Tour of Madagascar - October 2012

 In October 2012 we went 18 day tour to Madagascar. It was organised by Reef & Rainforest in conjunction with Bristol Zoo. The organisation was excellent and I hope to go to Sri Lanka with them next year.

We met up with Dave from the zoo at London Airport very early on the day of departure. We flew Air France to Paris and then on to Madagascar. Antananarivo (Tana) airport is a bit a shock to the system we qued for 3 hours to get a visa and when we got that we still had to wait half an hour for our luggage. It was great to see the smiling face of our guide Kenny who quickly got us to our hotel.

The next morning our 4wd was waiting to take up to Analamazotra. a fascinating drive east through the countryside with rice paddies and villages. On arrival at Andasibe Forest Lodge we had time to relax before we were out on a night walk a saw  may frogs, pygmy Chameleons and snub nosed chameleons. The Forest Lodge was very basic but comfortable in a beautiful setting. The hot water system was interesting but effective and consisted of a large tank with a log fire underneath it, we were never short of hot water.

The next day we were out early and on our first excursion into the Mitsingo Forest found a group of Indri, a tree boa, and many orchids. After lunch it was off to Lemur Island a small private reserve that is part of the Vacona Lodge hotel. These are tame lemurs, not exactly adventurous but great fun. There were bamboo lemurs,  black & white ruffed lemurs and brown lemurs the last two climbed all over you. Beautiful and gentle but not too careful where they pooed. Some of the mothers had very small babies just peeking out of their fur.

(The video below should work on most browsers. Let me know if it does not work for you.)

Out again in the evening and our first mouse lemur and many more chameleons. In the morning it was our final visit to Analamazaotra. The forest was rather busy including a particularly large group of very noisy French tourists, we did our best to avoid them.  Found a giraffe necked beetle a very strange looking creature also weaver birds and a group of Diademed Sifaka. We then headed off to Antsirabe another long drive and stopping now and again to look at the countryside. Kenny could spot a chameleon at 40kph, amazing. We arrived at the Coleur Cafe early evening, very nice.

The next morning we went into town and visited two craft workshops the first made items out of Zebu horn and the second beautiful embroidery and items made out of recycle cans and other bits. We bought a table cloth and serviettes and from the guy outside a couple of bundles of vanilla pods. We then headed off to Ranomafana National Park. The roads seemed to get worse the further we got from Tana, they were "interesting" what we did not know there was much worse to come. We arrived at Setam Lodge late afternoon and after checking in a having dinner we were off for a night walk.  Quite successful with a close view of a dwarf lemur a great many different frogs and a selection of chameleons including O'Shaunnesy's, snub nosed  and blue-legged.

The whole of the next day was spent in the page, the ground was steep and the ground cover dense it was energetic but very rewarding. We have good views of Edward Milne's Sifakas, Golden Bamboo and Greater Bamboo lemur and amongst the birds Magpie Robin, Red Fronted Coua, Paradise Flycatcher, Hooked Bill Vanga (on nest), Weaver birds, Lesser Vasa Parrott, and a brief sighting of a Madagascar Lesser Cuckoo. We were pretty tired when we hit the sack a good job the food was good and the rooms comfortable.

I think this is enough for part 1. There are about 50 photographs on my Gallery page just click on the link GALLERY and below is a map showing our route for the whole trip, just to whet your appetite for the next part if I get around to writing it.

The blue lines show our overland route and the red air.

The roads in the north were very much worse that the south it was like being attacked by a demented Chiropractor.

Air Madagascar gets you there eventually but time keeping was not their forte.