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THE SOUTH : the "Wild West" of Madagascar
15 days and 14 nights
The tours can be modified according to your wishes.
Day 1 : Arrival in Antananarivo :
On your arrival in the capital, you are welcomed by Canal Tours and brought to your hotel.
Day 2 : Antananarivo – Antsirabe :
Departure for Antsirabe or « the Water City ».
On your way, you'll have the opportunity to visit traditional workshops in Ambatolampy producing the cooking pots of Madagascar, made of old car cylinder heads and old gearboxes. You can also visit the nature museum "La Cigale et la Mygale" ("The Cicada and the Tarantula") where over 6,000 insects from the whole world are on exhibit. Your entry fee will help young local students attend school.
Arrival in Antsirabe in the afternoon. Guided tour of the city - a well-known spa with mineral springs - and the volcanic lake of Tritriva with its mysterious history and legends (among others, the Malagasy version of Romeo and Juliet...).
Day 3 : Antsirabe – Ambositra :
Continuation of our way to Ambositra, famous for its handmade artisanry, especially made of palisander wood. This is the handicraft capital of Madagascar. You will also have the chance to visit a workshop for sculptures and intarsia owned by one of the greatest sculptors of the region.
Day 4 : Ambositra – Fianarantsoa :
On our way to Fianarantsoa, "where one learns well" - a name reflecting the great tradition of education in this city. This is a city founded in 1830 which somewhat resembles Antananarivo - causing the inhabitants of the capital to nickname it "which imitates well".
The tour of the city will allow you to discover its rich history.
Day 5 : Fianarantsoa – Manakara by train :
In the early morning, departure for Manakara on the "little cliff line train" joining the central high plateau and the coastal plains of the South-East, surrounded by luxuriant vegetation, passing through villages animated by fruit and spice traders... An unforgettable experience.
Arrival in Manakara in the late afternoon.
Day 6 : Manakara and the Pangalanes Canal:
Departure for a boat excursion on the Pangalanes Canal, a navigable waterway extending alongside the East Coast of Madagascar. It was dug and built by General Gallieni in 1896 to simplify transport of goods and to exercise administrative and military control over the entire region.
Visits to fishermen's villages on its banks will allow you to discover different aspects of the daily lives of the Malagasy people. A picnic lunch will be served aboard.
Day 7 : Manakara – Ranomafana :
Drive to Ranomafana, where one of the most visited national parks in Madagascar is situated, extending over a total surface area of 101,000 acres. The park is home to a great diversity of fauna and flora unique in the world. There are 114 bird species, 12 lemurs species and numerous forest orchids. And as for nocturnal visits - with some luck you'll be able to spot the largest carnivore in Madagascar, the fossa.
After your visit to the park - jump into the hot springs to relax!
Day 8 : Ranomafana – Ambalavao :
Continuation of our way to Ambalavao: this small town marks the end of the Malagasy Highlands and announces the southern part of the island. It is famous for the second-biggest cattle market of Madagascar, for its vineyards, and for the handmade Antemoro paper. The workshops where it is manufactured await your visit.
Day 9 : Ambalavao – Ranohira – Isalo :
Southwards - reaching Ranohira to discover the great and famous Isalo National Park, an immense mountain massif extending over 200,000 acres with an altitude varying between 2,690 and 4,070 feet. This is one of the largest national parks in Madagascar. Created in 1962 in order to protect its rich wildlife and plant species of high scientific interest, the park is also known for its spectacular ruinifom escarpments, its canyons and its remains of historic human settlements.
Day 10 : Isalo :
A day dedicated to discovering the Isalo Park. Given the size of the park, several tours are offered : pedestrian tour with natural swimming pool, the Rat Canyon and the Monkey Canyon, the Cave of the Portuguese, the Namaza Canyon rich in terms of flora and fauna with possibility of swimming in the natural blue and white swimming pools. Of course you'll finish the day by contemplating the sunset at the famous Isalo Window rock formation.
Day 11 : Isalo – Toliara – Ifaty :
After this much physical activity, the beautiful beach of Ifaty is waiting for you. On your way there, you'll pass through Ilakaka, the sapphire town of Madagascar, and through the city of Toliara. You'll cross a typical landscape of Southern Madagascar, full of spiny plants, and you'll get a chance to discover the famous graves of the Mahafaly (one of the ethnic groups on the island). Arrival in Toliara in the afternoon, then transfer to the seaside resort of Ifaty.
Day 12 : Ifaty :
This day is your own to spend as you please - several aquatic and other activities are possible here.
Day 13 : Ifaty – Toliara – Antananarivo :
Transfer to Toliara airport and flight to Antananarivo.
Guided tour of the city. One of the most picturesque capital cities of the world, "Tanà" - as its inhabitants often call it - will tell you its many stories.
Day 14: Antananarivo :
Day to spend as you please and possibility of souvenir shopping on the handicrafts markets of Antananarivo.
Day 15: Return :
Transfer to the airport for your return flight.
End of tour.