Madagascar is one of the planet’s most extraordinary biodiversity frontiers — a living laboratory of evolution where nearly 90% of species exist nowhere else. Islands of Evolution is a 12-day scientific and conservation-led journey through the island’s most remarkable ecosystems: towering baobabs, dry deciduous forests, lush eastern rainforests, the remote limestone canyons of the Namoroka Tsingy, and the vibrant marine world of the northwest.
Expert Leadership
Travel with Dr. Steven Goodman, one of the world’s foremost specialists on Madagascar’s biodiversity, whose decades of field research illuminate every ecosystem you explore. His presence transforms the journey into a rare opportunity to learn directly from the scientist who has shaped much of what we know about the island’s natural history.
When: Oct 29-Nov 9, 2027
Group size: 7-8
Price: $13,200
Itinerary Summary
Day 1: Arrival in Antananarivo
Day 2: Scheduled charter flight to Soalala & transfer to Namoroka Tsingy Camp
Days 3 & 4: Activities at Namoroka Tsingy Camp
Day 5: Road transfer to Soalala and scheduled charter flight to Antananarivo
Day 6: Road transfer to Andasibe, afternoon forest walk
Day 7: Visit Mantadia National Park and night walk
Day 8: Visit Perinet Reserve and afternoon road transfer to Antananarivo
Day 9: Scheduled flight to Nosy Be
Day 10: Morning snorkeling in Nosy Tanikely and afternoon visit of Lokobe Reserve
Day 11: Swimming with whale sharks and Omura’s whale watching excursion
Day 12: Transfer to Nosy Be airport and departure
Accommodation Summary
Antananarivo: Radisson Blu (Superior Room)
Namoroka: Namoroka Tsingy Camp (Luxury Tent)
Andasibe: Mantadia Lodge (Standard room)
Antananarivo: Novotel (Superior Room)
Nosy Be: Home the Residence (Private pool villa)
Day by Day Itinerary
DAY 1: Fri Oct 29, 2027
Arrival in Antananarivo
Upon arrival at Ivato International Airport, you will be met by your English-speaking guide and transferred to your hotel in Antananarivo, Madagascar’s highland capital. Often referred to simply as “Tana”, the city reflects a fascinating blend of traditional Malagasy architecture and subtle Indonesian influences, offering a distinctive introduction to the island’s layered cultural history.
Your hotel is located approximately 25 minutes from the airport and offers spacious, stylish suites equipped with modern comforts, including high-speed Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, and thoughtful contemporary amenities — a comfortable base for your first night in Madagascar.
Overnight at Radisson Blu
(Superior room |Dinner & Breakfast)
DAY 2: Sat Oct 30, 2027
Antananarivo – Soalala (Scheduled Charter|08:30 – 10:00) – Namoroka Tsingy Camp
This morning, fly by scheduled charter to the coastal town of Soalala (1hr 30 min). Upon arrival, meet your guide and continue by road towards Namoroka, a remote region rarely visited by travellers and largely untouched by modern tourism.
The drive to Namoroka Tsingy Camp (approximately 2 hours 30 minutes) offers insight into life along Madagascar's northwestern coast, with a stop en route for a village walk beneath mango trees and an introduction to the communities living alongside this protected landscape.
On arrival, settle into your safari tent before heading out on a guided walk through the forests surrounding camp. This first exploration offers an introduction to Namoroka's remarkable biodiversity, with opportunities to encounter lemurs, chameleons, birdlife and other endemic wildlife.
As evening falls, enjoy sundowners overlooking the surrounding landscape before returning to camp for dinner.
Overnight at Namoroka Tsingy Camp
(Luxury Tent | All Inclusive)
DAYS 3 & 4: Sun Oct 31 & Mon Nov 1, 2027
Namoroka National Park
Spend two full days exploring one of Madagascar's most remote and least-visited protected areas.
Limited accessibility has helped preserve Namoroka as one of the island's most pristine wilderness regions, where dramatic tsingy formations, dry forests, caves and baobab-studded landscapes combine to create a truly extraordinary environment.
Daily activities are adapted according to weather conditions, trail accessibility and wildlife opportunities, ensuring the richest possible experience of the park's diverse habitats. Explorations may include guided walks through the spectacular tsingy formations, where razor-sharp limestone pinnacles rise dramatically above hidden canyons and pockets of forest. Despite their harsh appearance, these formations support an impressive diversity of wildlife, including several species of lemur, endemic birds and specialized plant communities.
The park is particularly rewarding for wildlife enthusiasts. Lemur species found here include Von der Decken's sifaka, Milne-Edwards' sportive lemur, red lemur and, with luck, the elusive aye-aye. Birdlife is exceptionally rich, with approximately one hundred species recorded within the park. Where conditions permit, excursions may also include visits to sections of the extensive cave system that runs beneath the massif. These caves contain fascinating geological formations and fossil remains of extinct species, offering insight into Madagascar's extraordinary evolutionary history.
