Excursion 1:
1 NIGHT / 2-DAY TOUR ANTANANARIVO - ANDASIBE (20 - 21 September 2008)

Description:

Day 1 Tananarive/ Andasibe L+D
Early departure for Andasibe national park (3hrs drive – 144km). On the way, stop at Pereiras private reserve Marozevo for a visit: butterflies, reptiles (frogs) and insects endemic to the region. Lunch on arrival at the hotel in Andasibe. Afternoon visit to the park. Walk at nightfall, to spot the nocturnal species in the private reserve of the hotel. Dinner and night at Vakona Forest Lodge or Eulophiella Hotel.

Day 2 Andasibe/ Tananarive B+L
Breakfast and morning visit to the park. Two days to observe the fauna and flora of the Park, and to try and spot the Indri Indri, the biggest lemurs of all. Lunch at hotel. Afternoon drive back to Tana (3 hrs drive - 144 Km) - transfer to your hotel. End of our services.

ANDASIBE – Mantadia natural reserve preserves an extraordinarily lush rainforest with 60 groups of lemurs. The big star is the Indri Indri, the biggest of all lemurs, with black and white fur and no tail. Andasibe is also home to tanrecs (an endemic kind of hedgehog), chameleons (the Parson chameleon, the largest of the island, being the most impressive), many bird species: the blue coua, the Red Fronted coua, Vangas). It is also very interesting for the flora: medicinal plants, orchids and water lilies.

VAKONA FOREST LODGE is the most upmarket hotel in Andasibe, with a swimming pool, terracotta coloured bungalows scattered in the gardens, planted with palms and bougainvilleas. The bungalows have a bathroom, safe, mini bar and terrace. A glass-walled restaurant (with a chimney, it gets pretty cold in July and August). The hotel also organises horse riding.

EULOPHIELLA HOTEL - There are ten rooms at Eulophiella in individual thatched chalets with ensuite facilities. There is also a lounge and dining area with a large veranda, on which meals can be taken.

MAROZEVO FARM: On the way to Tana/ Andasibe, Marovezo is worth a visit for its butterflies, reptiles (frogs) and insects endemic to the region

Price per Person: (depending on number of participants to the excurison)

Number of particpants	2	3	4	5	6
VAKONA LODGE	345€	455€	245€	420€	390€
EULOPHIELLA	350€	456€	235€	455€	425€

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: 36 € Eulopiella / 46 € Vakona

Included : accommodation (sharing double room), meals as mentioned each day, vehicle with gas and BOOGIE French & English speaking driver guide Tana to Andasibe, park entry fees, hotel taxes.

Not included : accommodation in Tananarive, international and domestic flights, excursions and visits not mentioned proposed extra by Hotels tips, local guide (mandatory), insurance, personal expenses, drinks, visa.

Price might vary according to airport taxes and currency exchange rate.

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Excursion 2:
1 NIGHT / 2-DAY TOUR ANTANANARIVO - ANTSIRABE
20 to 21 September 2008

Description:

Day 1 Tananarive/ Antsirabe L+D

Early departure for Antsirabe (3hrs drive - 169km). Visit on the way to the mysteriously turquoise Titriva sacred lake. Antsirabe has conserved a superb colonial architecture and seems to be snoozing, remembering its past glory, when it used to be a "chic" spa. Today it is mainly known for its gemstones, its "pousse-pousse" (rickshaws) and handicrafts. We will visit some workshops, where people work on transforming natural materials like zebu horn (for cutlery) or wheat straw (for hats). Lunch and dinner are at a local restaurant. Night at La Rose des Vents (upmarket) or Camelia Guesthouse.

Day 2 Antsirabe / Tananarive B+L

Morning at leisure to discover the town by rickshaw. Lunch in a local restaurant. Drive back to Tanananarive (3 hrs drive - 169 km). Transfer to your hotel.

LA ROSE DES VENTS - A new charming hotel situated in the heart of Antsirabe. 3 rooms and 2 suites decorated in a very refined way and on various themes (arabesque room, baoabab, or touareg room) await you for relaxation in a cosy and warm comfort. Private balcony or veranda, private bathroom, television and fridge in each room. Warm water swimming pool, meals on request, tours. Website: www.larosedesventsmada.com.

