Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
The people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education.
| Start date | End date | Days | Prices from | Single Supplement | Tour Expert | Max Group Size | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/09/20 | 20/09/20 | 13days | £5,995 ex. flights | £415 | Charles Randrianantenaina | 10 | LIMITED | Reserve place | 11/09/21 | 23/09/21 | 13days | £6,595 ex. flights | £675 | Charles Randrianantenaina | 10 | LIMITED | Reserve place |
Explore this richly diverse country – remarkable for its unique plants and animals. Gain behind-the-scenes access to Durrell’s projects, explore forests packed with lemurs and discover the Ankarana Reserve – a limestone landscape like nowhere else.
Start in the highland forests of Andasibe-Mantadia, home to the remarkable indri, as well as a wealth of endemic plant and animal life. Continue to the dry forest of Kirindy, where fossas and giant jumping rats survive, protected by the invaluable work of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Visit their community projects for a behind-the-scenes look at the conservation underway.
Then fly north to the lush montane forest of Amber Mountain, hiding sacred waterfalls and inch-long chameleons. Finish with the dramatic tsingy of Ankarana – an eroded karst massif that is otherworldly in its appearance. Hike both sides of this dramatic landscape, crossing hanging bridges and exploring river caves.
01285 601 784
Charles moved to Isalo, where he began his training as a local park guide. After qualifying as an official independent guide, he focused on English speaking clients and since then, he has explored almost every region of Madagascar, leading several specialist groups for Steppes.
As charming as he is knowledgeable, he always maintains the best groups are the ones that ask the most questions.
Steppes Travel is proud to work as one of New Scientist Discovery Tours key partners, creating exciting, educational and engaging small group tours to a number of destinations worldwide. New Scientist is an English-language magazine that covers all aspects of science and technology. In 2019, they launched New Scientist Discovery Tours.
Listen to the call of the indri – the largest lemur – echoing through primary forest.
Visit Durrell’s community projects in Kirindy to see the conservation work underway.
Spot tiny chameleons and endemic lemur species in the lush forests of Amber Mountain.
Explore the lunar landscape of Ankarana, with its razor-sharp tsingy formations.
Travelling on your own? Our group tours are perfect for solo travellers, as travelling as part of an organised group in faraway places provides security and peace of mind. We handle all of the arrangements for you and there will be a local tour guide on hand throughout to provide advice and help if needed, as well as the expertise of a Tour expert.
To allow flexibility, our group tours do not include international flights as standard. We can arrange international flights on your behalf, please get in touch with our travel experts for a quote. All international flights from the UK are ATOL protected.
Why travel with Steppes Travel and New Scientist to Madagascar?
Our expertise in Africa, and specifically insightful and ground-breaking Madagascar group tours dates to our inception in 1989. Ina addition, our team of travel experts are some of the best in the industry and have carefully created this tour with their own expertise and knowledge of this beautiful country, Whilst many people consider Madagascar a wildlife destination, he finds the culture and landscapes just as captivating.
What happens on a typical day?
Early starts are guaranteed, as wildlife is most active during the morning. Generally, you will then return to camp around mid-morning, then head out again in the early afternoon, as the temperature cools.
What wildlife might I see during this tour?
In Andasibe, you can expect to see the indri (the largest lemur) and plenty of other lemurs. In Kirindy, the brown lemur is most prolific but the big draw here is the cat-like fossa, Madagascar’s only large carnivore.
What will the weather in Madagascar be like in September?
September is the perfect time to go, as it is when the spring arrives after the rains have ended. This is also when the lemurs have their babies and the birds start nesting. Furthermore, the rising temperatures cause reptiles to become more active.
Do I need to be physically fit to enjoy this tour?
The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy it. Whilst many of the walks are easy, the temperatures do warm up during the day. The west coast, in particular, is hotter than the rest of the country, so you need to be comfortable walking in slightly warmer temperatures. We avoid the hottest part of the day.
What is the standard of accommodation on this tour?
On this trip, the accommodation aims to get you in the best locations to allow you the opportunity to truly immerse yourself in nature and allow ample time to photograph the flora and fauna that surrounds you.
Is this tour suitable for solo travellers?
Our group tours are perfect for solo travellers, as travelling as part of an organised group in faraway places does provide security and peace of mind. We handle all of the arrangements for you and there will be a local tour guide on hand throughout to provide advice and help if needed, as well as the expertise of our tour experts.
