Andasibe and return to ‘Tana’, calling en route at the famed Peyrieras Reptile Reserve. Enjoy a farewell dinner and last night at your hotel. Day 14 – Transfer to airport Transfer today to the airport for the return overnight flight. Day 15 – Arrive in the UK Arrive back in the UK at the end of an exceptionally memorable Malagasy experience.

Your Hotels

Baobab Trees

Royal Palace Hotel

Hotel Carlton, Antananarivo HHHHH Full-Board nights 2 & 13

Boasting views of Lake Anosy, this hotel features airy rooms with TVs, mini-bars and tea/coffee-making facilities. A modern restaurant, patisserie, bistro, bar, pool, casino, tennis court and beauty salon are also available. Royal Palace Hotel, Antsirabe HHH Full-Board nights 3-4

A welcoming hotel, just a few minutes from the Royal Palace, offering an upmarket restaurant, a bar, and a pool. Air-conditioned rooms include a TV and a mini-bar.

Lac Hotel, Sahambavy

Lac Hotel, Sahambavy HHH Full-Board nights 5-6

Overlooking a tea plantation and set by a lake, this small resort encompasses rustic, thatched bungalows enclosed by tropical gardens. Facilities include a bar, restaurant, beach, and a pool. La Relais de la Reine, Ranohira HHH Full-Board nights 7-8

A lodge backed by cliffs with a restaurant, bar, pool, massage room, tennis court and a stable. Spacious, stone chalets include terraces, looking out over lush gardens.

Les Dunes d’Ifaty

Les Dunes d’Ifaty, Full-Board HHH nights 9-10

A boutique-style hotel facing the Mozambique Channel and encircled by a tropical garden. Guests can enjoy a pool, restaurant, bar, and lounge, as well as activities like snorkelling and whale watching. Vakona Forest Lodge, Andasibe HHH Full-Board nights 11-12

Perched on a hillside with views of a lake, this lodge of bungalows features mosquito net-covered beds and mini-bars. A restaurant offers an expansive veranda, and guests can relax by the pool.