The Pearls of Madagascar — Self-Launched Independent Route

Land at Ivato Airport and change money / buy a local SIM (Telma or Orange) at the airport. Take a taxi to Ampasampito or the Cotisse/Fanamby taxi-brousse terminal and grab a shared minibus toward Moramanga, getting off at Andasibe junction (~4 hours, roughly £6–8) — or take the Cotisse bus to Moramanga and a local taxi-brousse the last 30 km. Settle into a small guesthouse near the park entrance and join an evening guided night walk with a local village guide to spot mouse lemurs, chameleons and frogs (~£8).

🚌Airport taxi (£8) + shared taxi-brousse to Andasibe (£7) + local taxi

🛏Guesthouse near Andasibe park entrance (£10–14)

• →Evening guided night walk in Andasibe forest

Get up early and enter Analamazaotra (Perinet) Special Reserve when gates open — pay the Madagascar National Parks entry directly at the gate (~£10) and hire a freelance local guide (~£8–10, guides assign in rota and are excellent). The indri calls at dawn are unforgettable, plus diademed sifakas and many bird species. In the afternoon walk 20 minutes to Vakona Reserve / Lemur Island (~£10 entry) where habituated lemurs including black-and-white ruffed lemurs sit on your shoulders. Wander the village market in the evening.

🚌Walking / local taxi if needed

🛏Guesthouse near Andasibe park entrance (£10–14)

• →Analamazaotra Special Reserve entry + guide
• →Vakona Reserve / Lemur Island entry
• →Andasibe village market

Take a shared taxi-brousse back toward the capital, stopping at Peyrieras Madagascar Exotic (Mandialaza) on the way (~£7 entry) — a small farm housing chameleons, leaf-tailed geckos and frogs, perfect for photography. Continue to Antananarivo (~4–5 hours total). Base yourself in the Analakely or Antsahavola area, stock up on supplies and cash (bring plenty of Ariary — ATMs are sparse outside the capital), and book tomorrow's Cotisse bus to Morondava online or at the station.

🚌Shared taxi-brousse to Tana (£6) + tuktuk/urban taxi (£3)

🛏Budget hotel in central Antananarivo (£14–18)

• →Peyrieras Madagascar Exotic entry

Take the long-distance bus or a seat in a shared 4x4 to Morondava (Cotisse is the most reliable operator) — 10–12 hours on rough RN34, roughly £22–28. Leave early. The journey itself is a window on highland and Sakalava country. Arrive in the evening, find a cheap beachfront guesthouse, and have grilled fish at one of the seaside restaurants.

🚌Long-distance bus Antananarivo–Morondava (£25)

🛏Beach guesthouse in Morondava (£12–16)

• →Scenic drive through Bongolava and Menabe countryside
• →Morondava seafront sunset

Hire a scooter or share a local taxi out to Baobab Alley (~20 km, ~£8–10 return) for sunrise photos — the light is best early. Then continue to Kirindy Forest Reserve (~60 km) where you pay entry (~£9) plus the required local guide (~£8). Kirindy is where you can see the tiny Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, fossa, and sifakas; stay for the night walk if you're game and return late via your arranged driver. Alternative: overnight in Kirindy's basic lodging and return next morning.

🚌Shared taxi / hired scooter to Baobab Alley and Kirindy (£18)

🛏Beach guesthouse in Morondava (£12–16)

• →Sunrise at Baobab Avenue (Baobab Amoureux)
• →Kirindy Reserve entry + local guide

Head back east on the long road, breaking the journey at Miandrivazo by the Tsiribihina River for lunch, then continuing on to Antsirabe in the highlands — 10+ hours total. Take the bus or a shared taxi-brousse seat (~£25). Antsirabe sits at 1,500 m so it's refreshingly cool; settle into a guesthouse in the town centre.

