The Land that Time Forgot
This trip is open to the public and space is available, however, please note that this trip is limited to a small number of participants so if you are interested please contact us. For a more detailed itinerary and/or a copy of the initial trip information packet (which contains information on costs, inclusions/exclusions, airline ticketing, etc.) please contact EcoQuest Travel by email at: info@ecoquesttravel.net.
MADAGASCAR 2022
The Lost World of the 8th Continent
Madagascar – just the name evokes exotic images of nature’s oddities – leaping lemurs, bulbous Baobab trees and cryptic chameleons come to mind. Madagascar is an ancient land which broke away from the supercontinent of Gondwana during the Jurassic and from the Indian Subcontinent in the Cretaceous. Eighty eight million years of splendid isolation stirred the cauldron of evolution creating incredible numbers of unique lifeforms. Indeed, 90 percent of Madagascar’s plant and animal species are found nowhere else on earth. This extraordinary endemism is why Madagascar is often called the Eighth Continent.
EcoQuest Travel is proud to invite you on this adventure as we explore Madagascar and seek the wildlife riches found on the island that time forgot. Madagascar is huge with varied landscapes, and our comprehensive tour is a long one to enable us to cover most of the important areas. We will begin in the eastern rainforests of Andasibe and Mantadia where the haunting cries of the Indri echo through the trees. We will continue south to the biodiversity hotspot of Ranomafana National Park – home to many species of lemur, chameleons and birds. From the rainforest we will ascend the plateau to visit two isolated parks, Isalo and Zombitse, on our way to the spiny deserts of the southwest. Once in Tulear we will drive north to explore the spiny desert of Ifaty searching for rare birds like Long-tailed Ground Roller and rare reptiles like Radiated Tortoise. We will also seek Red-tailed Tropicbirds, Crab Plovers and other specialties on the island of Nosy Ve. From the far south we will fly back to Tana and then northwest to Ankarafantsika National Park – home to an incredible array of dry forest species.
To try and cover as much of the island as possible we will also offer optional post-trip extension to Madagascar’s wild west. After a flight to Morondava we will drive to Kirindy Forest which is home to an incredible variety of wildlife including many species of lemur. However, the biggest draw will be the opportunity to see and photograph Madagascar’s largest predator – the cat-like Fossa who hunts lemurs in the trees. Kirindy is the place to see this magnificent carnivore and the months of October and November when they are mating enhances our chances even further. On this extension we will also explore the biological and geological wonders of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. We invite you to come explore the lost world of the eighth continent with EcoQuest Travel!
24-DAY ITINERARY
Day 1 – Tuesday, September 27: US to Europe/South Africa
Day 2 – Wednesday, September 28: Arrival in Europe/South Africa and onto Antananarivo (Tana), Madagascar
Day 3 – Thursday, September 29: Arrival in Tana and Lake Alarobia
Day 4 – Friday, September 30: Tana to Pangalanes Channel & Aye-Aye Island
Day 5 – Saturday, October 1: Pangalanes Channel to Andasibe (Perinet) and VOIMMA Community Reserve
Days 6 & 7 – Sunday & Monday, October 2 & 3: Analamazaotra Special Reserve and Mantadia National Park
Day 8 – Tuesday, October 4: Andasibe to Antsirabe
Day 9 – Wednesday, October 5: Antsirabe to Ranomafana National Park
Days 10 & 11 – Thursday &Friday, October 6 & 7: Ranomafana National Park
Day 12 – Saturday, October 8: Ranomafana to Isalo National Park
Day 13 – Sunday, October 9: Isalo National Park
Day 14 – Monday, October 10: Zombitse Forest National Park and on to Ifaty
Day 15 – Tuesday, October 11: The Spiny Forests in and near Ifaty
Day 16 – Wednesday, October 12: Boat Trip to Nosy Ve and San Augustin and La Table
Day 17 – Thursday, October 13: The Tulear Arboretum and Fly to Tana
Day 18 – Friday, October 14: Fly to Mahajunga & on to Ankarafantsika National Park
Days 19 & 20 – Saturday & Sunday, October 15 & 16: Ankarafantsika National Park
Day 21 – Monday, October 17: Betsiboka River Delta and Katsepy
Day 22 – Tuesday, October 18: Fly to Tana
Day 23 – Wednesday, October 19: Departure from Tana to South Africa/Europe
Day 24 – Thursday, October 21: Arrival in the US
OPTIONAL POST-TRIP EXTENSION TO MADAGASCAR’S WILD WEST:
KIRINDY FOREST & TSINGY de BEMARAHA NATIIONAL PARK
Day 23 – Wednesday, October 19: Fly from Tana to Morondava and Transfer to Kirindy Forest Reserve
Days 24 & 1 – Thursday & Friday, October 20 & 21: Kirindy Forest
Day 2 – Saturday, October 22: Morondava to Bekopaka & Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park
Days 3 & 4 – Sunday & Monday, October 23 & 24: Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park
Day 5 – Tuesday, October 25: Charter Flight back to Tana and Onwards
Day 6 – Wednesday, October 26: Arrival in the US and Home
* Please note that EcoQuest Travel will make every effort to adhere to this itinerary, but dates, times, activities and prices are subject to change depending on scheduling and availability.
The Lost World of the 8th Continent
Madagascar – just the name evokes exotic images of nature’s oddities – leaping lemurs, bulbous Baobab trees and cryptic chameleons come to mind. Madagascar is an ancient land which broke away from the supercontinent of Gondwana during the Jurassic and from the Indian Subcontinent in the Cretaceous. Eighty eight million years of splendid isolation stirred the cauldron of evolution creating incredible numbers of unique lifeforms. Indeed, 90 percent of Madagascar’s plant and animal species are found nowhere else on earth. This extraordinary endemism is why Madagascar is often called the Eighth Continent.
EcoQuest Travel is proud to invite you on this adventure as we explore Madagascar and seek the wildlife riches found on the island that time forgot. Madagascar is huge with varied landscapes, and our comprehensive tour is a long one to enable us to cover most of the important areas. We will begin in the eastern rainforests of Andasibe and Mantadia where the haunting cries of the Indri echo through the trees. We will continue south to the biodiversity hotspot of Ranomafana National Park – home to many species of lemur, chameleons and birds. From the rainforest we will ascend the plateau to visit two isolated parks, Isalo and Zombitse, on our way to the spiny deserts of the southwest. Once in Tulear we will drive north to explore the spiny desert of Ifaty searching for rare birds like Long-tailed Ground Roller and rare reptiles like Radiated Tortoise. We will also seek Red-tailed Tropicbirds, Crab Plovers and other specialties on the island of Nosy Ve. From the far south we will fly back to Tana and then northwest to Ankarafantsika National Park – home to an incredible array of dry forest species.
To try and cover as much of the island as possible we will also offer optional post-trip extension to Madagascar’s wild west. After a flight to Morondava we will drive to Kirindy Forest which is home to an incredible variety of wildlife including many species of lemur. However, the biggest draw will be the opportunity to see and photograph Madagascar’s largest predator – the cat-like Fossa who hunts lemurs in the trees. Kirindy is the place to see this magnificent carnivore and the months of October and November when they are mating enhances our chances even further. On this extension we will also explore the biological and geological wonders of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. We invite you to come explore the lost world of the eighth continent with EcoQuest Travel!
24-DAY ITINERARY
Day 1 – Tuesday, September 27: US to Europe/South Africa
Day 2 – Wednesday, September 28: Arrival in Europe/South Africa and onto Antananarivo (Tana), Madagascar
Day 3 – Thursday, September 29: Arrival in Tana and Lake Alarobia
Day 4 – Friday, September 30: Tana to Pangalanes Channel & Aye-Aye Island
Day 5 – Saturday, October 1: Pangalanes Channel to Andasibe (Perinet) and VOIMMA Community Reserve
Days 6 & 7 – Sunday & Monday, October 2 & 3: Analamazaotra Special Reserve and Mantadia National Park
Day 8 – Tuesday, October 4: Andasibe to Antsirabe
Day 9 – Wednesday, October 5: Antsirabe to Ranomafana National Park
Days 10 & 11 – Thursday &Friday, October 6 & 7: Ranomafana National Park
Day 12 – Saturday, October 8: Ranomafana to Isalo National Park
Day 13 – Sunday, October 9: Isalo National Park
Day 14 – Monday, October 10: Zombitse Forest National Park and on to Ifaty
Day 15 – Tuesday, October 11: The Spiny Forests in and near Ifaty
Day 16 – Wednesday, October 12: Boat Trip to Nosy Ve and San Augustin and La Table
Day 17 – Thursday, October 13: The Tulear Arboretum and Fly to Tana
Day 18 – Friday, October 14: Fly to Mahajunga & on to Ankarafantsika National Park
Days 19 & 20 – Saturday & Sunday, October 15 & 16: Ankarafantsika National Park
Day 21 – Monday, October 17: Betsiboka River Delta and Katsepy
Day 22 – Tuesday, October 18: Fly to Tana
Day 23 – Wednesday, October 19: Departure from Tana to South Africa/Europe
Day 24 – Thursday, October 21: Arrival in the US
OPTIONAL POST-TRIP EXTENSION TO MADAGASCAR’S WILD WEST:
KIRINDY FOREST & TSINGY de BEMARAHA NATIIONAL PARK
Day 23 – Wednesday, October 19: Fly from Tana to Morondava and Transfer to Kirindy Forest Reserve
Days 24 & 1 – Thursday & Friday, October 20 & 21: Kirindy Forest
Day 2 – Saturday, October 22: Morondava to Bekopaka & Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park
Days 3 & 4 – Sunday & Monday, October 23 & 24: Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park
Day 5 – Tuesday, October 25: Charter Flight back to Tana and Onwards
Day 6 – Wednesday, October 26: Arrival in the US and Home
* Please note that EcoQuest Travel will make every effort to adhere to this itinerary, but dates, times, activities and prices are subject to change depending on scheduling and availability.
