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Madagascar Tours
Travel To Madagascar
The Eden of the Indian Ocean
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Where?
Antananarivo – Miandrivazo – Tsirihibina River Cruise – The Small Tsingy – Kirindy Forest – Baobab Valley – Morondava – Tana
When?
This tour can be arranged privately on any dates.
We have three group Madagascar Tours in June, August, September.
Visa?
Citizens of as good as any country may obtain a visa on arrival.
Group Madagascar Tours 2025/2026
Madagascar Tour - Sample Itinerary
Day 1 - Antananarivo
- Today’s more of an arrival day so arrive at your convenience in the capital city Antananarivo – Tana.
- Airport transfer to our hotel.
- Join a city tour and discover the city’s highlights before we come together as a group for dinner.
- Short brief on Madagascar.
- Overnight in San Cristobal Hotel Antananarivo.
Day 2 - Antananarivo | Antsirabe
- Enjoy breakfast before we prepare ourselves for a day full of travels.
- We have decided to split a long drive into two separate days, as we rather travel for around six hours twice than twelve at once.
- Before arriving in Antsirabe, we will visit an aluminium factory. Learn more about the country’s economy.
- We continue our drive towards Antisrabe until we arrive there.
- Enjoy some free time, have dinner, have a good night’s sleep and charge your devices and batteries for the upcoming days!
- Overnight in Hotel Le Royal Palace, Antsirabe.
Day 3 - Antsirabe | Miandrivazo
- After breakfast, we depart for Miandrivazo. Though a small town, it’s a pivotal stop on our journey!
- As said, today also involves lots of driving. We do however stop at the stunning Crater Lakes of Tritriva, Andraikiba. Those who wish can go for a freshwater swim to cool off in the warm temperature of Madagascar’s subtropical climate.
- We expect to arrive in Miandrivazo in the afternoon.
- Freshen up at the hotel before going for dinner.
- After dinner, we will have a group briefing regarding one of the tour’s highlights: a three-day cruise down on the Tsiribihina River.
- Enjoy a night of sleep at Hotel Soa Lia in Miandrivazo before we spend the upcoming days camping on the river banks.
Day 4 - Miandrivazo | Tsiribihina River Cruise
- We’ll start the day with a suitable breakfast as we hit the road for a 35-kilometre drive to Masiakampy – the starting point of our river cruise!
- We will spend the upcoming days on the Tsiribihina River – located on Madagascar’s West Coast, it has been an important waterway for transportation and trade for the local Malagasy people, connecting inland communities with coastal regions, exchanging goods like rice, tobacco, and cattle. The name “Tsiribihina” means “where one cannot dive”, due to its deepness.
- Expect to see loads of scenic beauty, such as waterfalls & mangroves, and wildlife on the river, such as lemurs & crocodiles.
- Our local guides will sail us around on small canoe-like boats, called pirogue. These boats are convenient in the more narrow streamlets and move more soundlessly, ensuring wildlife won’t be scared away.
- During the day, we will stop at various places, such as hidden waterfalls and small villages to meet the local people.
- Enjoy lunch at the Anosin’ Ampela waterfall, a sacred place due to its mythical significance in the folklore. Its remoteness makes it the perfect place to connect even more with Mother Nature.
- Carrying on the Tsiribihina River until the afternoon, when we set up camp on the riverbank – create a campfire, enjoy a hot plate, and heat some marshmallows before we hit the sheets!
Day 5 - Tsiribihina River Cruise
- Good morning from a night of sleep in the tents! We will prepare some Malagsy breakfast before we carry-on with our river cruise.
- Today marks the second day on the river, and it is all about wildlife spotting! Those who love photography should be ready today, as we are expecting to sail through stunning gorges. Watch out for herds of zebus crossing the river, and
flashes of colour as you look for bee-eaters, herons, and egrets in this bird lovers’ paradise. - Occassionally, we’ll stop for some short treks on the riverbanks again. There will be plentiful photo ops to spot wild lemurs and fascinating nature.
- We’ll have lunch on the riverbanks and continue our journey through the river.
- In the afternoon, we’ll pull over at a scenic spot to set up camp for the night. Once the tents are up, it’s time to light the campfire, where we enjoy some dinner.
- Our guides will invite some nearby locals to join us, sharing their Malagasy music and leading us in an evening of traditional culture, showing us their dances.
Day 6 - Tsirihibina River Cruise | Belo Sur Tsirihibina
- Help our guides break down our campsite before continuing our final part of the river cruise.
- Take your final shots with your camera, as we have to say goodbye to the river today.
- Our final stop is Antsiraraka, the place where we get off the pirogues. We kindly ask you to give some small tips to the sailors who have been cruising us around for the past few days.
- We’ll get picked up by cars and driven to our next location – Belo Sur – a small village, located closer to our next stop: The Tsingy of Bemaraha.
- Check-in to your hotel room and go around the village for wandering, and meet some of the locals.
- Dinner and overnight in Hotel – Restaurant du Menabe.
Day 7 - Belo Sur Tsirihibina | Bekopaka
- Enjoy the breakfast in our hotel, because today we will drive for some hours until we arrive in Bekopaka, our final stop before we can finally explore Madagascar’s highlight – The Small Tsingy.
- We pass various villages and get in touch with some of the local communities living in these rural areas. There will be a stop near the baobabs trees, which will provide a great angle for photographers!
- We’ll pass another river, the Manambolo River, by ferries. This river is already part of the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, one of Madagascar’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- We expect to arrive in Bekopaka in the afternoon. There is a time to go for a swim or relax a little, tomorrow is a big day, as it includes visiting the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park – expect some trekking.
