madagascar travel agency COMBINATION TOUR

COMBINATION TOUR

This tour combines a 3-day boat trip on the Tsiribihina river, followed by the Tsingy de Bemaraha NP, the Avenue des Baobab, a trip on the RN7 where we visit several parks and the jingle train tours, and also hiking in Andringitra Mountaine and a tour to Andasibe NP, in the Eastern part of Madagascar, where you can see the largest lemurs (Indri Indri)

” The Tsiribihina river is open middle of May until end of November “

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TRIP	Find unique experience with untamed wildlife in National parks and private reserve Authentic interaction with local people throughout your journey on the train Walk in spiny forest to meet lemurs and endemic tropical birds, alley the Baobabs Authentic interaction with local people throughout your journey.
ITINERARY:	Antananarivo – Antsirabe – Miandrivazo – Tsiribihina river – Belo sur Tsiribihina – Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park – Avenue des Baobabs – Morondava – Ifaty – Tulear – Isalo National Park – Anja Park Reserve – Ambalavao – Fianarantsoa – train to Manakara – Pangalanes channel – Ranomafana National Park – Ambositra – Antsirabe –– Andasibe National Park – Antananarivo
PRICE INCLUDES:	Airport transfers; car, including fuel, English speaking driver/guide, train ticket, Hotel during 18 nights, with continental breakfast, 4WD from the riverside to Tsingy de Bemaraha NP, to Morondava and to Ifaty, car ferry to Tsingy de Bemaraha NP and to Morondava and to Ifaty Beach, pirogue for 3 days, boatman during the boat trip, guide/cook assistance during the boat trip, camping equipments: tent, mattresses and pillows, meals and mineral water during the boat trip, park entrace fees, All taxes.
PRICE EXCLUDES:	Food and drinks; another day Local guide fees; Tips; All other expenses

