Itinerary
- Day 1
Antananarivo
You'll touch down at Ivato airport in Antananarivo where visa processing happens right away. Your driver meets you there, then it's off to Bois Vert hotel near the airport. After your long flight, you can settle in and rest up before things get started.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Au Bois Vert )
Optional Activities
- Walk in the park to discover fauna and flora of Madagascar
- Visit Malagasy art and handcraft workshops
- Visit crocodile farm
- Explore model boats, tin soldiers, marquetry workshops and jewelry creation
- Day 2
Antananarivo to Nosy Sakatia
Following breakfast, you head to the airport for a domestic flight to Nosy Be. Once you land, there's a 20-minute boat crossing to reach Nosy Sakatia island. Check into Sakatia Lodge and get comfortable in this more secluded setting.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Sakatia Lodge )
Optional Activities
- Diving at various sites around the island
- Snorkeling
- Island visits and exploration
- Fishing excursions
- Excursions to Nosy Iranja, Nosy Antsoha, and Nosy Tanikely
Landmarks Nosy Sakatia - Days 3 - 4
Nosy Sakatia
This day and the next are yours to shape however you want on the island. Walk through sandy beaches, check out local plants and animals, hike to fishing villages, or wander through coffee, vanilla, and orchid fields. You can mix relaxation on the white sand with exploring as much or little as you feel like.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Breakfast, Dinner, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Sakatia Lodge )
Optional Activities
- Hiking and island exploration
- Beach walking
- Visit to fishing villages
- Explore coffee, vanilla and orchid fields
- Snorkeling in the house reef in front of the lodge
- Scuba diving at diving sites around the island
Landmarks Nosy Sakatia - Day 5
Nosy Sakatia
An early boat excursion with Rand'Eau takes you out to search for whale sharks and snorkel alongside these gentle creatures. Back on Nosy Sakatia, lunch happens at the lodge, then you snorkel again in the afternoon with sea turtles before heading to your room for the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch on Nosy Sakatia), Dinner
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Sakatia Lodge )
Included Activities
- Whale shark spotting and snorkeling excursion with specialized guide
- Snorkeling with sea turtles
Landmarks Nosy Sakatia - Day 6
Nosy Sakatia to Nosy Be
A boat brings you back to Nosy Be in the morning. From there, you visit Lokobe Community Reserve, where the last lowland rainforest in the area sits. You paddle through mangroves in dugout canoes and hike into the forest looking for wildlife you won't find anywhere else before returning to your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Local traditional lunch on the beach), Dinner
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Heure Bleue )
Included Activities
- Lokobe Community Reserve visit with local guide
- Hike in lowland rainforest (approximately 2.5 hours)
- Traditional lunch on the beach
Landmarks Lokobe Community Reserve - Days 7 - 9
Alefa Sailing Adventure
A traditional Sakalava boutre sailing trip takes off heading south along the coast, lasting three days total. You'll visit fishing villages, swim and snorkel on reefs, eat fresh seafood and local fruits, and sleep in basic tents under the stars. Days 7 and 8 involve camping while traveling, then on Day 9 you return to L'Heure Bleue.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Fresh seafood and local fruits), Breakfast (Fresh seafood and local fruits), Breakfast (Fresh seafood and local fruits), Lunch (Fresh seafood and local fruits), Lunch (Fresh seafood and local fruits), Lunch (Fresh seafood and local fruits), Dinner (Fresh seafood and local fruits), Dinner (Fresh seafood and local fruits), Dinner (Fresh seafood and local fruits)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Heure Bleue )
Included Activities
- Traditional Sakalava boutre sailing trip
- Swimming and snorkeling on reefs
- Visits to remote fishing villages
- Optional inland wildlife walks
- Optional hill climbing for scenic views
- Day 10
Nosy Be to Ankarana
A private motor boat leaves Nosy Be in the morning heading to Ankify. From there it's a 3.5-hour drive north to Ankarana and the famous Tsingy of the North. After settling in, an afternoon hike takes you to an impressive bat cave and through the surrounding dry deciduous forest.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation
