Day 1
Saturday 5th October
Many of us met up in Heathrow for our afternoon Air France flight to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport; the rest
of the group had made their own way to Paris. Our hotel there, the Ibis hotel, is within the airport complex and
only a short and easy distance from the terminal, so we were at the hotel in plenty of time to find our rooms, get
sorted and have a meal together. It was decided that we meet the next morning in the hotel lobby at 07h15.
Day 2
Sunday 6th October
With all 6 members of the group keen to go we headed out of the hotel ahead of schedule at 07h10, we walked
the short distance back to the new and lavish terminal 2E where we found the appropriate Air France check-in
desks. Our 10h45 flight left half an hour late, thus we arrived later than scheduled at Antananarivo (popularly
called Tana) airport with the usual hustle for obtaining a visa and passport control. Once through we had no
luggage problems and our local guide for the trip, Desi, was waiting for us with driver and bus. Our hotel for the
night, the Orchid hotel, is only a short drive from the airport so that we were all soon in our rooms for the night.
Day 3
Monday 7th October
We had a good breakfast at 08h30 and left the hotel at just after 09h00, with Madagascar Fody (our first
Madagascar endemic) seen from the hotel restaurant veranda. We drove to the Lemur farm on the other side of
Antananarivo. A quick stop at a large supermarket gave some of the party a chance to get their binoculars out
and look at a few birds around the car park; these included Common Myna and Madagascar Wagtail, whilst the
leader bought some bottled water. We arrived at the Lemurs’ park some 25 km west of the centre of
Antananarivo. The 5 ha site recuperates abandoned lemurs that are cared for and at liberty within the park. The
one-and-a-half hour visit with a local guide allowed us to see and photograph several lemur species and to see a
few bird and reptile species. Lunch was at the Lemurs’ park where a few tried the local dish of rice, local spinach
and meat. We also spotted a fine Spiny-tailed iguanid on the side of the terrace and passing sunbirds and a
Madagascar Manikin.
After lunch we were back on the bus for an afternoons drive along the N7 road as far as Antsirabe, which would
be our final destination that day. We arrived just before dark for our overnight stay at the Camélia hotel, near the
centre of the town; even hear we could hear Madagascar Nightjar singing, probably from a large garden across
the road.
Day 4
Tuesday 8th October
We had breakfast at the Camélia hotel at 08h00 and left shortly after 08h30 for a day’s drive to Ranomafana. The
whole day was spent travelling with various stops along the way. We visited the Wood carving shop in Ambositra
with an opportunity for looking at their workshop and buying some nice souvenirs. We picnicked on the side of
the road next to some blue water-lily strewn ponds, where we saw a few birds including our first Red-billed Teal
of the trip.
During the afternoon we stopped in Ambohimahasoa to admire the egret colony there, in tall trees in the
grounds of the town hall. The most common species was Dimorphic Egret but there were also nesting Cattle
Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron and a single Black Egret. We then turned off the N7 main road onto the
N25 towards Ranomafana and it wasn’t long before a Red-bellied Lemur ran across the road in front of our bus;
our first really wild lemur was obliging enough to then sit in a roadside tree allowing us all to get out of the bus
and have fine views. We arrived at the hotel well before 6 which gave us plenty of time to find our rooms, have a
little relax, do the species log and have our evening meal. Overnight was at the comfortable Centrest hotel, our
home for the next three nights.
Day 5
Wednesday 9th October
A short pre-breakfast bird walk at 05h30 produced golden-orb spider, Green-backed heron and a quick fly-by by
a France’s Sparrowhawk.
We left the hotel at about 06h30, after breakfast. Our driver, Desi and local guides Jean-Chris and Berthin and
local lemur tracker, Zo, (another local tracker Bako joined the group a little later) were waiting for us at the bus
so that we set off on time for the fifteen minute drive to the main Ranomafana entrance. Whilst waiting for our
guides to register at the park office we looked at the birds around the car park (we had good views of White-eyes
and Mascarene Martins and short view of a Chabert’s Vanga and distant but clear views of a couple of
Madagascar Cuckoo-rollers calling and displaying over the nearby forest). We were now in pristine rainforest and
expectations were high; we weren’t disappointed. The morning walk proved to be very interesting with three
species of lemur well seen: Red-bellied again, Golden Bamboo very close and the extremely rare Greater
Bamboo Lemur. This last species is only found in this part of Madagascar. We also saw various other species
thanks to the local guides, the best maybe the Pitta-like Ground-roller, well seen by all.
Back at the hotel just before midday, we had our lunch at 12h30 and then a rest until 15h30. On the way to our
next destination we passed the car carrying the now to be missing group member who had managed to get a new
passport, and re-book flights – with Naturetrek’s help – and make his way to Ranomafana. We travelled up to
the old Ranomafana road where the bus stopped. We got out to see the incredibly bizarre Giraffe-necked
Weevils next to the bus and then walked along the road looking for birds.
Unfortunately the mixed flock of forest birds at our turnaround point was only seen by a few people, most of the
group having moved back towards the bus as we’d been told that our local guides had found a painted-tree frog.
We then moved back towards our hotel, but stopped half way back to have a look along the roadside at dusk.
The hoped for banana-baited Brown Mouse Lemurs were well seen by all, and once we’d had enough of them
we continued walking along the road seeing various chameleons and frogs. After a day full of very interesting and
often endemic species we eventually arrived back at the hotel shortly before 7 with time to have a short break, do
the log (very interesting this evening) and have another good meal.
Day 6
Thursday 10th October
We started with an early morning bird walk (well four of us did - other members choosing a well-earned “lie-in”),
at around 05h45. We walked along the quiet road outside the hotel and although we didn’t see a great number of
birds we did have good views of quite a few interesting species and added Madagascar Green Pigeon and
Madagascar Coucal to the growing trip bird list.
We then had a leisurely breakfast at 08h00 and left the hotel at 09h00. We drove to the nearby village of
Soanierana-Ivongo, where we had a good view of a flock of Madagascar Coucals. We then walked to the nearby
forest, where we had a good view of a flock of Madagascar Green Pigeons. We also saw a few other species,
including a Madagascar Partridge and a Madagascar Thrush.
After a morning of birding, we returned to the hotel for lunch at 12h30. We then had a rest until 15h30, when
we set off on the next part of our journey. We drove to the nearby town of Fianarantsoa, where we had a good
view of a flock of Madagascar Coucals. We then walked to the nearby forest, where we had a good view of a
flock of Madagascar Green Pigeons. We also saw a few other species, including a Madagascar Partridge and a
Madagascar Thrush.
Day 7
Friday 11th October
We started the day with a leisurely breakfast at 08h00. We then set off on the next part of our journey, driving to
the nearby town of Ranohira. We had a good view of a flock of Madagascar Coucals along the way. We then
walked to the nearby forest, where we had a good view of a flock of Madagascar Green Pigeons. We also saw a
few other species, including a Madagascar Partridge and a Madagascar Thrush.
After a morning of birding, we returned to the hotel for lunch at 12h30. We then had a rest until 15h30, when
we set off on the next part of our journey. We drove to the nearby town of Isalo, where we had a good view of a
flock of Madagascar Couc
