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Madagascan Explorer
Trip Valid:
01/01/2008 to 31/12/2008
Duration:
9 days (ex Antananarivo)
Highlights:
Admire the charming colonial architecture of Antsirabe, Look for lemurs on a rainforest ramble, Relax on a beach in idyllic Ifaty
Trip Code:
YSY
Guarantee:
Departure is guaranteed, subject to 4 people travelling
Group Size:
Minimum 4, Maximum 12
Price:
USD $840
*(plus local payment EUR €300)
pricing for United States: change country
Extras:
view 2008 airport transfers and pre- & post-trip accommodation prices
Stunning mountains, spectacular rainforests and white, sandy beaches make up Madagascar’s wonderful landscape. The island protects incredible numbers of endangered lemurs, rare plants and birds within its expansive national parks. Trek beneath the lush tree canopies of the Ranomafala and Isalo reserves for a close-up look at the country's most famous creatures, wander the scarlet sands of the extraordinary spiny forest and while away your time on magnificent Indian Ocean beaches - this is a wildlife adventure in paradise!
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passenger feedback rating: 4.72 out of 5 how does this work?
meals included: 5B, 1L, 1D
transport: Plane, minibus, walking
accommodation:
Simple hotels (5 nts), multishared accommodation (1 nt), beach bungalows (2 nts),
budget: Allow EUR €210 for meals not included.
departs: selected Sat
important notes: Please do not book your international flight until after 9pm on day 9 departure day to allow for delays with our domestic flight back from Tulear
we also recommend:
Madagascar not only has amazing people and exotic wildlife but also incredible beaches. Check out our beach break to St. Marie, home to picture perfect beaches and amazing whale watching in season. (YAB)
Day 1 Antananarivo
Affectionately known as Tana, this European-inspired city has a distinctly romantic air about it. Cobbled streets wend up rocky hills, narrow wooden houses have painted shutters and church spires abound. Charmingly crowded and noisy, it's a fun place to explore. Head to the street markets at Analakey or seek out lively restaurants and bars.
Day 2 Antsirabe/ Village homestay
Take in breathtaking mountain scenery on the way to Antsirabe, famed for its healing thermal springs, gemstone merchants and elegant French architecture. Ride a pousse-pousse (rickshaw) to explore, before heading to the village of Manandona for an insight into local culture on a homestay. This is a great opportunity to get to know the locals, sleep in a traditional house and try Madagascan home cooking.
Day 3 Ranomafana
Travel to the arts and crafts capital of Madagascar, the village of Ambositra, renowned for its fine woodcarvings. Drive through magnificent montane rainforest to the Ranomafana Lemur Reserve for a guided night time trek. Look sharp to see some of this island's most famous creatures, including rare golden bamboo lemurs. The furry little faces of lemurs are totally cute and seeing them in the wild is an unforgettable experience.
Day 4 Fianarantsoa
Listen out for a lemur's screeching call on an early morning hike through the jungle. Afterwards, journey south to the plantations of Sahambavy to see how tea leaves are turned into a humble cuppa.
Days 5-6 Isalo National Park
Learn the traditional method of making paper in Ambalavao before continuing on to the rural south. Pass the impressive rocks that make up the 'door to the south' before entering the Isalo National Park, home to ring-tail lemurs and chameleons as well as a series of whimsical, weather-worn sandstone formations. There's a natural pool here where you can cool off after a hike through the canyons.
Days 7-8 Ifaty
Inspect the intricate tombs of the Mahafaly tribe on the way to the idyllic beaches of Ifaty. There's time today to kick back on the white sands, snorkel or wander the surreal spiny forests nearby.
Day 9 Antananarivo
The trip ends with a flight back to Tana. Stay longer to fully appreciate this amazing capital city.
| start date | finish date | places available | bookings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 16 Aug 08 | Sun 24 Aug 08 | bookings closed | |
| Sat 20 Sep 08 | Sun 28 Sep 08 | 4 | late request |
| Sat 18 Oct 08 | Sun 26 Oct 08 | bookings closed | |
| Sat 15 Nov 08 | Sun 23 Nov 08 | 4 | book now |
| Sat 20 Dec 08 | Sun 28 Dec 08 | 7+ | book now |
| Sat 17 Jan 09 | Sun 25 Jan 09 | 7+ | book now |
| Sat 21 Feb 09 | Sun 01 Mar 09 | 7+ | book now |
| Sat 21 Mar 09 | Sun 29 Mar 09 | 7+ | book now |
| Sat 18 Apr 09 | Sun 26 Apr 09 | 7+ | book now |
| Sat 16 May 09 | Sun 24 May 09 | 7+ | book now |
| Sat 20 Jun 09 | Sun 28 Jun 09 | 7+ | book now |
The Trip Notes provide you with detailed information about your trip.
This is where you will find everything you need to know... from what's included to suggestions about what to take. This is also where you will find the most up-to-date itinerary and any late changes.
The Trip Notes provide you with a detailed outline of your trip itinerary, and important information like where to meet your group, what to pack, what's included, estimates of spending money requirements and much more. They make great reading.
These documents have been prepared by Intrepid staff to give you a brief introduction to the places you are visiting. We think it's important to understand the culture you are visiting, and the expectations of their society.
Intrepid is committed to a style of travel that is environmentally, culturally and socially responsible - we call this 'Responsible Travel'. Download this document and visit the About Intrepid section of this site for more information about how to be a Responsible Traveller.
Please also read our safety guidelines for further information on the operational safety standards you can expect on every Intrepid trip.
On 07 June the Australian Government issued an updated travel warning for East Timor strongly advising against travel to East Timor because of the extremely dangerous security situation. Australians in the country are advised to leave. The Travel Warning remains at Category 5 - Do Not Travel.
On Tuesday 07 June we have taken the decision to cancel the remainder of our East Timor trips scheduled to depart in 2006. All travellers will be notified and given the opportunity to transfer to another trip or obtain a full refund (land content only). We very much regret having to take this action and our thoughts and sympathies are with the people of East Timor during this troubled time.
We are confident of being able to resume our normal schedule of trips to East Timor in 2007 and hope that those travellers who have had to cancel their plans this year will travel with us to East Timor in 2007.
For other safety updates, please see our general safety updates page.
Every day, hundreds of happy people return from Intrepid trips, and their comments are here for you to read. We do not screen the feedback on this site, all comments are posted here as they were written (unless they used inappropriate language).
Our guide was fantastic.
Jean Mahony
While I enjoyed my travels immensely, I was extremely dissapointed with this trip. Our tour guide did not represent any of the qualities I expect of Intrepid tour guides.
Sharmila Khare
An amazing trip - a real cultural and ecological feast for the senses. Our guide, Hery, was superb. Overall, this was a wonderful experience, despite some early, booking, hiccups.
Angela Kingston-smith
Really great. Good mix between getting a feel for the country, the people, the landscape, and the wildlife. Excellent guide, meshed really well with the group. Wish it was longer.
Tim Oliver
excellent trip, the local guide was superb and took care of us well. he was excellent at spotting birds and animals, dealing with the local park guides who were usually not that good! we would be driving along and he would stop the car and say- would you like to see such and such, of course we would say yes, jump out and look hard and not be able to see the bird chameleon etc among the trees that he had spotted.
very comfortable lodgings, not at all intrepid. fellow hotel guests we met said they had booked mid to high range hotels!
only negatve comment- some of the hotels were way out of town and we had no other option for meals, therefore meals should have been included i think.
Vasanthi Bradley
Sorry, only passengers from Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom are able to request flight quotes online at this stage.