Madagascar | Exploring the Red Island`s Unique Biodiversity with Ken Clifton, Biologist

Depart the United States for Madagascar.

Arrive in Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital, on a late night flight. After clearing immigration and customs and exchanging money at the airport, meet our local guide and transfer to the hotel. Check in and rest after the long flight. (Please note: We recommend considering a stopover in Paris en route, or coming in a day early, to rest.) Check-in starts at 12pm.

Today is a relaxing day so you can rest up after your long travels. Get to know your guide and the rest of the group this morning with an orientation meeting and trip overview at 10 am. Afterward, attend a lecture about Madagascar's unique biodiversity before having lunch at the hotel. This evening, enjoy a reception with local leaders

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Fort-Dauphin on the southeast coast. Upon arrival, have lunch, and then continue to Berenty. Berenty is a privately owned reserve that lies only 50 miles from Fort Dauphin, but be prepared for a 3-hour drive through local villages and stunning countryside. Upon arrival in Berenty, settle into your room and have a short rest, followed by dinner. Later, take a walk through the spiny forest, looking for nocturnal species such as the grey mouse lemur, the White-footed sportive lemur, chameleons, and birds. (Please note that the schedule of internal flights within Madagascar is subject to change without prior notice. Depending on final flight schedule, the final itinerary might be different.)

Spend the day exploring the Berenty reserve along its network of trails. The reserve is home to five species of lemurs and 96 bird species. Berenty is famous for its lemurs because of the ease with which they may be seen here in the wild. Red-fronted brown lemurs occur in large numbers during the day, and both white-footed sportive and grey mouse lemurs are regularly encountered on night walks. The Ring-tailed lemurs and Verreaux's sifakas are frequent favorites. Before dinner, enjoy a walk within the spiny forest to look for nocturnal species.

After breakfast, drive back to Fort Dauphin and have lunch in town. Learn about Madagascar's economy while visiting the deep-water port and the Rio Tinto Mining Facility. Conclude the day with a memorable seafood dinner at a beachfront restaurant.

Today, travel to the local airport for your flight to the seaside town of Toliara, on the southwestern coast of the island.

This morning, begin the 30-minute journey northward with a morning visit to Antsokay Arboretum, a 100-acre site created in 1980 by Swiss amateur biologist Hermann Petignat and dedicated to conservation of the country's endemic flora. Explore the gardens and have lunch. Then, drive approximately 5 hours to Isalo National Park, where you will stay for the next two nights. After a long day of driving, check in at the hotel, have dinner, and relax in anticipation of Isalo and its beautiful landscapes of sandstone canyons, fauna and flora, natural swimming pools, and waterfalls.

Spend the day exploring Isalo National Park, a continental sandstone plateau dating to the Jurassic Period. Hike across varied landscapes with different forms of sandstones, dotted with the famous dwarf baobab. After an hour's walk with short climbs, stop to rest in a spectacular valley with beautiful views. A picnic lunch prepared by the locals villagers will be provided. The overlook shows miles of azure sky, rocky desert, and winding greenery. Continue to a white-sand natural pool for the chance to go swimming before hiking back to the starting point. Return to the hotel for a cocktail and dinner.

Continuing northward, today's drive is along breathtaking scenery. After driving approximately 4 hours, stop at Anja Community Reserve, a 74-acre forest managed by the local community and a vital example of sustainable tourism in Madagascar. The reserve boasts a diverse variety of endemic species, including several families of orchids and saxicolous plants, as well as lemurs. Have lunch at a nearby restaurant, and then continue the 2.5-hour journey to Fianarantsoa.

Today, experience rural life in Madagascar during an approximately 3.5-hour walk through the villages of the Betsileo Community, one of the largest Malagasy communities in the country. Walk through their abundant rice fields and experience their daily life. Have lunch with the members of the community, and then visit the old city, approximately 45 minutes away. Later, travel back to the hotel to rest and have dinner.

This morning after breakfast, travel 2 hours to the mountainous Ranomafana National Park, on the edge of Madagascar's High Plateau with elevations ranging from 1,640 to 4,921 feet. Ranomafana contains a variety of forest environments and is part of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana World Heritage Site. It has served as a model for subsequent parks and reserves in Madagascar and abroad. Have lunch at Centre ValBio (CVB), a world famous research station established in 2003 and managed by Stony Brook University. Run by Dr. Patricia Wright, an accomplished American primatologist and conservationist, the CVB focuses on biodiversity, community health, environmental arts, and reforestation. Receive a presentation on the flora, fauna, and research efforts at ValBio. Then, check in at Setam Lodge. This evening, take a walk along the road bordering the national park in search of nocturnal species like chameleons and mouse lemurs. Return to the lodge for dinner.

After breakfast, hike in the 102,000-acre Ranomafana National Park. Please note that hikes are moderately difficult and uphill on the way in, and often include off- trail experiences. The pace will be based on the physical ability of the participants. Ranomafana's rainforest is home to the critically endangered greater bamboo lemur, golden bamboo lemur, and 11 other lemur species, plus species of precious woods, palm trees, orchids, and carnivorous plants. Next, visit a nearby Tanala village to learn about this Malagasy ethnic group. Meet the village leader and enjoy singing and dancing with community members.

Continue north to Antsirabe, the third-largest city in Madagascar, known for its French colonial architecture. En route, stop in Ambositra, a 5-hour drive, to visit a workshop and discuss commerce in rural Madagascar. Enjoy lunch in Ambositra and drive approximately 2-hours to check in at your hotel in Antsirabe. This evening, enjoy a group dinner at Guesthouse Madalief with a talk from a Madalief Foundation representative about social work and projects.

After breakfast, begin the final leg of the journey back to Antananarivo. En route, visit the small town of Ambatolampy, approximately 3-hours' drive time, and its aluminum pot factory for a glimpse into this Madagascan industry. Though this factory is small-scale, one craftsman can still make as many as 20 of these robust pots per day. Visit the local market to hear about the seasonality of foods available and how commerce works here. Have lunch at a local restaurant in town and then continue another 3-hours to the capital city.

Explore the city during a drive to Ambohimanga Royal Hill, (about 1.5 to 2 hours' drive depending on the traffic), a hilltop fortress and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the palace dwellings and heritage of Madagascar, and then head to lunch at an open-air restaurant. This traditional meal is also be accompanied by the singing and dancing of a local dance troupe. Return to the hotel for dinner and time to pack, enjoying the use of a day room while awaiting departure flights. In the evening, head to the airport for the flight back to the U.S.

Arrive back home today following the overnight flight.