The Best of Madagascar: Self-Launched Adventure (12 Days)

Land at Ivato (TNR), change money at the airport (poor rates elsewhere — bring clean euros/dollars) and pick up a local SIM (Telma or Orange, ~£4 for data). Take a taxi into town (~£8-10) or go straight to the taxi-brousse stand at Ambodivona for the ~3-4h ride east to Andasibe (~£4-5). Ask the driver to stop at the Marozevo reptile/exotic animal farm on the way (entry ~£2-3) — chameleons, leaf-tailed geckos and several lemur species. Settle into a guesthouse in Andasibe village and join the community-run night walk (~£3-4) on the road edge — you'll very likely hear and see indri and mouse lemurs.

🚌Taxi-brousse Antananarivo–Andasibe (~£4-5) + local taxi to stand (~£3)

🛏Family guesthouse or basic lodge in Andasibe village (~£15/night)

• →Marozevo exotic animal breeding centre
• →Evening community night walk in Andasibe

Start at dawn (guides leave 6:00-7:00) for Andasibe-Mantadia NP. Hire a park guide at the gate (guide fee ~£8-10 split between 2-3 travellers, park entry ~£11-13). The 3-4h circuit through rainforest is the best chance of seeing indri, diademed sifaka and a dozen bird species. Back to the village for lunch, then take the afternoon taxi-brousse back to Antananarivo (~£4-5, 3-4h). In the capital, walk up to the Rova of Antananarivo (Queen's Palace, entry ~£2-3) before closing if time allows — otherwise save it for the morning. Stay in a budget hotel in the Haute-Ville or Analakely area.

🚌Taxi-brousse Andasibe–Antananarivo (~£4-5)

🛏Budget hotel in central Antananarivo (~£18/night)

• →Andasibe-Mantadia National Park guided walk
• →Rova of Antananarivo (Queen's Palace)

Book a domestic flight Antananarivo–Morondava well in advance (Tsaradia/Air Madagascar, roughly £90-130 one way — book direct, and note this replaced the operator's included-but-disputed flights). From Morondava, take a shared 4x4 or taxi-brousse on the piste to Kirindy (~2-3h, ~£8-10, vehicles leave when full — get an early start). Kirindy is Madagascar's best dry-forest site: fossa, giant jumping rats, and a night walk that regularly turns up mouse lemurs and sportive lemurs right by the entrance (~£4-6 including guide).

🚌Domestic flight TNR–Morondava (~£110) + shared 4x4 to Kirindy (~£9)

🛏Kirindy forest camp or basic lodge (~£18/night)

• →Kirindy Reserve night walk

Morning guided walk in Kirindy (~£8-10 with park guide) — sifakas, brown lemurs, birds and reptiles. Then head to Belo-sur-Tsiribihina and cross by vehicle ferry (~£5-8 per person, schedules are informal — ask your lodge the day before). Continue by shared 4x4 along the piste to Bekopaka at the edge of Bemaraha (~3-4h, ~£10-15). This is a long, bumpy day; bring water and snacks. Bekopaka has a handful of small hotels and guesthouses.

🚌Belo-sur-Tsiribihina ferry (~£6) + shared 4x4 to Bekopaka (~£12)

🛏Guesthouse in Bekopaka (~£16/night)

• →Kirindy Reserve day walk
• →Belo-sur-Tsiribihina river ferry crossing

The standout day of the trip. Enter Bemaraha NP (park entry ~£12-14, guide ~£10-12 split, harness/lanyard fee for the via ferrata sections ~£4). Choose the Grand Tsingy circuit with the Andamozavaky ascent if you're fit — scrambling through sharp limestone pinnacles, across hanging bridges and up to a panorama over the whole massif. Alternatively the shorter Small Tsingy (Petit Tsingy) circuit is gentler. Pack a picnic — there's no food in the park. Arrange a driver in the village the evening before; transport to the park gate ~£4-6 shared.

🚌Shared 4x4 to Bemaraha NP gate (~£5)

🛏Guesthouse in Bekopaka (~£16/night)

• →Grand Tsingy trekking circuit
• →Small Tsingy circuit

Retrace the ferry and piste back to Morondava (full day of driving, ~£20-25 shared 4x4 or taxi-brousse). Break the journey at the Baobab Amoureux (two intertwined baobabs) and arrive at the Avenue of the Baobabs in the late afternoon for sunset — the classic shot. Entry is a small community fee (~£1-2). Stay in Morondava town by the beach or in a nearby bungalow; this is also your best chance for a relaxed seafood dinner and a swim.

