A red-dirt road trip, one Indri’s song, and lemurs waiting at the end of it.
A tour guide who knows the route
Every border fee and park permit handled before you land
Every year, around end July to mid-August, we take a small group across Madagascar, to discover its natural wonders and amazing variety of fauna and flora. Live the Journey tour leader travels with you the whole way, and local guides join in each region. Permits, park fees, transfers, and domestic flights inside the country are all arranged before you land. You just need to bring sunblock and a reasonable pair of walking shoes.
Madagascar is one of those places on earth where you will wish that the nights were shorter so that you can pack more into the days. One of the earth’s most fascinating natural laboratories. Practically all life forms here occur only on this island.
The lemurs are surely the strangest primate you have ever encountered, chameleons come in shapes and sizes that take your breath away, six species of baobabs are found on the island, and every plant looks almost artificial because of its uniqueness.
What’s on the road
- Highland rice country and the potters of Ambatolampy, en route to Antsirabe
- The Alley of the Baobabs, at sunset on arrival and again at sunrise
- Indri lemurs calling through the Analamazaotra rainforest at Andasibe
- Private reserves at Pereyras and Vakona, chameleons and more lemur species up close
- Black lemurs and boa constrictors in the Lokobe Reserve on Nosy Be
- Sunset from Mont Passot, the highest point on the island
Fourteen days, highlands to island.
Johannesburg to Antananarivo
Meet at O.R. Tambo for the flight to Antananarivo. Land at Ivato, transfer to the hotel, and take the rest of the day easy.
Antananarivo to Antsirabe
South through the Highlands, past rice and wheat fields, with photo stops in villages along the way. In Ambatolampy, watch potters at work with the same rudimentary methods used for generations. Reds, greens, and yellows the whole drive. Arrive in Antsirabe, “the place of salt,” by late afternoon.
Antsirabe to Miandrivazo
A short rickshaw tour before the long haul south. Road conditions mean this leg can take up to seven hours, so settle in and watch Malagasy daily life go by outside the window. Miandrivazo is the hottest town in the country, and the gateway to the Tsiribihina River.
Miandrivazo to Morondava
Another five hours on the road, this time to Morondava on the Mozambique Channel, the economic capital of the Menabe region and unofficial “Baobab Land.” If timing allows, head straight for the Alley of the Baobabs to catch it at sunset before checking in.
Morondava
Early start, but worth it. Sunrise over the Alley of the Baobabs, trees towering over a 260-metre stretch of road. Back to the hotel for breakfast, then on to Betania, a fishing village south of town, and the Menabe ecotourism centre where local artisans show their work.
Morondava to Antananarivo
Check out and fly back to the capital (domestic luggage limits apply: 20kg checked, 5kg hand luggage). If the flight schedule cooperates, visit the Queen’s Palace before lunch at a local restaurant.
Antananarivo to Andasibe
East into “Lemur Kingdom” territory, through high gorges and undulating plains that get greener the further you go. Stop at the private Pereyras Reserve, home to chameleons, insects, and reptiles found only on this island, before arriving in Andasibe by late afternoon.
Analamazaotra Park
A walking tour through the rainforest of the Analamazaotra Reserve, on cleared paths through dense fern, precious wood, and orchids found nowhere else. This is Indri Indri territory, the largest living lemur, and its call carries through the canopy like nothing else in the forest.
Andasibe to Antananarivo
Visit the Vakona Reserve before the drive back west, with a stop at a Zen Garden for photos and a quieter moment. Back through the eastern rainforest to the capital, arriving with the afternoon free.
Antananarivo to Nosy Be
Fly to Nosy Be. Transfer to the resort and spend the rest of the day at leisure, adjusting to island time.
Lokobe Reserve
Into the Lokobe National Reserve, located on the southeastern side of Nosy Be, known for black lemurs (the males almost black, the females a warm chestnut with white-tufted ears), plus boa constrictors, owls, chameleons, and wild vanilla. Picnic lunch in the reserve.
Nosy Be city tour
A drive through the old colonial town and its perfume factories, then Lemuria Land, a botanical reserve wrapped in the century-old ylang-ylang trees the island is famous for. Picnic lunch at Andilana Beach, then up to Mont Passot, the island’s highest point at 326m, for sunset.
Nosy Be at leisure
A free day. Swim, read, do nothing in particular. Farewell dinner together at 7pm.
Depart for Johannesburg
A slow morning, then the transfer to the airport for the flight home.
What’s handled, and what’s on you.
Included
- A Live the Journey tour leader with the group throughout
- English-speaking local guides in each region
- All accommodation specified in the itinerary
- All meals specified in the itinerary
- All transfers and touring mentioned in the itinerary
- All entrance and park fees
- Tourist taxes
Not included
- International flights (Johannesburg – Antananarivo – Nosy Be – Johannesburg)
- Domestic flights within Madagascar, from about Euro 550 pp
- Visa fees, about Euro 30 pp, payable on arrival
- Gratuities for guides and drivers
- Optional excursions
- Drinks and meals not specified
- Telephone, laundry, and items of a personal nature
- Comprehensive travel insurance (compulsory for this tour)
Good to know
- Madagascar is a malaria area. Talk to your travel doctor about precautions before you go.
- If you’ve visited a yellow fever endemic area in the 12 months before this trip, bring your certificate.
- You’ll be walking unaided on uneven terrain on several days. A reasonable level of fitness is needed.
- Local guides join the group in each region for the on-the-ground knowledge a stranger with a map can’t give you.
One departure, the fees handled.
- 2026 Price shown is per person sharing, based on Euro 3,202 pp. Use a currency converter for an approximate figure in your local currency, noting that the final cost is determined by the exchange rate at the time of confirmation and payment.
- 2026 Single supplement: Euro 1,100 (approximately ZAR 22,000)
- International flights are not included. Budget from about ZAR 15,000 pp for the Johannesburg – Antananarivo – Nosy Be – Johannesburg routing.
- Domestic flights within Madagascar (Morondava – Antananarivo, Antananarivo – Nosy Be) are also not included, from about Euro 550 pp (2026 price).
- South African passport holders need a visa for Madagascar, available on arrival for Euro 30 (subject to change). Passports must be valid at least six months past the return date, with blank pages to spare.
- Comprehensive travel insurance is compulsory for this tour, not optional.