Madagascar — World Apart
Madagascar split from Africa 160 million years ago, and its wildlife evolved in isolation. The result is a place where 90% of all species exist nowhere else on Earth.
The country is large (the world's fourth-largest island) and infrastructure varies, so itineraries focus on two or three regions over 10–14 days.
Highlights
- ◆Andasibe-Mantadia National Park — Indri lemurs, the world's largest; call echoes for kilometres
- ◆Avenue of the Baobabs — Ancient grandidier baobabs near Morondava; iconic at sunset
- ◆Tsingy de Bemaraha — UNESCO; razor-sharp limestone karst forest; suspension bridges
- ◆Île Sainte-Marie — Humpback whale watching (Jul–Sep); pirate history; calm beaches
- ◆Isalo National Park — Canyon hiking; natural pools; ring-tailed lemurs
- ◆Anjajavy — Remote west-coast private reserve; lemurs on the beach; luxury lodge
- ◆Antananarivo — Hilltop capital with French colonial architecture and lively markets
Key Destinations in Madagascar
Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
A three-hour drive east of Antananarivo, Andasibe protects one of the last stands of primary eastern rainforest.
Avenue of the Baobabs
A short stretch of dirt road outside Morondava where 25 grandidier baobabs — some 800 years old — line both sides.
Tsingy de Bemaraha
A UNESCO World Heritage Site of utterly otherworldly limestone karst — a 'forest' of razor-sharp pinnacles 70m high.
Île Sainte-Marie
A long, slim island off the east coast — historically a refuge for 18th-century pirates.
Isalo National Park
A landscape that feels like an African Bryce Canyon — sandstone massifs cut by deep canyons.