Orchids of Madagascar

Proposed Itinerary (subject to some change)

Day 1 Arrive in the capital Antananarivo.  Met at the airport and overnight at the Radisson Hotel Waterfront near Antananarivo.  Flights from Nairobi, Mauritius. Ethiopia and Istanbul arrive in the afternoon, those from Paris and some from Nairobi arrive late at night. 

Participants will be met at the airport and provided transportation to a hotel in Antananarivo.Overnight at Tana Radisson Hotel Waterfront.

Day 2 Antananarivo at leisure, city tour, possibly visit Botanic Garden. Overnight at Tana Radisson Hotel Waterfront.

Day3 Drive to Ambositra, a Highland town specialising in wood carving.  Overnight in Artisan Hotel.

Day 5 Drive to Ranomafana with roadside orchid stops including Cynorkis lowiana.  Overnight Setam Lodge, overlooking the forest.

Day 5 Walk in Ranomafana National Park, home to 12 species of lemur including Red Fronted Brown lemur and Milne-Edwards Sifaka the most commonly seen, numerous endemic birds and several terrestrial and epiphytic orchids.  Overnight at Setam Lodge.

Day 6 Walk in different part of Ranomafana National Park.  Evening trip to see nocturnal lemurs. Overnight at Setam Lodge.

Day 7 Drive to Tsaranoro in the foothills of the Andringitra Massif, stopping at Ambalavao the centre for Antaimoro paper-making and Anja Park, home to Ring Tail Lemurs.  Overnight Camp Catta.

Day 8 Visit Tsaranoro forest near the camp.  Overnight Camp Catta.

Day 9 Drive to Ranohira.  Overnight Le Jardin du Roy, within the Isalo sandstone mountains.

Day 10 Exploring Isalo National Park, spectacular rock formations with succulent plants including flowering Pachypodiums and Eulophia.  Overnight Le Jardin du Roy.

Day 11 Day trip to Sakaraha to visit Zombitse National Park, at the junction of the western and southern vegetation zones where Aerangis rostellaris and other orchids may be in flower.  On the way see the Sapphire town of Ilakaka and the iconic Bismarckia Palms.  Overnight Le Jardin du Roy.

Day 12 Drive to Fianarantsoa, the second main city of the Highlands.  Overnight Hotel Pietra or similar.

Day 13 Drive to Antsirabe, explore on the way, a spa town in the Highlands.  Overnight Couleur Cafe.

Day 14 Drive to the rainforests at Andasibe via Tana, with stops for roadside orchids.  Overnight Eulophiella Lodge with its own private reserve.

Day 15 Visit Iaroka Reserve to see Eastern forest fauna and flora.  Overnight Eulophiella Lodge.

Day 16 Drive to Manambato, boat transfer via the Pangalin canal, to Akanin’ny Nofy and overnight Palmarium hotel.  Explore the Hotel’s reserve.

Day 17 visit local reserves to find Cymbidiella flabellate, Angraecum elephantinum, Nepenthes etc. Evening to see the elusive Aye Aye.  Overnight Palmarium hotel.

Day 18 return to the Eastern rainforest at Andasibe.  Overnight Vakona Lodge, at the edge of the forest.

Day 19 Visit Mantadia National Park, lemurs include Diademed Sifaka, orchids should include, Angraecum lecomtei, Aeranthes schlechteri, several Cynorkis etc. Overnight Vakona Lodge.

Day 20 Visit Mitsinjo &/or Analamazaotra National Park, home of the iconic Indri and 10 other species of lemur and 100 birds and orchids. Overnight Vakona Lodge.

Day 21 Return to Antananarivo, visit Lemur island near the hotel.  Farewell dinner. Overnight Radisson Hotel Waterfront

Day 22 Tana, trip to the botanic garden and the city.  Transfer to airport for afternoon flight home or late night flight (1 am next day).  Day room at Radisson.

Madagascar is one of the most incredible places on earth; it is the diversity hotspot with a very high proportion of endemic flora and fauna, including almost 1000 different orchids. 

The tour starts near the capital Antananarivo (Tana) which currently can be reached via Paris, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Mauritius, Addis Ababa or Nairobi.  The itinerary first takes us on the famous Route National 7 towards Tulear, travelling through the picturesque Highlands, via the vast Ranomafana rainforest reserve and ending at the Isalo massif with its amazing rock formations and dry forest.  We will return the same route but seeing different habitats.  This is followed by two extensive stays in a couple of Eastern forest reserves and coastal forest along the Pangalin canal, all rich in orchids and lemurs. 

