Madagascar October 20 November 4, 2018
This Image and Cover: Expedition Overview Madagascar is home to one of the most unusual wildlife assemblages on Earth, its exceptional fauna and flora having evolved over millions of years of isolation. The world s fourth largest island, it boasts a remarkable diversity of habitats and is often called The Eighth Continent. Madagascar s legendary uniqueness is reflected in its mammals, with every one of its 150 native terrestrial species being found nowhere else on the planet! Best known as the home of the lemurs, with an amazing 100 species divided over five endemic families, the island also holds a host of colorful chameleons, fascinating flora, and bizarre insectivores. Madagascar s endemic birds are equally renowned, with no fewer than 140 species and 5 complete families entirely restricted to this appropriately named laboratory of evolution. Photos: Verreaux s Sifaka, Diademed Sifaka, Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur
Giovanna Fasanelli Itinerary Saturday, October 20: Johannesburg Arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa, and take the complimentary shuttle the short distance to your hotel. Gather this evening for a welcome dinner and briefing. Overnight at Southern Sun OR Tambo Hotel. Sunday, October 21: Antananarivo This morning, fly from Johannesburg to Antananarivo (Tana), Madagascar. Crossing the Mozambique Channel, a journey of little more than 250 miles, you ll approach the western edge of the Big Red Island en route to the capital. Driving into Tana one is struck by the stark differences from the African continent: rice paddies, worked by men and their Zebu-drawn ploughs, flank the city, with the architecture a combination of French colonial and traditional Merina, all of which imparts a strangely Asian feel to an island so close to the African mainland. Diner and overnight at the Relais de Plateaux on the outskirts of Antananarivo. Giovanna Fasanelli Monday, October 22: Berenty Reserve After breakfast, board your charter flight to Amboasary-Sud, a short drive from Berenty Private Lemur Reserve. On the transfer to Berenty, you ll notice the native vegetation has been replaced by extensive sisal plantations, stretching as far as the eye can see. Berenty Private Lemur Reserve is an island of natural habitat in this sea of cultivation, and one of Madagascar s most legendary wildlife sanctuaries. Berenty is justly famous for its lemurs, not only because its deciduous gallery woodland is home to six species, but particularly for the ease with which they can be seen and appreciated in the wild. Undoubted favorites are the Ring-tailed Lemurs and Verreaux s Sifakas. The bands of cat-like, quizzical Ringtails are often the first to steal any visitors hearts, but their appeal is easily matched by the strikingly-patterned Sifakas, with their soulful expressions and bipedal locomotion. In addition to these two diurnal lemur super-stars, Red-fronted Brown Lemurs also occur in large numbers in the woodland. Overnight at Berenty Lodge. Photos: Parson s Chameleon, Ring-tailed Lemurs, Verreaux s Sifaka Gary Krosin
Tuesday, October 23: Berenty Reserve Although Madagascar is most famous for the spectacular lemurs that have adapted to a daytime existence, a number of species of these primitive primates remain denizens of the night. On spotlighting walks in the spiny forest adjacent to your lodgings, search for White-footed Sportive Lemurs and two species of Mouse Lemurs. A further highlight at Berenty is a roost of Madagascar Flying Foxes, where over 300 of these impressive fruit bats, sporting four-foot wingspans, spend their day jostling for position in the treetops. Amongst the birds, the pheasant-like Giant Coua is often encountered stalking along the paths, whilst both the camouflaged Madagascar Scops-Owl and the handsome White-browed Hawk-Owl are commonly found asleep at their day roosts in the gallery woodland. Reptiles are well represented by the bizarre Three-eyed Lizard and huge Warty Chameleon. Overnight at Berenty Lodge. Wednesday, October 24: Antananarivo After a final morning spent exploring Ankarana, return to Antsiranana in time to catch an afternoon flight back to the capital. Dinner and overnight at Relais des Plateaux. Thursday, October 25: Antsiranana / Amber Mountain Make an early departure to the airport for your flight to Antsiranana, or Diego Suarez as it s still commonly known, a natural port on Madagascar s extreme northern tip. Upon arrival, transfer to a convoy of 4-wheel drive vehicles for a short drive southwards into the highlands of Amber Mountain, to one of the country s most famous national parks. Montagne d Ambre was set aside as a protected area during the colonial period, both to act as a water catchment area for Diego Suarez and as a forestry research station. Today, this scenic park protects one of the most accessible and rewarding areas of montane forest on the island, home to a rich array of wildlife, some of which is found nowhere else on Earth. Foremost on the agenda will be finding the lemurs, including the localized Crowned Lemur and the striking Sanford s Brown Lemur. Almost two-thirds of the world s chameleon species occur on Madagascar and are found nowhere else. With careful searching you ll try to locate a bewildering array that ranges from the attractive Amber Mountain Chameleon to the tiny Brookesia Stump-tailed Chameleon, once considered the world s smallest vertebrate animal. The cool forests of the park also offer excellent birding, with specialties such as Pitta-like Ground-Roller and the highly localized Amber Mountain Rock Thrush. Overnight at