Our DISCOVER MADAGASCAR route is one of Indigo Be’s most emblematic circuits. Discovering the Zafimaniry ethnic group and traveling by train through the lush jungle of the eastern corridor were two of the main objectives when showing the island to travelers.
Without forgetting the jungles of the Andasibe National Park, home to the island’s largest primate, the famous Indri Indri, the southern route will take us to discover colonial cities such as the peaceful Antsirabe, the mountainous Ambositra or old historic villages such as the conservative Fianarantsoa, as well as to enjoy a cultural immersion in the most important agricultural region of the island: the vakinankaratra.
The Zafimaniry animist villages, only accessible on foot, will allow us to learn first-hand about this ancestral culture declared Oral Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. After anthropology will come sociology, and we will take the pulse of the island by traveling on the historic Jungle Train, the only passenger railroad that runs along the eastern corridor to the Indian Ocean. We will navigate the calm waters of the Pangalanes Channel in a traditional Antemoro canoe and then continue our journey to the rainforests of Ranomafana National Park.
We will leave the Highlands to enter the great south, where the savannah landscapes will combine with the foothills of the Isalo National Park massif, one of the most unexpected places on our route to reach the capital of the south.
Itinerary
DAY 1
ARRIVAL ANTANANARIVO
Arrival at the capital’s airport, visa formalities, reception by IndigoBe’s Spanish-speaking guide, transfer to the hotel and brief briefing of the route.
AU BOIS VERT LODGE 4*.
DAY 2
ANTANANARIVO / ANDASIBE NATIONAL PARK
Breakfast and departure to Andasibe National Park. Lunch in the city of Moramanga and visit of its lively market. Continuation to Andasibe National Park. Check-in at the lodge.
RELAIS DE MANTADIA 3*.
Breakfast
DAY 3
ANDASIBE NATIONAL PARK
Breakfast and departure to Analamazaotra National Park (Andasibe National Park) where we will make a walking tour of ± 4 hours to observe the largest lemur of the island, the famous Indri-Indri. After lunch, walk through the small village of Andasibe where we can meet the Bezanozano ethnic group and return to the lodge. At the scheduled time, nocturnal visit to the VOI Private Reserve, where we will appreciate various species of endemic and nocturnal fauna.
RELAIS DE MANTADIA 3*.
Breakfast
DAY 4
ANDASIBE / BEHENJY / ANTSIRABE NATIONAL PARK
Very early breakfast and continuation to the Malagasy “Highlands” between a landscape of terraced rice paddies, along the famous RN7 road. Free lunch in the city of Foie-gras, Behenjy, and continuation to Ambatolampy, to see the curious artisanal manufacture of aluminum pots. In the afternoon, arrival in the colonial city of Antsirabe and installation at the hotel.
ROYAL PALACE 3*.
Breakfast
DAY 5
ANTSIRABE / MANANDONA / ANTSIRABE
Breakfast and departure to the rural village of Manandona in the agricultural region of Vakinankaratra. We will walk through a landscape of rice fields typical of the “Highlands” to the waterfall at the foot of Mount Ibity where we will have the opportunity to take a dip in the natural pool (about an hour on flat terrain) and make a cultural immersion in the daily life of the villagers. Continuation to Antsirabe by car, free lunch after which we will take a pousse-pouse tour of the Avenue of Independence, the mythical hôtel des Thermes, the cathedral and the train station to finish at the Antsena kely (small market).
ROYAL PALACE 3*.
Breakfast
DAY 6
ANTSIRABE / AMBOSITRA
Breakfast and departure to the town of Ambositra, famous for being the cradle of Malagasy handicrafts. Located at an altitude of 1350 meters in the highlands, it is inhabited by the Betsileo ethnic group. We can visit various marquetry and silk workshops, or stroll through its streets and mingle with its colorful characters. If we travel between the months of July and September we can, if of course the family invites us, participate in a “Famadihana” (return of the dead). Check-in at the hotel.
