Madagascar 9-Day Baobabs & Lemurs: Andasibe Indri, Antsirabe, Morondava Sunset & Avenue of the Baobabs

Tour Overview

Itinerary Highlights

Day 1: Arrive Antananarivo — City of a Thousand

Arrive Ivato Airport (TNR). Antananarivo, founded 1625 on twelve sacred hills, is a city of steep cobblestone streets, French colonial architecture mixed with Malagasy brick houses, and streets bustling with pousse-pousse (rickshaws). Afternoon visit to Lemurs’ Park for an introduction to Madagascar’s iconic primates. Evening dinner with panoramic city views. Overnight in Antananarivo.

Day 2: Andasibe-Mantadia — The Realm of Indri

Drive east 150 km to Andasibe through terraced rice paddies and eucalyptus forests. Afternoon guided walk in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park (155 km² of rainforest at 900-1,250m altitude). This is home of the indri — the largest living lemur (70-90 cm, tailless, black-and-white) whose dawn song (a whale-like wail that carries 2-3 km through the forest) is one of nature’s most haunting sounds. Also spot the diademed sifaka, brown lemurs, and 100+ bird species. Evening: night walk to see mouse lemurs, chameleons (Madagascar has half the world’s species), and tree frogs that light up the forest with their calls. Overnight near Andasibe.

Day 3: Dawn Indri Chorus & Return to Tana

Pre-dawn walk into Analamazaotra Reserve for the indri’s famous dawn chorus — a family group’s territorial song that starts with roars and builds to a crescendo. After breakfast, a second walk to track woolly lemurs, greater dwarf lemurs, and the bizarre leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus — camouflage so perfect you can stare at a tree for minutes without seeing the reptile on it). Afternoon drive back to Antananarivo. Overnight in Antananarivo.

Day 4: Antananarivo to Antsirabe — The Pousse-Pousse City

Morning drive south to Antsirabe (170 km) through the volcanic highlands. Antsirabe at 1,500m altitude has a cool climate that made it a favorite colonial retreat. Visit artisan workshops — miniature model makers who craft Citroëns and 2CVs from recycled aluminum, gemstone cutters working with Malagasy sapphires and tourmalines, and embroidery workshops. Ride a pousse-pousse through the colonial-era streets. Overnight in Antsirabe.

Day 5: Antsirabe to Morondava — Westward to the Sea

Drive west to Morondava (320 km, 7-8 hours), descending from the highlands through Miandrivazo (Madagascar’s hottest town, up to 45°C in October) to the Mozambique Channel coast. Sakalava culture dominates this region — distinctive royal tombs with erotic wooden carvings (asombola) mark the landscape. Late afternoon arrival and your first glimpse of the Avenue of the Baobabs at sunset — 800-year-old Grandidier’s baobabs, 25-30m tall, silhouetted against a sky that shifts gold-orange-purple. This is the image that defines Madagascar. Overnight in Morondava.

Day 6: Morondava Free Day — Beach & Culture

Day at leisure on Morondava’s Mozambique Channel beach. Options: visit the nearby fishing village of Betania where traditional pirogues (dugout canoes) are built by hand, explore the lively local market (Sakalava raffia hats, vanilla beans, wild honey), or simply relax under a palm tree with a book about Madagascar’s extraordinary natural history. For the active: snorkeling on the channel’s coral reefs or a pirogue excursion to a mangrove island. Sunset drinks at a beach bar facing Africa — the Mozambique coast is 400 km across the channel. Overnight in Morondava.

Day 7: Kirindy Reserve — Fossa Territory

Day trip to Kirindy Forest Reserve (60 km from Morondava), home to the fossa — Madagascar’s apex predator, a cat-like mongoose reaching 2m in length. Kirindy has the highest fossa density in Madagascar. Seven lemur species: Verreaux’s sifaka (the “dancing” lemur that hops sideways on hind legs), red-fronted brown lemurs, and the Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur (world’s smallest primate at 30g). Walk the forest trails with a local guide who can spot wildlife you’d never find alone. Afternoon: return to the Avenue of the Baobabs for another perspective on these ancient trees — the afternoon light reveals bark textures like elephant skin and fruit pods (“monkey bread” with 6x the Vitamin C of oranges). Overnight in Morondava.

Day 8: Morondava to Antananarivo — Highland Return

Morning flight back to Antananarivo (1h15m). Afternoon at leisure: visit the Rova (Queen’s Palace) on the highest of the twelve hills, browse the Analakely market for vanilla, essential oils, and raffia crafts, or simply wander the steep streets and staircases of the old city. Farewell dinner at a restaurant in the Haute-Ville (Upper Town) with views of the city lights below. Overnight in Antananarivo.

Day 9: Depart Antananarivo

Transfer to Ivato Airport for departure. You leave having witnessed two of Earth’s most extraordinary spectacles: the whale-like song of the indri in primeval rainforest, and the silhouette dance of millennium-old baobabs against an African sunset.

Inclusions

• 8 nights accommodation
• Daily breakfast, 2 dinners
• Domestic flight: Morondava-Antananarivo
• All ground transportation
• English-speaking guide
• Park fees: Andasibe, Kirindy
• Night walk in Andasibe

Exclusions

• International flights
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses
• Visa ($37 on arrival)