Madagascar small group trips

April to November, the dry season in the highlands and the south. June to August is cool, with cold highland nights; September to November is warmer, with more chameleons and frogs, lemur babies and jacarandas in flower. We do not run December to March, when rain and cyclones make the RN7 and the trails hard going.

Answer for Madagascar: Andasibe, the RN7, Isalo and Ifaty

A moderate level is enough. The forest walks in Andasibe and Ranomafana last 3 to 5 hours on steep, muddy trails, and the Isalo walk is 7 to 9 km in the heat. Each has a shorter option written into the day, and you can sit out any night walk.

Answer for Madagascar: Andasibe, the RN7, Isalo and Ifaty

A room of your own costs CAD 1,150 more, shown before you book with no extras added later. Solo travellers pay the same trip price as everyone else, with the same seats and table as everyone, and we confirm your single room when we name the hotels.

Answer for Madagascar: Andasibe, the RN7, Isalo and Ifaty

The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That keeps the group quiet enough on forest trails for the lemurs to stay put, and small enough that everyone gets a window seat in the minibus and a clear view when the guide finds an indri or a chameleon.

Answer for Madagascar: Andasibe, the RN7, Isalo and Ifaty

Your guide rebooks you on the next flight, and day 13 in Antananarivo is the buffer, so a one-day delay should not touch your flight home. If the flight slips by a day, Ambohimanga is shortened or dropped and the farewell dinner is held on the evening we reach Antananarivo. Schedules change; the flight is not daily in every season, so we set departure dates around the current timetable.

Answer for Madagascar: Andasibe, the RN7, Isalo and Ifaty

Most visitors need a visa or entry permit, issued as an e-visa before you fly or on arrival at Ivato airport. The rules and fees change and depend on your passport and length of stay, so we send the current rules for your passport when you book. Check your passport's validity and blank pages well before you travel.

Answer for Madagascar: Andasibe, the RN7, Isalo and Ifaty

April to November, the dry season in the north. May to October is the most reliable for the parks; June to August brings a strong coastal wind that can make the Emerald Sea crossing rough; October and November add the whale shark season. We run no departures in the cyclone and rain months.

Answer for Madagascar's north: Ankarana, Amber Mountain and Nosy Be

Reasonably fit and steady on your feet. The Grand Tsingy is about four hours on a via ferrata with a harness, ladders, tight crevices and a suspension bridge. If you have vertigo, take the shorter walk with a park guide or rest at the lodge; the Petit Tsingy is easier.

Answer for Madagascar: the Avenue of the Baobabs and the Tsingy de Bemaraha

Pick your start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. The small group starts from CAD 5,765 per person sharing a room, taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 10,380.

Answer for Madagascar: Andasibe, the RN7, Isalo and Ifaty

Domestic flights in Madagascar do change. We set departures around the current timetable, and if the flight moves we rearrange the day around it. The last morning in Antananarivo is a buffer, so book your flight home after about 2 pm. Longer disruptions are covered in the booking terms.

Answer for Madagascar: the Avenue of the Baobabs and the Tsingy de Bemaraha