Seeing the many species of lemur, the early morning sounds of the Indri at both Pangalanes and Andasibe was magical. They bounced from tree to tree with ease showing how well they are adapted to their surroundings and giving us a sight no TV program can reproduce. The trip to Aye-aye island, seeing these unusual and fascinating creatures was a memory I will never forget, I never expected to have the privilege of meeting them. Watching the aerobatics of the Mouse Lemurs in the forest at night was extraordinary. Whilst at Berenty getting close to the characterful Ring-tailed Lemurs with there young and watching the Verreaux's Sifaka dance across the roads was a treat to behold!
S.B. Essex, Oct 23
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Madagascar's Mammals
Tour Code: MDG08A 18-day wildlife holiday in search of Madagascar's unique and extraordinary mammals and other wildlife, focusing on Kirindy and Berenty Reserves, as well as Andasibe-Mantadia National Park.
£6,995 (Inc flights)
£6,095
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
We begin our holiday with a flight to Antananarivo (Tana), where we spend our first night before flying to the west coast town of Morondava. From there we drive past the famous ‘Avenue des Baobabs’ to Kirindy Reserve, the most reliable place for seeing the elusive Fosa, as well as other mammals including troops of Verreaux’s Sifaka and Red-fronted Brown Lemurs, as well as birds such as Crested and Giant Couas and Rufous Vanga. We then head further south to Berenty Reserve, famous for its ‘dancing’ Verreaux’s Sifakas and Ring-tailed Lemurs. Next we visit Andasibe-Mantadia National Park in search of Indri, Diademed Sifaka and a host of special birds, before we end our tour in Palmarium Reserve, the best place in the world for seeing wild Aye-Ayes.
- Visit Kirindy Reserve in search of Fosa and Giant Jumping Rat
- Coquerel’s Giant & Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemurs plus Madame-Berthe’s Mouse Lemur, Kirindy
- 'Dancing' Verreaux's Sifakas and Ring-tailed Lemurs at Berenty Reserve
- Listen to the eerie cries of Indri, Andasibe
- Look for wild Aye-ayes at the Palmarium Reserve
Grading
Grade B. Easy to moderate day and night walks. This itinerary can be considered a little more easy-going than our other Madagascar tours, as we avoid the long overland drive across the country and our excursions avoid the steeper walking of the eastern rainforest reserves.
The island of Madagascar has been isolated from mainland Africa for 165 million years, allowing evolution here to take its own unique course. Today, over 80% of its wildlife is endemic, occurring nowhere else on Earth. New species continue to be discovered, and it is the sense of venturing into the unknown that makes Madagascar such a rewarding and exciting country to visit. There are six endemic, or near-endemic, bird families — the mesites, ground-rollers, cuckoo-rollers, asities, vangas and Madagascan warblers — and a wonderful variety of endemic chameleons and cryptically-camouflaged geckos too. Add to this an untold number of insects (many of which remain undescribed) and a suite of unique plants, all set in a varied and often spectacular landscape, and it is easy to see why Madagascar is a wildlife destination like no other. For many, however, it is the mammals that are the crowning glory of this island’s unique menagerie. This eclectic set of lemurs, insectivores, carnivores, rodents and bats is thought to have descended from a band of hardy pioneers that arrived by sea and air from mainland Africa over the last 100 million years. These early colonisers flourished and diversified and on this exciting holiday we will search for their many and varied descendants, which are now found throughout Madagascar from the dry deciduous forests of the north-west to the lush rainforests of the east and unforgiving deserts of the south.
