This morning you will taken on a short tour of Antananarivo to see some of the local sights.  After this we depart eastward to Andasibe through the green landscape, the east of Madagascar is known for, and home to many primary forests and lakes. We stop in Moramanga for a short visit of the local market to get our first glimpse of some of the local Malagasy culture.

We will reach the Andasibe area in the late afternoon to check into Vakona Forest Lodge for a three night stay.

This morning we set off on a three – four hour guided hike into to Analamazaotra Reserve are of the Andasibe National Park. A montane forest offering the chance to spot a variety of lemurs, reptiles and birds. One of its most famous inhabitants is the Indri, the largest of lemur with a black and white teddy bear-like appearance. You hear the Indri before you see them and waking up to their songs of communication in the early hours of the morning with the mist still hugging the rainforest canopy is a unique experience. Best to leave early morning to be near the Indri when they make their distinctive morning group communication calls. Other lemurs which can be seen here are the diademed sifaka, red-bellied lemur, brown lemur, lesser bamboo lemur, with nocturnal lemurs – brown mouse lemur, greater dwarf lemur, eastern woolly lemur and sportive lemur.

After lunch and a rest, this afternoon we will visit the private park of Vakona, or the “islands of lemurs”,  the best spot to take pictures of the lemurs. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight rest.

After breakfast, we depart on a half day  or full day exploring Mantadia National Park. Mantadia offers a much more rugged experience with steeper trails, but exceptional rewards. In contrast to Andasibe, it comprises of virtually untouched primary forests with just a few constructed trails. Here you’ll have good chances of spotting the golden coloured Diademed sifaka as well as some Indri (who, for some reason are darker than their Andasibe relatives) and black and white ruffed lemurs. The park also has some excellent bird watching including chances of seeing the scaly ground-rollers, pitta like ground roller and the red-breasted coua. We recommend spending the whole day in the park and your lodge can arrange a pack lunch for you (at an additional cost).