Day One:Arrive at 'Tana airport and transfer with our driver to your hotel. Depending on the time of day you can possibly do a quick tour of the city, taking in the Queens Palace, the market and to absorb the atmosphere that is unique to Tana.

Overnight at one of our hotels: Country View, La Pavillon or
IC Hotel.

Day Two:Your driver will collect you after breakfast and drive you out of the city and onto the RN2. Observe daily life as you drive past rice fields, hotels and fruit stalls. You should arrive at Andasibe around lunchtime so we suggest you check in at Vakona Forest Lodge, have a meal, and spend the afternoon enjoying their private park or Lemur Island. There is also horse riding available to those that can.

Overnight at Vakona Forest Lodge

Day Three:Depending on your fitness levels you can take on a full day's hike of the Andasibe Reserve or just a half a day. You will certainly see (and hear) the Indri as well as Diademed Sifakas, grey bamboo lemurs, common brown and black-and-white ruffed lemurs too. If you are VERY lucky you may see an Aye-Aye or Fossa but you will be VERY lucky!

Andasibe does not allow night walks but Vakona does in their private park. Another option is to visit Mitsinjo. This is a conservation area run by an NGO (Non Government Organisation) and is cheaper than Andasibe. It also offers night walks with guides. You can arrange with your driver to organise it for you.

Overnight at Vakona Forest Lodge

Day Four:On the road again and a real windy road it is too. Down and around hairpin bends until you turn off the main road onto a rough track to a "town" called Manambato. Here you will be met by a boat transfer to take you onto the Pangalanes Lake system. It's about an hour to an hour and a half trip (but very beautiful) to your next stop. Admire the fish traps and listen to the wild ocean crashing against Madagascar's east coast on the other side of the dunes. Your next port of call is La Palmarium
You overnight here.

Day Five:After breakfast and getting to know the resident lemurs (all sorts) take a guided walk through the Palmarium Reserve. There are many species of lemur here and we were amazed to find them happily cohabiting. We saw no less than 8 species during our hour long walk so anyone with more time will be well rewarded.

After lunch take a pirogue to the beach or to a local fishing village - there is also a peculiar "Pitcher Plant" to be found nearby. It's carnivorous and traps insects for its meals!
Overnight at La Palmarium

Day Six:Leave after breakfast by speedboat and head north up towards the largest of Madagascar's ports: Tamatave. This is a bustling town with loads of character. This could be the last day of your tour and you will overnight here at the Neptune Hotel before returning home via Tana.

I suggest you do this anyway - and dine at the wonderful L'Bateau Ivre just down the road; BUT as you have come all this way - I also suggest you spend a further week enjoying the beaches and warm waters of either Île aux Nattes (La Petite Traversee OR The Beach House), a small island off the east coast, or just an hour and a half north of Tamatave at Mahambo (La Pirogue).

As always we can tailor make your itinerary to suit your interests, time and pocket.

"The diversity of the flora on Santa Maria and Ille Aux Nattes has to be seen to be believed. The huge plantations of Ravenala Madagascariensis are amazing. They are the symbol of the national airline and also used for most of the thatching on the islands. On Ille Aux Nattes you can see the endemic queen of Madagascar orchid Eulophiella roemplerina. You can see the liana orchid Vanilla Planifolia growing wild and buy all the pods you need. Then treat yourself to a handmade inlaid box to store them in. Find the cymbidiums - one that grows on the Rhapis palm and the other growing on the staghorn fern (platycerium madagascariense). There are loads of other epiphytes all growing wild. Madagascar is home to over 1,000 known species of orchids of which 90% are not found anywhere else. You will also see many types of euphorbia, pachypodiums, dypsis, ravenea as well as hedges of crotons which are planted as bare sticks and then grow into luxuriant hedges. The palms are delightful and coconuts abound. You will also see the cycas thouarsii in most gardens as well as many raffia palms."
Morag Flight, Zimbabwe - October 2009

"I have to compliment you greatly on the level of professionalism and efficiency displayed. Throughout our trip it was so evident that you had done your utmost to think of everything. There are not many companies who can honestly say they have mastered this art! This was truly the most wonderful holiday we have ever had. Thank you again, you are all very special people."
Sharlene Van der Slikke - August 2009

Map of the East