Food standards in Madagascar can vary and are probably not of the same standard you are used to at home. The cuisine has been strongly influenced by the French and a three-course meal should cost 43,000-70,000 ariary (US$10-US$16). A one-course lunch should cost (US$4.40-US$7.60). Please allow approximately 1.4m ariary (US$325) for the meals not included, plus a little more if you enjoy a drink with dinner. Malagasy lager is reasonably priced and easily available. Malagasy wine is also reasonably priced but is not to everyone’s taste. It is sometimes possible to get hold of French or South African wine. Flavoured rums are a delicacy here, and are widely sold at a very reasonable price.

If you do not eat fish or meat, your food options will be limited (ie omelette, cheese, pasta, vegetables and rice). Breakfasts are usually simple: eggs, a baguette, jam and coffee or tea, and sometimes fruit. You may wish to bring something to supplement your morning meal (spread, peanut butter etc).

Explore Andasibe’s community-run Vondron’olona Miaro Mitia Ala (VOIMMA) Reserve with local experts and join local guides to seek out forest life. Watch for indri families, photogenic diademed sifaka, and endemic birds flitting through humid rainforest where orchids and ferns thrive.

As dusk settles, switch on headlamps for a thrilling night walk. Search for mouse lemurs, nose-horned chameleons, and emerald frogs while the forest hum intensifies—a sensory immersion that reveals Madagascar’s nocturnal heartbeat.

Venture into the Analamazoatra Reserve, Andasibe’s famed sanctuary, on a guided walk beneath towering canopy. With luck, observe the indri—largest of all lemurs—leaping between trunks, their family bonds on full display amid lush understorey alive with chameleons and birdlife.

Pause to absorb the indri’s echoing territorial calls rising through misty forest. Insights from your guide illuminate ecology and conservation in this fragment of Madagascar’s once-vast eastern rainforest.

Glide the Canal des Pangalanes by motorised boat, skimming mirror-calm lagoons linked by historic channels. Fishermen paddle pirogues past pandanus thickets and traveller’s palms as kingfishers streak low over the water.

Arrive at Ankanin’ny Nofy (Le Palmarium), the “nest of dreams” set between lake and ocean dunes. This evocative waterway blends human ingenuity and wild beauty, offering constant sightings and a soothing rhythm to the day’s travel.

Board a boat at dusk for the short crossing to Aye-Aye Island, where red eyes shine back from low canopies. Guides reveal the eerie foraging techniques of this rare nocturnal lemur, famed for its elongated tapping finger used to locate grubs within wood.

Observations occur in ethical, semi-free conditions designed to minimise disturbance while enabling close study. Expect intimate moments that underscore Madagascar’s unique evolutionary story.

Set out by motorised canoe along tranquil reaches of the Canal des Pangalanes, watching riverbank life unfold—cocoa drying racks, dugout canoes, and children waving from palm-fringed hamlets. Bird calls accompany steady ripples against the hull.

Step ashore for a respectful village visit before continuing to a dune-backed strand for a relaxed picnic on the beach (no swimming). Guides share cultural insight and natural history throughout this gentle, immersive day.

Ascend Montagne des Francais for sweeping views over Diego-Suarez’s vast natural harbour and rust-red headlands. Limestone outcrops and dry forest frame the path, with raptors riding thermals above coastal plains.

Continue to The Three Bays—Sakalava, Pigeons, and Dunes—for wild turquoise waters, pale sands, and wind-carved dunes. Scenic coastal viewpoints, a picnic, and, when conditions suit, a refreshing dip capture the area’s elemental beauty.

Enter the cool, mist-sifted forests of Amber Mountain National Park on a guided hike to fern-draped ravines, crater lakes and waterfalls. Trails weave beneath giant tree ferns and droplet-beaded moss.

Search for crowned and Sanford’s brown lemurs, jewel-toned chameleons, and remarkable leaf-tailed geckos blending with bark. The park’s microclimate nurtures astounding biodiversity, offering rewarding viewing at a relaxed walking pace.

