Madagascar: Island of Lemurs - Madagascar

This 12 day adventure to Madagascar - the Jewel of the Indian Ocean - has been planned to provide the best opportunities to see and photograph Lemurs in the wild and marvel and the incredible range of other wildlife on this island. We concentrate on two key locations on this large island which are home to many species of Lemur - Berenty Private Nature Reserve famous for the “dancing” shifakas and Analmazaotra (commonly called Perinet) and Mantadia reserves near Andasibe where the Indri may be seen.  We also offer a four night extension to Kenya’s Masai Mara where we hope to we hope to witness the great migration of Wildebeest, see some of the stars of BBC’s Big Cat Week and photograph a huge range of other animals and birds.

Madagascar is may be only a few hundred kilometres from Africa but is like another world. Indeed it is far enough that over millions of years of evolution the plants and animals have evolved into some of the strangest on the planet with over 80% being found nowhere else on Earth. there over 70 species of lemur - unique to the island - and even amongst the species there is a great diversity including the Aye-aye, the shifakas and the Indri. In this biodiversity hotspot there are 280 species of birds of which over 100 are endemic, 260 species of reptile with over 90% of these being endemic and two-thirds of the World's chameleon species including the largest and smallest. Similar statistics apply to the island’s insects, amphibians and flora. Sadly he island has lost species and habitat over the last few hundred years but bold government plans are being implemented to restore much of what has been lost and tourism is playing a large role in this development.

Our tour starts with an evening flight from London Heathrow which arrives in Nairobi, Kenya the following morning. We then join a flight to Antananarivo (Tana) in Madagascar where we spend the rest of the day. We then proceed to Berenty Nature Reserve  for three nights. And explore on foot by day and night. Berenty offers a great opportunity to view and photograph several lemur species including Verreaux’s Sifaka (the infamous ‘dancing’ lemur), Ring-tailed Lemur, the nocturnal White-footed Sportive Lemur, Grey Mouse Lemur, Red-fronted Brown Lemur and the Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur. At the time of year we visit the Ring-tailed lemurs breed and the young are frequently seen.

We the transfer to Andasibe for four nights staying at a lodge on the edge of the Analmazaotra (commonly called Perinet) and Mantadia reserves. The humid montane forests contain a huge range of plant-life including hundreds or orchid species which flower from September to January. The wildlife is superb with 13 lemur species, over 100 bird species, some 50 reptiles, and over 80 amphibian species. Early mornings to Perinet are spent in search of the famous Indri, whose haunting cry will be heard echoing through the forest. Night walks in the forest can be very rewarding, particularly for chameleons and other seldom seen nocturnal species.

Finally we return to Antananarivo for some final sight-seeing before leaving Madagascar the following morning. For those not joining the extension, they connect with the onward flight to London while the rest of the group spend the night in Nairobi and fly out to the Masai Mara the following morning. We will stay at the same camp we regularly use for our Kenya safaris which offers a fantastic location, comfortable accommodation and great food. We will explore this beautiful area in the camp’s four-wheel drive vehicles which are ideal for photography and driven by professional guides who know the area extremely well, are experts on the animals and birds and understand the needs of photographers. Each day we will take picnic breakfasts, and usually lunch, to truly experience life in the bush and appreciate all it has to offer. After a game drive on the final morning, we will have lunch before returning to Nairobi and taking the overnight flight back to London.

Peter Smart from Wild Arena will accompany you. Peter is a wildlife photographer, and has escorted around 80 tours to a variety of countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Borneo, Indonesia, Brazil, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands and the Arctic. He has also taught at many hundreds of Wild Arena’s photographic workshops at numerous locations around the UK. Peter treats it as a genuine privilege to introduce clients to the wildlife, landscapes and people of the countries he visits and his knowledge, experience, organisational skills and sense of fun ensures that not only will you have excellent photographic and game-viewing opportunities but also a highly enjoyable holiday!

The safari is arranged by African specialists, Safari Consultants Ltd,  a fully bonded UK tour operator; your financial protection when travelling with us. In addition to providing great photographic opportunities, Wild Arena’s tours are designed to offer a wide appreciation of the natural beauty of Africa’s wildlife, people and the environment. The itinerary provides you with the maximum time in the field so we can offer you the best photographic opportunities, including giving help when it is needed.

This exciting adventure offers a wonderful opportunity to see some of the world’s rarest wildlife which, when combined with the optional extension to Kenya’s Masai Mara, provides a magnificent variety of game viewing and photographic opportunities.

Please contact us regarding any questions you may still have or to discuss the possible extensions to this tour. You are advised to make your reservation immediately once you have decided to join us, as places are strictly limited on this very special trip to Madagascar: Island of Lemurs.

Flights:

2013: Price per person without international flights. Estimated cost of economy class international flights from London, UK of £715 per person giving an estimated total price of £3985 per person at prevailing exchange rates at the time of preparing this tour information