- (Relais de l'Ankarana )
Included Activities
- Bat cave exploration
- Afternoon hike in dry deciduous forest
- Visit to the 'Lost River' gulf
Landmarks Ankarana National Park - Day 11
Ankarana to Joffreville
The east side of Ankarana gets a 5-hour hike through the Grey Tsingy where you search for lemurs, birds, reptiles, and insects. A picnic lunch breaks up the hike, then you continue north to see the Red Tsingy. After that, you drive to Joffreville and check into Nature Lodge near Amber Mountain National Park.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Picnic lunch), Dinner
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Nature Lodge )
Included Activities
- Grey Tsingy of Ankarana exploration with 5-hour hike
- Wildlife viewing (crowned and Sanford's brown lemurs, birds, reptiles, insects)
- Red Tsingy visit (2-2.5 hour walk by 4x4)
- Picnic lunch
Landmarks Ankarana National Park Red Tsingy - Day 12
Joffreville to Amber Mountain National Park
Amber Mountain National Park is your destination, a cooler and more humid montane rainforest with its own special climate. You can choose between a half-day easy hike or a full-day hike through the volcanic area. Either way, you'll see tree ferns, pandanus palms, endemic cycads, lemurs, birds, and tiny Brookesia minima chameleons.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Lodge (Nature Lodge )
Included Activities
- Amber Mountain National Park visit with entrance fee and local guide
- Half-day easy hike or full-day hike option in montane rainforest
Landmarks Amber Mountain National Park - Day 13
Joffreville to Diego Suarez
Travel to Diego Suarez, Madagascar's northernmost port city, and stop at main viewpoints of the second largest bay in the world. The colonial city is yours to explore, with local markets, Arab influence, and culture all on hand. Evening brings a joint dinner at the seaside restaurant Melville.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Dinner at Melville restaurant, Allamanda Hotel)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Jardin exotique )
Included Activities
- Viewpoints of Antsiranana Bay
- Dinner at Melville restaurant, Allamanda Hotel
Optional Activities
- Explore colonial city
- Visit local markets
- Shop for souvenirs
- Explore cultural sites
Landmarks Nosy Lonja (Sugar Loaf Island) Ramena Beach - Days 14 - 15
Nosy Hara Archipelago
A sailing trip heads out to the marine national park of Nosy Hara, made up of limestone Tsingy islands and islets. You hike to a viewpoint, walk through dry deciduous forest, snorkel among coral reefs, and camp on a local beach. Day 15 continues exploring before a boat returns you to Ampasindava, then drive through salt fields and scenic viewpoints to Sakalava Bay.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Breakfast, Lunch (Early lunch on Day 15), Dinner
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Le Royal Sakalava )
Included Activities
- Nosy Hara visit with entrance fee and local guide
- Hiking to hilltop viewpoint
- Wildlife exploration in dry deciduous forest
- Snorkeling in coral reefs with marine life
- One bivouac night camping on local beach
Landmarks Nosy Hara - Days 16 - 17
Sakalava Bay
Sakalava Bay's long white sandy beach is where you spend the final days, great for water sports or just taking it easy. You can swim, read, relax, or try kitesurfing and windsurfing with instructors. On Day 17, walk the Three Bays Circuit along gorgeous sandy bays, ending up at Ramena fishing village for lunch.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at Ramena fishing village on Day 17), Dinner, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Le Royal Sakalava )
Included Activities
- Three Bays Circuit walk on Day 17 (half-day)
- Walk along Sakalava, Pigeons and Dune Bays
- Lunch at Ramena fishing village
Optional Activities
- Swimming in the Indian Ocean
- Kitesurfing with certified IKO instructors
- Windsurfing
- Relaxation on white sand beaches
- Photography
Landmarks Sakalava Bay Ramena - Day 18
Sakalava Bay to Antananarivo
Head to the airport for your domestic flight back to Antananarivo, where your intercontinental flight departs from. Depending on flight timing, you'll get dropped at the airport for your trip home.
- Meals
- Breakfast
