For our Madagascar Highlights birding tours, we have selected only the very best of this incredible country and offered it in a shorter package and at a more relaxed pace than our Comprehensive tours. Nonetheless, we still target all five endemic Malagasy bird families and good numbers of lemurs and other representative wildlife, making these tours ideal for travellers with limited time or less interest in targeting every single endemic bird.
Our first destination is a journey to the bird and animal-rich sites of Perinet and Mantadia National Park in the eastern rainforest zone. The unforgettable song of the Indri drifts through these forests, and we will take time out to find a family group of these, the largest lemur species. Some of the brilliant birds we will look for include several highly sought-after forest birds, including Pitta-like, Rufous-headed, Short-legged and Scaly Ground Rollers, Red-breasted, Red-fronted and Blue Couas, the stunning Velvet Asity, Cuckoo Roller, Crossley’s Babbler, Madagascar Owl, Rainforest Scops Owl, Madagascar and Collared Nightjars, Madagascar (Crested) Ibis, Madagascar Wood Rail, Nuthatch Vanga, Madagascar Blue Pigeon, Brown Emutail, White-throated Oxylabes and Nelicourvi Weaver. Other attractions in this scenically beautiful region are the vocal Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur and the elusive Diademed Sifaka, considered by many to be the world’s most beautiful lemur.
The next leg of this adventure takes us to Ifaty and Tulear for their spiny deserts and coastal habitats. Here we look for the uncommon Madagascar Plover and the beautiful Red-tailed Tropicbird along the seashores, as well as exploring the bizarre, Tolkienesque landscape of multi-stemmed succulents, squat baobab trees and thorny scrub for such spectacular endemics as Banded Kestrel, Running and Red-capped Couas, Archbold’s Newtonia, Thamnornis, Lafresnaye’s Vanga, the near mythical Subdesert Mesite, Long-tailed Ground Roller (an elusive ground dweller best located by its low, hooting call), flocks of noisy Sickle-billed Vangas, Subdesert Brush Warbler and the attractive Chabert’s Vanga.
Our final destination is Berenty, the most famous of Madagascar’s lemur reserves. This is home to no less than six lemur species and the south’s largest colony of Madagascar fruit bats (sporting 1.25-metre wingspans!). The easiness with which to observe and photograph Ring-tailed Lemurs and ‘dancing’ Verreaux Sifakas, in particular, has turned this small protected area into one of Madagascar’s prime wildlife destinations. Some of the birding highlights here could include Giant Coua strolling along the well-cleared paths, Madagascar Buttonquail scurrying through the leaf litter, Madagascar and France’s Sparrowhawks, and the smart-looking Madagascar Sandgrouse.
Subdesert Mesite, Cuckoo Roller, Long-tailed, Pitta-like, Rufous-headed, Short-legged & Scaly Ground Roller, Red-breasted, Red-fronted, Running, Red-capped, Blue & Giant Coua, Velvet Asity, Nuthatch, Lafresnaye’s & Sickle-billed Vanga, Crossley’s Babbler, Banded Kestrel, Madagascar & France’s Sparrowhawk, Madagascar Sandgrouse, Madagascar Buttonquail, Madagascar Owl, Rainforest Scops Owl, Madagascar & Collared Nightjar, Madagascar (Crested) Ibis, Madagascar Wood Rail, Brown Emutail, White-throated Oxylabes, Archbold’s Newtonia, Thamnornis, Nelicourvi Weaver
Indri, Ring-tailed & Red-bellied Lemur, Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur, Diademed & Verreaux’s Sifaka, Madagascar Flying Fox
rainforest, riparian forest, deciduous woodland, spiny desert, mudflats, wetlands
cool to warm, cold evenings in highlands, no rain expected
8 with 1 Rockjumper leader & local leader
slow to moderate
comfortable hotels and lodges
mostly unchallenging but several difficult rainforest skulkers
120-130
Spiny Desert, Berenty, weird herps & insects, coral reefs, shopping, culture
incredible
With Adam Walleyn as our guide, it was hard to imagine how the trip could have been any better. Madagascar is certainly a challenging place, but his experience and ability to help us know what to expect were invaluable. As far as seeing birds, my expectations were exceeded. A great trip.
David Hoddinott is the best!! He is tenacious about getting all participants on all birds!
We had been with Greg before on the Ethiopia tour. We selected this tour because Greg was leading it. Not only does he have excellent birding skills, but he also has excellent people skills. He kept the tour running smoothly, handled problems quickly, and was most anxious that every member of the tour got to see the birds if at all possible. We would definitely travel with him again. We got lots of new birds, had lots of laughs, and enjoyed our fellow birders.
Just a short note to say that I thought Heinz did a great job with the Masoala extension---he's a a sharp birder, energetic, and very personable with a lot of good stories! I look forward to traveling on another trip with him…
Adam Walleyn was amazing, and we will definitely be looking into arranging a private Rockjumper tour with him in the future. Not only did he have extensive knowledge of the birds, but also the other flora and fauna, as well as some of the historical aspects of Madagascar.
Tour Leader: André Bernon
Tour price (Per person): USD7,295 * GBP5,834 * EUR6,813 * AUD11,147
Single Supplement: USD1,010 * GBP808 * EUR943 * AUD1,543
Flight costs: USD1,075 * GBP860 * EUR1,004 * AUD1,643
Tour Leader: Gregory de Klerk
Tour price (Per person): USD7,295 * GBP5,834 * EUR6,813 * AUD11,147
Single Supplement: USD1,010 * GBP808 * EUR943 * AUD1,543
Flight costs: USD1,075 * GBP860 * EUR1,004 * AUD1,643
Tour Leader: Forrest Rowland
Tour price (Per person): USD7,295 * GBP5,834 * EUR6,813 * AUD11,147
Single Supplement: USD1,060 * GBP848 * EUR990 * AUD1,620
Flight costs: USD1,080 * GBP864 * EUR1,009 * AUD1,650
Tour Leader: Lev Frid
Tour price (Per person): USD7,295 * GBP5,834 * EUR6,813 * AUD11,147
Single Supplement: USD1,060 * GBP848 * EUR990 * AUD1,620
Flight costs: USD1,080 * GBP864 * EUR1,009 * AUD1,650
Madagascar - Herz & friends 2023 - November 2023
Madagascar - Comprehensive III 2023 - October 2023
Madagascar - Whitlock 2023 - October 2023
Madagascar - Highlights II 2023 - October 2023
Madagascar - Comprehensive II 2023 - September 2023
Madagascar - Kingsbury 2023 - September 2023
Madagascar - Vounnou 2022 - November 2022
Madagascar - Highlights II 2022 - October 2022
Madagascar - Comprehensive II 2022 - September 2022
Madagascar - Highlights II 2019 - October 2019
Madagascar - Comprehensive II 2019 - October 2019
Madagascar - Comprehensive III 2018 - November 2018
Madagascar - Masoala Peninsula Extension 2018 - October 2018
Madagascar - Highlights II 2018 - October 2018
Madagascar - Franzen 2018 - October 2018
Madagascar - Comprehensive II 2018 - October 2018
Madagascar - Comprehensive I 2018 - July 2018
Madagascar - Highlights I 2018 - July 2018