Madagascar 4x4 to the Deep South

Duration: 15 days
Priced From: EUR 2480 / USD 3595 / ZAR 24 505


Jenman Island Safaris offers a Madagascar 4x4 to the Deep South of Madagascar, explore Madagascar on a 4x4 adventure.

Explore the deep South with a 4x4 car for 15 days and plunge into a real adventure. During the trip you'll get the chance to investigate the Ranomafana, the Isalo and the Tsimanampetsotsa National Park with their biodiversity of plants and animals.

Highlights: Antananarivo, Ranomafana National Park, trekking in Isalo National Park, National Park of Beza, Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, Berenty Private Reserve and Fort Dauphin.

Type of Tour: 4x4 to the deep South
Accommodation: Mid Range 2*+ Lodges

Prices 2012
Tour Fare:
2 pax: EUR 2 480 / USD 3 595 / ZAR 24 505
4 pax: EUR 2 355 / USD 3 410 / ZAR 23 235
6 pax: EUR 2 170 / USD 3 150 / ZAR 21 445
8 pax: EUR 1 970 / USD 2 844 / ZAR 19 450
10 pax: EUR 1 845 / USD 2 670 / ZAR 18 195
Single supplement: EUR 380 / USD 550 / ZAR 4 220
Rate for single traveller: EUR 4 620 / USD 6 699 / ZAR 45 645 (no additional single supplement required)

*   Tour price has to be paid in currency applicable to country
     of residence.
**  Please note that internal flights should be booked in
     conjunction with international flights and the rates are
     subject to class, availability and change.

Included in the price: Accommodation based on BED & BREAKFAST basis in twin sharing room at mid range hotels, and on a half board basis where stated in the itinerary, camping equipment, all transfers and transport  (4x4) mentioned in the program, all entrance fees, specialist guides in the national park as per program, an English speaking guide, all excursions mentioned in the program.

Not included in the price:
All excursions not mentioned in the program, bottled water, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, laundry, international flights, domestic flight from Fort Dauphin to Antananarivo, visas and travel insurance, all lunches, all dinners unless specified in the itinerary, personal items.
Flights from/to Johannesburg can be arranged by Jenman African Safaris, as well as your pre and post tour accommodation.

Departure Dates:
Departs daily, subject to availability. This tour is only possible from May to October.

 

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Meal Key
B: Breakfast L: Lunch D: Dinner
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Speak to our expert Nadia:
+27 21 683 7826
USA & Canada
1866 487 4323
United Kingdom
0871 284 5010
Australia
1800 140 835
New Zealand
0800 528 101

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Day 1: Antananarivo   
You will be met at Ivato international airport and transferred to your hotel in Antananarivo, the picturesque capital of Madagascar. With its bustling markets, friendly people and ancient town on a hill with freestone churches and ancient royal places, it is unique among the world’s other capitals.


Accommodation: Residence Lapasoa, or similar.(Double rooms with ensuite bathroom)

 

Day 2: Antananarivo – Antsirabe   
Depart to Antsirabe, a pretty thermal town, that combines a typical Malagasy style with the tranquility of a small European provincial town. Antsirabe means ‘where there is much salt’ and is one of Madagascar’s major trading centres for semiprecious stones and minerals. We will drive through landscape, which  is mainly composed of mountains and rice fields. In Antsirabe we will go on a city tour with a visit of Andraikiba lake and the legendary Tritriva crater lake. It is said that the lake’s water level decreases during rainy season and increases in dry season. We will visit a gemstone factory, where you can watch the cutting and polishing process and purchase souvenirs. [BD]


Accommodation: Residence Camelia, or similar.(Double rooms with ensuite bathroom)

 

Day 3: Antsirabe – Ranomafana   
After breakfast, we will drive to Ranomafana National Park, one of the richest for discovering biodiversity in the eastern humid forest. It is nestled in a mountainous and extremely rainy region, which accounts for its nickname the ‘misty land’.  The tropical forest is home to 12 species of lemurs such as the golden bamboo lemur, brown lemurs and various species of birds, colourful chameleons and frogs.
In Ambositra we will stop for the visit of some Zafimaniry woodcarving shops. This art, classified as World Intangible Heritage by UNESCO, was revealed to the public in the fifties, when food shortage obliged this population of foresters to sell their furniture and sculptures on the market. Zafimaniry Art expresses itself through daily life objects (honey pots, weaving-looms, stools, plates…) as well as construction parts (doors and windows). We then head to Ranomafana National Park, where we will rest in preparation for our park visit the next day. [B]


Accommodation: Centrest Sejour, or similar.

 

Day 4: Ranomafana – Fianarantsoa    
In the morning we will explore the Park to see lemurs, chameleons and frogs living in the rainforest and discover some of the pandanus, ferns, orchids and medical plants in the undergrowth. After lunch, we will go on a city tour of Fianarantsoa - the capital of the Betsileo tribe. Fianarantsoa was built on 3 levels and the highest level and its old and picturesque quarters are classified as a protected area because of its historical and architectural interest. It lies in the heart of Madagascar’s most fertile agricultural areas and is renowned for its vineyards, tea plantations and terraced rice fields. [B]


Accommodation:  Zomatel, or similar

 

