Baobab & Tsingy
Discover the diversity of a distinctive destination with a 6-day trip to the arid yet striking Western region of Madagascar. This tour package will allow you to experience the best of Western Madagascar’s landscapes and wildlife while staying in some of Madagascar’s most popular hotels. Due to the deteriorating road conditions caused by the heavy rains, this package only runs from the end of May until mid-November. Famous for the staggered, limestone “forests” of the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, the towering baobabs and the incredible creatures of Kirindy Reserve – the wilderness of the west will be sure to amaze! The Morondava Baobab and Tsingy tour shows off the best that Western Madagascar has to offer with highlights including visits to Morondava and Tsingy, starting and ending in Antananarivo.
Day 1: Arrival ANT
You will be met on arrival to Ivato airport and transferred to your hotel in Antananarivo, where you can relax from your flight and take a swim. Depending on your arrival time, there may be an opportunity for you to ask the hotel to do a tour to the handicrafts market (additional expense).
Day 2: Morondava
You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Morondava, where you will be met and transferred to Kirindy. Experience the mesmerizing allure of the Kirindy dry forest as you embark on a night walk, delving into its mystical depths in pursuit of elusive nocturnal lemurs.
Day 3: Kirindy + Bekopaka
Today is a long day of discovery and adventure! We set out early to visit the Kirindy Reserve stopping en-route to admire the beauty of the famous Baobab Avenue at sunrise. In Kirindy you will have the chance to see 7 species of lemurs, including the fat-tailed lemur and the tiny Pygmy Mouse lemur, believed to be the world’s smallest primate. Kirindy is the best place to see the giant jumping rat as well as the Fossa (Madagascar’s largest predator), and you can also witness various spiny tenrecs, birds and reptiles aplenty. The diverse flora includes three of the six endemic Malagasy baobabs. After exploring Kirindy we head north and onto Tsimafana where we take the ferry across to Belo sur Tsiribihina. After another road transfer, we will arrive at our destination for the day, Bekopaka, in the evening. Please note that it is a very long driving day due to poor and bumpy road conditions.
Day 4: Bemaraha NP
Today we visit the Bemaraha National Park in search of the Grands Tsingy. A UNESCO world heritage site since 1990, the area has a unique geography, well preserved mangrove forests and some amazing bird and lemur species. We will trek throughout the park. The karst landscape and deciduous forest are a refuge for rare and endangered species and in the park there are over 11 species of lemur, 90 species of bird and 50 types of reptile, some of which we might be lucky to spot on our hikes throughout the reserve. The Grands Tsingy is famed for its pinnacles, a forest of limestone pillars and limestone plateau. Some of its needles are several hundred metres high! We spend the day exploring this magnificent geological site.
Day 5: Bernaraha NP
After breakfast, we head back to Morondava by 4×4. We will travel through the small town of Belo-surTsiribihina and pass the Sakalava tribe tombs. En-route we stop to visit the stunning Baobab Alley but this time at sunset, a great photo opportunity! We arrive in Morondava early evening where we spend the night.
Day 6: Onward travels
Embark on a serene morning adventure as you glide gracefully on a traditional dug-out canoe, through a picturesque landscape of vibrant mangroves, Follow the meandering waterways to the charming fishermen village of Betania. Here after you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Antananarivo where your unforgettable tour ends. We hope to welcome you in Madagascar again very soon!
* Contact us for rates & availability. (JenMan)