If you are willing to share, we will always do our best to match you up with another solo traveller of the same sex so that you do not have to pay for a single room.
If you would prefer the privacy of your own room and would like this guaranteed, then the single room price supplement will apply.
Can I extend my time in Madagascar?
This tour works perfectly with an extension in Madagascar or other African countries. Speak to one of our Africa specialists for more details of possible extensions.
Haven’t found what you’re looking for?
Andasibe-Mantadia, where the rainforest is alive with lemurs, chameleons and birds. Led by an expert wildlife guide, explore this wet, green tranche of highland jungle, home to the largest of all lemurs, the indri. Listen as their eerie calls echo through the forest – sounding like whalesong.
After dark, discover the forest’s nocturnal inhabitants, which include tenrecs, mouse lemurs and frogs, as well as countless chameleons.
Kirindy Reserve, on Madagascar’s western coast. This hot, dry, lowland forest is in stark contrast to the damp, cooler climes of Andasibe. Here, visit Durrell’s conservation projects and learn about the work they are doing.
With this change in climate and ecosystem comes a whole range of different species. These included the endangered giant jumping rat, which is unique to Kirindy; Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur, the world’s smallest lemur; and the fossa, a carnivorous mammal only found in Madagascar.
Amber Mountain National Park, rises within sight of the ocean but – thanks to its altitude – is very different from the coastal forests below. Hike along a network of trails that cut their way through this the rainforest, passing by sacred waterfalls and crater lakes that attract birdlife.
Spot Sanford’s lemurs and crowned lemurs on branches in the canopy and, below, rely on the sharp eyesight of your guide to spot dwarf chameleons. These inch-long creatures are invisible to the uninitiated and were, until recently, the smallest discovered species of chameleon.
This vast eroded landscape of limestone pinnacles and chasms is encompassed by the Ankarana Reserve, which can be accessed from both east and west.
Begin in the east, where you stand at the same level as the tsingy pinnacles and follow trails that lead you out on to this alien landscape, even crossing one of the gorges on a narrow hanging bridge. The forest beside the tsingy is rich with wildlife; look out for lemurs, boas and even land crabs.
This side offers a very different perspective on this spectacular landscape – one that is best appreciated as you hike up into the tsingy at sunrise, watching as a golden light washes over the pinnacles and the distant plains below.
We have been running insightful and groundbreaking group tours since our inception in 1989. We have worked with institutions such as the British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum and run wildlife tours in conjunction with conservation agencies such as Fauna & Flora International, Wildlife Conservation Society, the Orangutan Foundation, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the Jane Goodall Institute.
Our average group size is typically eight to ten people, smaller than other group tours typically offered – a factor which many of our clients appreciate. Travelling as part of a smaller group provides a more intimate, personalised and relaxed atmosphere.
We have developed an enviable pool of expertise from which to choose our tour experts, who we carefully select based on their knowledge, companionship and personality. Often, these experts can use their influence to facilitate private access to sites not typically open to the public.
Steppes Travellers are like-minded people – interesting, interested and curious. Our group tours aim to create an easy and informal atmosphere – we have a lot of fun on our tours and many friendships have been formed.
Our tours are well-priced to ensure you get real value for money. We include gratuities on the majority of our tours and do not pass on currency surcharges. We strive to look after single travellers as well as we can, keeping single supplements to a minimum.
When you travel on one of our group tours, you will be looked after by our local agents and your tour expert with the back-up of our 24-hour emergency number and duty manager. All our holidays are fully bonded and protected – our ATOL number is ATOL 6495.
For further information about any of these tours please call 01285 601 784
| Start date | End date | Days | Prices from | Single Supplement | Tour Expert | Max Group Size | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/09/20 | 20/09/20 | 13days | £5,995 ex. flights | £415 | Charles Randrianantenaina | 10 | LIMITED | Reserve place | 11/09/21 | 23/09/21 | 13days | £6,595 ex. flights | £675 | Charles Randrianantenaina | 10 | LIMITED | Reserve place |
Our travel experts have a wealth of first-hand knowledge, so if you have any questions about this expert-led group tour, please get in touch. They would love to help. We hope you can join us on this tour.
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Expert-Led Group Tours
With an average group size of just eight to ten people our group tour itineraries enable you to travel to some of the most intriguing regions of the world in the company of experts guides in the field and, of course, with likeminded people.
Our knowledge and expertise sets us apart. So too our curiosity. A curiosity of the world and of you, and your passions. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.
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