Day 5: Fianarantsoa – Ranohira  
In the morning we depart early for Ranohira. On our way we stop in Ambalavao - the commercial centre of the southern Betsileo region, renowned for its folks, arts and crafts – we will visit a wine producer for a wine tasting and the "Antemoro Paper" factory, where you can watch the paper being made and buy locally made cards and other paper products.  The famous Antemoro paper is a delicate, handmade, flower-decorated paper made of the fibres of a tree called "Avoha".
We continue our drive to Ranohira and visit Anja Park along the way, where  you can see some families of ring-tailed lemurs in their natural habitat. On arrival in Ranohira we check in at Isalo Ranch and simply relax to prepare ourselves for the next day of trekking. [BD]


Accommodation: Isalo Ranch, or similar

 

Day 6: Ranohira / Isalo National Park    
Today we will spend the whole day trekking in Isalo National Park, which is chronologically the second one in Madagascar. Here, erosion has carved fantastic figures in the sandstone, from sharp needles standing up in the sky to rocky blocks apparently unstable on their base. Apparently dry, the Isalo National Park is a land endowed with an important network of streams feeding the tributaries of the river Mangoky. It is a sacred land, as it also shelters the Bara ancestors’ cemeteries, dug on the cliff sides to prevent pillage. We will discover the massif of Isalo, its canyons and its endemic flora (Pachypodium, aloes,...) and fauna (lemurs and birds). We will even have the chance to go for a refreshing swim in the natural cascades swimming pool. [BD]


Accommodation: Isalo Ranch, or similar

 

Day 7: Ranohira - Beza    
After breakfast, we drive along a straight road, where the landscape is composed of dry and spiny forests, baobab trees and some proudly decorated Mahafaly tombs. We arrive in Andranovory and then begin the track to the National Park of Beza, which protects significant areas of spiny and gallery forest, and provides a habitat for ringtail lemurs, tortoises, birds and sifakas. [B]


Accommodation: Camping at the Campsite, with basic facilities

 

Day 8: Beza  – Beheloka    
After a morning visit of the park, where we will see some lemur species such as ring-tailed lemurs, dancing lemurs, various birds and some radiated tortoises, we drive to Beheloka, a typical coastal fishing village, where we will stay at ‘Chez Bernard’, the only hotel in the village. [B]


Accommodation: Chez Bernard

 

Day 9: Beheloka - Tsimanampetsotsa  
Today we will drive to Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, which is stretching over 43 000 ha. The lake, whose water changes colour from turquoise blue to topaze green, is an oasis in a region reputed to be the driest in Madagascar. Vegetation takes weird shapes as a result of its permanent fight against drought, creating an environment that looks unreal to the visitor. The birds are the main attraction of the park, namely with the great gatherings of pink flamingos, dwarf flamingos and grebes in the dry season.  You might also see several lemur species, of which the famous Lemur Catta. The name Tsimanampetsotsa, which means ‘the lake without dolphins’, is to be linked with the blind fish Typhleotis, which lives in its caves. [B]


Accommodation: Domaine d’Ambola.

 

Day 10: Tsimanampetsotsa – Itampolo   
After breakfast, we drive along the coast to reach Itampolo, a relaxing coastal fishing village. Along the way you can see some wild radiated tortoises on the sandy road. We will stay at the ‘Gite d’Etape Sud’, the only hotel in Itampolo. [B]


Accommodation: Gite d’Etape Sud.

 

Day 11: Itampolo – Faux Cap   
After breakfast we are off to Faux Cap – a beautiful beach with soft white sand and stunning views on the southern coast of Madagascar, along the coastal road. [B]


Accommodation: Libertalia.

 

Day 12: Faux Cap – Berenty   
Today we will drive to Berenty – a private reserve over 240 ha stretching along the river Mandrare. The park offers the opportunity to observe lemurs at close range, including ringtail and brown lemurs, sifakas, birds and nocturnal lemurs, as well as other wildlife. It also contains one of the country’s last stands of gallery forest. [BD]


Accommodation: Gite de Berenty

 

Day 13: Berenty – Fort Dauphin   
After we explored the Berenty reserve we then head to Taolagnaro, commonly known as Fort Dauphin – the small and pretty major town in south-eastern Madagascar. Its attractive location – with green hills, blue seas, fine beaches and a myriad of surrounding attractions – make it a popular destination. At the bottom of Saint Louis Peak, the urban area between two bays is one of the most beautiful in Madagascar. The first people who settled in La Reunion in 1674 came from this area. It is also the capital of crayfish celebrated in an annual festival which has become a traditional event. [BD]


Accommodation: Hotel le Dauphin.

 

Day 14: Fort Dauphin – Antananarivo   
After breakfast we will go on a morning visit to Nahampoina reserve – a private reserve with lemurs which is only 7 km away from the city. Afterwards you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Antananarivo. On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Antananarivo where you will spend your last night. You can wander through the capital’s steep and narrow streets, taking in its architecture, atmosphere and pace. Or you can climb up to the old rova (palace) and enjoy the views over Antananarivo and the surrounding countryside. The town is at its best in the evening when the setting sun spectacularly illuminates its hillsides. [B]


Accommodation: Residence Lapasoa, or similar.

 

Day 15: Antananarivo  
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back home. This is the end of your unforgettable tour and we hope to welcoming you in Madagascar again very soon! [B]
 

Contact Us

Click here or call us:
Within South Africa:
0861 JENMAN
(0861 536 626)
UK: 0871 284 5010
 US & Canada Toll Free:
1866 487 4323
Rest of the World:
+27 21 683 7826
Australia Toll Free:
1800 140 835

 

Tailor-made Madagascar

Jenman Island Safaris specialises in individual or group Madagascar holidays and will gladly design tailor-made tours for your special interests in Madagascar – from beach holidays to lemur trips! 

 

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