GRAND HOTEL AMBOSITRA
Breakfast
DAY 7
AMBOSITRA / ZAFIMANIRY VILLAGES / AMBOSITRA
Breakfast and transfer to the village of Antoetra. From here we start the trekking of about 4/5 hours that will take us to walk about 8 kilometers (round trip) to visit the animist village of Ifasina. The entire Zafimaniry Country is made up of 52 animist villages and has been declared an Oral World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Zafimaniry are the last ethnic group to have an original woodworking culture. They settled in the 18th century in this remote mountainous region of southeastern Madagascar to escape the deforestation that was ravaging a large part of the country at the time. The Zafimaniry, who have been woodworkers, carpenters and craftsmen for generations, have created a whole set of techniques and knowledge around woodworking. This tradition of craftsmanship is testimony to the primordial function of this material in all aspects of life and death”. In the afternoon we will visit Antoetra and continue by vehicle to our hotel in Ambositra.
GRAND HOTEL AMBOSITRA
Breakfast
DAY 8
AMBOSITRA / FIANARANTSOA / SAHAMBAVY
Breakfast and departure to the rural village of Sahambavy known for having the only tea plantations on the island. On the way we will stop in Fianarantsoa, where we will visit the famous “old city” and enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the “Haute Ville”. Arrival in Sahambavy, visit of the tea plantation and installation in our hotel located on the lake of the same name and in front of the train station.
LAC HOTEL 3*
Breakfast
DAY 9
SAHAMBAVY / JUNGLE TRAIN / MANAKARA
Breakfast and departure on the Jungle Train to descend from the Highlands to the Indian Ocean. It is the last remaining regular passenger train on the island and dates back to the French colonial era. We will travel through the jungles of the eastern corridor and arrive in the afternoon at Manakara.
The jungle train is Madagascar’s last railroad and links the highlands with the waters of the Indian Ocean, serving as transport for people and/or goods for the entire region. We will stop at all stations and in many of them we will meet the inhabitants of this jungle who live isolated from everything, except for the passage of the train.
We will spend between 6 and 7 hours (±) with the new train recently inaugurated (July 2023), to cover the 160 km that separate Sahambavy from Manakara.
H1 MANAKARA
Breakfast
DAY 10
MANAKARA / PANGALANES CANAL / MANAKARA
Breakfast and departure in traditional canoes of the antemoro ethnic group to navigate the Pangalanes Canal. We will disembark in one of the fishing villages of this peculiar ethnic group. Lunch included based on fish and seafood. The Pangalanes Canal is a natural canal that the French colonists made navigable with a total distance of 665 km and economically vertebrates the entire central-eastern coast of Madagascar. During the navigation we can observe ravinalas (the traveler’s tree and emblem of Madagascar), as well as various species of birds.
Return in the afternoon to Manakara.
H1 MANAKARA
Breakfast
DAY 11
MANAKARA / RANOMAFANA
Early breakfast and departure to Ranomafana National Park, declared World Natural Heritage Site of the Atsinanana Rainforest in 2007 by UNESCO. Lunch in the village of Ranomafana (“hot waters”) and walk of ± 4 hours in search of lemurs such as the precious Propithecus Edwarsii, the Eulemur Rubriventer or the Hapalemur aureus. Check-in at the hotel.
CENTREST HOTEL 3*
Breakfast
DAY 12
RANOMAFANA / AMBALAVAO / ANJA / ISALO
Breakfast and departure to the south of the island. We will stop in the village of Ambalavao where we will discover the traditional elaboration of antemoro paper and the Anja Reserve, where we will see lemurs of the maki catta species with ease. Lunch and continuation to Isalo National Park. In this stage, we finish our journey through the highlands and begin our descent through the Malagasy savannah, desert landscapes, and towns grown in the middle of nowhere. Arrival in the afternoon at Isalo National Park and installation at the hotel.
RELAIS DE LA REINE 3*
Breakfast
Dinner
DAY 13
ISALO NATIONAL PARK
Breakfast and visit to Isalo National Park (easy-medium level). Visit the waterfall of the Nymphs, blue pool and black pool in the famous Namaza Canyon and the spectacular sunset from the “window of the Isalo”. Return to the hotel.
RELAIS DE LA REINE 3*
Breakfast
Dinner
DAY 14
ISALO / IHOSY / TULEAR
Breakfast and drive south observing on the way the famous Mahafaly tombs – stone tombs with carved funerary stelae or with paintings of animals, couples, scenes of daily life… They are almost always covered with skulls and horns of zebu – and being able to photograph the first baobabs of southern Madagascar before Sakaraha. Short stop to visit the Tropic of Capricorn Monument. After lunch transfer to the Reniala Reserve and its baobab forest. A 1-hour walking tour to observe these endemic trees of the island. Continuation to Tulear or to the beach hotel of your choice (See Extensions).
