Madagascar
Enigmatic Wildlife Tour (EWT)Lemurs, herps, birding, photography
We are currently only offering this tour as a Custom Tour. Please Contact Us for more information
Madagascar is perhaps the ultimate destination for an Enigmatic Wildlife Tour — a place so biologically eccentric and evolutionarily isolated that it feels like an entirely separate world. Few places on Earth can rival the island’s concentration of bizarre, beautiful, and utterly unique creatures. Here, evolution has produced an astonishing cast of critters found nowhere else: ghostly leaf-tailed geckos disguised as dead bark, impossibly colorful chameleons, strange carnivores, surreal insects, and lemurs that seem drawn from myth rather than nature.
As with all Enigmatic Wildlife Tours, the goal is to move beyond the familiar “headline” species and offer a deeper, richer exploration of the island’s extraordinary biodiversity. Rather than simply ticking off Madagascar’s most famous animals, this journey is designed for travelers who want to explore the island’s stranger, rarer, and less frequently encountered wildlife — the creatures that make Madagascar one of the most fascinating natural history destinations on the planet.
To achieve this, the itinerary focuses largely on areas away from the standard birding and wildlife circuit. Among these are the haunting dry forests of Kirindy Forest, famed for its remarkable nocturnal wildlife and elusive predators, as well as a range of remote forests and habitats in Madagascar’s far north, where reptiles and lemurs reach astonishing levels of diversity and endemism. These little-visited regions offer exceptional opportunities to encounter wildlife in a more intimate and authentic setting, far from the busier tourist routes. This is a tour built around discovery, curiosity, and the thrill of the unexpected — a journey into one of Earth’s last great evolutionary wonderlands, where almost every walk through the forest reveals something extraordinary. With Tropical Birding guides being the co-authors of Wildlife of Madagascar and Habitats of Africa, you are with the best people on Earth to showcase this incredible island. In the detailed itinerary we use official habitat names according to the Habitats of Africa book and their Habitats of the World (HotW) codes if you wish to read more about these environments.
Price
From €8950
Length
19 days
Physical Difficulty
Moderate
Pace
Moderate
Focus
Lemurs, herps, birding, photography
Group size
7 + 1 Leader
11 – 29 November
€8950; single supplement: €900
10 – 28 November
Price: TBA
Starting City
Antananarivo
Ending City
Antananarivo
After arrival into Antananarivo, you will be welcomed and transferred to a comfortable hotel about 15 minutes drive from the airport, where the group will meet up.
We transfer to the airport to check in for the morning flight to Morondava on the central-west coast. Then we drive to Kirindy, making a photo stop at the famed Avenue of Baobabs. Here we will see three of Madagascar’s iconic baobab species: Grandidier’s, Fony and Za Baobabs. Our targets at Kirindy include the likes of Fosa (Madagascar’s biggest carnivore), Narrow-striped Mongoose (or Bokiboky), and a plethora of lemurs such as Verreaux’s Sifakas and Red-fronted Brown Lemurs by day, and at night, Pale Fork-marked Lemur, Grey Mouse Lemur, Western Fat-tailed Dwarf and Red-tailed Sportive Lemur. Coquerels Giant Mouse Lemur is a possibility for those willing to search into the later hours of the night. We will also seek the endangered Giant Jumping Rat and Western Big-footed Mouse. In terms of herps we should locate Oustalet’s Giant and Labord’s Chameleons.
We will make a morning and late afternoon/ night walk in Kirindy Forest in search of its wildlife. Trails are flat and the terrain is easy, though sun protection is essential. We will continue searching for any targets we haven’t found yet, as well as appreciating the bird diversity which includes gems like White-breasted Mesite, Madagascar Buttonquail and White-headed Vanga.
After an early breakfast, we spend a final morning in Kirindy Forest to catch up on species previously missed. Afterwards, we travel back to Morondava to stay overnight in a relaxed and comfortable beach hotel.
We visit a private forest site near Morondava before we transfer to the airport for the flight to Antananarivo, which acts as a centrally located hub.
