Classic RN7 and montain

The RN7 is one of the famous destination in Madagascar. This tour brings you from Antananarivo down to Tulear. During this tour you have 4 parks to see. Starting in Antananarivo you drive down to Antsirabe and continue to Ranomafana National Park via Ambositra the woodcarving capitol. After visiting this park you drive to Ambalavao, a pretty town in the highlands. From here you are going to climbing the Andringitra mountain National Park indead the unforgettable view of Pic Boby. We will visit the Anja Reseve and after that we go to Isalo National Park to hike through the sandstone massifs. This tour ends in Toliary. From here you can visit the beaches of Anakao or Ifaty or you can take a domestic flight to another part of the island.

This tour is disponible all year
Delay : 9 days

Antananarivo to Antsirabe

Tana-Antsirabe: 175 kms distance

• Drive from Tana to Antsirabe, see handicraft market on the way, beautiful landscape of the Merina tribe area, the everyday life of the Merina people,
• Visit of Antsirabe: the hot spring city with its rickshaws, semiprecious stones, lakes.

Overnight in hotel
day 1

Antsirabe to Ambositra, Ranomafana national park

On the way from Antsirabe to Ranomafana you pass the typical highland scenery of rice paddies. You stop in Ambositra, the centre of Madagascar’s woodcarving industry, to visit the handicraft factory. After lunch you continue to Ranomafana National Park, on the way you stop to see the biggest waterfall in Madagascar, Rian-Draono Be. Ranomafana means ‘hot water’. During the colonial era this friendly village was thermal bath center. Today people go to the Ranomafana to visit the national park, the place where the rare big bamboo lemur lives. You can do a nocturnal walk in the park with a local guide to see mouse lemurs, frogs and chameleons.

Overnight in hotel
day 2

Ranomafana national park visit

They found the rare lemurs close to Ranomafana village 20 years ago. And after that the national park was established to protect this rare lemur. After breakfast you drive to the entrance of the park to meet your local guide and to buy your entrance fees. You can choose between several walks ranging from a few hours to half a day. In the rainforest you can see the Edward’s sifaka, the golden bamboo lemur and reptiles. There are also about 115 birds species, some endemic. In the afternoon you can visit the village or go to the thermal bath swim in the hot swimming pool from the hot natural spring.

Overnight in hotel
day 3

Ranomafana national park to Ambalavao

Today you continue to Ambalavao, a pretty town in the highlands. Almost all the houses have a typical wooden balcony. You can visit two traditional factories, the Wild Silk fatory and the Antaimoro Paper factory. On Wednesday the biggest zebu market of Madagascar is held in Ambalavao.

Overnight in hotel
day 4

Ambalavao to Andringitra nationa park

In the morning you drive to Namoly Valley, to the entrance of the park. Here you meet the local guide and porters. Today you hike from Namoly Valley to the Andriampotsy camping site. Another possibility is to hike to Diavolana today.

Overnight in hotel
day 5

climbing Pic Boby and drive to Ambalavao

After an early breakfast you start to climb Pic Boby, situaded at an altitude of 2658 m. From the top you have a great view. The landscape surrounding Andringitra NP is amazing. From Pic Boby you can see the Tsaranoro valley and Ambalavao. You walk back to Namoly Valley, where the driver is waiting for you to bring you back to your hotel in Ambalavao.

Overnight in hotel
day 6

Ambalavao to Anja park reserve and Isalo national park

Today you continue to Isalo national park. You visit the community-run Anja Park Reserve, where you can see the traditional Bara family tombs, caves and ring tailed lemurs. You can picnic on the top of the rock.

Overnight in hotel
day 7

Isalo national park

After breakfast you go to Isalo National Park. You visit the park with a local guide. Local is sacred to the Bara tribe. The Bara use the caves as cemeteries. Isalo is dominated by narrow ravines and by wind and water sculptured rocks. First you hike to the natural swimming pool and after a swim you hike to the Namaza circuit. You can also choose to do only one if these hikes. After the hike you drive to the Window of Isalo.

Overnight in hotel
day 8

Isalo to Toliara

On the way to Tulear you pass the region of cotton. You see the traditional tombs of the Mahafaly and painted tombs of the Bara and the Antandroy tribes. The afternoon we visit the coquillage market and the arboratium Antsokay

Overnight in hotel
day 9