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Lemurs, Baobabs & the Wild Coast

2027 · dates and pricing being finalised · max 15 people

The idea

Madagascar split off from everywhere else about 88 million years ago and then got on with things by itself. Something like nine in ten of the species here live nowhere else on earth — the lemurs, the chameleons, the baobabs that look like somebody planted them upside down.

It is also genuinely hard to travel independently. Roads are slow, the good guides get booked months ahead, and the distances are much bigger than the map suggests. Which is exactly the sort of place we like.

This one is still being put together. The route below is what we're planning; the exact dates, the price and the day-by-day will be confirmed to the mailing list first. Get your name down now and you'll hear before anyone else.

A ring-tailed lemur with bright orange eyes, close up in the forest A Parson's chameleon, vivid green and yellow, resting on a palm frond Villages and terraced farmland across the rolling highlands near Fianarantsoa, Madagascar Two fishermen in a wooden pirogue loaded with coconuts, in clear turquoise water off Madagascar

What we're planning

Places we want the trip to take in, rather than a fixed schedule — the order and the number of nights are still moving around.

  1. 1

    Antananarivo

    Land, meet everyone, and eat somewhere good in the old upper town before the long drives start.

  2. 2

    Andasibe rainforest

    East into the rainforest for the indri — the biggest lemur left, and the one you hear long before you see it. A night walk for chameleons and mouse lemurs.

  3. 3

    The highlands

    South through the rice terraces and brick-red villages around Ambositra and Fianarantsoa. Slow roads, endless viewpoints.

  4. 4

    Ranomafana & Isalo

    More forest, then the sandstone canyons and natural pools of Isalo — the best walking on the trip, and the ring-tailed lemurs everybody pictures.

  5. 5

    The Avenue of the Baobabs

    Over to the west coast near Morondava for sunset among the baobabs. Worth the drive on its own.

  6. 6

    The coast

    Finish on the water — pirogues, snorkelling, and a few days of doing very little after a fortnight of moving.

What's included

In the price

  • All accommodation, in local-owned and locally run hotels
  • All internal transport, drivers and any internal flights
  • National park permits and entry fees
  • Local park guides, hiking guides and a trip photographer
  • Most meals — the exact split comes with the final itinerary
  • A tour leader with you for the whole trip

Not in the price

  • International flights to and from Madagascar
  • Travel insurance (required)
  • Your visa
  • Meals not listed above, and drinks
  • Optional single room supplement