Cultural and Natural Wealth of Madagascar — Self-Launched

Land at Ivato International Airport. Skip the hotel-transfer markup and take a taxi or arrange an airport pickup through your guesthouse (roughly 40,000–60,000 MGA / £7–10 for the 45-min ride into town). Settle into a guesthouse in Antananarivo Haute-Ville or Ambatovinaky. Spend the afternoon walking the city: Analakely market, the old town stairways and the view from the Queen's Palace (Rova) area. Buy a local SIM (Telma or Orange, ~£3–5 with data) and pick up a taxi-brousse timetable orientation. Madagascar visa on arrival is around US$10–37 depending on length — bring cash in USD or EUR.

🚌Airport taxi ~£8; walk/taxi in town

🛏Guesthouse in Antananarivo Haute-Ville (e.g. small family-run guesthouse or hostel dorm/private, ~£12–18)

• →Analakely market wander
• →Rova of Antananarivo exterior & old town
• →Buy local SIM card

Take the early taxi-brousse or a shared minibus from Antananarivo's Ampasampito station south to Ambatolampy (~2 hrs, ~£3), where you can drop into the pottery and aluminium-kitchenware workshops on the main road — the craftsmen are welcoming and a small tip for a demo is customary. Continue to Antsirabe (~1 hr, ~£2), Madagascar's colonial spa town on the high plateau. In the afternoon hire a local pousse-pousse (rickshaw, ~£3 per hour) out to the crater of Lake Tritriva (~15 km, ~£6–8 round trip) and walk the rim. Evening: try a plate of local cheese and a THB beer on Avenue de l'Indépendance.

🚌Taxi-brousse Antananarivo–Ambatolampy ~£3, Ambatolampy–Antsirabe ~£2, pousse-pousse/local taxi to Lake Tritriva ~£7

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in Antsirabe (~£12–16)

• →Ambatolampy pottery & aluminium workshop visit
• →Lake Tritriva crater walk
• →Pousse-pousse ride around Antsirabe

Head south on the RN7 taxi-brousse to Ambositra (~2.5 hrs, ~£4), the heart of Zafimaniry wood-carving and marquetry country. Visit one of the artisan workshops just off the main road (many are signposted; a small workshop fee ~£2–3). Then continue to Ranomafana (~3 hrs, ~£5) on the winding road through the eastern rainforest. Check in at the village and arrange your park guide for the next morning — guides are mandatory and cost around 60,000 MGA (~£10) per group plus park entry.

🚌Taxi-brousse Antsirabe–Ambositra ~£4, Ambositra–Ranomafana ~£5

🛏Pension/guesthouse in Ranomafana village (~£12–18)

• →Ambositra marquetry & woodcarving workshops
• →Village walk in Ranomafana

Take the early morning guided walk into Ranomafana National Park (park entry ~£8 plus guide share ~£5–10) — the best window for milne-edwards sifaka, red-bellied lemurs and, with luck, the golden bamboo lemur. Optional night walk the previous evening is also worthwhile (~£5). After lunch take the taxi-brousse down to Fianarantsoa (~2 hrs, ~£3). Explore the old colonial upper town (Haute-Ville) on foot: the cathedral, the market and the stone staircases between quarters.

🚌Taxi-brousse Ranomafana–Fianarantsoa ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Fianarantsoa Haute-Ville (~£10–15)

• →Ranomafana National Park guided lemur walk
• →Fianarantsoa old town walk

Long road day on the RN7. First take the taxi-brousse about 1 hr south to Ambalavao (~£2), home of the Antemoro papermaking workshops — pop into a workshop and see the handmade paper with dried flower petals (~£2). Then detour to the Anja Community Reserve (~£4 entry plus ~£2 guide), a community-run granite outcrop packed with habituated ring-tailed lemurs — easy 1–2 hr circuit. Continue south across the Horombe plateau to Ranohira (~4 hrs, ~£6), the gateway to Isalo.

