12-Day Madagascar Grand Tour: Lemurs, Baobabs & Nosy Be

Arrive at Ivato International Airport. Transfer to your hotel in Antananarivo. Evening welcome briefing with your guide and dinner in the capital.

Drive east through the highlands to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Afternoon guided walk in the Réserve Spéciale d'Analamazaotra with the habituated Indri groups. The Indri's haunting territorial calls mark you out as being somewhere truly extraordinary. Night walk after dinner.

Pre-dawn walk for the Indri morning chorus before returning for breakfast and a transfer to Tana airport. Domestic flight to Morondava on Madagascar's west coast. Arrive by midday. Afternoon drive to the Avenue of the Baobabs: a 260-metre stretch of road flanked by towering Adansonia grandidieri baobabs, some over 800 years old. Spend the evening at the Avenue for sunset, when the low light transforms the trunks into columns of amber and gold.

Rise before dawn to return to the Avenue of the Baobabs for sunrise: a different palette of rose-pink and mist-grey that is just as extraordinary as the sunset. After breakfast, drive to Kirindy Forest Reserve: one of western Madagascar's best dry deciduous forests, home to the fossa (Madagascar's apex predator, a cat-like carnivore found only here), giant jumping rat, and five lemur species including Verreaux's sifaka.

Drive north from Morondava along the coastal track and cross the Tsiribihina River by pirogue ferry. The journey through the spiny forest and dry scrubland introduces the stark beauty of western Madagascar. Arrive at Belo sur Tsiribihina for an overnight stop.

Drive north to Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most extraordinary landscapes on Earth. The 'Tsingy' are razor-edged limestone karst formations: a cathedral of stone needles rising up to 70 metres, riddled with canyons, tunnels, and hanging bridges. The park shelters 11 lemur species, 103 bird species, and 45 reptile species, most of them endemic to Madagascar.

A full day exploring the Tsingy. Morning: the Grand Tsingy circuit, crossing suspended bridges above the limestone needles and descending into the chasms between them. The endemic Decken's sifaka and Deckens' sifaka can be seen leaping impossibly between the razor-edged formations. Afternoon: the Petit Tsingy, a more accessible route through the lower karst with excellent bird and reptile sightings.

Return to Morondava by road and take a domestic flight via Antananarivo to Nosy Be, Madagascar's premier island destination. Arrive at Fascene Airport and transfer to your beach hotel or boutique resort. First evening on the island: a sundowner watching the sun sink behind the volcanic silhouette of Nosy Komba.

A full day on and in the water around Nosy Be. Morning: guided snorkelling excursion to Nosy Tanikely Marine Reserve, where the coral is pristine and sea turtles, lionfish, and parrotfish are reliable sightings. Afternoon: optional whale shark encounter in the warm waters between Nosy Be and the mainland (seasonal, June–October), led by marine guides who operate under strict no-touch protocols.

Morning pirogue excursion to Nosy Komba, a small volcanic island with a habituated black lemur population that will climb onto your shoulders without encouragement. Village visit and a guided walk through ylang-ylang and vanilla plantations. Afternoon at leisure on Nosy Be's best beach. Optional: sunset dhow cruise.

A completely free day on the island. Options include: PADI scuba diving on the outer reef, deep-sea fishing, a half-day tour of Nosy Be's ylang-ylang and pepper plantations, or simply reading under a palm tree. Farewell dinner at a beachfront restaurant.

Transfer to Fascene Airport for your outbound flight via Antananarivo. End of Saringi Tours services.