Meet at the group hotel in Antananarivo (‘Tana’). A single, timed group transfer from the airport is provided. KE Land Only services begin with the evening meal that is followed by a briefing from our guide on the week ahead. Overnight Tana.

An early transfer takes us back to the airport for the internal flight south to Tulear. On arrival we visit to the excellent Arboretum d'Antsokay, a botanic garden devoted to the conservation of the plants from the south west of Madagascar. We have lunch and then have the afternoon relaxing at our hotel and enjoying the pool.

Today we leave the coast and drive inland towards the Isalo National Park. We cross arid broad plains, pass baobab trees and visit the tombs of the Mahafaly. The Malagasy believe that after death, they will continue to be involved in the affairs of their family. Thus, dead family members are honoured for their continuing influence on family decisions. Malagasy tombs are usually far more elaborate than the homes of the living and are topped with carved wooden memorial posts called aloalo and often decorated with horns from a sacrificed zebu (a relative of the buffalo). We pass the ‘col de tapia’, an area of fire resistant trees, which have evolved to ‘use’ wild bush fires as a way to compete with other plants. In the late afternoon we arrive at our picturesque campsite at the foot of the Maki Canyon on the edge of the Isalo National Park. Approx drive time: 6 hours.

This morning we will meet our local guides who will be experts in all the local fauna and wildlife and will point out things that we would never normally spot. We begin the first of our two 'day walks' from our fixed camp at Maki Canyon, with an explore of the Canyon des Rats and Canyon des Mikis. The bottom of these canyons are heavily forested and fed by beautiful clear streams, with natural pools and waterfalls, while high above the sheer rock walls are bare except for scrub and lichens. This is also a good opportunity for us to spot our first lemurs, which inhabit the deep canyon forests. Return to camp at Maki Canyon.

For our second trek in the Isalo National Park we head towards the far end of the park to be picked up late afternoon by our support vehicle. We walk across a unique wonderland of extraordinary plants and jagged rocks. In the morning we head towards the leafy canyon that hides the Cascade des Nymphes, a popular campsite within the park, which is the home to several families of very tame brown and ring-tailed lemurs. It is a fantastic place for lunch and the perfect spot to capture lemurs on camera! Climbing back onto the plateau we then reach the palm fringed Piscine Natural by early afternoon with time to swim in this beautiful mountain pool. It is then a short walk to meet our support vehicle and transfer to the delightful bungalows.

We leave Isalo today and drive across the rocky Horombe plateau to Ihosy in Bara country where we stop for a walk around this highland market town. We drop down to Ambalavao to visit the paper ‘factory’. The paper known as ‘Antaimoro’ is made from the bark of the Avoha tree. The paper is covered with dried flowers and leaves, which are glued in place by liquidised bark and then dried in the sun. Antaimoro paper is highly prized and sold all over the region. After lunch in a local restaurant, we transfer to 4x4 vehicles for the off road journey towards the spectacular mountains of the Andringitra National Park. The road becomes ever more rutted and bumpy as we near our final destination at around 1424m. Depending on conditions we may have to walk the last 2 to 3 km to our campsite in Ambalamanandray. We camp next to the gite and we can use the toilet and shower facilities. Approx drive time: 8 hours.

The area of the Andringitra is one of the most biologically diverse in Madagascar, with over 100 species of birds, and over 50 species of mammals, many of which are endemic. The area was made a National Park in 1999 and is and is managed by the WWF in cooperation with Madagascar National Parks Association. With a local guide and using porters to carry our baggage and equipment we set off trekking, gradually ascending through a region of highland grass and shrub and on to the granite stunning towers and spires of the Andringitra ridge. Finally after 7 or 8 hours trekking, covering around 8 km and ascending 800 metres, we reach our base camp at the foot of Peak Boby also known as Mount Imarivolanitra. The altitude of this camp is 2100 metres.

