Southern Highlights, Luxury Madagascar holidays

This is a 8 day tour taking in the higlighlights of Southern Madagascar with some of the world's most exotic flora & fauna and some very surreal landscapes!

Contact our Madagascar experts now: email or 020 7622 5114

Day 1: Arrive Antananarivo
Meet and greet at Antananarivo airport with English speaking guide who will transfer you to the city. Overnight at ROYAL PAVILLON DE L’EMYRNE (BB).

Day 2: Antsirabe
After breakfast, depart for Antsirabe through the mountains, the hills and the rice fields. En route you will see many burial tombs some simple, others elaborate which play an important role in the local people and their fascination with the afterlife. Arrive at Antsirabe mid-afternoon. In the middle of a fertile plain surrounded by high mountains of 2500 altitude meters, Antsirabe is a thermal station. It is known as "the water city " due to its mineral water, commonly called "Visy gasy". Short city tour and drive to the hotel. Overnight and dinner at COCO INN.

Day 3: Fianarantsoa
After breakfast drive to Ambositra. En route you will visit some typical villages and, after a break at Ambositra - famous for its handicrafts - continue to Fianarantsoa through the forests of eucalyptus and pin trees stopping to watch birds or take photos. Fianarantsoa is the capital of the South, rich in tea and vines and dotted with churches. Overnight and dinner at TSARA GUEST HOUSE.

Day 4: Ranohira
Morning departure from Fianarantsoa for the long drive southwards. En route, stop at Ambalavao to visit a hand-made paper workshop and a local vineyard. You will also visit the Anja villagers reserve to see the ring tailed lemur. In the afternoon the second part of the journey is over Ihosy to the wide Horombe grassland plains and on towards Ranohira. The scenery begins to change as you travel through the ‘Gateway to the South’ mountain and enter the attractive countryside of the Betsileo people where granite outcrops dominate the skyline. Here the village architecture also begins to change, from the single-storey ‘African-style’ house to the double-storey buildings of the central highlands. Halfboard at Jardin du Roy 

Day 5: Ranohira (Isalo National Park)
Early start for the drive through to nearby Isalo National Park. With a local guide walk up (90 min) to the natural swimming pool of the National park through the Tapia forest. Learn about the endemic plants of Isalo: the aloes, the pachypodium or bottle plants. Swim at the natural swimming pool fed by a mini-waterfall, in the shade of Pandanus. Free afternoon. Halfboard at Jardin du Roy.

Day 6: Ranohira - Toliara – Ifaty
Breakfast at the hotel.  Drive southward to Toliara through the savannah and the spiny bush. Stop on the way to take some photos of the baobab trees and typical tombs. Arrive at the Ifaty, a lovely fisherman's village, perfect for relaxing and snorkeling. Overnight and dinner at Le Paradisier.

Day 7: Day at leisure. Overnight at Le Paradisier.

Day 8: Ifaty - Toliara – Antananarivo
Breakfast at the hotel. Free morning to enjoy the beach and coral reef. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport to fly back to Antananarivo. Connect to international flight with option to visit the handcraft market of la digue. Day use of Pavillon de l’Emyrne.

Contact us by email or contact us by telephone on 0207 622 5114 and ask to speak to a consultant about itineraries in Madagascar.

Southern Highlights prices
From £1,175pp based on a private departure for 2 people. Price includes meals, transfers, visits and accommodation as listed in itinerary above. Does not include flights.

Too expensive? Too quick? For an itinerary that allows you to visit similar sights but at a lower cost or in a longer time period, please contact us on 020 7622 5144.

Related Links > About Eastern Madagascar > Northern Madagascar > Southern highlights > Madagascar Beaches > Visit Antananarivo > Madagascar Special Offers > Madagascar wildlife