TOFT PHOTO2015 MADAGASCAR PHOTO TOUR

Madagascar Photo Safari & TourSeptember 22 - OCTOBER 7, 2015

22 September (Day 1)Johannesburg /Antananarivo

Arrive in the capital of Madagascar (known for short as “Tana”) where we clear passport control and customs, and then transfer to the venerable Hotel Colbert, a hotel that’s been in continuous operation since colonial times.

23 September (Day 2)Antananarivo / Andasibe

Set off on the well-maintained National Road #2 through the verdant Imerina countryside heading towards the eastern rainforest, “ala atsinanana.” Stop for lunch and a visit of “Madagascar Exotic,” a nature farm that was started by famed naturalist André Peyriéras – the place has seen better days, but the chameleons, geckoes, frogs and a few other rare denizens are still there. Overnight Vakôna Forest Lodge. (BLD)

24 September (Day 3)Andasibe

Early rise to hike into the reserve of Analamazaotra to try to see and hear the haunting “babakoto” Indri lemur. Several other species of mammals, reptiles and birds make this forest their home and we can spend the entire morning exploring the different portions of the reserve. After lunch at the lodge, enjoy a visit to Lemur Island on the grounds of the hotel where you can visit with the friendly denizens. Overnight Vakôna. (BLD)

25 September (Day 4)Andasibe Another full day to explore Analamazaotre where Indri is the main attraction. Overnight Vakôna. (BLD)

26 September (Day 5)Andasibe / Antananarivo Morning visit to Lemur Island and then drive back to Tana. Overnight Relais des Plateaux near Tana airport. (BLD)

27 September (Day 6)Antananarivo / Morondava / Kirindy

Transfer to the airport for our morning flight to Morondava. Upon arrival, we bravely drive on up to Baobab Alley and then to Camp Amoureux, set in the deciduous dry forest of the West. After lunch we visit Kirindy, once a man-

Madagascar Photo Safari & TourSeptember 22 - OCTOBER 7, 2015

aged forest and now part of the protected areas of the central Menabe, which shelters several species that do not live in the wild anywhere else. Overnight Camp Amoureux. (BLD)

28 September (Day 7)Kirindy / Bekopaka Drive North to cross the Tsiribihina river and stop for lunch in Belo/Tsiribihina, the cultural capital of the Menabe. We continue in the afternoon to Bekopaka, the little village at the entrance to Bemaraha National Park. OvernightSoleil des Tsingy. (BLD)

29 September (Day 8)Tsingy of Bemaraha

This is our first day to explore the famous Tsingy of Bemara-ha. We will first visit the “Petit Tsingy,” with stunning eroded

limestone formations extending all the way down to the Manambolo river and beautiful views of the gorges of the river. Overnight Soleil des Tsingy. (BLD)

30 September (Day 9)Tsingy of Bemaraha

For our second day in Bemaraha, we will drive up to the “Grand Tsingy” (about 20 km North of Bekopaka), then hike along the Andamozavaky trail. An alternate option would be the newly opened “Holy Excursion,” a canoe visit to different caves and natural pools. However, this option requires a departure from the lodge no later than 6am and returning not much before sunset around 5:30pm. Overnight Soleil des Tsingy. (BLD)

1 October (Day 10)Bekopaka / Morondava

Daylong drive back to Moronda-va, with a stop for lunch in Belo / Tsiribihina.We should reach Baobab Alley just before sunset. The Alley is about a kilometer long and we can enjoy different vantage points of the majestic “Reniala” (translated “mother of the forest,” the Malagasy name for the Grandidier’s Baobab) and the surrounding rice paddies and wetlands. As luck would have it, this is the only time of the year one can see these trees bare as the leaves start arriving in Octo-ber and the last flowers usually fall off in August. Before dark, we continue to Morondava, less than a half-hour away. Overnight Pa-lissandre Côte Ouest on the Nosy Kely beach. (BLD)

2 October (Day 11)Morondava / Antananarivo

Transfer to the airport for our flight back to the capital where we transfer from the airport to Hotel Colbert. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Colbert classic wing. (BLD)

3 October (Day 12)Antananarivo / Fort Dauphin / Berenty

Transfer to the airport for our flight to Fort Dauphin (known in Malagasy as “Tolañaro”), whick is at the southeast-ern tip of the island where we are met by a representative of Berenty Reserve for the 3-hour road trip to Berenty. Stop along the way to admire the local flora (including the trihedral palms endemic to this part of the island) and the funerary art of the Antandroy and Antanosy people. Overnight Gîte de Berenty. (BLD)

4-5 October (Days 13 - 14)Berenty

We enjoy two additional full days by the Mandrare river to explore Berenty, its forest, the sisal plantation, etc. Meals and overnight at Gîte de Berenty. (BLD)

6 October (Day 15)Berenty / Fort Dauphin

After the better part of a day at Berenty, we drive back to Fort Dauphin in the afternoon to get ready for the flight the following morning. Overnight Croix du Sud. (BLD).

7 October (Day 16)Fort Dauphin / Antananarivo

Transfer to the airport to fly back to Tana. If time permits, we may visit the Queen’s Rova atop the highest hill over-looking Tana. Overnight Hotel Colbert. (BLD)

KIRINDY

The area of Kirindy, the “central Menabe,” is characterized by numerous habitats and species of the West and Southwest of the island. In addition to the dry primary forest, the central Menabe also shelters a transition zone between the dense deciduous dry forest of the West, and the arid spiny thicket of the East. At least four diurnal

species of lemur are found here: Verreaux’s sifaka, the brown lemur, the red-fronted lemur and the ring-tailed lemur. Other mammals include the giant jumping rat, the elusive fosa, and the striped civet (Fosa fossana). Many birds include the Madagascar crested ibis, Mad-agascar sparrowhawk, Henst’s goshawk, Sakalava weaver, Archbold’s newtonia, Thamnornis warbler, Lantz’s brush-warbler, Sickle-billed vanga, and the Giant coua. The most remarkable trees in Kirindy are the three species of baobab: Adansonia grandidieri, A. za and A. rubrostipa. Note: during the dry season a significant part of the local wildlife, especially reptiles and amphibians, hibernate.

