14-day discovery of Madagascar's highlands

Antananarivo

Day 1: Welcome To Antananarivo!

Welcome to Madagascar! Your visa can be issued at the airport.

After retrieving your luggage, you should get your money exchanged right away. Your driver who'll wait for you at the custom border will assist if you would like.

Afterward, he will bring you to the Urban hotel, a charming hotel located right in the city center.

Andasibe

Day 2: Visit The Mitsinjo and Vakona Parks

After a breakfast at your hotel, you will drive eastward to Andasibe. This is a journey of about 138 km and takes around three and a half hours. Andasibe has a national park of 810 hectares. This national park is considered one of the nicest and most well-known parks of Madagascar. There, you will have some time to visit some private parks at night.

The Mitsinjo park is one of them and has an abundance of animals, trees, and flower species to see. You can meet lemurs there as well, but the private park is well-known for its diversity of amphibian species, especially the colored frogs and for its large amount of reptile species.

You can also visit Vakona Private Park, your hotel’s private reserve, which is famous for its lemur islands and its crocodile park. There is also the possibility of a night visit to have the chance to see nocturnal species.

Andasibe National Park

Day 3: Pay A Trip To The Andasibe National Park

You will spend the morning visiting the Andasibe National Park. There, you will find 11 species of lemurs, many species of birds, large chameleons, an orchid park, rosewood trees, and lianas.

In this forest, the largest of the lemurs are found - the Indri. You can choose between different kind of hikes: from two- to eight-hour hikes. 

Antsirabe

Day 4: Visit Madagascar's Coldest Town

Today, you will begin your adventure to the South of Madagascar with a three to four hours' drive towards Antsirabe. On the National Road 7, you will see Ambatolampy, a small town at 1500m altitude, considered as the coldest town of Madagascar due to the mountain range of Ankaratra.

There is a possibility to visit a small family factory that produces aluminum cooking pots and other kitchen utensils, which will later be sold everywhere on the red island. Arrive in Antsirabe around noon.

Betafo

Day 5: Experience The Farmer Lifestyle At Betafo

This day, you will begin your experience of the daily farmer life on the Highland and to travel through the hinterlands. This draw is an ideal way to learn more about the highland with its use and customs. By car, you will be brought to Ambohidrano at 6 km West of Antsirabe.

From here, you will begin the walking tour. Depending on the season (June - August), exhumation or circumcision ceremonies can be attended too. First, you will pass a village with authentic blacksmiths, Mandritsara, then past several farming villages to finally reach Fiadanana in a rural cottage in this small village.  

There, you will have a picnic lunch before heading back to Antsirabe.

Ranomafana

Day 6: Drive To The Craftman's City Of Ambositra

Today, you will drive about two hours to reach the city of Ambositra, the city of Malagasy craftsmen. You may want to visit the sculptors during their working hours.

They are the "Zafimaniry", an ethnic group with an Asiatic origin, particularly known for their beautiful wood sculptures and marquetry.

Afterward, you will drive about 150km, to the South East, to reach Ranomafana with its rainforest rich in endemic fauna and flora. Ranomafana has a national park with impressive waterfalls, hot springs, lemurs, birds and so on.

Ranomafana National Park

Day 7: Spend A Day In The Ranomafana National Park

Enjoy a full day visiting the beautiful Ranomafana National Park. An experienced local guide, that you can easily book on the spot, will lead you during today's hike to discover the place which boasts the most diverse plant species of Madagascar.

This park, of which the surface consists of granite, is stretched over 39,222 acres with many waterfalls between the rock formations. The climate is tropical with rainfall of 2700 mm per year and the park holds at least 12 species of lemurs, about 70 species of reptiles and amphibians along with 90 species of butterflies.

This tropical rainforest is known for its different types of half-monkeys, such as Hapalemur Dore, the Grand Hapalemur griseus, and Hapalemur. You'll also find many chameleons and an abundance of beautiful flora.

Isalo

Day 8: Drive To Lovely Ranohira

You will have to leave early in the morning in order to have enough time for the interesting tours that await you. You will first drive through Fianarantsoa, which also means "the city where you learn good manners". 

It is the capital of the Betsileo ethnic group and the city of 1,001 churches. Fianarantsoa has its remarkable old town, which stays on the list of the world heritages to be maintained. Then, you arrive in Ambalavao. 

From there, you will head 175km further to Ranohira, which is a village near the Isalo National Park. The landscape you drive through today gets drier and you will drive through the steppe-like area. Finally, you will arrive at the beautiful mountains of the Isalo Massif.

Isalo National Park

Day 9: Hike To A Natural Oasis

After your breakfast, get ready for your hike in the Isalo National Park. One of the several possibilities is to walk to the "natural pool", an oasis in the middle of the aridity of the Isalo massif.

On the way, you have the possibility to admire the diversity of landscapes as well as the floras. Once arrived, it is recommended to swim in this pool with clear water, supplied with fresh springs.

Isalo National Park

Day 10: Marvel At The Sunset At Isalo National Park

The day is yours to spend at your leisure.

In the evening, you can admire the sunset and enjoy a sundowner at "Giorgio's window'. You will have a special view during this unique moment.

Ambalavao

Day 11: Visit The Weekly Zebu Market At Ambalavao

After the day spent visiting the Isalo National Park, you will head to the Ambalavao village. After some 4 hours of driving, you will arrive in Ambalavao after having crossed a bending road and a landscape characterized by agricultural vocation, particularly of rice farming and vineyards.

Ambalavao is known for its weekly zebu market. Here, you have the possibility to see the small manufacture of the "Antaimoro paper", still made by hand and using the traditional methods of the old Egypt.

Arrive in Ambalavao at the end of the afternoon.

Ambositra

Day 12: Be Amazed At The Anja Park

This day, you will visit the Anjà park in the morning. There, you will see ring-tailed lemurs on rocks or playing in between the trees.

After the visit, you will head northward on the National road n°7 in order to reach the city of Ambositra, a journey of about 5 to 6 hours. The latter is the capital city of Malagasy handicraft.

Not far from there is the village of the Zafimaniry, a village which you are going to visit tomorrow.

Antoetra

Day 13: Marvel At The Art Of The Zafimaniry

Today, you will have an excursion to a UNESCO cultural heritage list village. The inhabitants are the Zafimaniry people. They are an ethnic group with an Asiatic origin, particularly known for their beautiful wood sculptures and marquetry.

Their houses are pieces of art as they use only wood in making them and no nails.

Antananarivo

Day 14: Farewell, Madagascar!

Today, you will be transferred back to the capital city of Antananarivo. Upon your arrival in the capital, you will be transferred to a hotel near the airport.

Afterward, you will be taken to the international Ivato airport and will leave Madagascar.

Safe travels home, and visit again soon!