We will begin our holiday with a flight to the Malagasy capital, Antananarivo (Tana), where we will spend our first night, before flying to the west coast town of Morondava. On arrival there, we will drive past the famous ‘Avenue des Baobabs’ to Kirindy Reserve, the most reliable place in which to see the elusive Fosa, Madagascar’s top land predator. Fosas are frequently observed in the reserve, and we will also have a good chance of seeing Narrowstriped Mongoose and the bizarre Giant Jumping Rat nearby. Troops of Verreaux’s Sifakas and Red-fronted Brown Lemurs are common in the forest during the day, whilst on night walks we will be looking out for Coquerel’s Giant Dwarf Lemur and Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur. With some hard work and a slice of luck, we might even find the tiny Madame-Berthe’s Mouse Lemur, which is thought to be the smallest primate in the world. There are plenty of interesting birds to look out for too, including Crested and Giant Couas, Rufous Vanga, Sakalava Weaver, Madagascan Hoopoe and the localised White-breasted Mesite. After returning to Tana for one night, we will head south to spend three nights on the southern tip of Madagascar — two at Berenty Reserve and one in Fort Dauphin. Berenty is a small but well-known reserve made famous by its ‘dancing’ Verreaux’s Sifakas and friendly troops of Ring-tailed Lemurs. At this time of year the young lemurs are a delight to watch as they learn to relinquish their tight grip on their mothers’ backs and experiment by playing and ‘bouncing’ through the tamarind trees. Wildlife-watching here is easy, with many species visible from our bungalows, though we will also enjoy plenty of leisurely walks in the forests, where there is a good selection of birds to search for. Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher, Sickle-billed and White-headed Vangas, Giant Coua, Souimanga Sunbird and many others are possible, and we can also look for both Oustalet’s and Jewel Chameleons.
For the final part of our tour we will return to Tana before driving east to the rainforests of Andasibe-Mantadia National Park and the Palmarium Reserve. Andasibe is famed for its families of the beautiful Indri, whose eerie calls resonate throughout the reserve in the early morning, as well as the stunning Diademed Sifaka. Amongst the special birds we may see are Collared Nightjar, Red-fronted and Redbreasted Couas, Malagasy Pygmy Kingfisher, Blue Vanga, Velvet Asity, and Pitta-like Ground-roller. The rainforest is also home to such reptiles as the Madagascar Tree Boa, and Parson’s and Short-horned Chameleons. After a night in Andasibe, we will drive further east still, before travelling by boat to the Palmarium Reserve. Nearby, a small forested island supports seven wild Aye-ayes, most of which were translocated here for their protection. This is the best place in the world to see Aye-aye in its natural habitat, and in the early evening we will take the boat over to the forest to visit the coconut feeding stations, where we are all but guaranteed an encounter with the most bizarre of all Madagascan creatures.
Finally, we will return to Andasibe, where there will be another opportunity to enjoy the reserve and search for any creatures we may have previously missed before we must return to Tana for the final time, ahead of our journey home.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
We stay in comfortable, but simple, lodges throughout. All rooms are en-suite.
- Food:
All food is included in the price of the tour.
Reviews
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I just loved everything - all the lemurs and especially the Aye Aye. We also enjoyed the night walks with the numerous Mouse Lemurs and the Sportive Lemurs bouncing through the trees. Desi was excellent and full of enthusiasm for his country. He made sure that we were able to see everything and that we were having a good time.
J.P. Merseyside, Oct 23 -
My friend and I first booked this holiday in 2020 - BC - Before Covid! It was wonderful finally to be able to go in October 2022! Despite the problems caused by covid, particularly in Madagascar, and with Air Madagascar changing flights so that our itinerary had to be changed, we spent many happy hours trekking through the forests and were lucky to see a wide range of animals. We were extremely well-cared for by our English group leader, our Madagascan guide and all the people we met during our stay in this beautiful country. We all seemed to enjoy completing our animal checklist each evening after dinner! The report on the holiday received from our tour leader brought back many happy memories. Naturetrek staff are efficient, helpful and friendly. Despite the problems caused by covid and staff having to work from home, we were always kept well informed. The pre-departure information supplied was very thorough and helpful. Although I have to say I was a bit worried by it! I thought our accommodation and food might be more basic than I am used to having travelled in east and southern Africa, so it was a nice surprise to find out that it was of a good standard. Our group leader and our Madagascan guide were excellent.