- Have dinner before bed, please do not forget to charge your batteries and powerbanks, because you will get loads of photo ops tomorrow!
Day 8 - Mananbolo River | The Small Tsingy
- Get ready for one of Madagascar’s most pristine places! Today will be an active day, so dress accordingly. We will spend time on the water and in steeper terrain.
- We start our journey with a short boat cruise in our beloved pirogues on the Manambolo River to visit ancestral burial sites of the Vazimba people, who are believed to be the first inhabitants of Madagascar, tucked into cliff caves, considered sacred by locals.
- It is not certain where the name Manambolo derives from, but it is believed that its roots in folklore are many centuries old. Expect to see towering cliffs over 100 metres high, limestone cliffs, lush forests and extraordinary biodiversity, such as lemurs, crocodiles, and diverse birdlife.
- Here, we can also discover caves with stalactite and stalagmite, different formations that hang from the ceilings of caves typically caused by minerals dripping from the cave.
- Afterwards, we get off our pirogues and get ready for some trekking in The Small Tsingy!
- The site is famously home to jagged, pointed limestone formations, hence the reason to “walk on tiptoes”. While there are some areas of the park open, there is a large portion of it that has remained relatively impenetrable.
- We will spend some hours here and explore the stunning nature this part of the world has to offer – get your cameras ready!
- We’ll return to Hotel Olympe de Bemaraha in Bekopaka for dinner and overnight there.
Day 9 - Bekopaka | Kirindy Forest
- Today, we’ll drive southwards again. Make sure you eat some breakfast for the road ahead of you. There will be some stops on the way to stretch the legs and visit some villages, but nothing major.
- Arrive in the afternoon, check into your hotel room and get ready for an evening & night walk in the Kirindy Forest.
- Kirindy Forest is one of the best places to see unique wildlife, especially during nighttime. Expect to see various species, such as the iconic Madagascar giant jumping rat (a rare and endangered species), various lemurs, the fossa (Madascar’s puma) and many other animal species, including those endemic to Madagascar!
- Dinner and Overnight at Hotel Relais du Kirindy.
Day 10 - Kirindy Reserve Park | Avenue of the Baobabs | Morondava
- Have breakfast before we embark on a day full of various activities, including the highlight of our Madagascar tour: Avenue of the Baobabs during sunset!
- We’ll kick off the day with a visit to Kirindy Reserve Park, which is privately owned by Centre de Formation Professionnelle Forestière (CFPF), a Swiss company focused on sustainable forest management & conservation, which attracts researchers from around the world who study its biodiversity, ecological systems, and sustainable forestry practices.
- In the forest, there are many opportunities to spot (rare) wildlife and unique flora, from lemurs to birds, to chameleons and geckos, as well as various species of baobab trees.
- We’ll enjoy a lunch and hit the road to Morondava, from where we carry on to the Avenue of the Baobabs.
- Avenue of the Baobabs is probably the best place to see the rare, endemic baobab trees in Madagascar, and this particular location offers the best site for it. We’ll make sure to be there during sunset, so you can take the best pictures!
- Drive back to Morondava in the evening and check into your room before having dinner at Hotel Baobab Café Morondava. We’ll overnight here as well.
Day 11 - Morondava | Betania Island | Leisure Time
- Today is our final day of activities in Madagascar, although mainly leisurely.
- For those who wish to join us, it’s possible to visit Betania Island, which was established after a canal was dug out of the mainland. In our familiar pirogues, we then explore Canal Hellot. Enjoy the stunning mangroves surrounding you and greet the locals who are either transporting their day’s catches or repairing their pirogues.
- On Betania Island, there is a great opportunity to meet the local people, mostly fishermen, where you get to know their livelihood. If we are luck, we might get to see the inside of one of their mud-built huts. On the very West Coast of the island, we can see the Mozambique Channel. Good luck spotting the lands on the other side of the water!
- We then travel back to the hotel, where we meet those who prefer to stay, at the beaches. The coastline is rather stunning and offers great views, with serene beaches. Enjoy your leisure time.
- Dinner and Overnight at the Hotel Baobab Café Morondava.
Day 12 - Departure | Flight Morondava to Tana
- Enjoy your final breakfast in Madagascar before a transfer to the airport.
- Most likely, we will have a little bit of time left – those who wish for it can spend their last hours enjoying the beaches!
- Fly from Morondava back to the capital city Antananarivo.
- End of Madagascar tour.
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What else?
Saudi Arabia Tours - FAQs
Most frequent questions and answers for our tours to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is generally considered safe for tourists. The government has invested heavily in security and tourism infrastructure. Being aware of and respecting local customs and traditions is important. We research the security of our destinations highly and safety is a priority, however we also advise you to do your own research as well to ensure you are comfortable with your trip.
The best time to visit is in the Spring and Autumn when the temperatures are comfortable. It is also advisable to travel outside of the Ramadan period, as sites and restaurants might be closed.
There are direct flights from most big airports, such as London, Dubai and New York to and from both Riyadh and Jeddah.
In Saudi Arabia one pays with the national currency Saudi Riyals.
ATMs are widely available in urban areas but in the smaller, more remote towns it is advised to bring cash.
The group size is no more than 12 travellers.
A standard hotel twin share room is included. You can upgrade to a single room if you wish.
Not at all! We can cater to all diets.
Travel insurance is a must. We have teamed up with IATI Travel Insurance because they provide cover for all our destinations. You’ll also automatically receive a 5% discount with them as a Rocky Road Travel customer.