🚌Shared 4x4/taxi-brousse Bekopaka–Morondava (~£22)

🛏Beach bungalow or guesthouse in Morondava (~£18/night)

• →Baobab Amoureux
• →Avenue of the Baobabs at sunset

A big travel day: taxi-brousse Morondava–Antsirabe via Miandrivazo and Malaimbandy, roughly 10-12 hours (~£12-15). Leave at first light. Antsirabe sits at 1,500m and is noticeably cool at night — pull out a fleece. If a day bus doesn't appeal, ask about a shared minibus transfer or consider breaking the journey overnight in Miandrivazo. Check into a simple hotel near the centre and eat at one of the cheap Malagasy hotelys.

🚌Taxi-brousse Morondava–Antsirabe (~£13)

🛏Budget hotel in Antsirabe (~£15/night)

• →Highland scenery en route

Hire a pousse-pousse (rickshaw) for a couple of hours (~£5-6 total, split it) to see the colonial railway station, Avenue de l'Indépendance and the Hôtel des Thermes. Visit a stone-carving and zebu-horn workshop, and try the local sweets at a chocolate/confectionery shop. After lunch take a taxi-brousse south to Ambositra (2.5-3h, ~£4). Ambositra is the centre of Zafimaniry woodcarving — wander between artisan workshops and buy directly from carvers.

🚌Taxi-brousse Antsirabe–Ambositra (~£4)

🛏Guesthouse in Ambositra (~£14/night)

• →Pousse-pousse city tour of Antsirabe
• →Stone-carving workshops
• →Zafimaniry artisan workshops in Ambositra

Taxi-brousse to Ranomafana (~3h, ~£5). Afternoon guided walk in Ranomafana NP (entry ~£12-14, guide ~£10 split for a 4h walk) through montane rainforest — the best park for spotting several diurnal lemur species including the golden bamboo lemur, plus waterfalls and orchids. In the evening, walk the road near your guesthouse with a local guide for mouse lemurs, chameleons and frogs (~£4-5). There are also hot springs in the village (~£2).

🚌Taxi-brousse Ambositra–Ranomafana (~£5)

🛏Guesthouse in Ranomafana village (~£15/night)

• →Ranomafana NP day walk
• →Evening night walk for nocturnal wildlife

Long travel day south to the Isalo region (~8-9h total, ~£14 in stages via Fianarantsoa and Ambalavao). In Ambalavao, break the trip for a few hours: visit a family silk-weaving workshop (~£2-3), the Antemoro paper-making workshop where paper is pressed with flower petals (~£2), and a local wine tasting (~£3). A short detour to Anja Community Reserve (~£4-5 with guide) gives close-up views of habituated ring-tailed lemurs against boulder scenery. Arrive Ranohira in the evening, the gateway village to Isalo.

🚌Taxi-brousse stages Ranomafana–Fianarantsoa–Ambalavao–Ranohira (~£14)

🛏Guesthouse in Ranohira (~£15/night)

• →Ambalavao silk workshop
• →Antemoro paper-making workshop
• →Local wine tasting
• →Anja Community Reserve ring-tailed lemurs

Full day in Isalo NP (entry ~£12-14, guide ~£10-12 split). The classic Canyon des Singes / Piscine Naturelle circuit (4-5h of walking, partly strenuous) passes sandstone canyons, natural swimming pools and pachypodium groves, with ring-tailed lemurs and Verreaux's sifakas along the way. Pack a picnic — nothing is sold inside the park. Late afternoon, walk or get a lift to the Window of Isalo (Fenêtre) for sunset over the escarpment (~£2-3 local transfer). Bring a headtorch for the walk back.

🚌Local transfer to Isalo NP gate and Window of Isalo (~£4)

🛏Guesthouse in Ranohira (~£15/night)

• →Isalo NP Canyon des Singes and Piscine Naturelle trek
• →Window of Isalo sunset

Taxi-brousse down through the spiny desert and sapphire-mining country to Toliara (~4-5h, ~£8-10). Stop for photos around the Mahafaly and Antandroy tomb areas if your driver is willing — ask first, and pay a small fee if you photograph. If you have time, Irina or Ifaty beach are worth an extra night. Fly Toliara–Antananarivo (~£80-110, book early; alternatively a shared taxi-brousse back is cheaper but takes 2 days). Last-minute souvenir shopping at the craft market near the hotel and a final Malagasy meal. Keep a buffer night if your international flight is the next day.

🚌Taxi-brousse Ranohira–Toliara (~£9) + domestic flight TLE–TNR (~£95)

🛏Budget hotel in Antananarivo or airport night (from ~£18)

• →Mahafaly and Antandroy tomb viewpoints
• →Spiny desert drive
• →Antananarivo craft market