Picnic lunches are often enjoyed in scenic locations within the park, allowing for full-day immersion in this remarkable landscape before returning to camp during the afternoon.
Namoroka is also an active centre for scientific research and conservation. The camp works closely with Wildlife Madagascar, one of the country's leading conservation organisations, and guests may have opportunities to meet researchers working in the field and learn about ongoing discoveries within the region.
Evenings are spent back at camp, sharing the day's experiences beneath the stars and enjoying the sense of remoteness that makes Namoroka one of Madagascar's most rewarding wilderness destinations.
Overnight at Namoroka Tsingy Camp
(Luxury Tent | All Inclusive)
DAY 5: Tue Nov 2, 2027
Namoroka Tsingy Camp – Soalala (Scheduled Charter/ 11:00 – 12:30) – Antananarivo
After an early breakfast, depart Namoroka Tsingy Camp and transfer by road to Soalala (approximately 2 hours 30 minutes) in time for your scheduled charter flight to Antananarivo (1hr 30 min). After lunch at the hotel, drive approximately 20 kilometres northeast to the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Madagascar’s most important cultural landmarks. Once a royal city and burial place, the fortified hill became closely associated with King Andrianampoinimerina and the political unification of the island. Stone gateways, royal residences, sacred trees and ritual sites remain part of a living spiritual landscape that has held profound meaning for Malagasy people for centuries.
This evening, your guide will accompany you to Le Marais, one of Antananarivo's most highly regarded restaurants, led by award-winning Malagasy chef Lalaina Ravelomanana. The menu combines Malagasy ingredients with refined European techniques, offering an elegant introduction to the island's culinary identity.
Overnight at Radisson Blu
(Superior room |Full board)
DAY 6: Wed Nov 3, 2027
Antananarivo– Andasibe Rainforest (road)
After breakfast, your guide will take you east by road to Andasibe, a scenic drive of approximately 3 hours 30 minutes.
Leaving the capital behind, the route offers a revealing introduction to rural Madagascar, passing rice paddies, red-brick villages, and roadside stalls displaying seasonal fruits and produce — a vivid snapshot of everyday life in the island’s central highlands.
Andasibe is one of Madagascar’s most important rainforest strongholds, encompassing government-managed protected areas such as Perinet Special Reserve and Mantadia National Park, alongside respected community- and privately managed reserves, including Mitsinjo and VOIMMA. Together, these reserves protect a rich mosaic of primary forest while supporting conservation initiatives and local livelihoods.
The region is particularly renowned for its population of indri lemurs, the largest living lemur species, whose haunting calls resonate through the forest canopy. Arrive at the hotel in time for lunch.
After lunch at the lodge, visit the Mitsinjo community reserve, a conservation initiative managed by a local NGO deeply involved in reforestation, environmental education and amphibian conservation. The reserve offers an excellent introduction to Madagascar’s rainforest biodiversity, with opportunities to encounter chameleons, frogs, geckos and several lemur species.
Overnight at Mantadia Lodge
(Standard Room | Full Board)
DAY 7: Thu Nov 4, 2027
Mantadia National Park Exploration
After breakfast, depart for Mantadia National Park, located approximately 1.5 hours from the lodge, carrying a picnic lunch for the day’s exploration. Mantadia protects some of the tallest and least disturbed rainforest in eastern Madagascar. Its trails are more demanding than those of nearby Perinet, but the reward is a wilder, more immersive forest environment with fewer visitors and exceptional biodiversity.
Accompanied by your guide, explore forest paths in search of a variety of lemur species, which may include indri, diademed sifaka, grey bamboo lemur, red-bellied lemur, and black-and-white ruffed lemur, alongside a rich assemblage of other forest-dwelling mammals.
The park is also renowned for its birdlife, with highlights such as the scaly ground-roller, pitta-like ground-roller, and red-breasted coua, making Mantadia a particular favourite among naturalists. Pause for a picnic lunch near the Rianasoa Waterfall, surrounded by pristine rainforest, before hiking back to the vehicle and returning to the lodge in the late afternoon.
After nightfall, head out on a guided nocturnal walk in the VOIMMA Community Reserve, an area managed by local communities committed to forest conservation. This evening walk offers the chance to encounter a range of nocturnal species, including mouse lemurs, sportive lemurs, fat-tailed dwarf lemurs, and woolly lemurs, as well as chameleons and other night-active wildlife.
Overnight at Mantadia Lodge
(Standard Room | Full Board)
DAY 8: Fri Nov 5, 2027
Perinet Reserve & Return to Antananarivo
After breakfast, set out to explore the Perinet Special Reserve, an 810-hectare protected rainforest renowned for its accessibility and exceptional biodiversity. Accompanied by a local guide, walk beneath towering trees in search of the iconic indri, whose striking black-and-white markings, teddy-bear expression, and haunting calls make it one of Madagascar’s most emblematic species. Unable to survive in captivity, the indri is a powerful symbol of the importance of habitat protection.