4WD vehicle with driver and fuel included (3 passengers per vehicle)
Transfers airport-hotel-airport mentioned in the program
English speaking guide except for the beach and Morondava extensions.
Local guide in the Zafimaniry villages
Canoes and paddlers in navigation in the Pangalanes Channel
AD (Bed and breakfast)
Half board at Isalo
Local guides (obligatory) in parks and reserves
Entrance to National Parks and Reserves
Taxes (Tourist, Stay and Municipal)
All visits and excursions mentioned as INCLUDED in the program.
Map of Madagascar
Welcome gift
Reception in Spanish by an INDIGO BE guide at the airport
24h 7/7 Spanish-speaking customer support at destination
On-site assistance in case of emergency in English 24h 7/7 in Antananarivo
Reconfirmation of domestic and return flights
24-hour emergency service in Spanish for family members
Informative dossier in Spanish
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE
International or domestic airline tickets
Lunches and dinners not specified in the program
Beverages
Visa
Personal expenses
Medical Insurance
Tips
The order of the visits and excursions can be modified according to local constraints (air schedules, runway or road conditions, for example). If certain visits and/or excursions cannot be carried out for any reason beyond our control, we will try to substitute them whenever possible.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION HOTELS
In our adventure routes and expeditions we offer variety in accommodation, in some locations it may be a 4* hotel, in others 3*, in others without stars and even some camping days. Instead of restricting our itineraries to areas that offer standard accommodation, we prefer to stay in more basic and spartan infrastructures in order to enjoy an exceptional location. The accommodations we offer on our expeditions are not selected because they have wifi, air conditioning, swimming pool or TV in the rooms, for our philosophy in adventure travel, that is not the most important thing. Our goal is to reach the most authentic, unspoiled and spectacular places. Enjoy these experiences, they are part of the trip.
CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR TRIPS
Our trips are designed from knowledge, we have been residents on the island for more than 18 years (2006-2024) and our team carries out more than 17 annual surveys throughout the geography of the island, to verify on the ground the state of parks, trails, hotels, new developments and discover new treasures that are still hidden in our island-continent and that for the moment we try to preserve until we have a policy of environmental protection. Our update is almost daily.
Any tour in Madagascar leaves room for the unexpected, hence we ask for your flexibility in approaching the trip as travelers and not as conventional tourists.
To participate in our trips, a minimum level of physical fitness is required, otherwise you will not be able to enjoy the parks, landscapes, or some of the animist villages farther away from the conventional routes.
Our adventure trips are not for everyone, they are participatory trips, in which you will not be made to row or wash your cutlery, for this we give employment to the local population, however, we want your passage through the island to cause the least possible impact, neither environmental nor social, that is where we ask for your collaboration.
The hotels are varied, from some 5* to simple lodges, depending on the hotel infrastructure. Adventure is not incompatible with comfort, we will never camp (free camping is prohibited in Madagascar, it is only possible in “authorized” places although they do not have any infrastructure similar to a campsite, no toilets or showers) if right next door we have a minimally correct accommodation and that our passage can benefit the local population. We always try to include the best hotels available, but sometimes we are forced to use simple lodges because the location does not have more hotel infrastructure or because it is located in an exceptional place that deserves the stay.
Madagascar does not have a tourist infrastructure like neighboring countries in their safaris, but that gives it the charm of an unspoiled and uncrowded country (150,000 tourists per year). We ask for an open spirit and large doses of patience to our travelers. That way you will enjoy your trip much more.
sales outlets through our partner agencies worldwide
as receptive at Madagascar and Indian Ocean
inspirational for dreaming from your sofa
Spanish speakers experienced
responsible tourism and sustainable
of satisfaction
18/05/2025
A phenomenal trip
A few notes to thank you for your effort and patience. A phenomenal trip that is already asking me to come back. Delighted with the destination, the selection of activities and the organization. Nomad Photo Expeditions Photographic Group.
Harry Fisch ESSENCES OF THE SOUTH
An extraordinary journey
I totally recommend it, direct, clear and familiar treatment Sylvia, Jaume and Sergi are charming.
