100% customisable travel idea
Madagascar through children’s eyes From Antananarivo to Nosy Be, all the wonders of the north
Madagascar - Antananarivo - Antsiranana - Andrafiamena - Ankarana - Nosy Be
100% customisable travel idea
Madagascar - Antananarivo - Antsiranana - Andrafiamena - Ankarana - Nosy Be
100% customisable for you
Overnight flight arriving the following day.
Welcome and assistance with formalities. Private transfer and a two-night stay in central Antananarivo. The hotel is incredibly charming. The house has been restored to its original glory, with a few additional touches. The rooms are delightful. The contrast between soft tones and bold colours gives them a vibrant energy. The furniture is well matched and comfortable. A certain delicacy surrounds it all. Zebu fillet with béarnaise sauce, lamb chops with wild pepper, prawns with garlic butter… the restaurant’s Franco-Malagasy cuisine has made it a must-visit for every food lover. And what a setting these delightful dishes are served in! The bar is equally as impressive. And the garden is particularly beautiful.
On your itinerary - Kites and miniature models, the sheer talent of the children of Ambohimanga. With a private driver-guide, head to the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, it is not so much the Merina palace as it is the kites and miniature models made by two children from the village that define the trip. There are times when sovereignty must give way to little cars made from reused sheet metal and aircrafts crafted from plastic bags. All the more so as they are so ingenious and incredibly well made. These young artisans have all the expertise of seasoned engineers. Rest assured, your children will be just as impressed as you are. We then have a game planned with the local primary school class, followed by a stop at a papermaker’s workshop. Antemoro paper is the speciality of a people from the east coast (to whom Arab merchants passed on the technique of making it from mulberry bark). We’ll follow the process and get hands-on… quite literally! Enjoy this amazing experience that relies in no way on computers. An experience that lets us trace the thread of a long history.
Optional - A private street art and street food tour.
Private transfer to the airport and flight to Antsiranana (Diego-Suarez). Welcome and assistance at the airport. Another private transfer and a three-night stay in a hotel where a décor of polished wood and white walls creates a simple and elegant atmosphere. Surrounded by a beautiful flower garden. The rooms and restaurant terrace, with delightful views of the Indian Ocean, overlook Antsiranana Bay (also known as Diego-Suarez Bay). The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. Children have plenty of space to run around, a pool to splash about in and a dock to wait for the pirate ship on. All this just a ten-minute walk from the city centre.
Optional - Diego Suarez with a difference.
Already planned - Heritage tour and hiking around Les Trois Baies. Meet your driver-guide and set off in an all-terrain vehicle. We’ll take the coastal road that runs along the eastern side of Andovobazaha Bay. Pain de Sucre island, beaches, mangroves. Once in Oronjia, we’ll disembark and start the hike. First to Cap Minet coastal battery, which guards the entrance to the harbour. Following the arrival of the French, this area became military in nature: artillery batteries appeared around 1890, and then an optical post, a firing range and a lighthouse (the latter still in use) from 1895 onwards. The cape, with its spectacular natural scenery, also became a popular destination for excursions very early on. After that, we’ll continue south towards Sakalava Bay, passing through the Baie des Dunes and the Baie des Pigeons. The sand and the ocean will invite you to take a dip. The white of the former and the changing blues of the latter are a paradise of colour.
On your itinerary - East coast, baobab forest and fine sand. And we’re off again! Along a sandy track through a landscape of shrub savannah, towards the crab fishing village of Ampondrahazo. Sturdy mangroves allow the villagers to harvest large quantities of scylla serrata, the giant mud crab. What strikes you is the intense green of the landscape. This sensation is confirmed on an hour-long hike through the rice fields, where we’ll stumble upon the occasional herd of zebu here and there. During the walk, we’ll have casual meetings in the fields and chat about the weather, harvests, techniques, yields, football, and so on. Then we’re treated to a breathtaking view as we head to the protected karst plateau of Analamerana and its baobab forest. The reserve is the last refuge of the black Perrier’s sifaka. So, who was this Perrier who gave his name to the trees and lemurs? He was the naturalist Joseph Marie Henry Alfred Perrier de la Bâthie, who made many trips to Madagascar. We’ll have a picnic together on the idyllic beach of Ampondrafeta.
On your itinerary - Private trip to the Tsingy Rouge. It was the rapid erosion of laterite deposits along the banks of the Irodo River that exposed the pink sandstone needles that form the tsingy. This draped and pinnacled landscape is one of the most remarkable in existence.
After the visit, we’ll drive to Andrafiamena. Settle in for two nights in an eco-lodge that has been recognised by the British Guild of Travel Writers - that’s no mean feat! The wooden bungalows stand on a slope. Each balcony offers views over the dense forest of the protected area and the deep mountain backdrop. Here, nature has a special presence. No doubt because it is respected. The construction and decoration were carried out using techniques and materials from the region. Local artisans were involved in the project. At the top of the estate, the restaurant also opens onto the great outdoors. It serves contemporary Malagasy cuisine, a local taste with a global mindset.