We transfer to Ivato Airport to check in for the flight up to Diego Suarez in the far north of Madagascar. On arrival, we travel in 4-wheel drive vehicles to the nearby Montagne des Francais Reserve where we do the easy Baobab Trail walk. Here we are guaranteed to find two more of the 6 Malagasy baobabs: Diego-Suarez and Gray Baobabs. Usually we avoid guaranteeing wildlife, but luckily trees don’t move. Then we head an hour’s drive south to the rainforest-clad Amber Mountain for a two-night stay. Like Kirindy, the private reserve at Domain de Fontenay, can be exceptionally rewarding for nocturnal wildlife viewing. This is a great place for herps, which include a few species of the remarkable Leaf-tailed geckos (Uroplatus). There is also a wide variety of chameleons and frogs, as well as nocturnal lemurs (Arnhold’s Mouse Lemur and Amber Mountain Dwarf Lemur are both possible here). Amber Mountain National Park also holds mammals such as Sanford’s Brown Lemur, Crowned Lemur, and the elusive Ring-tailed Vontsira.
After breakfast, we’ll visit Amber Mountain National Park, which has some of the most beautiful rainforest anywhere on the “8th Continent”. This isolated rainforest is not part of the eastern rainforest band. As such, there’s a high level of endemism, with many new species having been described from here during surveys over the last couple of decades. One of the most iconic in the park is the recently split Amber Mountain Rock-Thrush, we will make a determined effort to find this local gem.
We drive along some rugged roads to this new protected area, where we stay for two nights in the well set up Black Lemur Camp, a community-managed property on a forested hillside. A night walk will allow us to search for an epic list of potential species like Commerson’s Leaf-nosed Bat, Northern Pencil Snake, Ankarana Dwarf Lemur, and with luck the Common Tenrec.
After breakfast we walk into the forest starting directly behind the camp. The main attraction here is a population of one of the world’s 25 rarest primates, Perrier’s Sifaka, whose population may number as few as 150 individuals. Day and night walks in the deciduous forest are delightful. Mammals resident in addition to the sifaka include Daraina Sportive Lemur, Ankarana Sportive Lemur, and Crowned lemur. We will also look for Tavaratra Mouse Lemur and ‘herps’ like the robust Madagascar Velvet Gecko, Garamaso Leaf-tailed Gecko, Spotted Fish-scale Gecko, and chameleons such as the unusual Petter’s Chameleon.
We travel along more rugged roads to Ankarana, where we stay for two nights in the refreshingly lavish Ankarana Lodge, set in close proximity to the national park. The property has its own small patches of Tsingy formations and forest, with species like Madagascar Green Pigeon, Greater Hedgehog Tenrec and Tavaratra Mouse Lemur all possible. A night walk will take us around the property as we search for what is around.
The next area on our program is the otherworldly Ankarana National Park, which has world-class “WOW” factor when it comes to incredible landscapes. Here we’re talking ‘Tsingy’ limestone pinnacle-fields, caves, and wildlife-rich dry deciduous forests. We’ll look for Crowned and Sanford’s lemurs, Ankarana Sportive Lemur ,and a variety of birds including Crested Coua, Sickle-billed, Blue and Rufous Vangas and a variety of herps, such as the localized endemic Tsingy Plated Lizard. Many of the island’s endemic bat species frequent Ankarana’s caves, giving us a shot at seeing Madagascan Fruit Bat, Madagascan Rousette, and other small insectivorous bats.
We next travel through Sambirano countryside to the village of Ankify, then cross by speedboat to Nosy Be island. Here, an excursion to Lokobe National Park should reveal Black Lemur. This will be immediately followed by a night walk for two more key lemurs: the critically endangered Nosy Be Sportive Lemur, and if we are lucky, the locally endemic Claire’s Mouse Lemur. Boat rides here always involve getting your feet wet, so be sure to pack accordingly. Herps are prolific in this small tract of Sambirano rainforest, with key species including Minute Leaf Chameleon, Henkel’s Leaf-tailed Gecko, and Northern Big-eyed Snake. On the luckiest of occasions we may come across one of Madagascar’s most iconic reptiles, the Malagasy Leaf-nosed Snake.
As long as our flight time allows, we will spend the morning at Lokobe. Then we transfer to Nosy Be airport to check in for the flight back to Antananarivo.
After breakfast, we head eastwards in 4-wheel drive vehicles. In the afternoon, we will arrive in Andasibe, the country's most popular rainforest site. We will have time in the afternoon to search a close local reserve for our first lemurs, which may include the largest of them all, the Indri. At dusk, we will take a night walk in search of nocturnal primates, geckos, and chameleons. These are some of the best night walks in Madagascar, and we will return to do two more of them after our brief sojourn in Palmarium.
