MADAGASCAR 18 aug to 3 sept
ANTANANARIVO
Our Madagascar tour starts in the capital Antananarivo and we are travelling to the south, west and east of the country.
Our hotel here is cute and quirky with lots of lovley art work on the walls. Very comfortable rooms. Great breakfast.
We decided to go on a short guided tour around the city in the afternoon to get an idea of its size and layout.
BERENTY RESERVE
We flew from Antanarivo to Tolanaro (Fort Dauphin) in the South of Madagascar. One night in a hotel and then we set off for the Berenty Reserve which is approximately 80kms west of the town. We have 2 nights staying inside the reserve.
Before heading out of town, we called in to the office of the fabulous tour company that has helped organise our Madagascar itinerary. Dadamanga is owed by an Aussie guy who came to Madagascar about 40 years ago and fell in love with the country. He and his team have been fabulous with helping us achieve a tour that covers all of our main requirements of seeing fauna and flora. We called in the their office and brought them a bag of "Aussie" goodies including the quintessential Vegemite (which Brett tells us is like liquid gold to him!) Unfortunately Brett wasn't in the office but we met his team and they presented us with company shirts to say thank you for the gifts!
Berenty Reserve is a private wildlife reserve in Southern Madagascar, focused on lemur research. It comprises diverse habitats and is home to six lemur species including the ring-tailed and Verraux sifaka. It is known for being one of the best spots to view these confident and habituated lemurs at close range.
KIRINDY RESERVE
We then fly back to Tana and next day fly west to Morondava. From there we head north about 60kms to Kirindy. The area here is known for its majestic baobab trees and it also hosts a unique biodiversity such as the Fosa, Madagascar's largest carnivore (Cryptoprocta ferox), the Sifaka lemur (Propithecus verreauxi), the giant jumping rat (Hypogeomys antimena), terrestrial tortoises (Pyxis planicauda), the striped mongoose (Mungotictis decemlineata decemlineata), Berthe's mouse lemur (Microcebus berthae), and _ species of lemurs (2 diurnal, and 6 nocturnal).
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ANTSIRABE
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From Morondava we begin our drive towards the east of the island. It's a long slow drive as the roads in Madagascar are very pot-holed!
The drive east is a scenic journey that traverses a variety of landscapes, from dry, arid areas to lush, highland terrain.
Stopping overnight half-way, next day we reach Antsirabe, a chaotic, highland city which is a jumble of rickshaws, beggars and some of the best crafts in Madagascar. Many of Antsirabe’s buildings date back to French colonial times.
ANDASIBE
PALMARIUM RESERVE
Our next stop is on the east coast of Madagascar - the Palmarium Reserve. To reach here, we drive to the coast and then catch a small ferry to the reserve.
The isolation of the reserve means it is one of the few places in Madagascar where it is possible to come close to some of the least timid, free-ranging and tame lemur species on the island, including the largest lemurs, the Indri. The area is also home to the emblem of Madagasacar, the Ravinala, as well as frogs, reptiles, orchids, palm trees and the carnivorous pitcher plant.
We are also hoping to see a rare and endangered lemur species - the world’s largest and weirdest nocturnal primate, the Aye-aye. It has the face of a possum, teeth of a mouse, ears of a bat and very strange middle finger!