W E L C O M E TO TH E
G O O D L I F E
I N
M A D A G A S C A R
P L A N N I N G
The best time to visit Madagascar depends on what you’d like to see. June to September offers cool, dry weather and humpback whale sightings, while October to December brings lush landscapes and baby lemurs.
Rainy season (January to March) can make travel challenging, particularly in remote areas. Heat exhaustion is a real thing, don’t forget, and bear this in mind on longer walks and trails.
Madagascar’s vast size and limited infrastructure mean thoughtful planning is essential. One of our private guides can help with everything from arranging itins to private transport, especially for reaching remote national parks and marine reserves, while working with you to create a unique experience that reflects your level of adventure and particular interests.
M U S E U M & S I T E B O O K I N G
National Parks: Entry is generally straightforward but hiring one of our guides is extremely helpful to offer you a richer experience and to support conservation efforts.
Tsingy de Bemaraha: Advance planning is crucial, particularly if traveling by dhow boat down the river, which we would absolutely recommend for the sheer adventure of it, and to spare you the fairly rough-and-tumble overland route.
Île Sainte-Marie: Whale-watching tours and diving excursions should be booked in advance during peak seasons. If you're PADI certified, you'll have of course more options, but there are also try-dive experiences available for those who would just like to dip-their-toes into the world of SCUBA diving in a particularly stunning place.
S U G G E S T E D I T I N E R A R Y P O I N T S
DAY I-II
Antananarivo & Andasibe
Begin in Antananarivo, exploring its historic sites (the presidential palace, for example) and vibrant markets.
Spend your second day in Andasibe National Park, where early morning and evening walks are punctuated by the haunting calls of indris and other nocturnal wonders.
DAY III-IV
Rainforests & Lemurs in Ranofana
Head south to Ranomafana for two days of trekking through lush rainforest.
Spot golden bamboo lemurs, rare orchids, and cascading waterfalls. Evenings here are magical, with the rainforest alive with nocturnal sounds.
DAY V-VI
Isalo National Park
Travel west to Isalo, where you’ll hike through canyons and swim in natural pools beneath towering sandstone cliffs.
The landscapes here are some of the most striking in Madagascar.
Tsingy de Bemaraha & Avenue of the Baobabs
Visit Tsingy de Bemaraha, exploring this surreal landscape of jagged limestone formations, suspension bridges, and hidden caves. This is really not an easy one to self-organise or manage, and again, we cannot enough recommend taking one of our private guides.
Note that there are two sections of the park, the Grand Tsingy, and the Petit Tsingy, which are the larger and smaller parts, as the names suggest. The Grand Tsingy has a day hiking trail here (Ranotsara Trail), and one that has you staying overnight. Probably the day version is enough unless you are really on a Quest of your own making.
The day trail is between 4-6 hours, and if you’re in good shape, you’ll likely end up finishing it a bit sooner than anticipated.
Don’t miss the platform over Manambolo Gorge for a photo opportunity.
On the way to or from Tsingy, stop off at the Avenue of the Baobabs, ideally at sunset, when the light creates magical photo opportunities and the trees appear otherworldly. This is perhaps a relatively small moment, but one of the incredibly memorable ones.
DAY VII-VIII
DAY IX-X
Île Sainte-Marie
Conclude your trip on Île Sainte-Marie, for over 100 years the off-season home of many notorious pirates, who marked their huts with the flag of their captain.
Spend your days whale watching, snorkeling, or relaxing on the pristine beaches, and don’t miss the chance to visit the pirate cemetery, where the bones of upwards of 1000 of these restless and violent men are now at rest.
End your adventure with a sunset dinner overlooking the Indian Ocean, contemplating the at least half a dozen documented shipwrecks, and the treasures potentially still buried there.
You might also want to stay longer, and here’s why we think you should:
Madagascar’s East Coast offers lush rainforests and vanilla plantations, while the south is home to the Spiny Forest, a biome unlike any other. Extend your stay to explore these hidden corners of the island and truly immerse yourself in its incredible diversity.
M E E T Y O U R G U I D E
All of our guides can offer you a spectacular experience. As each person has a slightly different look at the world, due to their own unique interests and specialties, we'd encourage you to read a few profiles.
