Tailor-made 18 Days Madagascar Great Ring Discovery, Private Jeep

We are honored to have you in our Madagascar guided tour! After landing and going through the customs clearance, meet your driver guide who will take you to your hotel near the airport. Check in and have a good rest. ­ ► Note on Arrival Date: Please arrive on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday to catch your flight tomorrow to Morondava, which is connected with Antananarivo by only three flights a week each on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Of course, we are more than glad to work with you to customize this itinerary so as to meet your own schedule.

Today, take a flight to the west of Madagascar and land in Morondava. Your driver guide who’s been waiting for you at the airport will then take you to your hotel. Then you can appreciate the sunset of the sea from the hotel.

It is recommended to get up early this morning, as the road trip will be long today. Hop in the well-prepared private car to Kirindy and go on with a 1-hour hike in the Kirindy Forest to discover lemurs among the eight species that dwell here and other wildlife like fossa, lemur’s major predator and the biggest carnivorous mammal of Madagascar. Next on our agenda is a boat ride across the Tsiribihina River to Belo sur Tsiribihina. Take a 4x4 road trip northwards to your hotel in Bekopaka.

Meaning “where one cannot walk barefoot”, Tsingy are limestone spikes requiring a good amount of stamina and mettle to explore. The park is world-famous for this karst landscape, where stretches of the spikes rise skywards to form an impossible spectacle of stone forests. ► Note: As the park is closed from November to April for heavy rainfall that would make the dirt trails inaccessible, during this period we have to call off the Tsingy tour. If you like, we can take you on a boat past a mangrove forest to Betania in Morondava, a fishing village far away from civilization. Just tell us your preferences, and we will work to make your day!

Prepare for a long road trip (200 km, 9 hours’ drive) today back to Morondava. En route, jump off your vehicle at Belo sur Tsiribihina and boat back across the Tsiribihina River, before continuing the ride. Into late afternoon, we will stop off at Avenue of the Baobabs to see the sun setting behind grand baobabs, Madagascar’s another biggest drawcard. The avenue, 260 meters (853 feet) long, is where to find most baobabs in the world. Continue forwards to Morondava with hotel check-in.

After breakfast, depart from Morondava and head to Belo sur Mer (110 km, 4 hours’ drive). While in Belo sur Mer, check-in at your hotel. Spend the free afternoon as you like. Belo sur Mer is an isolated sea-side fishing village, home to the friendly Vezo and Sakalava peoples who fish for a living. You can stroll around to experience their traditional life and take pictures of their dugout boats.

Spend the entire today at leisure to fully enjoy beach time. Bath in the sun, search for shells, or DIY your own fun on the soft fine sands. The turquoise waters off Belo sur Mer feature intact coral reefs and diverse marine life, which are often explored by snorkelers and scuba divers; if you’d like to try, you may consult the hotel staff for reservation. Besides, the hotel also offers visits to mangrove reserve, Kirindy Mitea Forest, and a tour for whale watching (July - September).

This morning, get up early, and let’s depart from Belo sur Mer for Morombe via Manja (280 km, 10 hours’ drive). During this long road trip, you will meet baobab trees, savannahs, dry forests, the scenic Mangoky River among other stunning landscapes and of course stops for breaks. Arrive in Morombe, and check-in at your hotel.

Today you’ll be transferred south via Andavadaoka to Ambatomilo through a sandy trail (100 km, 4.5 hours’ drive). Upon arrival, check into your hotel. Still energetic to join some activities? Ask the hotel staff how to seat yourself on a zebu cart to tour Ambatomilo Village, join local fishermen to fish, or paddle a canoe to the nearby rocky islands for birding.

Here is another free day for you to wind down from the long road trips. If you haven’t gone underwater or whale-watching in Belo sur Mer, today will be your last chance for them! You can rent equipment from the hotel to dive into the sea waters as turquoise and crystal-clear, see how kaleidoscopic the sea world is, and swim by colorful tropical fishes and turtles.

Today you will be transferred to Toliara (160 km, 6 hours’ drive), with some stops on the way to rest - the picturesque Salary Bay and coastal Ifaty town are included - and appreciate the incredible west coastline of Madagascar. Arrive at Toliara before dark and check into the hotel. If time permits, navigate the streets on your own through local daily life towards the end of Avenue Gallieni, where a seashell crafts market can be visited.

Today, we will drive to Ranohira (225 km, 5h’s drive). Visit Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park on the way, which lies in the transitional area between dry and moist forests. Of the flora here, baobabs, orchids and medicinal plants would be the most flourishing. Also look for 8 species of lemurs, of which Hubbard’s sportive lemur is found no elsewhere.

Out of the park, onwards through the sapphire town of Ilakaka to Ranohira. On arrival, check in at the elegant hotel we selected for you. If time allows, your driver guide will accompany you to admire a sunset through the loved-by-every-photographer Isalo Window, an impressive sandstone formation. Savor a dinner at your hotel.

Today our highlight is Isalo National Park. With wind and rain erosions, the park will amaze you with stacked red sandstone layers across a desert-like terrain, formed during the Jurassic Period. More famed for its pristine landscape as it is, it’s also where to find rare endemic animals who deem this place their home. We will explore the canyon forest to look for Verreaux's sifakas, red-fronted lemurs, and more. For bird lovers, take out your binocular for Benson’s rock thrush with orange belly and dusty blue feathers, which is unique to this region. After the visit, you will be driven back to your hotel.

Greet over 400 ring-tailed lemurs - the King Julien in Madagascar - at Anja today, attractive for the white and black rings on their tail! While in Ranomafana, go on to your hotel for check-in.

While in Ranomafana, go on to your hotel for check-in. As it gets dark, follow your guide for an evening walk to track nigh lemurs, frogs, chameleons. Aye-aye lemur, arguably one of the ugliest creatures on earth, will turn up under the moon.

In the morning, we will head to the Ranomafana National Park. Lush rainforests cloak the park’s mountainous slopes amid splashing of waterfalls and murmurs of streams, creating a vibrant tapestry of wildlife. Follow a knowledgeable local park guide as you delve into the park’s secrets. Explore hidden trails teeming with exotic flora and fauna, track playful lemurs from the acrobatic indri to the gentle bamboo lemurs, and zoom in on small magical critters like eye-shadowed blue coua and giraffe-necked weevil. Late in the afternoon, return to your hotel with a heart full of wonders and a camera brimming with memories.

After breakfast, we will leave Ranomafana via RN7 road for Antsirabe, the highest city in Madagascar. En route, make a stopover in Ambositra, the capital of woodwork famous for the Zafimaniry people’s UNESCO-acclaimed craftsmanship. Continue driving northwards to Antsirabe to overnight.

After breakfast, we will drive back to Tana (166 km, 4.5 hours’ drive). Upon arrival, visit the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, one of the three Madagascar’s UNESCO heritage sites to explore local culture and history. This royal complex, mainly made up by the King’s Palace, tombs, and sacrificial structures, was constructed for the Merina kings that ruled most of past Madagascar during 16th and 17th centuries. Out of the room there is a lookout, on which you can command the view of surrounding plains and rice fields, just as the kings did. Afterwards, transfer to the hotel.

Today is the last day of your great ring tour. Please make sure you’ve taken all your belongings before checking out of your hotel. Your driver guide will then drive you to the airport to catch your flight home. Bon voyage!