Luxury Madagascar: Rainforests, Baobabs & Private Lodges

Today you enjoy a relaxed, privately guided exploration of Antananarivo. 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, and visit the finest markets and craft galleries for exquisite Malagasy handicrafts, gemstones, textiles and vanilla. Your expert guide brings the highland capital's layered history vividly to life, and you pause for a refined lunch at one of the city's best tables. The pace is unhurried and entirely tailored to you. If you wish, you may visit a private lemur reserve on the city fringe for a first, elegant encounter with the island's famous residents. As the day ends, you return to your hotel with a rich sense of highland culture. This evening, enjoy fine dining in the capital. Rest well, for tomorrow you head into the rainforest.

Today you travel east into the rainforest and the reserve of Andasibe, in comfort and style. The scenic drive descends from the highlands through green hills, rice paddies and villages into lusher, wetter country, and you may pause at a private reserve to admire chameleons and habituated lemurs along the way. By afternoon you reach Andasibe and settle into a beautiful forest lodge set among gardens and greenery, wrapped in birdsong, an idyllic base. This evening you set out on a private guided night walk along the forest edge, sweeping the darkness with torches to reveal tiny mouse lemurs whose eyes glow in the beam, sleeping chameleons and other creatures of the Malagasy night, before returning to fine dining and comfort. As the day ends, the magical sounds of the forest surround you. Rest well, for tomorrow you meet the singing indri in the rainforest.

Today you enjoy one of the great wildlife experiences on Earth in the rainforests of Andasibe-Mantadia, with your expert private guide. Setting out in the cool of the morning, you walk into the forest to find the indri, the largest of all lemurs, standing among the trees as their eerie, soaring song rises around you and watching family groups leap powerfully through the canopy. You explore the reserve for brown lemurs, chameleons, colourful frogs, orchids and unique birds, and may venture into the wilder primary forest of Mantadia in search of the beautiful diademed sifaka on quiet, pristine trails. Your guide's deep knowledge enriches every sighting, and you return to the comfort of your lodge for a fine lunch and relaxation. As the day ends, you reflect on an extraordinary day. This evening, enjoy gourmet dining in the forest. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly west to baobab country.

Today you fly west to the coastal town of Morondava, gateway to the surreal baobab country of the west, rising above the long roads. On arrival the climate is warm and the pace slow, and you settle into a stylish retreat near the sea. In the late afternoon you drive out to the world-famous Avenue of the Baobabs, where you watch the sun set behind the towering giants, some perhaps eight centuries old, their silhouettes blazing against a sky of gold and crimson while zebu carts pass along the dirt track below, ideally with a chilled drink in hand, a scene of pure magic and one of the most iconic in all Africa. As the day ends, you return to your retreat under enormous skies. This evening, savour fresh seafood by the coast. Rest well, for tomorrow you explore the wild forest of Kirindy.

Today you explore the wild dry forest of Kirindy, one of Madagascar's most rewarding and unusual reserves, with your private guide. Kirindy protects a rare surviving expanse of western deciduous forest and is the best place in the country to see the fossa, the island's largest predator, a sleek, cat-like russet carnivore sometimes seen near the ranger camp. On guided walks you also look for Verreaux's sifaka dancing across the ground, red-fronted brown lemurs, chameleons and unique birds, and if you stay into the evening, a magical night walk reveals the tiny giant jumping rat, mouse lemurs and fork-marked lemurs by torchlight. You may also visit the legendary Baobab Amoureux, two ancient trees twisted together like lovers. As the day ends, you return to your retreat, thrilled by the forest. This evening, enjoy a fine dinner. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly to exclusive Anjajavy.

Today you fly by light aircraft to Anjajavy, one of Madagascar's most exclusive retreats, set on a remote peninsula in the northwest. As the plane descends over turquoise bays, mangroves and baobab-studded forest, you glimpse the seclusion that awaits. You are welcomed to a beautiful reserve of elegant rosewood villas overlooking a bay of pale sand and clear water, surrounded by a protected forest where wild Coquerel's sifaka leap and dance among ancient baobabs, brown lemurs feed, and chameleons and birds abound, all seen on your doorstep. The rest of the day is yours to settle in, relax by the sea or pool, and perhaps take a first walk in the reserve with a resident guide, watching sifaka at close range. As the day ends, you dine superbly overlooking the bay. Rest well in complete seclusion, for tomorrow you explore this private paradise of forest and sea.