The Andringitra Mountains are composed of ancient granite overlain with sediment which gives rise to spectacular outcropping of the granite. Our peak stands isolated, a granite dome just asking to be climbed! We set off in the cool of the pre-dawn morning and following the lights of our guides we make our way towards the start of the climb. The trail is relatively straightforward following natural steps and takes between 2 and 3 hours to the summit. We aim to reach the summit (2658m) in time to watch the sunrise paint in the magnificent landscape of the Andringitra National Park - an unforgettable experience. We return to camp for a late breakfast and spend the rest of the day chilling in magnificent scenery and we have an optional 2 hour walk in the afternoon.

We trek back to Ambalamanandray by a different route across the east flank of the mountain. Descending through a number of climatic zones each with their own ecosystem and plant and animal life, we enter the rain forest once again where we may be lucky enough to see brown lemur. Back at the campsite we have time to relax (and use the gite for a shower) and in the evening we will have a farewell party with our porters and trekking team.

We say goodbye to our local guides and porters who were our companions on the trek into the Andringitra Mountains. We board our vehicles and return to Ambalavao. From Ambalavao we travel to the regional capital of Fianarantsoa where we take lunch in a small local restaurant. After lunch we continue through the terraced hillsides of the southern highlands to reach Ranomafana National Park where we check into our hotel. A total driving time today of approximately 6 hours. Overnight Ranomafana.

We have a day of hiking in the Ranomafana National Park. Designated as a protected area in 1991 the area became the country’s fourth National Park. The Park is on the edge of Madagascar's High Plateau and contains mountain ranges varying in height from 600m to 1400m. This range of altitudes has produced different forest types, from the lowland rainforest to cloud forest and high plateau forest. The lush green of the area is in stark contrast to the granite and grasslands of our previous trek. Accompanied by local guides we will be able to learn about the flora and fauna of the rainforest and also have the best chance of locating the elusive lemurs. The park is home to several species of lemur, 100+ species of birds, plus various reptiles and endemic insects. Today’s trek will take approximately 5-6 hours, starting from the park entrance and following trails down through the jungle to the valley and back to our hotel in Ranomafana. We will only cover small distance today, but will spend lots of time observing the fantastic wildlife. Overnight Ranomafana.

Heading on the route ‘Nationale 7’ we drive to Ambositra which is famous for being the capital of the craft industry especially for wood sculpture, furniture and marquetry. This is reflected in some of the houses of the village decorated with fine carvings. Traditionally the Zafimaniry, meaning, 'people of the forest' who live in the surrounding area, makes much of the furniture and carvings here. We will take our lunch in Ambositra and we have time to visit the shops here before continuing our journey along ‘Nationale 7’ to the elegant area capital of Antsirabe and our quiet hotel. A total journey today of 250km and approximately 7 hours driving.

We continue our journey eastwards through Madagascar. After lunch we continue our drive to Perinet National Park (also known as Andasibe-Mantadia National Park) where we check into our comfortable bungalows just outside the park. With the park so close you can hear the sounds of the jungle and very probably the giant Indri indri lemurs call to each other through the evening and early morning. This evening we have a night walk in the Mitsinjo Community Reserve, a small restoration project just outside the main park. The guides will take you on the forest walk hopefully seeing interesting species such as the giraffe weevil and praying mantis. A night walk is always exciting as you see different nocturnal species including several little lemurs, such as the mouse-lemur. Approx drive time: 9 hours.

An early start will take us into the forest to see the Indri indri, the largest of all lemur species. These amazing creatures have one of the most remarkable call of any species on the planet. They are most active in the mornings so this is when we’ll visit them. After the visit we make the 160km return drive to Tana (approx 4hrs). Time dependent, we have a guided walking tour of the city and we will visit the artisan market - a great place for souvenir shopping for all manner of local craft products. In the evening, we have a final celebratory meal at the group hotel in Tana.

After breakfast there is a single group transfer to the airport where KE Land Only services end.