A completely unique tour this 13 day trip explores the east coast of Madagascar including the Pangalanes canal. 

Eastern Madagascar is perhaps the least explored of Madagascar's regions in the 21st century but in colonial times it was the centre of a vibrant trade route from the east, via Africa, to Europe. It is home to wetlands, mangroves, rivers lakes and rainforests with the mountainous spine of Madagascar as a constant backdrop. We will visit 8 of Madagascar's 18 tribes, making this an ideal trip for those interested in portrait and street photography and Madagascan culture. On this trip you will travel by boat and 4X4, stay in hotels in vibrant ex-colonial towns and camp in tranquil villages.

Leaving the capital we travel to the amazing Andasibe National Park a 155 square kilometre protected area, located about 150 km east of Antananarivo, consisting principally of primary growth forest alive with amphibians, birdlife and lemurs. Birders will delight in knowing that the rare blue coua bird is found within these damp montane forests. One of the highlights of the trip will be the walk through the forest to see and hear Indri as Andasibe is the only place in the world you can see the hauntingly calls of the Indri lemur. 

From here we head east for our boat trip along the Pangalanes Canal.

The canal was formed by French colonialist by linking a series of lakes to facilitate trade by creating safe means of transport along the treacherous east coast. The origional canal ran 665km from Toamasina to Vangaindrano. It was created. Long since neglected as a trade route by big business, local people still make good use of the waterways. A boat trip along the canal is a peaceful and relaxing way to watch life pass you by. Each day we will disembark and stay in a simple hotel in one of the small towns along the coast.

In the next section of our trip we head on the road least traveled, experiencing eastern Madagascar at its most pristine. Expect to buy fish of the fishermen at tiny villages along the coast, drive through coffee, lichee, cassava, rice and banana fields staying in little explore seaside towns every night.

Heading inland we climb the eastern escarpment to the lush rainforest of Ranomafana National park. Here you will experience wildlife watching worthy of a David Attenbourgh documentary. In fact Miremby's guide Theo guided the great man when he visited Madagascar! Forest streams, raging rivers, and steep forest escarpments offer protection to lemurs, chameleons, birdlife and much more. In the village you can experience the hot springs that give Rano (water) mafana (hot) its name, visit the weaving co-operative set up by acclaimed conservationist Dr Patricia Wright, to support the community who live there. 

Leaving the rainforest behind we cross the wheat growing central plateau, stopping in the colonial city of Antsirabe and ending in the capital Tana where you have a day to explore the palace and handicraft markets.