D.M. Surrey, Oct 22 -
I learned so much and enjoyed the variety of wildlife we saw immensely (I’m certainly no birder and know little about reptiles or insects!). Highlights for me were the aye- ayes, huge variety of lemurs and walking the Avenue des Baobabs. It was also great to learn more about life in Madagascar - I hadn’t realised just how poor the country is, but this is more than made up by the friendliness of its people. I’ve travelled with Naturetrek on previous occasions and their service is always excellent, from initial booking onwards. Information provided is timely and helpful. We had last-minute changes to our itinerary due to changes in internal flight schedules which made the holiday a bit more tiring, but didn’t detract from the overall experience. As I’ve come to expect with this company, our tour leaders and local guides were all brilliant.
S.T. Avon, Oct 22
Dates & Prices
2024
Tour Leader: Emily Richens
The Lake District, Scotland and southern France constituted many of Emily’s family holidays. Always by road, these trips inspired her taste for adventure (not to mention local foods) and love of exploring off-piste. Not one to stick to well-trodden paths, some of Emily’s most memorable wildlife encounters have been unexpected and often fleeting; from lekking Longhorn moths in a Hampshire woodland to a Common Dolphin mother and calf swimming right beside her whilst paddling on Scotland’s west coast!
Her Master’s research at Bristol University took her to South Africa where she spent 6 months in the bushveld tracking Dwarf Mongooses! Experiencing this lifestyle strengthened her love of the outdoors and skills in tracking wild animals. Her most memorable encounter occurred on her final day, when she witnessed a Serval attack on ‘her’ troop of mongooses!
Emily fell in love with the Scottish Highlands whilst working as a ranger and wildlife guide, where she covered everything from Black Grouse leks and finding Golden Eagle nests, to discussions about the legacy of the Highland Clearances and of course the importance of Scotch whisky!
Although passionate about wildlife, she has a drive to learn about every aspect of a place and to appreciate and understand the bigger picture.
Rowing plays a major part in Emily’s life outside of work, and she regularly trains for races.
2025
2026
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Many of the world’s mammals are instantly recognisable to us. Animals such as Lions, Tigers, elephants and bears capture our imaginations from an early age. At Naturetrek, we take great pleasure and pride in helping people to fulfil their lifelong dreams of seeing these iconic species in the wild. We also enjoy introducing our clients to some of the world’s more unusual mammals, many of which are just as fascinating.
Naturetrek Mammal Watching Tours
Many of our tours have a primary focus on mammals and we offer the widest choices of mammal-watching holidays across the globe, from the poles to the tropics. Our holidays are guided by at least one professional naturalist tour leader and usually benefit from additional guiding by expert local naturalist guides. We have holidays to see an incredible range of the world’s most sought-after mammals, such as orangutans, lemurs, bats, polar mammals, big cats, and mammals of the African savannah. A significant number of tours also targets some of the planet’s more unusual and elusive species, from pottos and pangolins to slender lorises and obscure cetaceans.
Here’s a selection of our mammal tours:
- India’s Kanha and Pench Tiger Reserves
- A cruise to Spitsbergen in search of Polar Bears
- A chance to see the ‘Big Five’ and much more in South Africa’s Kruger National Park
- Search for Blue, Fin and Sperm Whales in the Azores
- Close-up views of Brown Bear and Wolverine in Finland
- Enjoy the mammals of Kenya’s Masai Mara, while staying in luxury camps
- Search for elusive nocturnal mammals, such as Aardvark, Black-footed Cat and Aardwolf, in the Kalahari Desert
Bargain mammal selection
We offer a range of action-packed bargain holidays for the dedicated mammal enthusiast, which are exceptional value for money, from Belize to Zambia.
Our specialist recommends...
Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager
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Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!