April - Nov10hrs 50minsGMT +2-3Over 5's for tours, butfrom Parismalaria prevention recommend Madagascar Family HolidaysFlying due south ensures that there is hardly any time difference between the UK and Madagascar. This, coupled with a direct overnight flight, ensures that you and your family arrive ready to enjoy one of our top family destinations!
Our Recommended Itinerary The Magic of MadagascarDestination Highlights:- Beautiful islands and beaches
- Magical rainforests
- Bustling cities
- Endemic species of lemurs and various vegetation
- Humpback whales
Day 1Fly overnight from Charles de Gaulle, Paris to Antanarivo with Air Madagascar.
Day 2Arrive in Antanarivo, where you will be met by your driver and taken to Andasibe National Park, a 3 hour drive. Here you will be staying in Vakona Forest Lodge for three nights. The activity this afternoon is to visit Lemur Island. Vakona Forest Lodge is a new, comfortable lodge offering accommodation in twenty-four en-suite bungalows. The main building has been thoughtfully designed as an octagonal reception area, bar and lounge-dining room with a huge log-fire in the middle. The hotel also boasts a curio shop, swimming pool and squash courts. They offer horse riding, canoeing and forest trekking. The management is efficient and courteous, and the food delicious. It is situated within its own private reserve, Analamazaotra, 10 minutes from Perinet, where forty crocodiles live freely and you will meet Kovu and Nala, two fosa (endemic carnivores of Madagascar) as well as parrots, ostriches, aquatic birds, boas and tortoises. They also offer board games, trampolines and cartoons.
Day 3Today you can relax or begin your exploration in the rainforest of Special Reserve Indri. Where you can watch the Indri and look for the other denizens of Perinet. Birders may wish to visit one of the nearby wetland areas. Another visit to Lemur Island is organised for the afternoon.
Day 4Explore the primary rainforest of Mantadia National Park to seek Diademed sifaka, Black-and-white ruffed lemurs, the insectivorous tenrecs and the rainforest-dependent ground rollers. You may wish to take a picnic lunch and eat it beside a waterfall.
Days 5 - 9Today you will be driven along the windy roads back to Antanarivo, where you then be taken to the airport for your Air Madagascar flight to Il Sainte Marie island. On arrival you will be taken by Zebu cart to Princess Bora lodge. Here you will be staying in a family Deluxe room. The Princess Bora Lodge gives you the opportunity to take part in scientific whale observation. A unique chance to discover and experience the life and the behaviour of these mammals. Your meeting with the whales will remain one unique moment and you will take an active part in the scientific program of observation and safeguard of the whales. Activities also included are fishing, diving, snorkelling, various watersports. Child friendly meals are available.
Day 10Today you be taken back to the airport where you will then fly from Il Sainte Marie Island to Antanarivo. On arrival a private transfer will take you to Palissandre Hotel for an overnight stay.
Days 11 - 14An early start today, where you will be taken back to the airport for you Air Hotel flight to Anjajavy, approximately 40 minutes. Situated 120km of Mahajanga, the "flower city" facing the Mozambique Channel, is the luxury Anjajavy hotel. Regarded as a four star hotel, it is built on a peninsula in a large bay, behind which lies a large natural reserve of 450 acres - perfect for nature lovers! There are twenty-five air-conditioned villas; each with a large living room, breakfast nook and a bedroom, which opens onto a large terrace that overlooks the sea. The en-suite bathroom has a bath, a shower and a separate toilet. A small stairway leads to a small sitting room with 2 sleeper-couches for children.
The main complex comprises a bar/restaurant with an exterior and an interior dining room, a swimming pool, two beaches and a 450-hectare nature reserve. Wildlife viewing here is effortless. Lemurs include the Coquerel's Sifaka, common brown lemurs and mouse lemurs. There are wonderful birds - flocks of bright green grey-headed lovebirds, sickle-billed vangas, crested couas and vasa parrots, to name just a few. Reptiles are common including ground boas and hog-nosed snakes and plenty of chameleons.
There is a cave, tsingy-like limestone outcrops, extensive mangrove forests as well as beaches and coral reefs. There is a marina for water sports, including water skiing, snorkelling, sailing in a catamaran, wind surfing and scuba diving. There are also boat excursions to the surrounding grottoes, a trip up the estuary to see mangroves, a visit to the "tsingy", guided excursions in 4-wheel drive vehicles through the nature reserve, mountain bikes and the ability to explore the reserve on foot to discover the flora and fauna of the area.
Children Activities (During the holydays only)Out doors:- Outing with check -lists and finding photos of fauna and flora.
- A whole day outgoing "creek to creek", picnic lunch included
- Journey on the peninsula of Anjajavy all along its wild and desert creeks.
- Competition of sandcastle
- Visit of the Ambondro Ampasy village which is located in front of la Marina on the other side of the bank of sea.
- The kids will visit the Primary School built and financed by NGO "Ecole du Monde".
- Sports activities: beach volley, cricket, foot, badminton, table tennis, etc
- Creation of cup and ball and initiation who to play it.
Out doors/indoors:- Paintings on tissue of Anjajavy and/or Madagascar written on: to make pillows, sarong, small coverings, etc.
- Competition of singing or poem (ex: form a group and relating what they can draw and have seen during the outing.
- Paintings and drawings: going to one place, draw or paint what they see surrounding them, by utilising the nature (ex: giant baobab, the beach, lemurs, sand, shells, etc...)
- Creation of cards or postal cards (with shells, sands etc.)
- Initiation to magic art, and juggling.
- Artistic make up of face, (ex: painting the face to lemurs)
- Initiation to woodworking (simple sculpture, photo frame, small boxes, etc.)
- Including education in all activities: traditions, school, etc.
- Initiation to cooking or/and pastry
- Shell collection
- Competition of cards castle
- Competition of local Malagasy dance
Day 15Today you will fly back Tana, where you will then be met and transferred to Relais des Plateaux, where you will have the use of the hotel and dayroom. Later that day you will connect to your final Air Madagascar flight to Paris, flying overnight
Day 16Arrive Charles de Gaulle
From price:
£3295 per adult, £2045 per child based on two adults and two children travelling.
Would You Like to Know More?
For further information please call any of our consultants on 01285 880 980 or email enquiry@steppestravel.co.uk.