Walk an easy loop to the sculpted badlands of Tsingy Rouge, a surreal amphitheatre of red-and-ochre pinnacles formed by erosion of sandstone and laterite clays.

Learn how the Irodo River carved these delicate spires and fluted walls over time. Photographers will prize shifting tones as light plays over the formations—an otherworldly contrast to the dark limestone tsingy further south.

Tread into Ankarana National Park, navigating jagged tsingy limestone and dry forest rich with baobabs and pandanus. Cross thrilling hanging bridges spanning razor-sharp karst to reach panoramic viewpoints.

Descend to sacred caves where stalactites flank subterranean rivers and bat calls echo softly. Keep watch for crowned lemurs and endemic reptiles while guides share Antankarana cultural ties to this remarkable landscape.

Set out from Iharana Bush Camp along limestone paths threading a dramatic tsingy stone forest. Gentle trails reveal hidden sinkholes, dry forest shrubs, and birdlife adapted to the karst.

Climb to a natural belvedere to watch sunset over the karst, when orange light ignites the serrated skyline. Your guide connects geology, flora, and local lifeways for a rounded understanding of life beside the tsingy.

Discover the cacao-rich Sambirano Valley with a guided walk through an Ambanja area cocoa plantation. See harvest, fermentation, and drying beds, and taste nibs that hint at the region’s prized chocolate profile.

Continue to Ambanja’s bustling market, where the aromas of cacao and vanilla mingle with clove and ylang-ylang. This is a vivid window into everyday commerce and Madagascar’s storied spice trade.

Boat to Nosy Sakatia for a calm, guided snorkel above seagrass meadows where you may swim alongside green turtles. Gentle currents and clear, shallow water make encounters unhurried and respectful.

Guides brief on marine etiquette and turtle behaviour so you can observe quietly in calm, protected bays. Expect postcard hues, flickers of reef fish, and the serene grace of turtles grazing below.

Sail to the Nosy Tanikely Marine Reserve, a tiny island encircled by living reef. Slip in to snorkel clear waters among butterflyfish, anemones, and curious rays over vibrant coral gardens.

Come ashore for a relaxed beach picnic and time to stroll sandy paths beneath casuarina trees. The reserve’s protected status helps keep the reef healthy—ideal for colourful, close-up marine viewing.

Dial up the adventure with a guided challenge: zip-line over the karst spires and abseil into a cave beside the Iharana Tsingy. Professional instructors handle equipment and briefings for a confident descent and exhilarating glide.

This is an optional activity offered at additional cost and bookable on tour, perfect for travellers seeking adrenaline with a geological twist. Moderate fitness and sturdy footwear recommended.

Pedal laterite tracks on a guided cycling tour that skirts tsingy outcrops and threads through dry deciduous forest. Expect bird calls, baobab silhouettes, and occasional encounters with zebu carts.

This relaxed ride is an optional experience at additional cost and bookable on tour, offering scenic village trails and cultural snapshots without technical terrain. Bicycles and helmets are provided locally.

Join researchers to swim with whale sharks off Nosy Be when conditions align. A guide from the Madagascar Whale Shark Project helps spot and brief you for safe, low-impact encounters with these gentle filter-feeders.

This optional outing is offered at additional cost and bookable on tour (minimum numbers apply). Glide through the Indian Ocean alongside immense, polka-dotted silhouettes while supporting local conservation and data collection.

Begin your Malagasy adventure in Antananarivo (Tana) as you meet your Tour Director and travelling companions for a relaxed briefing and group welcome dinner. Share first impressions of the hilltop capital while sampling Malagasy flavours influenced by Indian Ocean trade and French technique.

Set among terraced neighborhoods and royal past, Tana reflects the heritage of the Merina kingdom. Your host outlines practical tips and wildlife highlights to come, ensuring you start the journey informed, connected, and ready for the wild landscapes ahead.