Participants should see many different lemurs, chameleons, weird and wonderful insects and a good number of orchids in flower. 

September and beginning of October are at the very end of the dry season when everything comes to life, the lemurs start having babies and orchids begin to bloom.  Most importantly it enables easier travel and offers comparatively pleasant drier weather.  Flowering times depend on several factors but during the last OCA trip there we saw over 80 in flower, including Aerangis, Aeranthes, Angraecum, Aeranthes, Benthamia, Bulbophyllum, Cymbidiella, Cynorkis, Eulophia, a new Gastrodia, Gastrorchis, Goodyera, Jumellea, Lemurella, Oeonia, Oeoniella and Polystachya.  Some of the succulents will also be in flower in the South.  Unlike other parts of the world orchids in Madagascar are few and far between so travelling to find them is essential.

This trip will explore Madagascar in relative luxury, with individual 4WD vehicles, a driver/guide for each and accommodation in comfortable lodges or hotels with private facilities.

Level of Activity and Accommodation

Walks in the reserves generally take 3 to 4 hours on a variety of paths, some slippery and narrow, others easy and flat but some can be climbing and the order of the walks may change.  A few treks are more difficult but these will be optional.  In general a good fitness level and open mind will be required.  Due to the small size of the group, alternate organised activities cannot be offered.

Car journeys will be a maximum of six to seven hours but most of the time these are followed by a few days in one locality.  The roads are very variable in condition and can deteriorate during the February cyclone season so timings can only be approximate. 

Travel will be in 4WDs which are essential to access several of the reserves via rough tracks.  The vehicles, such as Toyota Land Cruiser, will be functional rather than luxurious.  Each vehicle will have a driver/guide; the majority will be English speaking.  We are aiming for a maximum of 4 people per vehicle, including the driver/guide and a maximum of 12 participants including Johan and Clare Hermans.  Local guides generally speak some English.

Average daytime temperatures will range from 77°F in the Highlands to 86°F in Isalo and the evenings can be cool.  Some rain can always be expected, especially in the rainforest.

Accommodation will be in comfortable, often chalet style, hotels and camps and porters will be available.  Generally you will eat well, the style of the food in most of the hotels is French inspired but Chinese is also common, the local diet is rice without much meat.  Vegetarians can be catered for but please note that there is likely to be a very limited choice in several of the Hotels.

Please remember that Madagascar is a poor developing country and roads, utilities and other facilities can be challenging.  The Island has the full range of tropical diseases, it is also a high risk malarial area so anti-malarials are strongly advised.  Immunisations and precautions will be required, please check with your Physician what you need.  There is a very variable standard of health services so it is essential to bring enough of your own normal medications to last the trip.  It is also strongly suggested that you bring imodium and some antibiotics (e.g. ciprofloxacin or equivalent) as we often encounter problems with “traveler’s diarrhea”.

There are no poisonous snakes on the Island but there are a variety of biting insects, leeches and other irritants as part of the Madagascar experience.

Information and articles about the 2019 OCA trip to Madagascar can be found on:  Madagascar – Orchid Conservation Alliance

If desired, participants can make their own arrangements for pre or post tour trips to other parts of Madagascar, South Africa and elsewhere.  ‘Sense of Oceans’ our tour operator in Madagascar will be able to assist.  Extra nights in the Radisson, before or after the trip can also be arranged.

Johan and Clare Hermans

Johan and Clare Hermans have been studying the orchid flora of Madagascar since 1990 and have travelled there extensively during 20 field trips. Johan is an Honorary Research Associate of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and they are both Research Fellows of the University of Vienna. They have written many articles and several books on the orchids of Madagascar and the Mascarenes.

Participants should plan to arrive in Antanananirvo (Tana) on September 21 and depart on October 13 (arrangements can be made for those who would like to arrive earlier  and depart on a later date). To avoid scheduling issues, please plan on afternoon or evening departures if possible.

All participants are required to have a travel medical insurance policy with a minimum of $50,000 evacuation coverage. A travel cancellation policy is also advised, but that is up to the participant. All participants are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and will need to complete liability and medical information forms prior to the trip. Please bring proof of vaccination (in case it might be required by airlines, immigration etc.).  Passport expiration date should be at least 6 months after arrival in Madagascar, and at least two blank pages are required in the passport. An entry visa is required (purchased at the airport upon entry, approximately $37).