About the destination
You can't love adventure and discovery and not go to Madagascar at least once in your life. Few places on Earth offer the scope and diversity of Madagascar—a stunning island in southeastern Africa that offers a unique treasure trove of flora and fauna and an often overlooked cultural heritage dating back more than two millennia. Madagascar is home to approx 5% of the world's animal and plant species, including striking 60% all kinds of chameleons, lemur, fossa and six endemic species of adansonia trees. A result of its separation from the Indian subcontinent before 88 millions of years - it is the oldest island on the planet. Our Madagascar holidays explore these stunning rainforest landscapes, white beaches, coral reefs, mountains and mountainous landscape, while immersing themselves in the fascinating culture of Madagascar and trying to catch a glimpse of some of the country's famous wildlife. Although its infrastructure is still a challenge, the rewards for the traveler are generous, and for those willing to get off the beaten track, many of these experiences you will live here you will not find anywhere else on the planet. No discussion of Madagascar would be complete without at least mentioning its most famous inhabitant, the lemur. There are over a hundred different species of lemurs in Madagascar, from indri, which is the largest, up to the ring, the most famous and then Madame Berthe's mouse lemur, the smallest. These amazing creatures have adapted to all Madagascar environments, from the alien limestone forests of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, to the jungles of Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. However, every visit to Madagascar is much more than an adventure in its wild nature. Although humans arrived on the island permanently before 2.000 years, the variety of cultures and influences from Arabia, Southeast Asia, Africa and even Europe, clearly seen in today's vibrant Madagascar culture. On our Madagascar tours, we will meet some of these amazing people, like Gidor, forest-dwelling hunter-gatherers whose way of life has remained largely unchanged over millennia. After breakfast departure for Alexandria, the famous Zafimanary shipbuilders whose legendary skills are included in UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Any traveler should also take some time to explore Madagascar's surprisingly cosmopolitan capital, Antananarivo, a true focal point for the melting pot of cultures of modern Madagascar. So come and discover Madagascar with the Mystakidis Tours team on one of our excellent group or specialist tours.