🚌Shared taxi-brousse Morondava–Antsirabe (£25)

🛏Guesthouse in Antsirabe town centre (£10–14)

• →Tsiribihina River stop in Miandrivazo

Explore Antsirabe by pousse-pousse (rickshaw, ~£2 per ride): the old railway station, Independence Avenue and the Hôtel des Thermes. Visit the town's workshops — zebu-horn crafting, paillette (sequin) embroidery, and the famous local sweets. Then take a two-hour taxi-brousse (or shared minibus, ~£4) to Ambositra, the capital of Zafimaniry wood carving; browse artisan workshops and the marquetry shops.

🚌Pousse-pousse in Antsirabe (£4) + taxi-brousse to Ambositra (£4)

🛏Guesthouse in Ambositra (£9–12)

• →Pousse-pousse tour of Antsirabe
• →Antsirabe craft workshops
• →Zafimaniry artisan workshops in Ambositra

Continue south by taxi-brousse to Fianarantsoa, then local minibus to Ranomafana (~4–5 hours total, ~£8). Pay park entry (~£10) and hire a local naturalist guide (~£8) for an afternoon 3–4 hour rainforest walk — this is golden bamboo lemur and Milne-Edwards' sifaka country. In the evening join a night walk near the village (~£6) for dwarf lemurs and the very well-camouflaged chameleons. Cheap guesthouses line the village road.

🚌Taxi-brousse Ambositra–Fianarantsoa–Ranomafana (£8)

🛏Village guesthouse in Ranomafana (£8–12)

• →Ranomafana National Park entry + naturalist guide
• →Night walk near the park

Long travel day south along RN7. Stop in Ambalavao to see the Antemoro paper-making workshop and one of the region's silk-weaving workshops (both small entry fees or free with purchases), and take a short guided walk at Anja Community Reserve (~£4 entry) — a brilliant community-run reserve full of ring-tailed lemurs and dramatic granite formations. If it's a Wednesday, the zebu market in Ambalavao is a highlight. Continue on to Ranohira/Isalo in the late afternoon (~£12 in shared minibuses).

🚌Taxi-brousse segments along the RN7 (£12)

🛏Guesthouse in Ranohira near Isalo gate (£10–14)

• →Anja Community Reserve walk
• →Antemoro paper workshop
• →Silk weaving workshop
• →Ambalavao zebu market (Wednesdays)

Pay Isalo National Park entry (~£10) and hire a local guide at the gate (~£10) for the classic canyon walk — Piscine Naturelle, the blue-and-green rock pools, Namaza Canyon or the longer Maki Trail depending on fitness. Bring water, sunscreen and a picnic lunch (there are no shops inside). Back in the village, relax at a cheap local pool or take a cheap massage (~£6) if offered. Sunset over the Isalo massif from the village is worth waiting for.

🚌Walking to park gate / local lift (£3)

🛏Guesthouse in Ranohira near Isalo gate (£10–14)

• →Isalo National Park full-day guided walk
• →Piscine Naturelle swim

Take a shared taxi-brousse or minibus down to Tuléar (~£10–12, 4–5 hours), passing Ilakaka's sapphire-mining town and the decorated Mahafaly and Antandroy tombs along the road — drivers will usually stop on request. Arrive in Tuléar, find a budget hotel near the centre or the beach strip, and treat yourself to seafood and a cold THB (the local beer).

🚌Taxi-brousse Ranohira–Tuléar (£11)

🛏Budget hotel in Tuléar (£12–16)

• →Ilakaka sapphire mining town stop
• →Mahafaly and Antandroy tombs

Fly domestic from Tuléar to Antananarivo on Air Madagascar or Tsaradia (~£70–110 one-way if booked in advance; this is the one leg worth paying for to save a brutal multi-day drive). In Tana, if time allows, browse the Analakely or La City craft markets for raffia and wood carvings before your international flight from Ivato. Domestic flights can be delayed, so leave a buffer day if your long-haul connection is same-day.

🚌Domestic flight Tuléar–Antananarivo (£90) + airport taxi (£6)

🛏— (departure day)

• →Antananarivo craft market shopping