As you explore the forest trails, there may be opportunities to encounter several of the reserve’s other lemur species, including grey bamboo lemurs, common brown lemurs, diademed sifaka, and black-and-white ruffed lemurs. The reserve is also rich in birdlife, with species such as the velvet asity, blue coua, and nuthatch vanga among the many endemics found here, alongside a remarkable diversity of reptiles, insects, and orchids. After lunch, return by road to Antananarivo and check in at your hotel by 7pm.
Overnight at Novotel
(Superior Room | Half Board & lunch in Andasibe)
DAY 9: Sat Nov 6, 2027
Madagascar Airlines flight: Antananarivo – Nosy Be
This morning your guide will accompany you to the airport before you board your flight to Nosy Be, where you will be met and transferred to Home La Residence. Known as Madagascar's "Big Island", Nosy Be enjoys some of the country's most reliable beach weather and is the perfect base from which to explore the surrounding archipelago.
Your stay is at Home The Residence, an intimate collection of private villas set within ten hectares of tropical gardens overlooking Befotaka Bay. At Home The Residence, the group will stay in spacious bedrooms within beachfront or sea-view villas, each with its own swimming pool and generous shared living areas. Bedrooms are well separated, allowing privacy alongside the pleasure of a relaxed villa setting overlooking Befotaka Bay.
The property also offers an excellent beachfront restaurant, a beautiful spa beneath a centuries-old banyan tree and a range of excursions designed to showcase the very best of Nosy Be and its surrounding islands. Home The Residence is also committed to responsible tourism, with a portion of its profits supporting local education, environmental initiatives and community development.
Overnight at Home The Residence
(Sea View Villa with Private Pool | Full Board)
DAY 10: Sun Nov 7, 2027
Nosy Tanikely Marine Reserve & Lokobe Reserve
This morning, depart by boat for a half-day excursion to Nosy Tanikely, a protected marine and coastal reserve renowned for its exceptional biodiversity. Nosy Tanikely, meaning the “Island of the Little Earth,” is one of the archipelago’s most important marine sanctuaries. With mask and snorkel, explore clear, shallow waters rich in coral gardens and tropical fish — a vivid introduction to the underwater life of north-western Madagascar.
Beyond its marine environment, the island also supports a surprising variety of terrestrial wildlife. A walk across the island leads to a historic lighthouse dating from 1908, where fruit trees attract flying foxes, and common brown lemurs are often encountered among the vegetation.
A picnic lunch on a white sandy beach provides time to relax and enjoy the tranquil setting before setting out by boat to Lokobe Reserve, one of the last remaining fragments of the unique Sambirano rainforest. This remarkable reserve protects both terrestrial and marine ecosystems and plays an important role in conserving the island's exceptional biodiversity.
Accompanied by your naturalist guide, explore the forest in search of the charismatic black lemur, a species found only in north-western Madagascar. The reserve is also home to an extraordinary diversity of wildlife, including brilliantly coloured panther chameleons, Madagascar pygmy kingfishers, Madagascar long-eared owls, endemic frogs and Madagascar tree boas.
A visit to Lokobe offers a fascinating glimpse into Madagascar's remarkable natural heritage and a wonderful contrast to the beaches and coral reefs that make Nosy Be so special.
Overnight at Home The Residence
(Sea View Villa with Private Pool | Full Board)
DAY 11: Mon Nov 8 2027
Whale & Marine Wildlife Encounters
This morning, depart by boat for a half-day marine excursion with a specialist guide to explore the waters surrounding Nosy Komba and the wider Nosy Be archipelago, an area increasingly recognized for its exceptional marine biodiversity.
Between October and December, these waters are among the very few places in the world where Omura’s whale (Balaenoptera omurai) has been reliably documented. Only formally described by science in 2003, this elusive baleen whale remains one of the least understood cetaceans on the planet. Smaller and more discreet than other rorquals, Omura’s whales are often observed feeding calmly near the surface, offering rare opportunities to witness their graceful movements in warm, sheltered tropical waters. Seasonally, the waters around the archipelago also host whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean. Vast and tranquil, these spotted giants drift through plankton-rich waters with surprising grace, offering rare, humbling moments of connection in the open sea. All encounters are carefully managed to prioritize the wellbeing of the animals and the integrity of their environment.
Throughout the excursion, the emphasis is on observation, education, and conservation, with guides interpreting marine behavior, migration patterns, and the ecological importance of these species within the broader Indian Ocean ecosystem. Other marine life may also be encountered, including dolphins and seabirds, adding further depth to the experience.
Return to the hotel around midday, with the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.
Overnight at Home The Residence
(Sea View Villa with Private Pool | Full Board)
DAY 12: Tue 9 Nov 9, 2027
Nosy Be – International Departure
This morning, transfer by road to Nosy Be Airport in time for your international flight with SA Airlink to Johannesburg