Domaine de Fontenay. Friday, October 26: Ankarana National Park Amongst Madagascar s most celebrated land formations are its areas of limestone karst, known locally as tsingy, which literally means the place one cannot walk without shoes in Malagasy. Journey south today to the Tsingy of Ankarana. Winding through attractive countryside, you ll stop frequently to appreciate the passing pageant of rural life unfolding at the roadside, small villages of grass-thatched huts, Zebu-drawn carts and verdant green rice paddies, before arriving at Ankarana. Overnight at Ankarana Lodge. Saturday, October 27: Ankarana National Park The tsingy is world famous, a landscape of razor-sharp pinnacles and eroded canyons and sinkholes. The geology is reason enough to visit but the park also protects rich deciduous forest that is home to a fantastic array of wildlife, from the endemic Ankarana Sportive Lemur and dapper Ring-tailed Mongoose to a plethora Photos: Amber Mountain Rock Thrush, Simeti s Leaf-tailed Gecko, Sanford s Brown Lemur, Tsingy Marco Tonoli
of reptiles. Chameleons are well known for their camouflage but here are totally outclassed by one of the most cryptic creatures on the planet, the bizarre Fimbriated Leaf-tailed Gecko, whose resemblance to tree bark beggars belief! Groups of the beautiful White-breasted Mesite, a bird family entirely endemic to Madagascar, pick their way slowly through the dry leaf litter, often followed by dashing Madagascar Paradise Flycatchers. In the late afternoon, appreciate the soft, changing light on the other-worldly limestone karst landscape. Overnight at Ankarana Lodge. Giovanna Fasanelli Sunday, October 28: Antananarivo / Andasibe-Mantadia National Park After breakfast, return to Antsiranana for your flight back to Tana. On arrival, turn eastward for the drive across the open landscape of the Horombe Plateau, which offers insight into the traditional lifestyle of the highland Merina people. Terraced rice paddies, tall earthen houses with thatched roofs, and roadside markets displaying a wide variety of farm produce, are all set against a backdrop of golden-yellow grasslands and bare granite inselbergs. By the afternoon, you ll arrive in the small town of Andasibe, or Perinet as it s still commonly known, gateway to the magical Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Your accommodation for the next two nights is a delightful lodge, located overlooking a lake at the edge of the forest. Wildlife is often right on your doorstep: fluorescent green day geckos scuttle on the walls of the chalets, Madagascar Wagtails flit along the paved walkways and, if you are very lucky, you may hear the eerie calls of Indri right from your cabin. Overnight Vakona Forest Lodge. Monday & Tuesday, October 29 & 30: Andasibe-Mantadia National Park You ll have two full days in the superb Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, which protects a large expanse of some of Madagascar s most pristine primary forest, a sanctuary for the richest assemblage of birds and other wildlife on the island. Though it has only relatively recently been opened to the public, the slightly higher-altitude Mantadia sector is now an essential destination on any trip to Madagascar, having gained a reputation as an excellent site for a handful of scarce forest-dwelling lemurs. Not least amongst these is the exquisite, gentle and highly localized Diademed Sifaka, although you will also be searching for the more widespread Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur, Gray Bamboo Lemur, Red-bellied Lemur and Common Brown Lemur. The Andasibe-Mantadia area is also a rewarding site for nocturnal exploration, with such charismatic nocturnal lemur species as Eastern Woolly Lemur, Furry-eared Dwarf Lemur and the diminutive Goodman s Mouse Lemur all possible, along with a plethora of chameleons, geckos and frogs. Overnight at Vakona Forest Lodge. Giovanna Fasanelli Wednesday, October 31: Andasibe / Antananarivo This morning, make a special effort to see the park s most famous resident: the huge, singing Indri, largest of all extant lemurs. Standing beneath a family group of these magnificent creatures as they issue their peculiar, Humpback Whale-like songs is one of Madagascar s most unforgettable wildlife experiences. While the rainforest lemurs are undoubtedly the highlights of your time in the Perinet area, you will also be on the lookout for a plethora of smaller evolutionary oddities, like the peculiar Giraffe-necked Weevil, the impossibly cute Lowland Streaked Tenrec, the seriously weird Sikora Leaf-tailed Gecko, Madagascar Tree Boa, and the giant Parson s Chameleon, heaviest chameleon species on Earth. Andasibe-Mantadia also offers the best rainforest birding in Madagascar, and you can expect to see such Photos: Fantastic Leaf-tailed Gecko, Gray Bamboo Lemur, Giraffe-necked Weevil, Indri XXXXXXXXX