 

 

Price per Person: (depending on number of participants to the excurison)

Number of participants	2	3	4	5	6	Single supplement
Upmarket option	398€	313€	271€	337€	308€	65€
Budget option	378€	295€	251€	316€	288€	39€

Included: 4WD Tana to Antsirabe and back to Tana, with French / English speaking BOOGIE driver Guide and gas; half board in Antsirabe; entry fees to lake Tritriva; lunch in local restaurant on day 1 and day 2.

Not included: International & domestic flights, airport taxes, visa, drinks, tips, workshop entry fees, excursions and activities proposed by hotels, insurance, personal expenses.

Prices are subject to change upon confirmation of booking (as per hotels availability and money fluctuation).

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Description:

Day 1 - 3 (20 - 22 September 2008)

Option 1 - Tananarive/Anjajavy L+D
Early transfer to airport and departure by private airline company Air Hotel. Departure at 07h00 and arrival at Anjajavy at 08h30.

Option 2 - Tananarive – Majunga – Antanimalandy L+D
Early transfer to airport and departure by Air Madagascar flight for Majunga. On arrival, transfer by private plane (3 pax:flight) to Antanimalandy Lodge des Terres Blanches. Stay at leisure for 3 nights on fullboard basis.

TSINGY & BEACHES - No road leads to Antanimalandy and Anjajavy, lying on the North West coast of Mada, no Air Madagascar flights land there either: You are guaranteed a great tranquillity and preserved, wild, tourist free, kilometres of sandy beaches and the blue seas of the Mozambique Channel all for yourself! And the most amazing about this coast, are the tsingy cliffs falling in the sea, the tsingy islets scattered in our Malagasy “Along Bay”, the baobabs clinging to the rocky cliffs and the mangroves.

2 hotels only, accessible only by private plane from capital Tananarive or nearest town, Mahajanga. Beach lovers get spoiled!

The North West of Madagascar is amongst the driest regions of Madagascar, you can go there for a beach holiday all throughout out the year!

TERRES BLANCHES (Antanimalandy): a genuine & homely atmosphere
A medium range lodge, which owes a lot to the personality of the owners, Jacky and Claudine: Jacky is a friendly chap, born and bred in Mada, who after years in South America and continental Africa, finally settled in Antanimalandy. He flies his little aircraft himself, and will come and pick you up at Mahajanga’s airport. He will take you out on excursion everyday. 8 wooden bungalows with veranda, all facing the sea: a bed with mosquito net, wooden furniture, bathroom with shower, hammock on the veranda. Essentially seafood cuisine.

ANJAJAVY: Barefoot luxury
Mada's only "Relais & Château". Each of the "villas" of Anjajavy Hotel has its own private veranda, a double bedroom and two single beds upstairs, a private safe, a bathroom, a mini bar, AC. The hotel, facing the sea, has a 2000m² swimming pool and organises a wide range of excursions by boat, on foot or car.
Website: www.anjajavy.com

Day 4 ( 23 September): back to Tananarive B+L

Option 1: Anjajavy
Transfer by private airline company from Anajajavy to Antananarivo. Departure at 12h30 and arrival in Tana at 14h00.

Option 2: Antanimalandy
Transfer by private plane (3 pax / flight) in order to be at Majunga airport in the afternoon. Continuation by Air Madagascar flight for Tana MD 325 (18h40/19H45). On arrival transfer back to your hotel - End of our services.

The TSINGY are a very peculiar rock formation, and only exist in Madagascar. The tsingy are limestone pinnacles, formed by the slow sedimentation of coral and shell, worked by wind and water movements, since Madagascar separated from Africa 165 million years ago. These strange "cathedral like" peaks can tower several hundred meters high. The most famous are the tsingy of Bemaraha (West) and Ankarana (North), both sites classified UNESCO World Heritage. In the Ankarana massif, you can also find red tsingy of karst. These "stone forests" contain caves, underground rivers, canyons, where bats, lemurs, birds and a specific flora have adapted. There are also tsingy in the sea in Marovasa, Anjajavy, Antanimalandy and in remote islands around Nosy Be.