In the morning, we will visit a local reserve close to Perinet, where we have a good chance at finding a habituated troop of wild Diademed Sifakas, arguably the most beautiful of all eastern, rainforest lemurs. After a full morning there, we will depart for Palmarium Private Reserve, taking a boat trip at night to a wooded islet in the lake where a habituated group of Aye ayes can be found. These bizarre lemurs epitomize all that is weird and wonderful about Madagascar’s wildlife, and this site offers the best chance at finding them, as they are both very scarce and local. A single night will be spent at Palmarium.
We transfer back to Manambato, from where we travel inland to the country’s most popular rainforest, Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. This night, we will take another of the legendary night walks in Andasibe. The weather has a massive effect on amphibian diversity but we try our best to locate some of the dazzling frogs that call the area home, such as Red Bright-eyed Frog, Green Bright-eyed Frog, and Marbled Rain Frog.
This is Madagascar’s number one protected eastern rainforest area. Here we’ll explore the wildlife-rich rainforest by day and by night, to seek its diverse inhabitants. With a full day in the area we will have the time to visit some of the deeper parts of this park, where we will be putting a focused effort on finding Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur and Red-bellied Lemur. At night we focus on finding more nocturnal lemurs: Eastern Woolly Lemur, Weasel Sportive Lemur, and Goodman’s Mouse Lemur. Birding is superb, with specials such as Blue Coua and Nuthatch Vanga. The area’s herpetofauna is rich, with chameleons including the gigantic Parson’s Chameleon and the far smaller Nose-horned Chameleon and Brown Leaf Chameleon.
After a final morning walk in Andasibe, we drive back up to Antananarivo, where we have the use of day/evening rooms for those departing on Air France early next morning, or stay overnight.
You will be transferred to Ivato Airport to check in for your flight home.
PLEASE NOTE: The itinerary below may run in a different order, due to availability of limited lodging in some areas.
Day 1: Antananarivo
After arrival into Antananarivo, you will be welcomed and transferred to a comfortable hotel where the group will meet up.
Day 2: Antananarivo to Morondava to Kirindy Forest
We transfer to the airport to check in for the morning flight to Morondava on the central-west coast. Then we drive to Kirindy, making a photo stop at the famed Avenue of Baobabs. Here we will see three of Madagascar’s iconic baobab species: Grandidier’s, Fony and Za Baobabs. Our targets at Kirindy’s Malagasy Deciduous Forests (Af5A) include the likes of the slinky but powerful Fosa (Madagascar’s largest carnivore), Narrow-striped Mongoose (or Bokiboky), and a bunch of lemurs such as Verreaux’s Sifaka and Red-fronted Brown Lemur by day, and at night, Pale Fork-marked Lemur, Gray Mouse Lemur, Western Fat-tailed Dwarf and Red-tailed Sportive Lemurs. Coquerel’s Giant Mouse Lemur is a possibility for those willing to search into the later hours of the night. We will also seek the endangered Giant Jumping Rat and Western Big-footed Mouse. In terms of herps we should locate the giant Oustalet’s and Labord’s Chameleons. Two nights will be spent at a simple lodge in Kirindy.
Day 3: Kirindy Forest
We will make a morning and late afternoon or night walk in Kirindy Forest in search of its wildlife. Trails are flat and the terrain is easy, though sun protection is essential. We will continue searching for any targets we haven’t found yet, as well as appreciating the bird diversity that includes gems like White-breasted Mesite, Madagascar Buttonquail, and White-headed Vanga.
Day 4: Kirindy Forest to Morondava
After an early breakfast, we spend a final morning in Kirindy Forest to catch up on species previously missed. Afterwards, we travel back to Morondava to stay overnight in a relaxed and comfortable beach hotel.
Day 5: Morondava to Antananarivo (flight)
We visit a private forest site near Morondava before we transfer to the airport for the flight to Antananarivo (where we overnight again), which acts as a centrally located hub. We will return to the same wonderful hotel in Tana on multiple nights.
