Grand Tour of Madagascar: Rainforests, RN7 & the Sea

Today you explore Antananarivo, a fascinating introduction to highland Madagascar. You wind up through the old upper town to the royal hill, taking in the great Rova palace and sweeping views over a city that spills across a dozen hills above a patchwork of rice paddies. You wander lively markets fragrant with vanilla and spices, browse Malagasy handicrafts, and perhaps visit a private lemur or reptile reserve on the city fringe for a first introduction to the island's extraordinary wildlife. Colonial-era churches, steep staircases and bustling street life give Tana a character quite its own, and your guide brings its layered history vividly to life. As the day ends, you return to your hotel with a first feel for Malagasy culture. This evening, enjoy dinner in the capital. Rest well, for tomorrow the great journey begins in earnest as you head east to the rainforest of Andasibe.

Today you drive east from the highlands into the rainforest zone and Andasibe. The road winds down from Tana through green hills, rice paddies and villages, gradually entering lusher, wetter country as the eastern escarpment approaches. You may stop at a reptile reserve or a private lemur reserve along the way, a fine introduction to the island's chameleons and habituated lemurs. By afternoon you reach Andasibe, where thick rainforest cloaks the hills and the air hums with birdsong and insects. You settle into your forest lodge, and this evening, if you wish, set out on a guided night walk along the forest edge in search of mouse lemurs, chameleons and other nocturnal creatures revealed by torchlight. As the day ends, the sounds of the forest surround you. Rest well, for tomorrow you go deep into the reserve in search of the singing indri.

Today is devoted to the rainforests of Andasibe-Mantadia, among the finest wildlife-watching in Madagascar. Setting out early with your local guide, you enter the forest to find the indri, the largest of all lemurs, and few experiences compare with standing among the trees as their eerie, soaring song rises around you; you watch family groups leap powerfully through the canopy. You explore the reserve's trails for brown lemurs, chameleons, colourful frogs, orchids and unique birds, and if you wish venture into the wilder primary forest of Mantadia in search of the beautiful diademed sifaka and black-and-white ruffed lemur on quieter, more pristine trails. Your guide's knowledge brings the whole ecosystem to life. As the day ends, you return to your lodge, exhilarated by the encounters. Rest well, for tomorrow you turn south down the legendary RN7 into the highlands.

Today you journey back across the highlands and turn south down the RN7 towards Antsirabe. Retracing the road towards Tana and then heading into the southern highlands, you travel through classic highland Madagascar of emerald rice terraces, red-earth villages, hills grazed by zebu and busy market towns, with stops for photographs, markets and craft villages known for woodcarving and embroidery. By late afternoon you reach Antsirabe, a genial highland town founded as a spa resort, famous for its faded colonial architecture, thermal springs and countless colourful pousse-pousse rickshaws that fill its wide avenues. You settle into your hotel and perhaps take a rickshaw ride or visit a craft workshop where artisans work zebu horn, gemstones and recycled metal into ingenious wares. As the day ends, you relax in the cool highland air. Rest well, for tomorrow you continue to the rainforest of Ranomafana.

Today you continue south and east towards the rainforest of Ranomafana. The road runs through more spectacular highland scenery of terraced valleys and brick villages, passing the woodcarving town of Ambositra, centre of the Zafimaniry tradition, where you can browse beautifully carved boxes and marquetry. Gradually the cultivated highlands give way to greener, wetter, forested country as you drop towards the escarpment. By late afternoon you arrive at Ranomafana, where dense rainforest cloaks steep hills and the humid air hums with insects and birdsong. You settle into your lodge near the park, perhaps soaking in the thermal springs that give the town its name. If time and energy allow, an optional night walk along the forest edge may reveal mouse lemurs, chameleons and nocturnal creatures. As the day ends, you rest amid the rainforest. Sleep well, for tomorrow you enter one of Madagascar's richest reserves.

Today is devoted to Ranomafana National Park. Setting out early with your local park guide, you follow forest trails that climb and dip through steep, dripping montane rainforest laced with streams and waterfalls. Your guide's trained eyes pick out the park's celebrated lemurs, the rare golden bamboo lemur discovered here, red-bellied lemurs, graceful Milne-Edwards' sifaka and lively brown lemurs. You also look for the dazzling chameleons for which Madagascar is famous, along with bright frogs, geckos, unique birds and the strange plants of this ancient forest. The walking can be steep and muddy but is endlessly rewarding, and your guide explains the fragile ecology and conservation work protecting it. Afterwards you may relax in the thermal springs. As the day ends, you return to your lodge, thrilled by the day's sightings. Rest well, for tomorrow you continue south, pausing at the ring-tailed lemurs of Anja.

Today you make a long, scenic drive southwest to the sandstone country of Isalo, with a wonderful stop along the way. The road climbs back into open highland country of granite domes and golden hills, passing through Fianarantsoa and on to Ambalavao, where you visit the Anja Community Reserve, a small park run by the local village. Here, at the foot of towering granite cliffs and among giant boulders, strangler figs and ancestral tombs, you walk at close range among a thriving population of ring-tailed lemurs, the striped-tailed icon of Madagascar, basking and clambering through the rocks. You may also see the famous Antaimoro paper workshop in Ambalavao. Continuing across the wide golden plains of the Horombe plateau, you reach Isalo by evening, perhaps in time for a glorious sunset over the sandstone. As the day ends, you settle into your lodge. Rest well, for tomorrow you hike Isalo's canyons.

