1001 ORCHIDS – 14 DAYS

From 2 to 10 persons.

A malagasy botanist leader, particularly more about orchids, is guiding you along the travel in Madagascar. There is no need to go deep or up high in mountains (perhaps …), the most important is to be at the right place at the right time ! You will be satisfied by the richness and the beauty of Madagascar orchids.

This trip is organised in February and March only.

Highlights

Travel identity card

• Duration: 14 days
• Participant: From 2 persons
• Guiding: malagasy botanist guide
• Accommodation: Hotel standard or superior
• Transport: 4WD, bus or van
• Period: February / March

• Effort = 1

  “Easy”This trip is accessible to all. However, we ask you to be healthy.
  It is a journey of discovery and short hikes are scheduled for site visits.
  Madagascar is large, the steps in a vehicle can sometimes be a little long.

• Confort = 4

  “Standard”All nights are in hotels. The accommodations and/or the hotel are good categories and equivalent to 2 or 3 stars international standards.
  Dinner in restaurant, lunch at the restaurant and / or picnic.
  Travel take place in comfortable vehicle on roads and/or on relatively good tracks.

Day 1: Antananarivo > Angavokely > Andasibe

Meet your guide.

Take the road 2 to get to Angavokely spot, located about 30km east of the capital. It is the highest point of Antananarivo area reaching up to 1787m high, we are here in the kingdom of orchids, 117 species can be found there.

First day of visit and exploration.

Continue to the east to Andasibe in the afternoon.

Angavokely botanical lists ; Aerangis monantha, Angrecum tenellum, Angrecum sororium, Beclardia macrostachya, Cynorkis angustipetala, Cynorkis aurantiaca, Cynorkis baroni, Cynorkis fastigiata, Cynorkis gibbosa, Cynorkis uniflora, Habenaria alta, Jumellea maxillarioides, Liparis imerinensis, Oberonia distycha, Polystachya cultriformis, Polystachya fusiformi.

• Duration: +/- 4h
• Distance: 180 km
• We organise your picnic lunch

Day 2: Mantadia National Park

Visit of Mantadia National Park the whole day. We need to drive a few kilometres to get there.

The flora is characterised by lush vegetation of tropical rainforest, many species of epiphyte orchids, tree ferns, sacred liana and other dwarf palms, medicinal plants, also fauna such as lemurs, amphibians, birds …

Botanical information: Aeranthes ramosa,Angraecum calceolus, Angraecum mauritianum, Bulbophyllum conchidioides,Bulbophyllum analamazaotrae,Jumellea sp,Phajus pulchellus var. sandrangatensis,Grammangis ellisii,Microcoelia macrantha, Gastrorchis.

• Duration: Full day
• We organise your picnic lunch

Day 3: Analamazaotra Reserve and Mitsinjo forest

It is a day dedicated for other orchid species in Analamazaotra Reserve and Mitsinjo village Reserve which is a social development project based on ecotourism: Orchids, medicinal plants, lemurs and several special fauna species of the area. We end up the visit in the orchids’ park.

Botanical information of Mantadia:Aeranthes ramosa,Angraecum calceolus, Angraecum mauritianum, Bulbophyllum conchidioides,Bulbophyllum analamazaotrae,Jumellea sp,Phajus pulchellus var. sandrangatensis,Grammangis ellisii,Microcoelia macrantha

• Duration: Full day
• We organise your picnic lunch

Day 4: Andasibe > Antananarivo > Antsirabe

Head back to the capital where we stop for having lunch, and then we continue to Antsirabe.

Rice fields and typical villages of the highlands represent the landscape right after leaving Antananarivo.

Make several stops on the way to see terrestrial orchids such as Cynorkis ,Habenaria, Satyrium, Eulophia …

Arrive in Antsirabe in late afternoon.

Set up in hotel close to the center.

• Duration: +/- 7h
• Distance: 350 km

Day 5: Antsirabe > Ihasy valley

We stroll around Antsirabe, ride a pousse-pousse (rickshaw) for those who wish it.

Drive to the south and then fork to the west to join Ihasy valley by Mont Ibity. We make some visits to the hillside just after the cement industry, there are several orchid species.