The price depends on your choice of hotel

Day 1:	TRANSFER AIRPORT To your hotel in the centre of Antananarivo. Overnight in hotel.
Day 2:	ANTANANARIVO - ANTSIRABE In the morning you drive to Antsirabe, the city of the pousse pousse, located at 1500 meter altitude in the central highlands. You pass rice paddies and drive through the mountains. Along the way, you can visit a craft market and see the tombs of the Merina. Antsirabe means ‘place of much salt’. It’s a nice city with colonial houses and a cathedral. It’s possible to visit lake Andraikaba, which is located 7 km outside the city. You can walk around the lake or visit the gemstone market next to the lake. Overnight in hotel.
Day 3:	ANTSIRABE - MIANDRIVAZO Today you drive to Miandrivazo through a volcanic landscape, characterized by rocky hills and grasslands. You pass several small villages. Because there are no restaurants on the way, there is a picnic lunch. Overnight in hotel.
Day 4:	BOAT TRIP ON THE TSIRIBIHINA RIVER, FIRST DAY ON THE RIVER During this boat trip you can easily enjoy the scenery and the landscapes. You see baobabs, kalanchoes and pachypodium. It’s the habitat of chameleons, lemurs, bats and many species of birds, including white herons and bee-eaters. Lunch will be prepared on the riverside. After lunch the boat trip continues. In the evening there is a dinner on the riverside. Camping.
Day 5:	BOAT TRIP ON THE TSIRIBIHINA RIVER, SECOND DAY ON THE RIVER Today you visit the Gorge de Bemaraha to see lemurs and swim at the waterfall. After lunch the boat trip goes on to a traditional Sakalava village. After visiting this village you go to the riverside where you spend the night. Camping.
Day 6:	BOAT TRIP ON THE TSIRIBIHINA RIVER, THIRD DAY ON THE RIVER When you pass the second gorge you can see bats. If you are lucky you can also see crocodiles. The boat trip ends near a small village, where you have lunch. After lunch you go to the village, where the 4WD is waiting for you to bring you to Belo sur Tsiribihina. Overnight in hotel.
Day 7:	BELO SUR TSIRIBIHINA - BEKOPAKA, TSINGY DE BEMARAHA NATIONAL PARK (PETIT TSINGY) Today you drive to Tsingy de Bemaraha, where you have lunch. Tsingy de Bemaraha is a Unesco World Heritage Site and is one of the biggest protected areas in Madagascar. In the afternoon you visit the Petit Tsingy with a local guide.Overnight in hotel.
Day 8:	TSINGY DE BEMARAHA NATIONAL PARK (GRAND TSINGY) You leave early for a one hour drive to the Grand Tsingy and a four to five hour hike in the park. You see lemurs and dozens of birds, orchids, aloes, pachypodium and baobabs. The endemic and medicinal plants make the flora of this park unique. The tsingy are eroded karst formations. There are caves and you can climb to the highest top of the Grand Tsingy. After visiting the park you drive back to the hotel for lunch. You can relax in the afternoon.Overnight in hotel.
Day 9:	TSINGY DE BEMARAHA NATIONAL PARK " AVENUE DES BAOBABS "MORONDAVA Today you drive to Morondava. For lunch you stop in Belo sur Tsiribihina. On the way you visit the 800 years old sacred baobab and the ´baobabs in love´. You visit the Avenue des Baobabs at sunset. Overnight in hotel CHEZ MAGGIE.
Day 10:	DRIVE FROM MORONDAVA TO ANTSIRABE Overnight in hotel.
Day 11:	ANTSIRABE, VIA AMBOSITRA TO RANOMAFANA On the way from Antsirabe to Ranomafana you pass the typical highland scenery of rice paddies. You stop in Ambositra, the centre of Madagascar’s woodcarving industry, to visit the handicraft factory. After lunch you continue to Ranomafana NP. Overnight in hotel.
Day 12:	RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK About 20 years ago, the golden bamboo lemur was discovered in the forest near the village of Ranomafana. Subsequently, the national park was established to protect this rare lemur. After breakfast you drive to the entrance of the park where you meet your local guide. You can choose from several walks ranging from a few hours to half a day. In the rainforest you can see the Edward’ss sifaka, the golden bamboo lemur and reptiles. There are also about 96 bird species, some endemic. In the afternoon you can visit the village or go to the thermal bath and swim in the hot swimming pool.Overnight in hotel.
Day 13:	DRIVE FROM RANOMAFANA TO AMBALAVAO Today you continue to Ambalavao, a pretty town in the highlands. Almost all the houses have a typical wooden balcony. You can visit two traditional factories, the Wild Silk factory and the Antaimoro Paper factory. On Wednesday the biggest zebu market of Madagascar is held in Ambalavao.Overnight in hotel.
Day 14:	AMBALAVAO - ANDRINGITRA NATIONAL PARK In the morning you drive to Namoly Valley, to the entrance of the park. Here you meet the local guide and the porters. Today you hike from Namoly Valley to the Andraimpotsy camping site. Another possibility is to hike to Diavolana today.Camping.
Day 15:	CLIMBING PIC BOBY, DRIVE TO AMBALAVAO After an early breakfast you start to climb Pic Boby, situated at an altitude of 2658 m. From the top you have a great view. The landscape surrounding Andringitra NP is amazing. From Pic Boby you can see the Tsaranoro valley and Ambalavao. You walk back to Namoly Valley, where the driver is waiting for you to bring you back to your hotel in Ambalavao.Overnight in hotel.
Day 16:	AMBALAVAO - ANJA PARK RESERVE - ISALO NATIONAL PARK Today you continue to Isalo NP. You visit the community-run Anja Park Reserve, where you can see the traditional Bara family tombs, caves and ring tailed lemurs. You can picnic on the top of the rock. After lunch you continue to Isalo National park.Overnight in hotel.
Day 17:	ISALO NATIONAL PARK You visit the park with a local guide. Isalo is sacred to the Bara tribe. The Bara use the caves as cemeteries. Isalo is dominated by narrow ravines and by wind and water sculptured rocks. First you hike to the natural swimming pool and after a swim you hike to the Namaza circuit. You can also choose to do only one if these hikes. Overnight in hotel.
Day 18:	DRIVE FROM ISALO NATIONAL PARK TO ZOMBITSE NATIONAL PARK After breakfast you drive to Zombitse National park and after visiting this park you drive to ifaty beach. On the way you pass the region of cotton and see the traditional tombs of the Mahafaly and the painted tombs of the Bara tribe.Overnight in hotel.
Day 19:	IFATY You spend two days in Ifaty where you can relax on the beach or book a snorkeling or diving tour.Overnight in hotel.
Day 20:	IFATY 2 You spend two days in Ifaty where you can relax on the beach or book a snorkeling or diving tour.Overnight in hotel.
Day 21:	TRANSFER AIROPORTS IN TULEAR TO ANTANANARIVO AND TO ANDASIBE NP to the airport for your flight to antananarivo.It depends on the flyght scedules when you can to continue the way to Andasibe NP. It is possible to do a nocturnal visit with a local guide near Andasibe NP to see mouse lemurs, frogs and chameleons.Overnight in hotel.
Day 22:	ANDASIBE NATIONAL PARK In the morning you visit Andasibe NP with a local guide. Andasibe NP is home of the indri indri, the biggest lemur. You can hear its specific sound from far. Besides the indri indri it’s quite easy to see other animals, like other kinds of lemurs, frogs, lizards, chameleons and lots of birds. In the park you can choose for a lang walk (about 5 hours) or a shorter (about 2 hours). None of the walks is very heavy, but sometimes you have to climb through the trees to see the lemurs from a short distance. After lunch you drive to the Vakona Forest Lodge to visit the island of lemurs and a crocodiles farrm.Overnight in hotel.
Day 23:	ANDASIBE NATIONAL PARK - ANTANANARIVO On this last day of the tour you drive back to Antananarivo. On the way you visit a reptiles farm, where you see many different chameleons. In Antananarivo you visit the Rova, situated on the highest hill in the city. The Rova is the spiritual centre of the Merina. From the hill you have a great view over the city and lake Anosy. After visiting the rova the driver brings you to the hotel.
Day 24:	ANTANANARIVO You spend the last day in Antananarivo, and transfer to the airport,