South and Morondava Package - 15 Days

Private Lodge tour to the South and West of Madagascar - 14 Nights / 15 Days

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Tour code: MSMI

Note: The accommodation specified in the itinerary is a guide only and is subject to availability. Alternatives will be nearby and of a similar standard.

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Included
Accommodation based on a BED & BREAKFAST basis in twin sharing room at midrange hotels, all transfers and transport mentioned in the program, an English-speaking driver*, specialist guides in the national parks as per program, all excursions mentioned in the program, all entrance fees. An ENGLISH guide is included in the 6 client + rate.

*Please note that Malagasy drivers speak basic English and have general knowledge of history, culture and the fauna & flora in Madagascar. A supplement is payable should you require a specialist guide to accompany you on tour.

Excluded
English-speaking guide, all excursions not mentioned in the program, bottled water, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, laundry, international flights, domestic flights from Tulear to Morondava, and from Morondava to Antananarivo, visas and travel insurance, all lunches, dinners, personal items. (Flights from/to Johannesburg can be arranged by Eyes on Africa).

Pre and Post Tour Arrangements
Pre and post tour accommodation and transfers can be arranged on request.

Departure
When arriving in Antananarivo in the morning of Day 1 of the tour you will be picked up from the airport and embark on your tour. Should you arrive prior to day 1, pre tour accommodation can be arranged and you will be picked up from your hotel on the morning of day 1. (Pick up time will be confirmed on arrival).

Transport
Transport will depend on the size of the group;

A small car for 2 - 3 pax
A minivan for 4 - 6 - 8 pax
A bus for 10 pax or more
A 4WD vehicle is provided for the day excursion to Kirindy reserve as well as the excursion to Grands Tsingy.

Accommodation
Accommodation will be in basic Hotels. Please note that Madagascar is a country which is in its infancy when it comes to tourism. Accommodation is limited therefore all the above mentioned accommodations are subject to availability and we reserve the right to change these using similar accommodation of the same or higher standards. The hotels used are simple, clean and of a basic – mid-range standard, with bathrooms en-suite.

Visa's
A visa is required to enter the territory of Madagascar: Tourists staying in Madagascar for less than 90 days will be able to receive a free visa upon arrival. Please check if your passport is still valid (at least 6 months before expiry date). You can easily obtain a visa at the airport of Antananarivo. Please note that, to get a visa at the airport, you do not need to bring photographs.

Gratuities
If you feel you have been looked after well by your crew or guides, and you wish to show your appreciation for their services, a monetary tip is very welcomed by those in Madagascar. Here follows some suggested guidelines:
• Around EUR 4 per person, per day (10,000 Ariary) for a guide or a guide/driver.
• Around EUR 2 (5,000 Ariary) for a park guide, depending on your satisfaction.
• Around 5% of the bill at a restaurant
• 200 Ariary per bag for a porter.

As Euro coins cannot be changed into local money in Madagascar, it is advisable to tip in Ariary. We would ask that you please reserve your generosity for tipping for services only, and not providing free handouts to children or adults, as this encourages begging.

Information on Areas Visited
MADAGASCAR
Madagascar is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. Madagascar is the 4th largest island in the world. It is the home of five percent of the world's plant and animal species, 80 per cent of them unique to Madagascar. Most famous among those are the lemurs. Madagascar and Mauritania are the only countries not to use a decimal currency. Its teeming fertile forests and geographical isolation have served to preserve and propagate 'nature's design laboratory' in a mix found nowhere else on earth. Madagascar's forests are a shimmering, seething mass of a trillion stems and dripping leaves.

Antananarivo
Antananarivo, better known in the short version Tana, is the bustling capital of Madagascar with about 2,000,000 inhabitants. Situated in the high plateau, the city was founded in 1610 by a Malagasy King. To protect the newly gained territory he left 1000 men behind and that's how Antananarivo got its name (town of 1000). It has developed to a quite interesting city with a lot of contrasts. Thus that Tana habits the country's major international airport, most visitors will find themselves at least passing through the city. But you should spend some days here and explore the city, visit the market places and Roya. Roya is a palace and one of the main features of Tana. It is built on the highest hill and can be seen from for tens of kilometers in any direction.