Day 6: Antananarivo to Diego Suarez (flight) to Amber Mountain
We transfer to Ivato Airport to check in for the flight up to Diego Suarez in the far north of Madagascar. On arrival, we travel to the nearby Montagne des Francais Reserve where we do the easy Baobab Trail walk. Here we are guaranteed to find two more of the six Malagasy baobabs: Diego-Suarez and Gray Baobabs. Usually we avoid guaranteeing wildlife, but luckily trees don’t move! Then we head an hour’s drive south to the rainforest-clad Amber Mountain for a two-night stay. Like Kirindy, the private reserve at Domain de Fontenay, can be exceptionally rewarding for nocturnal wildlife viewing. This is a great place for herps, which include a few species of the remarkable large Leaf-tailed geckos (Uroplatus). There are also a wide variety of chameleons and frogs, as well as nocturnal lemurs (Arnhold’s Mouse Lemur and Amber Mountain Dwarf Lemur are both possible here). Amber Mountain National Park also holds mammals such as Sanford’s Brown Lemur, Crowned Lemur, and the elusive Ring-tailed Vontsira.
Day 7: Amber Mountain
After breakfast, we’ll visit Amber Mountain National Park, which has some of the most beautiful Indian Ocean Montane Rainforest (Af4K) anywhere on the “8th Continent”. This isolated rainforest is not part of the eastern rainforest band. As such, there’s a high level of endemism, with many new species having been described from here during surveys over the last couple of decades. One of the most iconic in the park is the recently split Amber Mountain Rock-Thrush, and we will make a determined effort to find this local gem.
Day 8: Amber Mountain to Andrafiamena-Andavakoera Protected Area
We drive along some rugged roads to this new protected area, where we stay for two nights in the area. A night walk will allow us to search for an epic list of potential species like Commerson’s Leaf-nosed Bat, Northern Pencil Snake, Ankarana Dwarf Lemur, and with luck Common Tenrec.
Day 9: Andrafiamena-Andavakoera Protected Area
After breakfast we walk into the forest starting directly behind the camp. The main attraction here is a population of one of the world’s 25 rarest primates: Perrier’s Sifaka, whose population may number as few as 150 individuals. Day and night walks in the deciduous forest are delightful. Mammals resident in addition to the sifaka include Daraina Sportive Lemur, Ankarana Sportive Lemur, and Crowned Lemur. We will also look for Tavaratra Mouse Lemur and “herps” like the robust Madagascar Velvet Gecko, Garamaso Leaf-tailed Gecko, Spotted Fish-scale Gecko, and chameleons such as the unusual Petter’s Chameleon.
Day 10: Andrafiamena-Andavakoera to Ankarana NP
We travel along more rugged roads to Ankarana, where we stay for two nights in the rustic but comfy Ankarana Lodge, set near the national park. The property has its own small patches of Tsingy formations and forest, with species like Madagascar Green-Pigeon, Greater Hedgehog Tenrec, and Tavaratra Mouse Lemur all possible. We will make a short night walk around the property.
Day 11: Ankarana NP (eastern side)
The next area on our program is the otherworldly Ankarana National Park, which has world-class “WOW” factor when it comes to incredible landscapes. Here we’re talking “Tsingy” limestone pinnacle-fields, caves, and wildlife-rich dry deciduous forests. We’ll look for Crowned and Sanford’s lemurs, Ankarana Sportive Lemur, and a variety of birds including Crested Coua, Sickle-billed, Blue and Rufous Vangas and a variety of herps, such as the localized endemic Tsingy Plated Lizard. Many of the island’s endemic bat species frequent Ankarana’s caves, giving us a shot at seeing Madagascar Fruit Bat, Madagascan Rousette, and other small insectivorous bats.
Day 12: Ankarana to Ankify (drive) to Nosy Be (speedboat)
We next travel through Sambirano countryside to the village of Ankify, then cross by speedboat to Nosy Be Island, where we will overnight. Here, an excursion to Lokobe National Park should reveal the localized Black Lemur. This will be immediately followed by a night walk for two more key lemurs: the critically endangered Nosy Be Sportive Lemur, and if we are lucky, the locally endemic Claire’s Mouse Lemur. Herps are prolific in this small tract of Sambirano rainforest, with key species including Minute Leaf Chameleon, Henkel’s Leaf-tailed Gecko, and Northern Big-eyed Snake. On the luckiest of occasions, we may come across one of Madagascar’s most iconic reptiles, the Malagasy Leaf-nosed Snake.
Day 13: Nosy Be to Antananarivo (flight)
As long as our flight time allows, we will spend the morning at Lokobe. Then we transfer to Nosy Be airport to check in for the flight back to Antananarivo, where we will spend another night in our now familiar Tana hotel.