Today you hike into the spectacular canyons of Isalo National Park. With your local guide you set out among the eroded sandstone massif, following trails that wind through ravines, across open plateaus with sweeping views, and into hidden gorges where palms and pandanus cluster around cool, clear natural swimming pools fed by waterfalls, an idyllic place to swim and picnic. You look for ring-tailed lemurs, Verreaux's sifaka and brown lemurs among the rocks and shady canyons, and admire the endemic plants clinging to the cliffs, including the strange elephant's foot. The rock formations, sculpted over millions of years, take on extraordinary shapes and colours, and your guide explains the sacred sites and burial places of the Bara people. As the day ends, you return to your lodge, perhaps pausing again for the glorious sunset over the sandstone. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey on to the coast.

Today you complete the RN7 to the coast, passing through the strangest landscapes of all. Leaving Isalo, you drive southwest through the transitional forest of Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park, a good place to stop for endemic birds and lemurs, before the land turns truly arid. You enter the spiny forest, a bizarre, prehistoric-looking thicket of octopus-armed didierea, thorny scrub and swollen baobabs found only in southern Madagascar and alive with unique creatures. Reaching the coast near Tulear, you turn north along a sandy track to Ifaty, a laid-back fishing area strung along a lagoon behind a coral reef. You settle into your beachside lodge, the pace slowing to the rhythm of the sea and the sails of the Vezo fishermen. As the day ends, you relax by the Indian Ocean after the long journey down the island. Rest well, for tomorrow you explore the reef and baobabs.

Today you enjoy the coast and the extraordinary dry country around Ifaty. In the morning you may take a boat out to the coral reef offshore to snorkel over gardens of coral and colourful fish, or simply relax on the beach and watch the graceful Vezo pirogues sail by. Inland you visit a private spiny forest reserve, walking with a local guide among ancient baobabs, some many centuries old and vast in girth, and the weird, thorny endemic plants of the region, on the lookout for chameleons, tortoises and unique birds found nowhere else. You may also visit a Vezo fishing village to glimpse the seafaring way of life of this coastal people. As the day ends, you savour a sunset over the Mozambique Channel, reflecting on the journey down the RN7. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly north to the island of Nosy Be.

Today you leave the deep south and fly north to the island of Nosy Be for a blissful island finale. Transferring to Tulear and flying via the capital, you reach Madagascar's most beautiful island escape, where the air is warm and fragrant with ylang-ylang, and you are transferred to your beach hotel. After the long journey down the island, the sweeping sands and turquoise seas are pure reward. The rest of the day is yours to unwind and settle into island time, swimming in the warm Indian Ocean, relaxing on the beach with a cool drink, and savouring fresh seafood as the sun sinks into the sea. As the day ends, you toast the grand journey so far under the stars. Rest well, for tomorrow you explore the islands and reefs around Nosy Be.

Today you enjoy a wonderful island-hopping boat trip among the beautiful islands around Nosy Be. You sail first to Nosy Komba, a lush volcanic island where you meet the famous tame black lemurs in a village reserve, wander craft markets selling embroidery and carvings, and relax on a pretty beach. You continue to Nosy Tanikely, a protected marine reserve ringed by vibrant coral, where you snorkel straight off a beautiful beach among turtles, rays and clouds of colourful fish in warm, clear water, and perhaps climb to the lighthouse for sweeping views. A fresh seafood lunch is served on the sand. The combination of tame lemurs, coral gardens and castaway beaches is idyllic. As the day ends, you sail back to Nosy Be under a golden sky. Rest well, for tomorrow you have a final day to enjoy the island.

Today is a free day to enjoy Nosy Be entirely at your own pace, a blissful finale to your grand tour. You might spend the day on the beach, swimming in the warm turquoise sea and relaxing under the palms, take a snorkelling or diving trip over the island's rich reefs, or sail out to another idyllic islet such as the white sandbar of Nosy Iranja. You could visit an ylang-ylang or vanilla plantation, browse the market and craft stalls of Hell-Ville, or indulge in a spa treatment scented with island oils. In season, you may sail out for humpback whales or gentle whale sharks in the surrounding seas. As evening approaches, a sunset cruise offers a beautiful farewell. As the day ends, you take in a last spectacular sunset, reflecting on your journey the length of Madagascar. Rest well, for tomorrow you begin your journey home.

After a final morning by the sea, perhaps a last swim or walk on the beach, you are transferred to Nosy Be airport for your flight back to Antananarivo and your onward international departure. You leave having experienced the whole of Madagascar in one grand journey, the singing indri and torchlit forests of Andasibe, the golden bamboo lemurs of misty Ranomafana, the ring-tailed lemurs of Anja, the sandstone canyons of Isalo, the eerie spiny forest and giant baobabs of the south, and finally the beaches, coral reefs and tame lemurs of beautiful Nosy Be. The images stay vivid long after you land, the indri leaping through the mist, the natural pools of Isalo, the baobabs against the sky, and the sun sinking into the sea. Madagascar has revealed its astonishing variety and gentle warmth in full, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this extraordinary island continent.