Ranomafana
Ranomafana National Park was created in 1991, after the golden bamboo lemur was discovered there in 1986. Located 445 kilometres south of Antananarivo and 65 kilometres east of Fianarantsoa, this beautiful reserve protects a humid rainforest that is teeming with a vast array of wildlife. In addition to the golden bamboo lumur, other lemur species include the greater bamboo lemur, the red-bellied lemur, the grey bamboo lemur, Milne-Edwards sifaka, the red fronted brown lemur, the sportive lemur, the black-and-white ruffed lemur, the greater dwarf lemur, and the brown mouse lemur. Ranomafana also hosts the fanaloka, the eastern ring-tailed mongoose, the red forest rat, the eastern avahi, and ring-tailed mongoose. Present but hard to see are fosa and the aquatic tenrec.

Many reptile and frog species can be found at Ranomafana, including Parson's chameleon, Madagascar tree boa, three leaf-tailed geckos, the day gecko Phelsuma quadriocellata (common) and numerous frogs. The National Park of Ranomafana is arguably the best Malagasy rainforest for birding, hosting blue coua, red-fronted coua, Pollen's vanga, Tylas, velvet asity, sunbird asity, pitta-like ground roller, scaly ground roller, short-legged ground roller, rufous-headed gound roller, brown mesite, Henst's goshawk, Madagascar flufftail, slender-billed flufftail, forest rock-thrush, collared nightjar, common jery, green jery.

Parc National de Isalo
This park was established in 1962 and covers 81,540 hectares of a wildly eroded sandstone massif. The grassy plains are surrounded by sandstone ridges sculpted into wild forms, and secluded in the rocks are many Sakalava Tombs. The Canyon des Singes ('Canyon of Monkeys') makes for an interesting day walk, and you'll have a good chance of seeing sifakas (a common lemur) leaping through the trees.

You can also walk along the canyon to the Piscine Naturelle - a hot and thirsty walk but worth it for the breathtaking landscape along the way. The Grotte des Portugais is at the northern end of the park. The cave isn't worth seeing, but the surrounding Forêt de Sahanafa is beautiful, with natural springs and a lot of lemurs. The Isalo is about 400km south-west of Tana, and the nearest town is Ranohira.

Toliara (Tuléar)
Toliara, which came into existence in 1895 and is also known as Tuléar, is Madagascar's most recently established provincial capital. It is a regionally significant port and southwestern

Madagascar's major town
Most commerce in the area is controlled by Indo-Pakistani traders who bore the brunt of Malagasy violence in 1987 rioting. On one street, a Chinese store escaped untouched to continue business while the Indian premises on either side, along with most of the central area, were gutted.

Apart from several interesting churches, most of Toliar's remaining buildings are fairly nondescript, as is its setting against a backdrop of mangroves and mudflats. The surrounding area, however, offers numerous attractions including good beaches, diving and snorkelling, surfing, kite surfing and wild surfing at Ifaty to the north and Anakao to the south; intriguing topography; interesting flora and fauna; and remote villages. In addition to the beach at Ifaty, popular travel destinations nearby include Sarondrano, Miary, Lake Tsimanampetsotsa and the Réserve Spéciale de Beza-Mahafaly. The Tropic of Capricorn crosses Madagascar just south of Toliara.

Morondava
Morondava is a vibrant west coast town, well known for its seaside resort, laid-back atmosphere, and for being the centre of the Sakalava kingdom. Not only is it a prosperous rice-growing area, but it is also the southern gateway to the attractions of the west, such as the Kirindy forest, and the famous baobabs.

Kirindy Forest
Kirindy Reserve is a tropical, dry deciduous forest which lies 60 km north of Morondava on the west coast, and covers approximately 10,000ha. The reserve claims a world record for primate density, and also comprises of one of the most threatened wildlife habitats in Madagascar – the dry deciduous forest, which has been reduced to just 3% of its original coverage. The reserve is topped with a forest canopy which has grown to a height of 14 meters, and is also dominated by baobab trees.

Of the 7 lemur species found in Kirindy Reserve, the most common are the fluffy Verreaux's sifakas (affectionately termed as "Dancing lemurs" for the amusing way they skip from side to side on the ground), and also the common brown lemur. Kirindy reserve is one of the few places where you can see the world's smallest known primate, the giant jumping rat, and is also the best place to observe fossas, especially during the mating season of October to December. There are also 45 bird species and 32 reptile species, including the rare Madagascan flattailed tortoise, the side-necked turtle, Madagascar's only freshwater turtle, and numerous chameleons.

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