Today you explore the private reserve of Anjajavy at your own pace, a sublime blend of wildlife and seclusion. With resident naturalist guides you walk forest and tsingy trails among ancient baobabs, watching wild Coquerel's sifaka leap and dance close by, spotting brown lemurs, chameleons, tortoises and a wealth of birds, and learning about the reserve's conservation work. You may kayak or take a boat through the mangroves, sail to a private beach or hidden cove for a picnic, snorkel over coral, or simply relax on the sand and by the pool, watching the sifaka come to the lawns at dusk. Every moment is unhurried, luxurious and immersed in nature. As the day ends, you savour a superb dinner overlooking the bay under a canopy of stars. Rest well in this exclusive paradise, for tomorrow you fly on to the island of Nosy Be.

Today you fly north to the fragrant island of Nosy Be for a luxurious beachside finale. On arrival the air is warm and scented with ylang-ylang, and you are privately transferred to a superb beachfront hideaway of elegant villas and infinity pools overlooking the turquoise sea. The rest of the day is yours to unwind in style, swimming in the warm Indian Ocean, relaxing by the pool or on the beach, and enjoying the impeccable service and beautiful setting. As the sun sets, you savour cocktails and gourmet seafood at the water's edge beneath a blaze of colour. After the adventures of forest and baobab country, this indulgent island finale is blissful. As the day ends, you toast your journey under the stars. Rest well, for tomorrow you enjoy the islands and reefs of Nosy Be in comfort and style.

Today you enjoy a private day on the water among the beautiful islands around Nosy Be, arranged just for you. On a private boat you might sail to Nosy Komba to meet its tame black lemurs and browse craft markets, and on to the marine reserve of Nosy Tanikely, where you snorkel over vibrant coral among turtles, rays and clouds of colourful fish in warm, clear water, or to the stunning white sandbar of Nosy Iranja, one of the most beautiful spots in the Indian Ocean. A gourmet picnic or beachside lunch is served in an idyllic setting, and in season the seas may bring the thrill of humpback whales or gentle whale sharks. As the day ends, you cruise back to your hideaway under a golden sky, salt-kissed and content. This evening, enjoy fine dining by the sea. Rest well, for tomorrow is yours to savour at leisure.

Today is a free day to enjoy Nosy Be entirely at your own pace, indulging in the comforts of your beachfront hideaway. You might laze on the beach and swim in the warm turquoise sea, indulge in a spa treatment scented with island ylang-ylang, or simply relax by the infinity pool with a cocktail and a book. You could take a sunset dhow cruise with the chance to spot dolphins, visit a fragrant ylang-ylang or vanilla plantation, or enjoy a private diving excursion over the island's rich reefs. Gourmet seafood, impeccable service and glorious sunsets make this a blissful finale to your journey. As the day ends, you watch a last spectacular sunset over the sea, reflecting on the extraordinary places and creatures you have experienced. This evening, savour a memorable farewell dinner. Rest well, for tomorrow you begin your journey home.

After a final leisurely morning by the sea, perhaps a last swim or spa treatment, you are privately transferred to Nosy Be airport for your flight back to Antananarivo and your onward international departure. You leave having experienced the very best of Madagascar in comfort and style, the singing indri and beautiful forest lodge of Andasibe, the iconic baobab sunsets and wild forest of the west, the sublime seclusion and dancing sifaka of exclusive Anjajavy, and the beachfront luxury and island-hopping of Nosy Be, all linked by private flights and served seamlessly. The images stay vivid long after you land, the sifaka dancing among baobabs at Anjajavy, the great baobabs blazing at sunset, and the turquoise sea off Nosy Be. Madagascar's wonders, enjoyed without compromise, are all the more rewarding, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this extraordinary island.