Upon arrival into Ivato Airport you will be greeted airside by our customs fast track service who will assist you with entry procedures. Once completed, meet your English-speaking guide from MCC who will accompany you to your hotel 20min from the airport. ‘Tana’ – as the locals call it has fascinating traditional architecture and a more Indonesian influence than the rest of Madagascar. Enjoy the spa, swimming pool, panoramic rooftop bar. This evening, transfer 20 min to Le Marias, the top restaurant in Madagascar from Chef Lalaina who has received numerous culinary awards in Europe. Le Marais offers a unique blend of Malagasy and European cuisine using the best Malagasy ingredients.
Overnight at the Hotel Novotel 5* in a panoramic suite (Bed & breakfast + dinner at Le Marias)
After breakfast, transfer 20 min to the local terminal at Ivato airport for your private charter flight to Anjajavy. Upon arrival at Anjajavy you will be greeted by a hotel staff member and transferred to the lodge (30 min). Anjajavy Lodge is located within a 450-hectare nature reserve on Madagascar’s north-west coast. The lodge’s 25 duplex, rosewood villas all have private decks overlooking the ocean. Meals can be served in an enclosed oasis in the hotel grounds or on the beach. The surrounding forest is alive with lemurs, chameleons, malachite kingfishers and hummingbirds. At 5:30 pm you will depart for a night walk in the reserve to spot a variety of nocturnal lemurs. While the reserve’s show-stoppers are undoubtedly the charismatic coquerel’s sifakas, the hours of darkness also have their star performers. Weighing a mere 63 grams, danfoss mouse lemurs scamper about in the shrubbery around the reserve just after nightfall, springing from branch to branch, quick as a flash, in search of food. If you hear a strange squeal coming from the tree tops, then you have probably found a Grewcock’s sportive lemur. Other mammals to spot are the endemic tsingy tuft-tailed rat, Commerson’s leaf-nosed bat, or Madagascar’s largest predator – the rare and elusive fossa.
Overnight at Anjajavy Lodge in a Premium Villa (All inclusive)
This morning, depart the lodge at 9am by boat to Moramba Bay. Let yourself be seduced by Moramba Bay and the beauty of the northwest coast of the island. Discover the centuries-old marine baobabs, the sandy beaches, and the mushroom shaped tsingy islands. With the captain and a guide, search for one of the rarest raptors in the world: the critically endangered Madagascar fish eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides). Enjoy a castaway beach picnic and swim in the bay. Return to the lodge at 3pm. This evening at 5pm take tea in the Oasis Gardens. Do not miss this fabulous opportunity to relax and watch the lemurs in the landscaped garden of the Oasis, every afternoon from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. This is the favourite place and time of choice for groups of lemurs and a multitude of birds.
Overnight at Anjajavy Lodge in a Premium Villa (All inclusive)
This morning, depart for a visit to the Port of Amulets. Experience an iconic adventure of the Anjajavy Reserve by vehicle to a village between tsingy, mangrove and forest. During this excursion, you will learn about the first project aimed at introducing the Giant Tortoise back into Madagascar. The Madagascar Giant Tortoise has been extinct for more than 500 years in Madagascar. These large herbivores played an essential ecological role as ecosystem engineers (dispersing seeds, eating the undergrowth), occurring in abundant populations before the first humans arrived and overexploited them. The first 12 Aldabra Giant Tortoises were brought to Anjajavy in June 2018 and are slowly being re-introduced into the wild. These tortoises are the closest living relative to the extinct Madagascar Giant Tortoise. You will also visit a young coconut grove and small caves at the base of magnificent tsingy. Return to the hotel for lunch. This afternoon you will enjoy a walk along the King’s Alley. You will discover extremely ancient baobab trees, tsingy rock formations found only in Madagascar, along with a variety of lemurs including the Coquerel’s sifakas. These remarkable animals live in family groups of up to 10 individuals, and though they are perfectly adapted to life in the trees they often descend to the ground too. Unlike the famous Verreaux’s sifaka from southern Madagascar with its characteristic sideways dance, the Coquerel’s sifaka bounces across the ground like a mini kangaroo! The sifakas, along with troops of common brown lemurs, roam freely in the gardens and surrounding reserve.
Overnight at Anjajavy Lodge in a Premium Villa (All inclusive)
Day 5: Anjajavy – Diego Suarez (private charter flight) – Time + Tide Miavana (Helicopter flight)
This morning, fly by helicopter to Daraina (30 min) on the mainland to see the Golden crowned sifaka. These beautiful creatures are listed among the 25 most endangered primate species in the world due to habitat loss. The protected area of Loky-Manambato is managed by NGO Fanamby which is working with local communities to prevent habitat loss and promote the sustainable use of forest resources. The protected area is easy to access by heli and on foot. It is seldom visited due to challenging road conditions.
Return to the hotel for lunch and a relaxed afternoon or enjoy the activities available including the ‘Blue Safari’ guided water activities that will provide fascinating insights as you explore the aquamarine bays, beaches, lagoons and channels of the archipelago.
Overnight at Time + Tide Miavana in a one-bedroom villa (All inclusive)
This morning, depart by helicopter for a 40 min flight to Ankarana Reserve for a half day of exploring with your guide. Ankarana is an island of Tsingy and forest, the massif is penetrated by numerous caves and canyons. Some of the largest caves have collapsed, forming isolated pockets of river-fed forest with their own perfectly protected flora and fauna. The reserve is known for its many lemur species, including crowned and Sanford’s brown lemurs. It is also a birdwatcher’s paradise with nearly 100 species. If you are lucky you may even spot fossa and tenrec. Your guide will recommend the best trails to follow depending on your physical aptitude and interests. Points of interest include: Baobab forest, Ampondrabe River, the abyss where the three rivers of Ankarana disappear, Bat’s Cave, Les tourelles des Tsingy (turret shaped rock formations) and Lac Vert, a stunning crater lake. Return to the hotel in the afternoon.
Overnight at Time + Tide Miavana in a one-bedroom villa (All inclusive)
After breakfast, transfer to Nosy Be by helicopter (1hr). Upon arrival you will be met by MCC staff who will assist you in checking in to your international flight
