Madagascar has been "discovered" as a major nature destination. Acommodation cannot booked at short notice anymore. Thus it is no longer possible to plan tours for groups as requested. Anyone who wants to do a tour must first get accommodation and then we can look at guides. It is essential to make plans about 2 years in advance!

Please contact Sabine Bultemeier at AnimalTracks & Islandventures in Johannesburg who does all our accommodation and land arrangements:-

Sabine Bultemeier ati@intekom.co.za

Explore the wonders of the Madagascar wildlife & nature while visiting some of Madagascar's prime birding and wildlife localities, such as the emerald green forests of Perinet, the Spiny Forests of the South West near Ifaty and the tall semi- deciduous forests of the North West near Ampijoroa.

Madagascar is home to some unique birds, of which approximately 110 species are endemic. We will search for these as well as some of the other interesting creatures that inhabit the island, such as the lemurs of which you may have the opportunity to see the largest, the Indri-Indri, as well as the many reptiles, frogs and invertebrates.

Interesting flora, many endemic, fascinating scenery and people with diverse cultures await you as you travel this multi-faceted island, where there is also the option of scuba-diving and snorkelling at Ifaty.

Some brief notes:

Mahajanga and Ampijoroa:- Mahajanga lies at the mouth of the huge river estuary of the same name. The islands in the river are covered with mangroves and provide important breeding habitat for many birds. Ampijoroa lies about 2 hours inland and is renowned for the semi-deciduous woodlands in the area and the interesting tortoise research carried out at the Research Station.

Berenty :- Although in the SE of the island it is in a rain shadow and so the local vegetation is a type of Spiny Forest. It is best known for the Ring-tailed Lemurs which roam freely around the lodge. However, this area is also an important birding area with a variety of Owls and Couas.

Ifaty:- Although the Spiny Forest with Baobabs is the primary habitat of this area it is by no means the only interesting habitat. Along coast are excellent Mangrove areas which abound in waders and similar shorebirds at low tide. The man-made “pans” used for evaporating sea water to obtain the salt are also great wader habitat in summer. In some areas huge lagoons are formed in the valleys between the sand ridges which have been fixed by the spiny vegetation. Waterbirds are often abundant here. For those who are interested snorkeling over coral reefs off-shore can be arranged.

Perinet:- This is the rain forest area with its variety of lemurs and birds. The Indri, the largest of the lemurs, is present and can usually be seen. The variety of forest birds and chameleons is well-known as are the great variety of orchids found in the forests.

All tours to Madagascar are determined by the flights to the island and the internal Air Madagascar flights at the time the tour is organised. The following tour is currently practical – starting on a Thursday from Johannesburg:-

We have been organising 14 day tours encompassing the following:-

Day 1 Fly to Madagascar.

2 Days Mahajanga & Ampijoroa

2 Days at Berenty

2 days at Ifaty

3 days at Perinet

3 days minimum flying between these destinations.

1 day Perinet - Tana

Day15 fly back to Johannesburg.

On longer trips it may be practical to arrange to visit Ranomafana &/or the NE of the island.