Botanical information: Cynorkis, Bulbophylum, Jumellea, Angraecum,

 

• Duration: +/- 1h
• Distance: 30 km
• We organise your picnic lunch

Day 6: Orchids of Mount Ibity

Start the visit after breakfast, exploration of the Mount which is 2250 m at its highest point, this massif has more than 67 % of endemism. The hillsides have many rupicolous plants, the most special is undoubtly pachypodium and kalanchoe, a real place of interest !

Botanical information: Jumellea Ibityana, Eulophia Ibityensis, Habenaria, bulbophyllum baronii, Streptocarpus Ibityensis, Tephrosia Ibityensis, Restiomadagascariensis. Pachypodium eburneum et Pachypodium brevicaule.

• Duration: Full day
• We organise your picnic lunch

Day 7: Ibity > Ambatofinandrahana

We leave our nice gîte and join back on the main road.

Continuation towards Ambositra in the south direction. We stop in the Tapia forest looking for terrestrial orchids.

We stroll around in Ambositra if you like to see carvings in artisans’ shops.

We turn west from Ivato village and go on to Ambatofinandrahana.

Arrive in the afternoon.

• Duration: +/- 4h
• Distance: 185 km
• We organise your picnic lunch

Day 8: Ambatofinandrahana

A day devoted for the exploration through the quartzite and cipolin massif of Ambatofinandrahana. It is a beautiful montanuos region with Itremo mountains in the background. We pass across many villages along the hike.

Exchanges with locals are always welcoming.

Botanical informations: Aerangis ellisii, Angrecum sororium, Angraecum longicalcar (rare), Angraecum protensum, Cynorkis uniflora, Habenaria cirrhata,Habenaria bathiei,Satyrium amoenum, Eulophia rutenbergianum, Bulbophyillum

• Duration: Full day
• We organise your picnic lunch

Day 9: Ambatofinandrahana > Ranomafana

We join back to road national 7 and then head south.

Explore the remains of the old forestry station of Ankazomivady. Several species can be found here, we take easy time to visit the site.

Arrive in Ranomafana in late afternoon.

Botanical information: Benthamia rostrata, Calanthe repens, Cynorkis angustipetala, Liparis microcharis, Oberonia distycha, Polystachya cultriformis, Polystachya fusiformis, Polystachya monophylla, Satyrium amoenum, Satyrium rostratum, Bulbophullum …

• Duration: +/- 4h
• Distance: 200 km
• We organise your picnic lunch

Days 10 & 11: Ranomafana National Park

Visit of the rain forest of Ranomafana.

Several species of lemurs can be found there such as the golden bamboo lemur, red-fronted and red-bellied lemur, also the rare and endangered species such as the greater bamboo lemur.

Botanical onformation  Angraecum sp, sesquipedale, Jumellea, Aerangis, Aeranthes, Bulbophyllum, Cynorkis fastigiata, tripelaloides, Eulophia macra, Oeonia volucris. 

 

• Duration: Two full days
• We organise your picnic lunch

Day 12: Ranomafana – Ambalavao

We continue the visit in the morning. We refine our research and take large time to explore every possible details knowing that even a week or a mounth would not be enough.

We leave the area in the afternoon and join Fianarantsoa town then Ambalavao.

• Duration: +/- 2h
• Distance: 80 km

Day 13: Anja community reserve – Fianarantsoa

A day dedicated to lemurs. Located about twenty kilometers from Ambalavao, the Anja reserve is nestled against a huge granite monolith, a gallery forest has developed between the spectacular rocky chaos. Beautiful colonies of ring-tailed lemurs live in this green paradise, the Catta or Makis lemurs. The revenues of the Anja reserve are managed by the Anja Miray association and given to socio-economic projects for the benefit of the villagers. 

Return to Fianarantsoa at the end of the day.

• Duration: Full day
• We organise your picnic lunch

Day 14: Fianarantsoa > Antananarivo

A very long drive to return to Antananarivo.

Your travel to Madagascar for local orchids has been as dense as rich. It is a wide country, various and many biotopes, many trips in different regions would be necessary to apprehend the amazing richness of the island.

 

• Duration: +/- 8h
• Distance: 400 km