Parkers (Specialist Travel & Tour Brokers) Parker Tours CC reg. no. 1996 023549 23 / VAT reg. no. 4180159107

23 Sandpiper Place, Hout Bay, Cape Town 7806, South Africa Tel: 021 791 0013 / Email: parker@parkertours.co.za / Website: www.parkertours.co.za

Madagascar is fast becoming the latest travel hotspot. This unique island, with its equally unique wildlife and friendly people, is the perfect destination for the adventurous traveller looking to experience the fusion between Africa and Asia. This itinerary will give you an excellent overview of the island of Madagascar . Pre-night: Antananarivo Late arrival in Antananarivo (known locally as Tana) and meet your driver/guide who will transfer you to your hotel, Residence Lapasoa. Days 1 & 2: Andasibe Feeling rested and refreshed, on Day 1 you will be collected from your hotel and will be on your way to Andasibe, with several interesting stops along the way. Arrive in Andasibe and check in to Grace Lodge. At around 19:00, you will be taken on a night walk to find night active lemurs and other nocturnal animals before returning to your hotel to over-night. On Day 2, you will have a morning visit to the Special Reserve of Andasibe, to find the Indri Indri, the largest lemurs on the island. The afternoon will be at leisure to explore the area and you will over-night at Grace Lodge. (B) Day 3: Antsirabe This morning you will drive back to Tana then head south to Antsirabe, across the highland landscape. Time permitting, you will stop in Ambatolampy for a visit to this large agricultural city, You should arrive in Antsirabe during the late afternoon and will check in your accommodation at the Chambres du Voyager. This elegant city well known as the centre of the beer industry – you will be able to smell the Star Brewery as you enter the town! Founded by the Norwegians in 1856, this is the only place which really feels and looks like a European city. It has a temperate climate and many fruits and vegetables which grow in cold climates are found in Antsirabe. (B)

MADAGASCAR –THE LAND OF WONDERS

Parkers (Specialist Travel & Tour Brokers) Parker Tours CC reg. no. 1996 023549 23 / VAT reg. no. 4180159107

23 Sandpiper Place, Hout Bay, Cape Town 7806, South Africa Tel: 021 791 0013 / Email: parker@parkertours.co.za / Website: www.parkertours.co.za

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Days 4, 5 & 6: Ambositra, Ranomafana National Park This morning after breakfast, you will move on towards Ambositra, the centre of Madagascar's wood carving industry where the houses are made with ornately carved wooden balconies and shutters with bright colours. Following Ambositra, you will head on to your next destination at Ranomafana National Park where you will stay at Centrest Hotel for the next 3 nights. On Days 5 & 6, you will be able to visit Parc National de Ranomafana with its rain forested hills and abundant wildlife. This park has long been considered one of Madagascar’s highlights, and is one of the most heavily visited of the country’s national parks. With luck, you’ll spot several lemur species, chameleons and other wildlife. (B) Days 7 & 8: Ambalavao, Ihosy, Isalo, Isalo National Park This morning you will leave Ranomafana, passing Fianarantsoa and leaving via the Gate to the South (a huge granite dome with twin rock towers) and the capital of the Betsileo tribes. You will head southwards where your first stop will be in Ambalavao to visit a vineyard and enjoy a wine tasting then, time permitting, visit the Anteimoro Paper Factory, a remnant of the Arabian civilisation in the island. After this you will continue on to Ihosy, the capital of the Bara tribes who are the shepherds of Zebu (cattle), passing through the mountain chain of Andringitra which serves as a transition between the dry south and green highlands. You will then pass through the huge Plateaux de Horombe with its very deep red soil, before arriving in Isalo where you will stay at Isalo Ranch for two nights. (B) On Day 8 you will visit Isalo National Park. The park covers an area of 81,540 ha comprising the entire stretch of the Isalo massif. After a 10-minute drive from Ranohira village, your driver will park the car and you can take a 1½ hour walk to reach the Natural Swimming Pool. You will be walking through the eroded mountains, which are also where the Bara people place their dead before they re-bury them in their real tombs. You will start to climb until you reach the massif (about a 20 minute walk) where you will have a spectacular view of the huge sandstone mountain with its beautiful colours and strange eroded forms, given such names as The Tortoise, The Masks and The Crocodiles. Along the way, for lemur lovers, there may be sifakas, brown lemurs and ring-tailed lemurs, as well as some 55 species of birds, lizards and snakes. You will eventually reach the swimming pool, with its crystal clear water - a great reward after a long walk! (B) Days 9, 10 & 11: Tulear After breakfast you will continue on to Tuléar, travelling through the dry forests of the west and the spiny desert of the south, then on to Ifaty in the driest part of the country. Situated in the deep south, the landscape is dominated by the spiny forest of cactus and euphorbia. Mangrove trees line the coast among the Vezo villages where the people earn their living from fishing. Days 10 & 11: Ifaty Hurrah! Some leisure time in Ifaty! Ifaty lies on the beach and is an ideal spot for diving, snorkelling, bird-watching and whale-watching during the whale season (June to mid September). There are several excursions available if you feel like venturing out. (B)

Parkers (Specialist Travel & Tour Brokers) Parker Tours CC reg. no. 1996 023549 23 / VAT reg. no. 4180159107

23 Sandpiper Place, Hout Bay, Cape Town 7806, South Africa Tel: 021 791 0013 / Email: parker@parkertours.co.za / Website: www.parkertours.co.za

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Day 12: Antananarivo There will be an early start this morning as you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Tana. On arrival in Tana, you will be met and transferred to your hotel where you will have the rest of the afternoon free. You will stay over-night at Residence Lapasoa. (B) Day 13: Antananarivo for homeward flight There should be time for a City Tour and visit to the Handicraft Market in the morning before you are transferred to the airport for your outbound flight. (B)

THIS SAMPLE ITINERARY IS DESIGNED AS A STARTING POINT FOR DISCUSSION AND CAN BE CHANGED OR ADAPTED TO

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