North Circuit - Spiny Forest, Wildlife and Beaches

This tour includes a visit into the Ankarana Forest, with the highest primate density of any forest in the world

Arrival in Antananarivo from your international flight. Customs formalities. 

Meet your driver-guide at the exit and transfer to the city center to your hotel. Accommodation and breakfast at the hotel.

Day 2: Tana-Diego (Antsiranana)

Breakfast at the hotel. Pick up and prompt return to the airport of Ivato. Check in formalities and flight to Diego Suarez on Air Madagascar or Madagasikara Airways. Arrival after one hour and 10 minutes of flight, reception by your driver-guide then we overland towards Ramena.  Excursion next to the 3 Bays : The Baie des pigeons (pigeon bay); the baie des dunes (dune bay); and the baie des Sakalava (Saklava bay). Round that off with a walk on a sandy beach and lunch on the best sunny spot.  Enjoy free time for swimming. Drive and transfer to your hotel. 

Day 3: Diego (Antsiranana)

Amber Mountain + Red Tsingy discovery

Breakfast at the hotel. Early departure for a long day full of discovery and walking. Fist stop in Joffreville to trek inside the National Park of Amber Mountain. Depending on your physical condition, different levels and intensities for routes and treks will be proposed. Lunch. In the afternoon, take the route to Analamera for the Tsingy Rouge. Back to your hotel late in the afternoon. 

National Park of Montagne d'Ambre

Located in a volcanic group of the quaternary, the park of the Amber Mountains covers 18,200 hectares of a prominent volcanic massif with its striking scenery, rainforest, and waterfalls. It is one of Madagascar’s most visited natural attractions. The park was created in 1958 to protect the massif and its ecosystems, including the region’s unique flora and fauna. In the Park, you will have the chance to see seven species of lemurs, the aye-aye, the ring-tailed mongoose and a variety of reptiles including frogs, geckos, and chameleons, as well as more than 70 species of birds

"Red Tsingy"

As the result of erosion which carved the colors and contours of the earth over prehistoric time, these forms of stone, colored and phantasmagoric are unique in Madagascar. 

If one can compare these crimson tsingy their neighbors, the silver Tsingy of Ankarana, or those of Bemahara in the area of Majunga, their nature is revealed to be very different from one another: They are not sharp-edged monoliths like knives, but transitory formations hewn the likings and whims of the wind and rain.The red tsingy can be formed at a relatively short geological time and are an evolving masterpiece of nature.

Day 4: Diego (Antsiranana)

Excursion into Emerald Bay

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer by car to Ramena. From Ramena you embark on a traditional wooden-hull Malagasy boat to navigate Diego harbor and sail to the "Emerald Sea". This otherworldly and emerald green lagoon, fringed with stark white sand invites you to dive in and explore the sealife and colorful shorelines. You will have lunch on the beach - delicious fish dishes accompanied by coconut rice and local pickles. Enjoy the stories and legends of the bay from the crew. Back to Diego for the night. 

Day 5: Diego (Antsiranana) - Ankarana

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we head to Ankarana - a nature reserve with karst pinnacles, sacred caves, underground rivers and beautiful scenery. The rich and diverse flora and fauna includes many lemurs and interesting bird species. Its limestone pinnacles are called tsingy, forests of jagged petrified rock crystal spikes.

Running through and under the tsingy are hidden forest-filled canyons and numerous subterranean rivers. We will explore the extensive cave system, which includes several fascinating bat-filled grottoes and we will admire the remarkably rich and varied vegetation and the abundant wildlife of the reserve. Lunch. 

Day 6: Ankarana

Tsingy Ankarana : Sharp limestone needles (called tsingys) dominate the landscape, but this seemingly inhospitable environment is home to one of the highest density of primates of any forest in the world, as well as several species of lemurs, geckoes and crocodiles. 

We visit attractions such as the bat cave, water hole, and small tsingy, before checking into our hotel.

Day 7: Ankarana–Ankify-Nosy Be

Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Ankify by passing through the Sambirano valley well known for the plantation and
production of Cocoa; coffee; vanilla; ylang-ylang; ... Transfer to the harbor of Ankify then boat crossing to Hellville. Greet services at your arrival. Drive to your hotel. The remainder of the day at leisure. 

Day 8: Nosy Be

Day at leisure. 

Possibilities of many activities and local relaxed sightseeing to peruse, optional and at guest's discretion. 

Day 9: Nosy Be

Day at leisure. Optional trips to Lokobe, Nosy Komba, and Nosy Tanikely Sea Turtle swimming today (not included, as some choose to stay at the beach and relax.)

Day 10:   Nosy Be 

Day at leisure. Optional trips to Lemuria Land and Andilana bay today (not included, as some choose to stay at the beach and relax.)

Day 11: Nosy Be-Antananarivo

Depending on the flight schedule, transfer to the airport by the staff of the hotel. Flight back to Tana. Lunch in Nosy Be or Tana. Meet at the airport and transfer to your hotel in the city center. 

Day 12: Antananarivo-Out

Breakfast at the hotel. Day fully dedicated to the visit of the city. Sightseeing city tour with a driver-guide and a car at your disposal. Hit the road to the north part of the city to visit the old palace of Ambohimanga. 

AMBOHIMANGA

We leave the hotel after breakfast to reach Ambohimanga, the blue hill. This hill is considered at the spot of unification of the Imerina kingdom. At the capture of Antananarivo in 1794, the famous 12 sacred hills of the Imerina country became unified and directed by one and only king: Andrianampoinimerina. Originally born in Ambohimanga, he decided to establish his summer palace in the city and at his death, he was buried there. The ex-royal city was considered as sacred and forbidden to any foreigner. This situation changed, conveniently, for your visit...

Lunch. Back in the afternoon and keep on visiting the old city or high (mountaintop) city.  Return to the airport late in the evening, flight back.

END OF SERVICES...OR CHOOSE AN EXTENDED STAY WITH US TO EXTEND YOUR ODYSSEY!

Included: Airport transfers in Antananarivo and Diego (Antsiranana); 11-nights accommodation with breakfast in medium hotel according to the itinerary; tours and entrance fees according to the itinerary; guides in the national parks 

Not Included: International or Domestic flights, lunch/dinner, visa cost (about $30 USD for 1 month per person, please bring some cash), health insurance or travel insurance. Refreshments or snacks and things not on the above itinerary.