Planned for the evening - The dry forest of Andrafiamena at night. This ecosystem is home to a large number of endemic plant species. Not to mention some remarkable animals. A nighttime walk with a private guide increases your odds of spotting a fork-marked lemur, an itty-bitty brown mouse lemur, a grey bamboo lemur or even an aye-aye. And with a bit of luck, you may even see a crowned lemur. Though mostly active during the day, they do enjoy the occasional supper under the stars.
Optional - The Antakarana of Anjahankely.
On your itinerary - Walking and swimming in the reserve. With a private nature guide, go on a hike along the small Ampantsona stream. Pools of water form naturally in the hollows of the rock. A Sanford’s lemur or a crowned lemur may watch as you pass by. You may be lucky enough to spot a fossa, Madagascar’s number one carnivore, but a highly elusive one. The ring-tailed vontsira (another member of the Eupleridae family, the Malagasy carnivores) are quite sociable, making them easier to spot. These are just a few examples from the rich array of wildlife. Along the way, we’ll stop at a natural pool for a delightful dip. When it comes to birds, the most common are the Souimanga sunbird, the Malagasy bulbul and the black parrot. You may also spot a Malagasy turtle dove, a black egret or the striking African openbill.
Drive to western Ankarana. Settle in for two nights on the right bank of the Mahavavy River, on the shore of a lake with a majestic tsingy massif guarding the opposite bank. Your hotel is made up of several small houses inspired by traditional Malagasy architecture: wooden pillars, laterite walls and palm thatched roofs. The rooms open onto the starry sky. Here, you can escape the stresses of modern life - phone notifications, adverts, jingles and all other technology-induced distractions. You can breathe at a natural pace. However, this in no way means you have to sacrifice comfort. On the contrary, the aim of this house is to demonstrate that a requirement like this is fully compatible with environmental considerations. In short, these cabins are perfect for group stays.
On your itinerary - A pirogue trip round the base of the tsingy. Set off with a private pirogue guide. The hour-long trip round the lake takes us close to the needle-like massif. The atmosphere is calm and serene. The light causes the rock to shift in colour. Which gives the impression of a large sheet of mineral velvet.
Scheduled - The Tsingy and the Chameleon cave. With their sharp and maze-like formations, the Grey Tsingy are far from a restful environment. The hike requires good physical condition. With a private guide,you follow a trail equipped with ladders, footbridges and handrails (without which progress would be quite challenging). This safe, active itinerary links breathtaking viewpoints with chambers carved out by underground rivers. You will use binoculars at the top and headlamps at the bottom. Along the way, you'll observe the cliff-dwelling flora and fauna that have colonised this fragmented world.
Optional - - By bike.
Optional - Visit of a cocoa plantation in Ambanja.
Transfer to Ankify, where you'll leave your driver. Crossing to Nosy Be. Private transfer and three nights' stay at Befotaka Bay. You have your own beach-front villa. Three ways to swim: the private pool - splash; , the large pool at the property - splash splash and the sea splash splash splash. Like the rest of the hotel, your room blends Malagasy character with an international beach resort feel. The result is stylish and effortlessly cool. The fully equipped kitchen gives you complete independence, while the restaurant, serving international seafood dishes, offers tempting alternatives.. Water activities begin right at your doorstep and can lead you out to sea, whether with just a mask and snorkel or with tanks and a regulator. After a day of adventure, or relaxation, a soothing massage is always well deserved. Bicycle hire is available for getting around on land.
You can take full advantage of the hotel’s many amenities and enjoy a stylish seaside stay on the Mozambique Channel. However, Nosy Be also other strengths as well. Ylang-ylang plantations have replaced sugar cane as the island's main crop. The perfume industry highly values these flowers. Kapok, tamarind, camphor, casuarina, jackfruit, rosewood, pepper, coffee - these trees and shrubs found on the island paint a lush tropical portrait full of beauty and resilience. Their presence perfectly complements the island’s harmonious geology. To the south-east, Lokobe National Park preserves one of the last remnants of coastal primeval forest, home to the black lemur, whose distinctive sideburns mend it the air of a 19th-century gentleman. It is the star of the reserve and is active by day. A great opportunity for travellers!
En option Nosy Sakatia, Orchid Island.
Scheduled - In search of humpback whales or whale-sharks . From July to September, humpback whales care for their young in the warm waters off Nosy Be. It's a great opportunity to observe them, with the necessary discretion and an expert guide. Research and observation take place on board small, specially outfitted boats, each carrying around a dozen people. The cetaceans are not particularly shy and even display a certain curiosity towards whatever approaches them. You can see them up close, appreciate their size and grace, and take away an unforgettable memory of a mother and her calf. From October to December, whale shark, these colossal fish,can be approached with nothing more than a snorkel and mask. The experience will be sure to amaze you! The afternoon, meanwhile, is devoted to relaxation and the colourful world of reef fish.
Private transfer to the airport and flight home. Night on board, arrival the next day.
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