INDRI-INDRI AND BIRDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Upon your arrival our team will welcome you at the airport. Transfer to your hotel and have a coffee with us, when our primatologue guide will explain in details all the itinerary. Please note that the arrival is usually late in the evening. The proximity of the place allows you to save sleeping time to be fit the next day.

Breakfast Dinner Hotel

Our journey begins in the capital with a visit to Tsarasaotra Park, a private wetland refuge where we will take you to observe congregating waterbirds like the Madagascar Pond Heron, Meller’s Duck, and the Malagasy Kingfisher. After a morning of lakeside birding, you will begin the drive east on RN2 toward the rainforests of Andasibe. This journey covers approximately 145 km and typically takes 4 to 5 hours due to the winding nature of the highland roads. In the evening, we will walk in the VOIMMA community reserves to look for the Madagascar Nightjar and various nocturnal lemurs, red-breasted Coua, Collared Nightjar and Crested Coua. Before dinner, we will take a guided night walk to look for Long-eared Owl, Madagascar Scops Owl, Goodman's Mouse Lemur, Pygmy Lemur, Red Fody and Eastern Woolly Lemur. Various species of chameleon and tree frog. Night walks in the rainforest are possible from the lodge.

Breakfast Dinner Hotel

This day is dedicated to the lush, humid forests of the Andasibe region. After breakfast we will head towards Analamazaotra National Park for bird watching. You will start early in Analamazaotra National Park to hear the haunting calls of the Indri-indri and search for the Madagascar Cuckoo-roller and Blue Vanga. Later, you will travel a short 15 km distance to the Maromizaha Reserve, a high-altitude rainforest corridor. This site is a hotspot for exclusive specialities such as the Nuthatch Vanga, Velvet Asity, and the rufous-headed ground-roller. The dense canopy here requires patience but offers some of the highest bird diversity in the region.

Breakfast Dinner Hotel

The morning is spent exploring the rugged terrain of Mantadia National Park located about 20 km north of Andasibe on a rough track. This primary forest is the premier location for spotting the Big Three ground-rollers: the Scaly Pitta-like and diadem lemur and many other reptiles. Following the morning session, we will drive 125 km (about 3.5 hours) further east to the village of Manambato. From there, a speedboat will take you across the Rasoabe Lake and along the Pangalanes Canal for about 1.5 hours to reach the Palmarium Reserve.

Breakfast Dinner Hotel

Palmarium Spend the day immersed in the littoral (coastal) forest and lake margins of Palmarium. The bird life here differs significantly from the inland rainforests, offering sightings of the Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher, Madagascar Harrier-hawk, and Madagascar Green Sunbird. You can explore the reserve’s trails on foot or take a boat along the Pangalanes Canal to look for Madagascar Fish Eagles and various herons. As dusk falls, you may visit a nearby islet to observe the rare Aye-aye lemur, often accompanied by the sightings of Madagascar Nightjars.

Breakfast Dinner Hotel

The final day involves a long return journey to the capital, covering a total distance of approximately 260 km. After the morning boat transfer back to the mainland and a drive toward the highlands. Then, we will stop at the Mantasoa Reserve. This area features a man-made lake and a mix of pine and indigenous forest, providing a different ecological niche where you can spot the Madagascar Wagtail and Malagasy Kestrel. After this final birding break, we will complete the remaining drive back to Tana, arriving in the late afternoon directly to the airport fro your International flight back.

Breakfast Dinner Hotel