
Duration: 15 days
Priced From: EUR 1985 / USD 2820 / ZAR 21020
Enjoy the Madagascar South and Morondava Tour on a Madagascar holiday with Jenman Island Safaris.
Once you have reached the coast you will be spoilt by endless seeming white beaches and crystal blue warm water. The coastal vibe will invite you to relax for the last 4 days of your trip!
Highlights: Antananarivo, Ranomafana National Park, trekking in Isalo National Park, private garden of Arboretum, Tulear, Morondava, Kirindy reserve.
Type of Tour:
Small group accommodated tour
Accommodation:
Mid Range 2*+ Lodges
Prices*
Tour Fare 2010: (Valid from 1 November 2009 – 31 October 2010)
2 pax: USD 2820 / EUR 1985 / ZAR 21020
4 pax: USD 2115 / EUR 1490 / ZAR 15765
6 pax: USD 1850 / EUR 1305 / ZAR 13780
8 pax: USD 1755 / EUR 1235 / ZAR 13060
10 pax: USD 1635 / EUR 1155 / ZAR 12190
Single supplement: USD 545 / EUR 385 / ZAR 4590
Rate for single traveller: USD 5305 / EUR 3735 / ZAR 39530 (no additional single supplement required)
*Tour price has to be paid in currency applicable to country of residence
Includes:
Accommodation based on a BED & BREAKFAST basis in twin sharing room at midrange hotels, all transfers and transport mentioned in the program, all entrance fees, specialist guides in the national park as per program, all excursions mentioned in the program, an English-speaking guide.
Excludes:
All excursions not mentioned in the program, bottled water, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, laundry, international flights, domestic flights from Tulear to Morondava, and from Morondava to Antananarivo, visas and travel insurance, all lunches, dinners, personal items. (Flights from/to Johannesburg can be arranged by Jenman African Safaris).
Departure Dates:
Every day of the week. For advice, please contact our office or your travel agency. Please click here for further information.


Day 1: Johhanesburg - Antananarivo
On arrival in Antananarivo, you will be met at the 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. [B]

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. [B]

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]

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]

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. [B]

Day 6: Ranohira
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 blocs 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. [B]

Day 7: Ranohira - Tulear
After breakfast, we drive along a long straight road, where the landscape is composed of dry and spiny forests, baobab trees and some proudly decorated Mahafaly tombs. We will visit the Arboretum, an interesting private garden, established by a Swiss botanist, has close to 1000 species of plants endemic to south-western Madagascar. We will then go on a city tour of Tulear, which is Madagascar’s most recently established provincial capital and south-western Madagascar’s major town. The city tour also includes a visit to the museum. [B]

Day 8: Tulear - Morondava
You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Morondava, where you will be met and transferred to the city. Morondava is situated in the heart of Sakalava territory and is known for the royal sculpted tombs of the Menabe ancestors. These tombs are frequently decorated with well-executed, often erotic, funerary carvings representing life and fertility. [B]

Day 9: Morondava - Kirindy - Morondava
Today we set out for a day excursion to the Kirindy reserve – a dry forest that covers approximately 10,000 ha. You will have the chance to see 6 species of lemurs, including the fat-tailed lemur and the tiny Microcebus Myoxinus, believed to be the world’s smallest primate. There are also 45 bird species and 32 reptile species, including the rare Madagascan flat-tailed tortoise, the side-necked turtle, Madagascar’s only freshwater turtle, and numerous chameleons. On our way back to Morondava, we will stop to admire the beauty of the famous Baobab Avenue. [B]

Day 10-13: Morondava
The next 4 days are spent at leisure. Soak up the sun and enjoy the pristine white beaches and the warm Agulhas current. Explore the area on excursions and day trips or discover the marine life on deep-sea fishing trips or diving excursions. On the southern edge of town are tranquil mangrove swamps, which you can explore by pirogue, observing kingfishers, egrets and more along the way. [B]

Day 14: Morondava - Antananarivo
Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Antananarivo, where you will be met and transferred to the city. 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]

Day 15: Antananarivo - Return Flight
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back home, where your unforgettable tour ends. We hope to welcoming you in Madagascar again very soon! [B]
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
New Zealand Toll Free:
0800 528 101
Jenman Island Safaris specialises in individual or group holidays and will gladly design tailor-made tours for your special interests and needs.
Click here for more information on your tailor-made getaway.