5 Day Andasibe And Baobabs Tour

A cluster of Baobab trees standing black against a burning orange Madagascar sunset

Destinations: Madagascar, Antananarivo, Andasibe-Mantadia and the Avenue of the Baobabs

This 5-day trip strings together Antananarivo, Andasibe and the Avenue of the Baobabs, spreading the days across the best of the region. The markets and craft stalls are good for a first or last day. Eleven lemur species live in the reserve’s tall eastern forest. Nearby the ‘lovers’ baobabs’ twist together in the dry forest.

Day By Day

Day 1 Arrival At Antananarivo

You set out from Antananarivo after breakfast and drive to Antananarivo, the country changing as the kilometres pass, reaching camp with time to settle in and take a first look before dark. A reserve nearby lets you see lemurs within an hour of the city. The markets and craft stalls are good for a first or last day. Most trips start and end here before flying home. You settle into camp as the light goes. A good meal closes the day. Antananarivo, the hillside capital, is the arrival point and hub for every route.

Its old town climbs to the royal palace with views over rice paddies and tiled roofs. You stop for coffee where the view is good and let the morning warm up. Nothing is promised in the wild, which is what makes a good sighting count. The country is quiet here, and on most outings you have it to yourselves. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead.

An Indri, the largest living lemur, clinging to a rain-soaked tree trunk in Andasibe — Andasibe is the easiest rainforest to reach from Antananarivo.

Day 2 Transfer To Andasibe

A short morning exploring on foot and by road at first light in Antananarivo, then to the road for the move to Andasibe-Mantadia. The country changes on the way, and you reach Andasibe in the afternoon. You head out looking for lemurs on forest trails as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. Guided trails are gentle and the wildlife is close. Andasibe is the easiest rainforest from the capital and home to the indri, the largest living lemur. The guides find the wildlife you would walk straight past. Night walks bring out chameleons, tree frogs and nocturnal mouse lemurs.

Eleven lemur species live in the reserve’s tall eastern forest. The indri’s eerie dawn call carries for over a kilometre through the forest. The country is quiet here, and on most outings you have it to yourselves. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead. The morning is cool and the animals are moving, so the first hours out are the busiest.

Day 3 Transfer To Avenue Of Baobabs

A short morning looking for lemurs on forest trails at first light in Andasibe, then to the road for the move to the Avenue of the Baobabs. The country changes on the way, and you reach the Avenue of the Baobabs in the afternoon. You head out exploring on foot and by road as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. The Avenue of the Baobabs lines a dirt road near Morondava with trees up to 800 years old. At sunset the giant trunks throw long shadows and glow against the sky. A good meal closes the day.

Nearby the ‘lovers’ baobabs’ twist together in the dry forest. The west coast light in the late afternoon is the time to be there. It is the most photographed spot in Madagascar for good reason. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead. The morning is cool and the animals are moving, so the first hours out are the busiest.

The Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar, its tall trunks rising from a grassy plain as the sun sets behind them — The Avenue of the Baobabs near Morondava, with trees up to 800 years old.

Day 4 Exploring Avenue Of Baobabs

A full day at the Avenue of the Baobabs. You are exploring on foot and by road, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. At sunset the giant trunks throw long shadows and glow against the sky. It is the most photographed spot in Madagascar for good reason. Nearby the ‘lovers’ baobabs’ twist together in the dry forest. The pace is easy and the sights are close together.

The west coast light in the late afternoon is the time to be there. The Avenue of the Baobabs lines a dirt road near Morondava with trees up to 800 years old. The morning is cool and the animals are moving, so the first hours out are the busiest. You carry a packed breakfast and stay out while the going is good. Around midday the heat sits heavy, and you rest in the shade before heading out again as it cools.

Day 5 Departure

A final morning exploring on foot and by road before you leave, the best window of the trip for anything still on your list. You make the most of the early light, then you drive back toward Antananarivo. It is the most photographed spot in Madagascar for good reason. Nearby the ‘lovers’ baobabs’ twist together in the dry forest. This 5-day trip links Antananarivo, Andasibe and the Avenue of the Baobabs, with the travelling done between the wildlife so your days stay on the ground that matters. The west coast light in the late afternoon is the time to be there.

The Avenue of the Baobabs lines a dirt road near Morondava with trees up to 800 years old. At sunset the giant trunks throw long shadows and glow against the sky. With a drink in hand you watch the day close over the bush. Back at camp, dinner is served under a sky thick with stars. Each time out turns up something new, and the pace is yours to set.

Local children walking beside a cycle rickshaw on the sandy Avenue of the Baobabs — The Avenue is a working road as much as a viewpoint.

What’s Included

All internal flights and road transfers on the route
Full-board accommodation on safari as shown
Game drives and the activities named in the day plan
Park entry fees for the days shown
Airport and airstrip transfers, drinking water in the vehicle

What’s Not Included

International flights and any visa
Travel insurance
Drinks, tips for guides and staff
Activities not listed and items of a personal nature

Why Consider Booking This Madagascar Safari?

This trip earns its place because the stops are nothing alike, and seeing them together makes each one land harder. A reserve nearby lets you see lemurs within an hour of the city. The markets and craft stalls are good for a first or last day. Nearby the ‘lovers’ baobabs’ twist together in the dry forest. Linking Antananarivo, Andasibe and the Avenue of the Baobabs in one route means you cover more of Madagascar than a single park allows, and the travelling between them is short. On 5 days you get range without the trip feeling rushed, the set-piece wildlife, the quieter corners, and the change of country from one stop to the next. For a traveller who wants variety over a single famous name, this is a strong, well-balanced way to see the region, and it works whether it is a first trip or a return.

Can You Fit Enough Into a 5 Day Madagascar Safari?

5 days across Antananarivo, Andasibe and the Avenue of the Baobabs is a well-judged length, though it is a read of each stop rather than a deep stay. You get a full day or more at the main parks, enough to see the headline wildlife and still catch the quieter moments. It suits travellers who value breadth and do not mind moving every couple of days. What this length cannot do is exhaust any one park, the biggest of them could fill a week on their own, so the remote corners stay for another trip. If a single place is your priority, spend the nights there instead. And if you have longer, the route takes an easy add-on, whether that is more time with the wildlife or a stretch on the coast to finish. As it stands, this 5-day trip is balanced and full.

What Is the Expected Cost of This Madagascar Safari?

What you pay turns mostly on the camps and the season. In Madagascar, park fees are small but a local guide is required at each reserve. As a rough guide, most trips of this length run from around USD 900 to 2,000 per person sharing, higher in the peak dry months and cheaper in the green season. Camp and lodge level is the big lever, from simple tented camps to the smarter river and bush camps, and a shared vehicle between four brings the per-person cost down. Tell an operator your dates, group size and the standard you want and it can be quoted to the figure.