Small and well-organized groups.
Santa our guide is a crack.
And Madagascar with its lemurs, its baobabs, its people and its landscapes stole my heart, I don’t know which one to choose.
A dream come true!
We are eager to return and get to know more corners of the island. And certainly with Indigo Be!!!!
Montserrat Ros DISCOVER MADAGASCAR
Impeccable organization
Everything was excellent! Highly recommended, both the country, a place of contrasts in its landscapes and its people, and agency with an impeccable organization! Thanks to Sylvia, Jaume for the organization and of course to Luca and Mami for guiding us all over the country!
Glòria Ramon ESSENCES OF THE SOUTH
Professional people who love their work
Misaotra to the whole team, after 25 years traveling and having traveled through most of Africa you can feel flattered because it is the first time we meet such professional people who love their work and put so much passion in showing and sharing their country. Thank you Sylvia for your attention and for being there when needed. Of course we will see you in your next meeting adventure.
Clara Montes REMOTE RIVER EXPEDITION
A highly prepared team
An impeccable organization, with values that I share, a very professional team, highly prepared and dedicated to the traveler. They respect the country, its people and nature, and make us love Madagascar through their accompaniment.
Antonio Maria Following the Green Heart
Baobab Expedition, tough but intense
Back home and trying to assimilate everything we learned. Thank you Silvia for joining us on this fantastic trip, it has been a privilege to have you as a guide, the group already saw that we got along from the first day, and the route was amazing. We recommend the Baobab Expedition to all travelers, hard but intense.
Sara BAOBAB EXPEDITION
Magnificent trip through Madagascar
Excellent professionals who helped us to have a great trip in Madagascar. Thank you very much, Sylvia, Jaume, Sergi, Santa (great local guide) and all the staff. We will surely come back.
Norberto Rosseti ESSENCES OF THE SOUTH
Indigo Be's affection for the country is evident.
Lupe Bote BAOBAB EXPEDITION
An authentic experience
I chose the “Baobab Expedition” itinerary with Indigo Be and it has been an unforgettable and authentic experience… Indigo Be is an agency of young professionals who love and know Madagascar in depth and transmit their passion and enthusiasm for the country to the travelers.
Our guide, Jaume, has facilitated, at all times, with his efficiency and kindness, the smooth running of the day to day.
Thanks to all the professional team of Indigo Be and ENHORABONAAAAAAAAAAA Jaume “per la feina ben feta”. A hug !!!!!
Elisabeth Segui BAOBAB EXPEDITION
Unique, surprising and unforgettable island
Madagascar; it sounds remote, like a cartoon movie and impossible animals. It is that, and also an island-country with little tourism that oozes African sap sweetened with Asian touches.
Descend a river between jungle canyons and sleep on its beaches protected from crocodiles; go deep into the jungle and listen to the sounds of its most characteristic animals, the lemurs; dive among tropical fish with the sound of humpback whales in the background; stroll at sunset along an avenue lined with giant baobabs; discover impressive rock formations in the shape of thousands of needles; taste seafood seasoned with French-influenced dyes or simply stroll along a beach waiting for the arrival of fishermen. All this is Madagascar.
Madagascar promises disconnection, adventure and exoticism…and with Indigo Be you get it!
Thank you for being wonderful hosts of this unique, surprising and unforgettable island.
Antonia Rubio BAOBAB EXPEDITION
Experiences that will stay with me for life
Among shadowy jungles, deep rock canyons and red clay moors, I found sights and experiences that will stay with me for life. And what better than from the hand of local experts like Indigo Be.
Raul Martin MADA & SEYCHELLES ADVENTURE
Ready, set... GO!
Because every trip is different and every traveller is unique, you have the opportunity to co-create YOUR PERFECT TRIP with us. And you ask yourself, how?
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OUR FIRST APPOINTMENT
A meeting via WhatsApp or Zoom with us to have a virtual tea or coffee and guide you on what we can offer you based on your travel requirements.
ROUTE DESIGN
We work with you to create a route that is 100% tailored to your preferences: accommodation, vehicle, guide, visits, activities, meetings...
SERVICES
We offer you the chance to enhance your trip with our little ‘pills’ that will make your experience unique and memorable.
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