Madagascar: A Wildlife Photography Tour

Isolated for 88 million years and comprising several distinct vegetation zones, Madagascar has given rise to some of the most spectacular scenery and bizarre species on Earth, making it a must for any keen photographer.

After arriving into Antananarivo (Tana), and a good night’s rest, we spend the following day in the capital to acclimatise to our new surroundings. We will visit Parc Tsarasaotra, an oasis for birdlife in the urban sprawl, as well as the Queen's Palace on top of one of the tallest of 12 hills in Tana, which provides the most spectacular of views over the city. The following day we fly to Morondava and a visit to one of Madagascar’s most famous sights, the Avenue of Baobabs. A vivid sunset will allow for silhouetted shots of the boababs, and as dusk turns to night and the milky way spans the night sky, this unique setting will provide a wonderful opportunity in which to experiment with a little astrophotography.

For the next five days we will explore the fantastic wildlife reserves and dramatic landscapes of western Madagascar. Taking the opportunity to venture out at night as well as in the daylight hours, Kirindy Private Reserve offers us the opportunity to photography a mixture of diurnal and nocturnal creatures, including Fosa (Madagascar’s top carnivore), Narrow-striped Mongoose, Red-tailed Sportive Lemur, Coquerel’s Giant Dwarf Lemur and the quirky Giant Jumping Rat. Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, meanwhile, with its jagged ‘tsingy’ peaks, limestone pinnacles and walking trails, will provide the perfect environment in which to indulge in some landscape photography. Humbolt’s Heron, Madagascar Fish Eagle and White-faced Whistling Duck, amongst many other subjects, are all possible here.

After a brief stop in Tana, we next fly south to Fort Dauphin and from there drive to Berenty Reserve. This small reserve is packed full of wonderful wildlife, including large troops of Ring-tailed Lemurs, beautiful birds including Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher and Giant Coua, and a variety of other interesting wildlife such as Madagascar Ground Boa, Radiated Tortoise and Jewel Chameleon. And, of course, a photography trip to Madagascar would not be complete without the opportunity to photograph the famous Verreaux’s Sifakas, or ‘dancing lemurs’, affectionately named due to their sideways hops that they make as they move across the ground. A trip into the nearby spiny forest will provide yet another unique and strange location in which to experiment with different photography techniques, and the drier areas around Berenty provide excellent habitat to explore at dusk in search of nocturnal inhabitants.

After a final morning in the reserve we head back to Fort Dauphin where we will overnight before taking our return flight to Tana. From here, we drive east to the rainforests of Andasibe-Mantadia National Park where we will hope to encounter Madagascar’s largest lemur, the teddy bear-like Indri, and beautiful Diademed Sifakas. The trails throughout the park give us the chance to explore at a relaxed pace, keeping an eye open for other lemurs, plenty of rainforest birds, plus fascinating insects, frogs and reptiles including Parson’s and Short-horned Chameleons. Night walks in the forest should also provide plenty of interest, with Madagascar Long-eared Owl, Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko, Eastern Woolly Lemur and Goodman’s Mouse Lemur all possible.

For our final two nights in Madagascar we continue to the east coast and the very special Palmarium Reserve, where wild Aye-ayes can be reliably seen each evening at dusk. The chance to see, and photograph, this extraordinary looking creature is sure to be the final highlight of our tour. 

Sadly, we must then return to Tana ready for our flight home, with full memory cards and plenty of evocative photographs to process, which is sure to keep us busy for many months to come!