Price per person (double room sharing): Terres Blanches : 160€ per night Full Board, drinks, table wine and excursions included - Plane transfer Mahajanga / Terres Blanches / Mahajanga : 200€ per person. Air Madagascar Tana / Mahajanga / Tana: approx. 135€ one way Anjajavy: 1415 € for 3 nights Full board & Plane transfer Tana / Anjajavy / Tana return transfers Tana hotel - Tana airport - Tana hotel: 50 € per vehicle base 4 pax airport taxes not included as price subject to change approx 20 €

NB
- 30% deposit required upon confirmation and balance due 30 days prior to arrival
- flights schedules are subject to change upon confirmation
- no booking made - Price might vary according to airport taxes and currency exchange rate

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Description:

From the highlands with their rice terraces, home to the Betsileo and Merina, over the mountains of the Tsaranoro Valley, to the semi-desert canyons of Isalo, this tour offers a variation of landscapes, vegetation and ethnic groups that will make it an unforgettable experience. Visits to parks rich in fauna and flora, encounters with lemurs and many other “weird” endemic animals and plants are part and parcel of the tour, and you will also have the opportunity to discover the traditions and hospitality of people living in remote villages. This Great South tour is very complete, ideal for an initial exploration of Madagascar and very appropriate for “non-adventurers”: if you choose the upmarket option, you will be accommodated in cosy comfortable hotels each night.

BOOGIE’s “bonus”: Experience a genuine half-day journey on the only passenger train operating in Madagascar along the Fianarantsoa / Manakara line! We also recommend to add a few days at the end of the tour and to relax at the beaches of Anakao or Salary.

Day 1 Tananarive/ Antsirabe L+D

Early departure for Antsirabe (3hrs drive - 169km). On the way, visit of the mysteriously turquoise Titriva sacred lake. Antsirabe has superbly conserved colonial architecture and seems to be snoozing, remembering its past glory, when it used to be a "chic" spa. Today it is mainly known for its gemstones, its "pousse-pousse" (rickshaws) and handicrafts. We will visit some workshops, where people work on transforming natural materials like zebu horn (for cutlery) or wheat straw (for hats). Lunch and dinner are at a local restaurant. Night at Hasina Hotel (budget) or Hotel des Thermes or Trianon Guest House (upmarket).

Day 2 Antsirabe / Ambositra / Sahambavy or Fianarantsoa B+L+D

Departure in the morning for Sahambavy (153km - 5hrs). The road leads through the highlands. We stop for lunch and shopping at Ambositra, a small town known for its zafimaniry woodcarvings and handicraft. Dinner and night at Lac Hotel in Sahambavy: standard bungalow (budget) or Honeymoon bungalow (upmarket).

Day 3 Sahambavy - Fianarantsoa / Ambalavao / Tsaranoro B+L+D

Final destination of the day: Tsaranoro Valley (90km - 4hrs). First stop at the wine estate of Lazaina Betsileo. Then stop at Ambalavao (69km - 1hr fom Fianar). Ambalavao seems to come straight out of a western movie: beautifully set in the yellowish mountain scenery, it holds the biggest zebu market of Madagascar on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Visit to Antaimoro craftshop. Third stop at small Anja reserve; interesting park for close encounters with the ring-tailed lemurs and its Betsileo traditional tombs. Picnic lunch. Arrival in Tsaranoro Valley at the end of the afternoon. Dinner and night in Tsara Camp.

TSARA CAMP
is set in a breathtaking scenery: on one side the majestic Tsaranoro, a 800 metre cliff, and on the other side an impressive range of mountains bordering the Andringitra National Park; coloured in mysterious reddish yellowish tones. Here, an hour off the touristic National South road (NR 7), the village people’s lifestyle has not changed for centuries, and you will get to know what Malagasy hospitality is really about. As for Tsara Camp, it is surely the best comfort you can have in one of the most remote places of Madagascar. It has 15 large South African luxury style tents each with its own private shower (hot water on request) and hand basin. The bedrooms are tastefully furnished with precious Malagasy wood twin beds, wardrobe and night table. No electricity in this wild place but candles and petrol lamps. 3 shared WC. A large restaurant tent and a zafimaniry wooden living room where tea and coffee is complimentary. Our cuisine is simple but tasty and with Malagasy accents (due to the difficulties in providing the camp with vegetables regularly, please inform us ahead if you are vegetarian). Within a 10 minute walk you can reach a natural swimming pool and a river.