INTRODUCTION TO DIFFERENT HABITATS

7 October AntananarivoOvernight Hotel Colbert.

8 OctoberTana / Ranomafana Drive off this morning heading South along National Route #7 through the terraced rice paddies that are charac-teristic of the Central Highlands with a stop en route to the prosperous town of Antsirabe. Afterwards, we travel to Ambositra, the center of the Zafimaniry woodcarving cottage industry and, finally, the rainforest of Ranomafana.

Overnight Setam Lodge. (BLD)

9-11 OctoberRanomafanaThree days to explore Madagascar’s premier montane rainforest. We will undoubtedly hike along the Talatamaty trails and enjoy an after-dark visit to try and see some of the nocturnal wildlife. Overnight Setam Lodge. (BLD)

12 OctoberRanomafana / AntananarivoDaylong drive North back to the capital, retracing the route we took on the way South, with a lunch stop either in Ambositra or in Antsirabe. Dinner and overnight Hotel Colbert, classic wing. (BLD)

13 OctoberAntananarivo / JohannesburgMorning free. At noon, transfer to the airport to check in for the flight to South Africa.

RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK MADAGASCAR TOUR EXTENSION

October 7 - 13, 2015

BEMARAHA NATIONAL PARK

The UNESCO World Heritage site of Bemaraha National Park is home to a vast field of fantastic “tsingy” (translated: “to walk on tiptoes”) limestone formations of marine origin that date back to the mid-Jurassic period (200 million years ago). The park also boasts eleven species of lemur, including Decken’s sifaka and the red-fronted brown lemur; more than 90 species of birds, in-cluding the elusive fish eagle; chameleons of all sizes, including the “armored” Brookesia perarmata; and over 350 plant species, including baobabs, the showy Malagasy Flamboyant (Delonix regia, a.k.a. “Flame tree”) now cultivated around the world; and the unique wild banana native to Madagascar, Musa perrieri.

ANALAMAZAOTRA

Andasibe’s Analamazaotra Special Reserve is famous as the home of the babakoto “indri” lemur (“indr-o” means roughly “there it is” in Malagasy - a well-meaning guide for some early explorers must have spotted a babakoto, pointed and shout-ed, and the rest is history). The largest of all living lemurs are monogamous and do not live in captivity anywhere else in the world. They greet the morning with a unique display of elaborate calls that echo throughout the forest. Several groups in the re-serve have become highly habituated and are relatively easy to see. The forest also shelters the beautiful diademed sifaka, grey bamboo lemurs and brown lemurs, Parson’s chameleons (which can exceed half a meter in length), the Madagascar tree boa and numerous birds, including the Madagascar blue pigeon, blue coua, Nelicourvi weaver, Madagascar paradise flycatcher, the blue vanga and the Madagascar buzzard. Nearby Mantadia National Park is quite similar, yet somewhat more forbidding, and so, is less-often visited.

FORT DAUPHIN and BERENTY RESERVE

The region of Fort Dauphin and Berenty Reserve is home to three different ecosystems: the southern spiny succu-lent forest, the wet rainforest, and a transitional forest. Each harbor different populations of lemurs, such as maki, sifaka, Microcebus, and aye-aye). Most notable among the flora is the endemic trihedral palm (Neodypsis decarii). Birds include the Madagascar hoopoe, crested drongo, crested coua, Verreaux’s coua, Madagascar coucal, and the white-faced whistling duck.

RANOMAFANA NATIONAL PARK

The rugged topography of Ranomafana National Park owes much to the mighty Namorona river which bisects it. Habitats include lowland rainforest, marshes, and high-plateau and cloud forests. Ranomafana is home to the golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus) as well as the greater bamboo lemur and the grey bamboo lemur, the diademed sifaka, the red-fronted brown lemur, the red-bellied lemur, and the black and white ruffed lemur. Ranomafana’s birds include the pitta-like ground roller, the rufous-headed ground roller, Pollen’s vanga and the velvet asity. Reptiles include several leaf-tailed gecko species (including the “satanic” gecko) and some brightly colored Mantella frogs. The park is also home to the Helicophanta farafangana, which with a shell length of up to 4 inches, is Madagascar’s largest native land snail. In Malagasy “rano” is water and “mafana” means hot, and the park features hot mineral springs, with possibly therapeutic thermal baths.

TOFT PHOTO SAFARISWWW.TOFTPHOTO.COM

760.788.6003

TOFT PHOTO & SAFARIS2015 MADAGASCAR PHOTO TOUR

Tour Dates: Sept. 22- Oct. 7, 2015Price: USD $8295 (Single-Supplement: $1500)

Tour Extension: Oct. 7-13, 2015Price: USD $1950 (Single-Supplement: $500)

INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR

• All lodging and meals in madagascar, as noted in itinerary• All domestic flights within Madagascar, including airport taxes and fees• Private vehicle and drive, as required along the itinerary• Excursions, entrance fees and local guides in the parks and reserves• English-speaking guide throught the itinerary in Madagascar• Any gratuities (a small tip at time of service is customary)• Bottled water

NOT INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR

• All international flights to or from Madagascar, including airport taxes and fees• Personal items, such as phone, fax, laundry• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages