Madagascar's Lemurs

Tour Code: MDG04

A 16-day holiday to the island of Madagascar in search of lemurs, birds and other special wildlife.

16 days from
£5,295 (Inc flights)
Land only price from
£4,395
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Highlights

Summary

Summary

Perhaps the most familiar – and endearing – of Madagascar’s unique wildlife are the lemurs. Today they range in size from the largest, the Indri, to the diminutive mouse lemurs, the smallest of which can sit in an egg-cup! This, our most popular Madagascar holiday, will take you lemur-watching within some of the island's very best wildlife reserves including Ranomafana, Andasibe and the bizarre spiny forests around Ifaty. It includes the opportunity to enjoy the enchanting dawn chorus of Indri families at Perinet, a sound often described as ‘whale-song in the trees’, plus the rare Golden Bamboo Lemur and troops of charming Ring-tailed Lemurs. Whilst the lemurs will no doubt take centre stage, rest assured that a supporting cast of birds, reptiles and other wildlife will not be ignored!

  • Encounter Madagascar’s lemurs (ca. 20 species usually recorded!)
  • Hear the plaintive dawn chorus of the Indris at Perinet
  • Spotlight for tiny mouse lemurs in the bizarre spiny desert
  • Experience day and night walks in pristine rainforests and bizarre spiny desert
  • A unique and endemic wildlife found nowhere else on Earth
  • Endemic birds – including ground-rollers, mesites and vangas
  • Chameleons, Leaf-tailed Geckos and other reptiles

Grading

Grade B/C. Moderate to difficult day walks but sometimes along narrow, uneven paths on hilly terrain, in either very hot or humid conditions. Optional night walks. Some long days of overland travel on poor quality roads. A good level of fitness is required. 

One hundred and sixty-five million years ago the huge prehistoric super-continent of Gondwanaland began to break up. As the new continents embarked on their slow, inexorable drifts towards their present locations, the island of Madagascar was left isolated in an ever-widening ocean. This isolation allowed the island’s prehistoric fauna and flora free rein to evolve in their own unique way and, today, over 80% of all Malagasy wildlife is endemic, occurring nowhere else on Earth.

Perhaps the most familiar, and endearing, of these endemic creatures are the lemurs, one of the very first primate families to evolve and one that is now restricted to Madagascar. This 16-day tour focuses on them (offering an alternative to our popular and successful 24-day tour), and will take you lemur-watching in several of the island’s very best wildlife reserves, including Isalo, Ranomafana, Andasibe and the bizarre spiny deserts around Ifaty. Whilst the lemurs will no doubt take centre stage, you can be assured that the supporting cast of other mammals, birds, reptiles and other wildlife will not be ignored.

Our holiday begins with a flight to Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, known colloquially as ‘Tana’. From here we head south through the terraced hillsides of the Hauts Plateaux to the lush highland rainforests of Ranomafana National Park, spending one night in Antsirabe en route. Ranomafana is a beautiful mountainous reserve enveloped in lush rainforest. This is one of Madagascar’s newest national parks, established to protect the rare Golden Bamboo Lemur and its close cousin the Greater Bamboo Lemur. We will be based here for three nights whilst we explore the network of forest trails in search of a wide variety of lemurs and other wildlife. Species to look out for include the beautiful Milne-Edwards’ Sifaka, plus Red-bellied and Red-fronted Brown Lemurs, Grey Bamboo Lemur, the nocturnal Eastern Avahi (Eastern Woolly Lemur) and, if fortunate, maybe even the rare Golden Bamboo and Greater Bamboo Lemurs themselves. This is also a great place to search for the wonderfully camouflaged leaf-tailed geckos together with a variety of chameleons and other reptiles. Birds to look out for include Pitta-like Ground-roller, Brown Mesite, Pollen’s Vanga and Yellow-bellied Sunbird-asity.

From Ranomafana we continue south to the sandstone massif of Isalo, stopping on the way at the small reserve of Anja to enjoy the troops of Ring-tailed Lemurs that live there. The Isalo massif has been fashioned by the wind and the rain into spectacular gorges and gullies. Fringing woodland at the foot of the massif is home to Verreaux’s Sifakas and Ring-tailed Lemurs, whilst in the dry rocky hillsides that span into the surrounding countryside the bizarre Pachypodium roselatum (‘Elephant’s Foot’) and other unique plants may be found.

En route to Ifaty we will stop at Zombitse National Park, home to Zombitse Sportive Lemur and a variety of birds that includes the endemic Appert’s Tetraka. Once on the coast we will spend two nights at Ifaty to give us the time to explore Madagascar’s most unique habitat, the spiny desert. Here huge Bottle Baobabs and bizarre ‘Octopus trees’ create a fascinating habitat that is home to Grey Mouse Lemurs and the beautiful Long-tailed Ground-roller.

For our grand finale we journey back to Tana and then east to the rainforest reserves of Andasibe (Mantadia and Analamazaotra). Here we will enter the forests at dawn to listen to the eerie cries of the beautiful Indri, the largest and most vocal of the lemurs. It is a truly mesmerising experience to stand in the forest at first light listening to the different Indri families calling to one another from the tree-tops, a sound which, once heard, is never forgotten. We will spend three nights at Andasibe to fully appreciate the sight and sound of the Indri, and the other lemur species present; these are likely to include Common Brown Lemur, Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur and the beautiful Diademed Sifaka and the possibility of Goodman's Mouse Lemur. We are sure to find plenty of birds too, including Red-fronted Coua, Madagascan Pygmy Kingfisher, Rufous-headed and Scaly Ground-rollers and Velvet Asity, plus a range of reptiles that could include such species as Parson’s Chameleon, Short-horned Chameleon or perhaps a Madagascar Ground Boa.

With the plaintive cries of the Indri still fresh in our minds, we must reluctantly return to Tana for an overnight stop ahead of our flight back to London, leaving the unique creatures of this lost world far behind and returning to the more familiar wildlife of home.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Depart London
Day 2
Arrive Tana
Day 3
Antsirabe
Day 4/6
Ranomafana National Park
Day 7/8
Isalo National Park
Day 9/10
Ifaty
Day 11/13
Andsaibe-Mantadia National Park
Day 14
Tana
Day 15
Depart Tana
Day 16
Arrive London
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What's Included

What's Included?

  • Flights
  • Accommodation:

    We stay in simple but comfortable hotels and eco-lodges. All rooms have private facilities.

  • Food:

    All food is included in the price.

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Fri 15th Aug – Sat 30th Aug SPACES £5,295
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£4,395
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£675
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Rob Williams

Tour Leader: Rob Williams

Fri 3rd Oct – Sat 18th Oct SPACES £5,295
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£4,395
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£675
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Andy Bunten
P7280418.JPG

Tour Leader: Andy Bunten

Andy Bunten has been an obsessive enthusiast about wildlife ever since he can remember. Educated at Cambridge, Newcastle and Imperial College, he then embarked on a career in nature conservation. He has worked for local government, wildlife trusts and, for 26 years, the RSPB. He initially worked in RSPB Scotland then headed south to be the Regional Director for the South East of England for 5 years before, in 1991, moving to the North of England to take up the reins of Director there. An experienced lecturer, Andy has cruised extensively completing over 20 trips ranging from South America to the Philippines and from Argentina to Svalbard. Now an Environmental Consultant, Andy is an enthusiastic traveller and has led wildlife groups to numerous places around the world including the Seychelles, France, Egypt, Costa Rica, Panama, Borneo, Norway and Spitsbergen. Over the last few years, he has led Naturetrek holidays in France, Romania, Hungary, Sweden, Spain and Scotland. He loves leading trips!

2026

Departures Availability Cost
Fri 14th Aug – Sat 29th Aug SPACES £5,495
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£4,595
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£695
Fri 2nd Oct – Sat 17th Oct SPACES £5,495
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£4,595
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£695 
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Mammal Watching Holidays


Many of the world’s mammals are instantly recognisable to us. Animals such as Lions, Tigers, elephants and bears capture our imaginations from an early age. At Naturetrek, we take great pleasure and pride in helping people to fulfil their lifelong dreams of seeing these iconic species in the wild. We also enjoy introducing our clients to some of the world’s more unusual mammals, many of which are just as fascinating.


Naturetrek Mammal Watching Tours


Many of our tours have a primary focus on mammals and we offer the widest choices of mammal-watching holidays across the globe, from the poles to the tropics. Our holidays are guided by at least one professional naturalist tour leader and usually benefit from additional guiding by expert local naturalist guides. We have holidays to see an incredible range of the world’s most sought-after mammals, such as orangutans, lemurs, bats, polar mammals, big cats, and mammals of the African savannah. A significant number of tours also targets some of the planet’s more unusual and elusive species, from pottos and pangolins to slender lorises and obscure cetaceans.


Here’s a selection of our mammal tours:



Bargain mammal selection


We offer a range of action-packed bargain holidays for the dedicated mammal enthusiast, which are exceptional value for money, from Belize to Zambia.




Our specialist recommends...







"Africa is perhaps the greatest continent for mammal-watching. I would recommend 'Botswana’s Desert & Delta (Mammals)' for combining stunning scenery and wildlife. We also offer a tour to Uganda which includes a chance to see Mountain Gorillas. And India, along with Tigers, has a superb variety of mammals. Closer to home, short breaks to Spain in search of Wolves and Iberian Lynx are hard to beat.”

Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager




  


All Mammal Watching Tours

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Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

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Why Naturetrek?

Why Naturetrek?

At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

  • The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
  • Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
  • Outstanding value and exceptional customer service

Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!