🚌Taxi-brousse Fianarantsoa–Ambalavao ~£2, optional local transfer to Anja ~£3, Ambalavao–Ranohira ~£6

🛏Basic guesthouse or bungalow in Ranohira village (~£12–18)

• →Antemoro papermaking workshop
• →Anja Community Reserve lemur walk

Spend the whole day in Isalo. Hire a park guide at the Ranohira entrance (~60,000 MGA / £10 per group) and pick the classic circuit through the Namaza canyons to the natural swimming pools (~£8 park entry, plus a shared 4x4 or scooter transfer to the trailhead ~£5). After the hike, arrange a local tuk-tuk or scooter to the Isalo Window (Fenêtre de l'Isalo) for sunset — small fee ~£2 plus transport ~£5. Note: most budget hikers do the main circuit; the longer 'Canyon des Makis' route is tougher and needs more water.

🚌Local transfer to park gate/trailhead ~£5, scooter or tuk-tuk to Isalo Window ~£5

🛏Basic guesthouse in Ranohira (~£12–18)

• →Isalo National Park canyon hike
• →Swim in natural pools
• →Sunset at Isalo Window

Take the taxi-brousse south through Ihosy and across the dry Mahafaly plateau toward Toliara (~5–6 hrs, ~£8). Along the way you'll pass the painted aloalo funerary posts and tombs characteristic of Mahafaly culture — ask in a nearby village about respectful viewing or hire a local guide for ~£5 rather than wandering uninvited. On arrival in Toliara, continue by taxi-brousse or bush-taxi 25 km north to Ifaty (~£2). The Antsokay Arboretum, just south of Toliara on the airport road, is easy to visit en route (~£4 entry, 1–1.5 hrs self-guided).

🚌Taxi-brousse Ranohira–Toliara ~£8, Toliara–Ifaty ~£2

🛏Beach bungalow in Ifaty (~£18–25 for a fan-cooled bungalow)

• →Mahafaly tombs area
• →Antsokay Arboretum walk

Slow day on the Ifaty reef. The lagoon here is protected by a barrier reef, so you can snorkel or paddle a rented kayak straight off the beach (~£5–8). Walks through the spiny forest behind the village to see baobabs and the local Vezo fishing community cost nothing, and local boatmen will take you out to the reef for ~£10–15 per person. Best-value eating is grilled fish and rice at the beach restaurants (~£5–7).

🚌Walking

🛏Beach bungalow in Ifaty (~£18–25)

• →Snorkelling on the Ifaty reef
• →Spiny forest and baobab walk
• →Vezo fishing village wander

Second day on the coast: optional quad bike ride through the dunes and spiny forest (~£25–35 per bike, book with a local operator in Ifaty), a canoe or outrigger trip to the reef edge (~£12), or kitesurfing/windsurfing lessons are available through the beach lodges in season. Otherwise just claim a spot under a palm, swim, and eat well. Note this is one of the best stargazing spots on the trip.

🚌Walking

🛏Beach bungalow in Ifaty (~£18–25)

• →Optional quad bike tour
• →Canoe or outrigger reef trip
• →Beach and sunset

Transfer back to Toliara (~£2) and fly Toliara–Antananarivo with Tsaradia/Air Madagascar (one-way fares typically £70–110 booked ahead). Late-afternoon arrival in Tana; a taxi into town is ~£8. Last-night dinner in the Haute-Ville and pick up any craft souvenirs.

🚌Toliara–Ifaty taxi-brousse ~£2, domestic flight Toliara–Antananarivo ~£85, taxi ~£8

🛏Guesthouse in Antananarivo (~£12–18)

• →Domestic flight south-to-capital
• →Evening in Antananarivo

Morning at the dike craft market (Marché de la Digue) near the lake for raffia baskets, woven textiles and wood carvings — haggle politely, start around half the asking price. Then a taxi out to Ivato International Airport (~£8) for your onward flight. Allow 2–3 hours at the airport.

🚌Taxi to Ivato Airport ~£8

🛏None (departure)

• →Dike craft market shopping
• →Airport transfer