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Madagascar: Exploring the Eighth Continent
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Travel to Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa, and meet the multiple species of lemurs that inhabit the island, from the indri to the diademed sifaka to the woolly lemur.
This 13-day trip along the Mandrare River is one you won’t want to miss. Experience the country's extraordinary beauty alongside Academy experts Dr. Brian Fisher and Dr. Scott Sampson as you explore traditional architecture, visit the Madagascar Biodiversity Center, and embark on a boat trip across the Mandrare River to see groups of lemurs and sifaka.
When: TBD—stay tuned for confirmed trip dates!
Where: Madagascar (multiple locations)
Group: Max. 14 participants
Price: $14,350 per person (double occupancy)
Watch the recorded info session for more details about this trip and our trip to Easter Island!
Activities
We’ll be spending 12 nights in Madagascar, fully immersed in its traditional architecture, local biodiversity, and majestic scenery. Enjoy delicious food and explore world-famous protected areas and community reserves. Visit the Madagascar Biodiversity Center, the Academy’s research facility built on land donated by the Malagasy government. Its primary focus is to provide a venue to study Madagascar's vanishing plant and invertebrate fauna and to provide training that empowers local biologists. Walk or take a boat across the Mandrare River and see groups of ring-tailed lemurs and sifaka.
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Meet the experts: Scott D. Sampson, PhD
Executive Director and William R. and Gretchen B. Kimball Chair Dr. Scott D. Sampson leads the Academy's world-class museum, as well as its programs of scientific research, sustainability, and education. He is a renowned paleontologist, passionate science communicator, and seasoned museum leader.
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Meet the experts: Brian Fisher, PhD
Curator of Entomology and Patterson Scholar Dr. Brian Fisher is passionate about ants. He specializes in the large-scale discovery, description, and naming of African and Malagasy ants. His inventory work in Africa and Madagascar demonstrates the feasibility and challenges of conducting global biodiversity inventories.
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Details
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Antananarivo: Upon arrival into Ivato Airport you will be greeted by an English-speaking guide who will accompany you to your hotel in the upper town of Antananarivo. ‘Tana’—as the locals call it—has fascinating traditional architecture and a more Indonesian influence than the rest of Madagascar. Enjoy the lovely views over the city before dinner.
Day 2: Drive to Andasibe: After an early breakfast, your guide will take you east to Andasibe, a stunning rainforest park, about five hours’ drive from the city. The park consists of two protected areas, the Perinet Special Reserve and Mantadia National Park. Perinet is world famous for its population of indri lemurs, which are the largest living lemur species. Check into the hotel for lunch followed by a walk in the community reserve VOIMMA, which is home to indri, diademed sifakas, woolly lemurs, endemic frogs, and more.
Day 3: Andasibe (Perinet Reserve): After breakfast, enjoy a visit to the Perinet Reserve with a local guide in search of the Indri indri. Perinet is home to many reptiles, invertebrates, and some of Madagascar’s most stunning orchid species. A night walk will be organized in the late evening in the forest surrounding the reserve with a local guide.
Day 4: Drive to Tana: In the morning, visit the Amphibian Survival Assurance Center of Andasibe, Madagascar’s first biosecure facility to safeguard amphibians from extinction. Return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon head back to Tana.
Day 5: Tana: Enjoy breakfast and venture out to the Madagascar Biodiversity Center.
Day 6: Fly to Fort Dauphin; drive to Mandrare River Camp: Take a morning flight from Ivato Airport to Fort Dauphin with Tsaradia. Enjoy an early lunch In Fort Dauphin, and then drive to Mandrare River Camp. Upon arrival at the camp, settle into your tent and enjoy the majestic views over the Mandrare River. Depart for a night walk in the Forest of Analoalo or Ambovo.
Day 7: Mandrare River Camp: After breakfast you will head out to the stunning sacred gallery forest to the south of the camp. Walk or take a boat across the Mandrare River to see groups of ring-tailed lemurs and the Verreaux sifaka. Return to camp for lunch and a relaxed afternoon by the pool. Then, enjoy a walk through the sacred spiny forest filled with the ancestral tombs of the local Antandroy tribe.
