Lemurs & Rainforests: Andasibe & Ranomafana

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, and enjoy the changing scenery. By afternoon you reach Andasibe, where thick rainforest cloaks the hills and the air is humid and alive with birdsong. 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 glowing in the 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 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. If you wish, you venture into the wilder primary forest of Mantadia, reached by a rough track, 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 day's encounters. Rest well, for tomorrow you turn south 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, emerald rice terraces, red-earth villages of tall brick houses, hills grazed by zebu, and busy market towns. There are plenty of stops for photographs, roadside 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 the 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. As the day ends, you relax in the cool highland air. Rest well, for tomorrow you continue to 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 troops of brown lemurs moving through the canopy. You also search for the dazzling chameleons for which Madagascar is famous, from giant to thumbnail-sized, 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 begin the journey back to the capital.

Today is a long but scenic drive back through the highlands to the capital, so you set off early to make the most of the day. The road climbs out of the rainforest and back into the open highland country of terraced valleys, granite hills and brick villages, and you break the journey with stops for photographs, roadside markets, craft villages and lunch, and perhaps a pause in Antsirabe or Ambositra. The changing scenery, the rice paddies mirroring the sky, the herds of zebu and the daily life of the villages make the drive a rewarding final chapter rather than mere transit. By evening you reach Antananarivo and settle into your hotel. As the day ends, you look back on an extraordinary journey through Madagascar's finest rainforests. This evening, enjoy a relaxed dinner in the capital. Rest well, for tomorrow you begin your journey home.

After a final morning in Antananarivo, perhaps some last souvenir shopping for vanilla, spices and Malagasy crafts, you are transferred to Ivato International Airport for your onward international departure. You leave having journeyed to the very heart of Madagascar's rainforests, hearing the unforgettable song of the indri and walking by torchlight at Andasibe, exploring the pristine primary forest of Mantadia, and tracking golden bamboo lemurs and sifaka in the misty depths of Ranomafana, all warmed by gentle Malagasy hospitality. The images stay vivid long after you land, the indri leaping through the canopy, mouse lemurs glowing in the torchlight, and the golden bamboo lemur in the mist. Madagascar offers wildlife found nowhere else on Earth, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this extraordinary island and its ancient, life-filled forests.