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.
Africa
| Departure date | Duration | Prices Start from | Tour Expert | Max Group Size | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/09/20 | 13 Days | £5,995 ex. flights | Charles Randrianantenaina | 10 | FULL |
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.
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.
Begin in one of Madagascar’s most accessible parks, 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.
Fly by private charter to the 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.
From Kirindy, fly north to the island’s tropical north. Visit Amber Mountain National Park, which 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.
Leave the lush, damp forest of Amber Mountain behind for the hot, dry landscape of the tsingy. 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.
Afterwards, drive west, descending on to the coastal plain that lies to the west of Ankarana. Stay at Iharana Bush Camp, which sits at the foot of the limestone massif from which the tsingy emerge.
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.
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 and the above is an indication of the cost, based on return flights departing from London. All international flights from the UK are ATOL protected.
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
| Departure date | Duration | Prices Start from | Tour Expert | Max Group Size | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/09/20 | 13 Days | £5,995 ex. flights | Charles Randrianantenaina | 10 | FULL | 11/09/21 | 13 Days | £6,595 ex. flights | Charles Randrianantenaina | 10 | AVAILABLE | Reserve your place |
Our travel experts have a wealth of first-hand knowledge, so if you have any questions about this escorted tour get in touch. They would love to help.
01285 601 784We look forward to you joining us on this tour.
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.
Are you ready to discover extraordinary?
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