Day 8: Mandrare River Camp: Enjoy an early morning walk in the spiny forest and witness the sunlight break through the octopus trees while looking out for the many endemic birds. Head back to camp for breakfast followed by a visit to the local market or the local village to meet the fascinating Antandroy tribe. Lunch will be served at the camp followed by an afternoon watching life along the river from your tent terrace. In the evening, watch the sunset and moonrise with a view across the baobabs to the mountains beyond. In the evening the local village may come to perform beautiful traditional dances, accompanied by singing and music.
Day 9: Drive to Fort Dauphin; fly to Tana: Drive to Fort Dauphin in time for your Tsaradia flight back to Tana. On arrival you will be met by your guide and transfer to your hotel near the airport. Enjoy the spa, swimming pool, restaurants and roof-top bar. In the evening, your guide will accompany you to Le Marais, the top restaurant in Madagascar. Le Marais offers a unique blend of Malagasy and European cuisine using the best Malagasy ingredients.
Day 10: Fly to Anjajavy: After an early breakfast, transfer to Ivato Airport in time for your scheduled charter to Anjajavy. Upon arrival you will be greeted by a hotel staff member and transferred to the lodge. Anjajavy Lodge is located within a 450-hectare nature reserve on Madagascar’s northwest coast. Meals can be served in an enclosed oasis in the hotel grounds or on the beach. At 5:30 pm you will depart for a night walk in the reserve to spot a variety of nocturnal lemurs.
Day 11: Anjajavy: Depart for a walk along the ‘Chemin des Crabes’ to see the fabulous birdlife, beautiful baobabs, and the famous hairy crab. At the end of the walk, you will visit a small cave where you will find a fossilized lemur skull, stalactites, and sharks’ teeth. You will return to the lodge for lunch and dinner.
Day 12: Anjajavy: Enjoy a long walk along the Giant’s Causeway and King’s Alley. You will explore ancient baobab trees, tsingy rock formations found only in Madagascar, along with a variety of lemurs including the coquerel’s sifakas. You will return to the lodge for lunch and dinner.
Day 13: Fly to Tana; depart: At 9:30 am, transfer to the airstrip for your morning flight to Tana by scheduled charter. Upon arrival at Tana airport, you will be met by an English-speaking transfer guide, who will assist you in checking in for your outbound flight.
Pricing and what's included
Pricing and payment schedule:
- $14,350 per person based on double occupancy
- At time of reservation: $1,000 per person nonrefundable deposit
- 120 days prior to departure: Balance due
Cancellations and refunds:
The following cancellation charges apply:
- 120-61 days prior to departure: 50% of trip cost
- Within 60 days of departure: No refund
- At or after departure: No refund
The price of this trip includes:
- Accommodation in hotels, lodges and camps, based on twin/double occupancy, inclusive of all service charges and taxes
- All excursions indicated on the itinerary, park fees and community/environmental fees
- All ground transportation as listed in the itinerary
- Internal flights as listed in the itinerary
- Group or private airport arrival and departure transfers while in Madagascar
- Meals as noted in itinerary
- All non-alcoholic beverages (tea, coffee, juice, bottled water, soft drinks) and select beer & wine throughout
- All beverages while at Mandrare River Camp
- Welcome and farewell dinners including local beverages
- Services of a GeoEx Madagascar-based National Guide/Trip Manager throughout the group’s time in Madagascar
- Porterage at airports and hotels while in Madagascar
- All gratuities for GeoEx National Guide, local drivers, hotel, restaurant, and camping staff while in Madagascar
- Emergency evacuation services up to $300,000; secondary medical expense insurance up to $50,000 (restrictions apply; a description of coverage is available upon request).
The price of this trip does not include:
- Round trip airfare and en-route expenses to/from your GeoEx trip
- Passport and visa fees
- Increase in VAT or other tourism taxes, which may occur at any time
- Excess baggage charges, departure fees, and airport taxes
- Personal expenses and incidentals, such as phone calls and laundry
- Trip cancellation, travel delay, and baggage loss or similar insurance
- Charges incurred as a result of delays beyond the control of GeoEx
- Donation to California Academy of Sciences, listed separately
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