avian jewels as Blue Coua, Blue Vanga, and Madagascar Cuckoo-Roller. In the afternoon, retrace your route to Tana, overnighting at the Relais de Plateaux. Thursday, November 1: Anjajavy A charter flight carries you northwestward to your final destination in Madagascar, the magnificent wilderness of Anjajavy, for a three night stay at Anjajavy Lodge. Friday & Saturday, November 2 & 3: Anjajavy Situated on the island s northwest coast, in the so-called Sambirano Domain, this 1,000-acre private reserve covers a ruggedly beautiful area of secluded bays flanked by baobab-studded semi-deciduous forest. Wildlife is abundant, with the ethereal Coquerel s Sifaka, boisterous troops of Common Brown Lemur and flocks of brilliant-green Grey-headed Lovebirds resident right in the grounds of your comfortable lodge. Nearby caves in the limestone karst boast the fossilized remnants of a long-extinct lemur, as well as an impressive collection of stalagmites and stalactites. Spend time along the forest trails, where Collared Iguanas loaf in sunny spots and Madagascar Plated Lizards scuttle through the leaf litter. With luck, you may locate the goblin-like Milne-Edwards s Sportive Lemur at its day roost in a tree cavity. Explorations after dark are equally productive and may reveal the eye-shine of a darting Golden-brown Mouse Lemur, Madagascar Nightjar hawking for insects or perhaps a sleeping Warty Chameleon. Overnights at Anjajavy Lodge. Sunday, November 4: Antananarivo After a final early morning at Anjajavy, return via private charter flight to Antananarivo in time to connect with international flights homeward. Photos: Red Baobabs at Anjajavy, Blue Vanga, Blue-eyed Leaf-frog Giovanna Fasanelli XXXXXXXXX
Expedition Map Madagascar A Johannesburg B Antananarivo C Berenty Reserve D Antisiranana / Amber Mountain E Ankarana National Park F Andasibe-Mantadia National Park G Anjajavy By Air By Road
Your Expedition Leader Marco Tonoli Marco organised his first expedition into the Drakensburg Mountains at the age of 13 for a group of friends, which ultimately led to an unquestionable love of exploring and sharing the natural world. As soon as he was of legal age, he was on the first plane out of his home country, South Africa, to discover the cultures and environments of the Middle East, Far East and Europe. This love of the world s wilderness areas and the people within it, led him to pursue what turned out to be an adventurous 16-year career as a naturalist guide throughout Southern and East Africa. His love of ethology and species adaptations, and their survival in harsh and extreme habitats took him to the Kalahari Desert, where he led and trained a team of specialist guides, as well as lived and worked closely with the region s best trackers. In due course he developed a passion for the art and science of tracking, conducting desert Black Rhino walking safaris for the next four years. Marco is simply one of the most knowledgeable guides I ve ever come across, and I ve come across quite a few! I highly recommend Marco to anyone wanting guiding of the highest caliber. Alex W., United Kingdom Marco took a small break from guiding to study wildlife filmmaking and photography in the pursuit of documenting the natural world, which has allowed him opportunities to work on productions by National Geographic and Discovery Channel, as well as having images appear in notable natural history publications throughout the world.
Expedition Details Madagascar October 20 November 4, 2018 $16,870 Per Person Rate $18,680 Solo Rate 16 Days Trip Length 8 Guests Group Size Johannesburg / Antananarivo Start/End Included Apex Expeditions rates include all accommodations; all meals, activities and excursions as described in the itinerary; air within Madagascar, as noted in the itinerary; services of an Apex Expedition leader and local guides throughout the itinerary; local beer & wines at lunch & dinner; all gratuities; airport transfers; permits and entrance fees; all taxes. Not Included Costs not included in the price of your Apex expedition include travel to and from the start and end point of trip; air from Johannesburg to Atananarivo, which should be booked as part of your international ticket; premium brand drinks and liquor; travel insurance (Trip Cancellation and Interruption, as well as Emergency Medical and Evacuation insurance, are highly recommended); airport departure taxes; excess baggage fees; passport and/or visa fees; items of a personal nature (phone calls, laundry, souvenirs, etc.); and independent travel arrangements pre- or post-trip. Payments & Terms 20% of the trip cost will confirm your place on the expedition. The final balance is due 150 days prior to departure. All prices are quoted in U.S. dollars and must be paid in U.S. dollars. Per person pricing is based on double occupancy. The solo rate is paid by participants who specifically request single accommodations and is subject to availability. If you are traveling alone and wish to share accommodations, we will try to match you with a roommate of the same gender. However, if a roommate is not available, the published solo rate will be charged. Upon confirming your reservation you will be required to pay the published Solo Rate, if we are able to pair you with a roommate, the applicable difference will be refunded at the time that the final trip payment is due for all participants. Please note that solo accommodations are limited and cannot always be guaranteed throughout. For our full set of Terms & Conditions, please visit our web site at www.apex-expeditions.com/about/terms-conditions/ One-of-a-kind adventures to the world s most fascinating places. Join us. Peacock Day Gecko
Reservation Form Madagascar October 20 November 4, 2018 Person 1: (Primary Contact) Passport Name: Preferred Name: Date of Birth: Email Address: Mailing Details: Address: City: State: ZIP Code: Country: Phone: Fax: Double Solo Person 2: (If applicable and at same address, otherwise please submit a second Reservation Form.) Passport Name: Preferred Name: Date of Birth: Email Address: Deposit Information: My deposit check is enclosed (20% of total tour fare) Charge my deposit to my: VISA MasterCard American Express Card #: Expires: CCV Code: Name on Card: Signature: Please return this completed form to Apex Expeditions. E-mail: info@apex-expeditions.com or Mail: 4130 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116