Day 14: Antananarivo to Andasibe-Mantadia NP
After breakfast, we head eastwards, driving down the escarpment to Andasibe for a single night stay, the country’s most popular rainforest reserve. We will have time in the afternoon to search Perinet reserve for our first lemurs, which may include the largest of them all, the Indri. At dusk, we will take a night walk in search of nocturnal primates, geckos, and chameleons. These are some of the best night walks in Madagascar, and we will return to do two more of them after our brief sojourn in Palmarium.
Day 15: Andasibe to Palmarium Private Reserve
In the morning, we will visit a local reserve close to Perinet, where we have a good chance at finding a habituated troop of wild gold-and-silver Diademed Sifakas, arguably the most beautiful of all eastern rainforest lemurs. After a full morning there, we will depart for Palmarium Private Reserve, taking a boat trip at night to a wooded islet in the lake where a habituated group of Aye Ayes can be found. These bizarre lemurs epitomize all that is weird and wonderful about Madagascar’s wildlife, and this site offers the best chance at finding them, as they are both very scarce and local. A single night will be spent at Palmarium.
Day 16: Palmarium Private Reserve to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
We transfer back to Manambato, from where we return to the country’s most popular rainforest, Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. We will spend two more nights in Andasibe. This night, we will take another of the legendary night walks in Andasibe. The weather has a massive effect on amphibian diversity, but we try our best to locate some of the dazzling frogs that call the area home, such as Red Bright-eyed Frog, Green Bright-eyed Frog, and Marbled Rain Frog.
Day 17: Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
We’ll explore the wildlife-rich rainforest by day and by night, to seek its diverse inhabitants. With a full day in the area, we will have the time to visit some of the deeper parts of this park, where we will be putting a focused effort on finding Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur and Red-bellied Lemur. At night, we focus on finding more nocturnal lemurs: Eastern Woolly Lemur, Weasel Sportive Lemur, and Goodman’s Mouse Lemur. Birding is superb, with specialties such as Blue Coua and Nuthatch Vanga. The area’s herpetofauna is rich, with chameleons including the gigantic Parson’s Chameleon and the far smaller Nose-horned Chameleon and Brown Leaf Chameleon.
Day 18: Andasibe-Mantadia National Park to Antananarivo
After a final morning walk in Andasibe, we drive back up to Antananarivo, where we have the use of day/evening rooms for those departing on Air France early next morning, or to stay overnight one final time.
Day 19: Departure from Antananarivo
You will be transferred to Ivato Airport to check in for your flight home.
SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT MADAGASCAR TOURS: It is possible that the final itinerary for this tour will be somewhat different from the one given above. Flight schedules in Madagascar are complicated and change frequently. Most flights operate only on certain days of the week, and the itinerary above is based entirely on those schedules. We will monitor the situation, and adapt our itinerary as necessary. Flights can even change on a moment’s notice based on weather conditions (or the whims of the airline!), so last-minute modifications are also a distinct possibility. Madagascar is an underdeveloped country. While we endeavor to use the best providers possible, sub-par service (e.g. uncomfortable or poorly maintained vehicles, simple hotels, cancelled or redirected flights) can sometimes cause inconveniences to travelers. Every tour company running trips here must deal with this, and we feel it is best to inform you beforehand, as it can be quite disconcerting considering the costs involved in visiting this country. The flights within Madagascar are included in the tour price, but any additional costs incurred due to internal flight delays or cancellations will not be covered by Tropical Birding. Ensure that your travel insurance covers you in such cases.
PACE: Moderate. The sun comes up just after 5am, and early morning is the prime wildlife-watching time, making for many early mornings. The sun sets about 6pm, but on many days we will head out for long night walks after sunset. There will be some down time at mid-day on many days of the tour, except for days with long drives. This tour has less long drives than most of our other Madagascar tours, with no all-day drives at all. The longest drives (up to 5 hours or so), are between Tana and Andasibe (Days 14 and 18); there are two other days with drives of around 3 hours (Days 8 and 12). There are Most of the tour is spent on national roads that have both good stretches, and pothole-riddled stretches, and are often winding. Some sites are accessed via short drives (two hours maximum) on sandy or muddy tracks. There may be a handful of packed meals on this tour.
PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Moderate. Some sites require long sessions in the forest, away from the vehicle. On one or two days, these sessions may run from early morning until the late afternoon. Although we try to find as many species as possible from the trails, bushwhacking is often necessary to seek out special species, but these diversions from the trail can be skipped by those who are physically unable to make them. The rainforest trails don’t generally have deep mud but can be slippery on the surface after recent rain. Some trails are broad and flat while others are narrow and uneven, with rocks and roots underfoot. Walking sticks are strongly recommended. The terrain in the western sites is completely flat, but often sandy, which can be fatiguing. You can expect to walk around 4 miles (6.4 km) per day on average.
CLIMATE: The rainforest sites have moderate temperatures (mostly 70°–80°F, 21°–27°C), though they are very humid, with rain likely. Rain gear is essential. The climate in Kirindy and most of the north is very hot (up to 95°F, 35°C) and typically drier.
ACCOMMODATION: Mostly very good, apart from six nights of the tour at more rustic lodges (at Kirindy, Andrafiamena-Andavakoera, and Ankarana). All hotels have en-suite rooms and almost all (except at Kirindy and Andrafiamena-Andavakoera) have hot water and full-time electricity. At some of the more rustic lodges, power is either by generator or solar power and so may be limited to certain periods of the day. Many of the lodges have Wi-Fi, although it is often unreliable in many of these. Good Wifi is usually available in Tana, Morondava, and in Andasibe (a total of 9 nights).
PHOTOGRAPHY: Madagascar offers excellent chances for nature photography. Many Malagasy creatures are approachable and photogenic. Many sightings, of lemurs and herps in particular, are extended, allowing abundant chances for photography. Birds are generally quite approachable, though rainforest bird photography can be difficult here as anywhere in the world. Reptiles and amphibians offer wonderful chances for macro photography. Serious nature photographers may wish to check out our Madagascar Photo Tour.
WHEN TO GO: We run the set-departure tour in November to early December, at the beginning of the warm and rainy season, when many birds begin breeding, hibernating mammals have started to emerge, and frogs and reptiles become conspicuous. Although it is somewhat less diverse, the austral winter is also a good time to visit Madagascar, as the parks are less crowded and the weather is very comfortable. Custom tours can be tweaked to make the most of any season.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay and have THREE BLANK PAGES. Proof of onward travel (a return ticket) may also be requested. A visa is required. Currently, a 30-day tourist visas can be obtained upon arrival for citizens of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and most European countries. There is a fee for this, payable in cash on arrival. This is currently 35 Euros/ $41 US Dollars (noter that this may change at short notice). A visa can also be obtained beforehand through a Malagasy embassy or consulate. Advance visas are currently only required of a few nationalities, mostly in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Travel requirements are subject to change, and it is a good idea to double-check your entry requirements at least six weeks before you travel; contact the nearest embassy or consulate or ask our office staff for help. PLEASE NOTE: A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is generally not required for entry into Madagascar, if you are coming from an area without this. However, if you are transiting through some areas like Nairobi (Kenya) or Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), and you have had a long transit time or have left the airport in those places, you may need to present a Yellow Fever certificate on arrival in Madagascar.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to local guides, drivers, and lodge staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 18; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 19; safe drinking water throughout; Tropical Birding tour leader from the morning of day 2 to the evening of day 18; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person (transfers may be shared with other participants of the same tour if they arrive at the same time); domestic flights; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from Day 2 to Day 18 in a suitable vehicle with a local driver; entrance fees and local guide fees for all the birding sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour, though electronic copies can be provided in advance).
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: International flights; optional tips to the Tropical Birding tour leader; tips for luggage porters (if you require their services); snacks; safe drinking water throughout; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; any medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included; expenses that could arise due to the delay, change, or extension of the trip due to circumstances beyond Tropical Birding’s control (weather, flight delays/cancellations, lost luggage, road closures, etc.).
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David Alexander –
Enigmatic is a great word to describe this tour: it goes to places not commonly visited on nature tours, it looks for everything, not just birds or mammals, and we saw truly amazing and enigmatic animals like the bizarre, crazy, but astonishing Aye-Aye. We managed to see something from each of the endemic bird families. We saw many rare and local lemurs. We had great night walks for lemurs which usually included new frogs, chameleons, and geckos. Madagascar is an amazing country, with wonderful lodging and people. This tour was great, and our leader was so enthusiastic. Highly recommended.