Tsara Camp organises many guided walks in the beautiful reddish mountains if you have enough time. Our easy walks will take you into a sacred forest inhabited by catta lemurs, to a waterfall, a natural swimming pool, and nearby Barabory villages. A unique opportunity to discover the Malagasy traditional life of this isolated population: people live only to the rhythm of the weather, the sun and the rice harvest. More demanding walks will bring you the whole way up to Mount Chameleon!
Website: www.tsaracamp-madagascar.com

Day 4 Tsaranoro Valley / Isalo B+L+D

Day 5 Isalo B+L+D

The National Park of Isalo, our Malagasy Colorado: amongst the highlights of the day suggested hikes with picnic lunch will bring you to the maki canyons, where we will most likely spot lemurs, or to the natural swimming pool nestled in the rocks. Dinner and night at hotel.

Day 6 Isalo / Tulear / Antananarivo B+L

After breakfast, drive to Tulear airport (243km – 4hrs) for flight back to Tananarive.

ISALO RANCH
is set in a quiet and charming place, with beautiful mountains in the background. It looks like a little village composed of earth-made bungalows with thatched roofs. 15 bungalows, all round-shaped with wooden furniture, some have private bathroom, others a shared one (hot water). Restaurant and swimming pool. An address we also appreciate for its friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere.

RELAIS DE LA REINE
Beautifully set in the magnificent mountains of Isalo, Relais de la Reine is probably Madagascar’s best known hotel: created by a French family in love with Isalo, it was Ranohira’s first hotel (PO box 1!). Stylish plain rooms in stone bungalows, a swimming pool around natural rock formations, a riding centre. The best option in Isalo, with its brother hotel (even more luxurious) JARDIN DU ROY.
Website: www.lerelaisdelareine.com

ISALO
is our Malagasy Colorado: A unique combination of sandstone rocks cut by deep canyons, bush plains and rare endemic plants make this park particularly rewarding. For example you will see the Pachypodium (a bulbous rock-clinging plant) and the Aloe isaloensis, both endemic. Lemurs that can be spotted include the sifakas, brown lemurs, ring-tail lemurs…! Good site also for reptiles. Amongst Isalo's highlights: the natural swimming pool and the maki and rats canyons. Isalo Park is the second most visited park in Madagascar.

 

Price per person (2008): (depending on number of participants to the excurison)

Number of particpants	2	3	4	5	6	Single supplement
Budget option	983€	769€	686€	621€	578€	73€
Upmarket option	1,097€	882€	799€	734€	691€	155€

Included: 4WD Tana to Tulear, with French / English speaking BOOGIE driver, guide and gas; full board from lunch day 1 till breakfast day 9; Park entry fees Ranomafana, Isalo, Anja; local guide (mandatory) in Isalo; visits mentioned in tour; train ticket Sahambavy / Tolongoina.

Not included: International and domestic flights, visa, drinks, tips, excursions and activities proposed by hotels, walks in Tsara camp, insurance, personal expenses.

Flight Tulear/ Tananarive: approximately 135 €

NB
Visits of craftshops, Lazaina Betsileo winery are not possible on Saturdays and Sundays.

The ANTANOSY (" those of the island ", in reference to small island near Fort Dauphin) fled Merina domination and migrated to the arid south east region around Fort Dauphin. The Antanosy culture is characterised by a lot of "fady" (tabous, superstitious beliefs).

The BARA ethnic group of Madagascar, are cattle farmers and were brave warriors in past times. Their zebu herd is their pride, and just before getting married, the young Bara men must steal a zebu to prove their maturity and virility!

The MERINA (" those of the highlands ") are the largest ethnic group of Madagascar. It was a Merina King, Andrianaponimerina, who unified the country. The Merinas, with their straight dark hair and slanting eyes, have similarities to Asians, more particularly to people of Indonesia and Philippines.

The BETSILEO are an important ethnic group of the Province of Fianarantsoa, in the highlands. These "undefeated" (meaning of Betsileo) are great farmers and woodcarvers.

The ZAFIMANIRY people live in the Malagasy highlands, near Ambositra. They are known for the typical wooden architecture of their houses and fine ancestral woodcarving art. Their culture and lands are classified UNESCO World Heritage (refer to our Zafimaniry trek).

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