Lemur Viewing, Snorkeling, and a Stunning Relais and Chateaux Property
Anjajavy Extension
Overview
A deluxe Relais & Chateaux property in its own private wildlife reserve on Madagascar's coast, Anjajavy is a nature lover's dream. Private air-conditioned villas are scattered along a pristine beach, surrounded by dry deciduous forest, a unique tropical ecosystem that shelters a multitude of wildlife, from the common brown lemur to the Coquerel's sifaka or tiny nocturnal mouse lemur. Reptiles range from amazing native chameleons to leaf-nose bats, and the birdlife is prolific. With luck, you could see Madagascar's largest carnivore, the fossa, a member of the mongoose family. With activities tailored to your taste, enjoy abundant lemur-viewing, night walks, sunset boat rides, snorkeling, and kayaking in the mangroves. Exclusive Anjajavy Lodge is accessible only by light aircraft.
Arrive: Antananarivo, Madagascar
Depart: Antananarivo, Madagascar
Highlights
- Stay in a Relais & Chateaux property on Madagascar's tropical coast
- Enjoy lemur-viewing, night walks, sunset boat rides, snorkeling, and kayaking
Itinerary
Depart Antananarivo on a scheduled charter flight to the airstrip at Anjajavy Lodge, set along the isolated Anjajavy Peninsula on the northwest coast of Madagascar. The flight takes approximately one hour and 40 minutes, and you'll be met on arrival for transfer to the lodge.
Anjajavy consists of 24 two-story rosewood villas dotting a long, sandy beach on the lodge's private estate. The villas are air conditioned and have a spacious terrace facing the sea, a living room, and a breakfast nook. There is a large swimming pool overlooking the ocean. Fresh fruits, crabs, shrimp, and local fish are on the restaurant's menu, with indoor or outdoor dining available. Private dinners can be organized by staff on the veranda, poolside, or on the beach.
In the late afternoon around 5pm, enjoy tea time at the Oasis, a specially designed native garden surrounded by trees that are a playground for wild lemurs as well as parrots, sunbirds, Malagasy kingfishers, and Malagasy paradise flycatcher. At 7 pm, head out for an hour-long guided night walk, an opportunity to learn about the nocturnal wildlife of the forest. Overnight at Anjajavy Lodge...D
Note: Scheduled charter flights depart on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. This extension requires a minimum 3-night stay.
Anjajavy consists of 24 two-story rosewood villas dotting a long, sandy beach on the lodge's private estate. The villas are air conditioned and have a spacious terrace facing the sea, a living room, and a breakfast nook. There is a large swimming pool overlooking the ocean. Fresh fruits, crabs, shrimp, and local fish are on the restaurant's menu, with indoor or outdoor dining available. Private dinners can be organized by staff on the veranda, poolside, or on the beach.
In the late afternoon around 5pm, enjoy tea time at the Oasis, a specially designed native garden surrounded by trees that are a playground for wild lemurs as well as parrots, sunbirds, Malagasy kingfishers, and Malagasy paradise flycatcher. At 7 pm, head out for an hour-long guided night walk, an opportunity to learn about the nocturnal wildlife of the forest. Overnight at Anjajavy Lodge...D
Note: Scheduled charter flights depart on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. This extension requires a minimum 3-night stay.
Deciduous dry forest is one of the world's richest and most distinctive tropical dry forests, sheltering communities of rare and endemic faunal and floral species and scattered with small traditional villages. The Anjajavy forest is home to chameleons, frogs, and common brown lemur, as well as nocturnal species such as sportive, and mouse lemur. More than five lemur species can be seen on walks in the Anjajavy Reserve (and even while you're on the deck of your villa). Birdlife includes flocks of grey-headed love birds, vangas, crested couas, and vanga parrots.
Activities on these days can be tailored to your taste. Enjoy a walk through the towering baobab forest or through a tsingy labyrinth, or cove to cove hikes along the cliff path. Some walks you can do on your own and some require a lodge guide. Mountain bikes are offered, as are guided catamaran trips. Single and double kayaks are available for a paddle along the south coast of the reserve. More than 135 bird species have been recorded at Anjajavy, many of them rare or endangered; for birders, an early morning trip accompanied by a birding guide is a memorable experience. An optional excursion is offered out to island-dotted Moramba Bay for fishing, snorkeling, or swimming. The bay has one of the largest coral reefs outside Australia. Visit the nearby fishing village that is home to many of the friendly people employed by the lodge. Overnights at Anjajavy Lodge...BLD each day
Activities on these days can be tailored to your taste. Enjoy a walk through the towering baobab forest or through a tsingy labyrinth, or cove to cove hikes along the cliff path. Some walks you can do on your own and some require a lodge guide. Mountain bikes are offered, as are guided catamaran trips. Single and double kayaks are available for a paddle along the south coast of the reserve. More than 135 bird species have been recorded at Anjajavy, many of them rare or endangered; for birders, an early morning trip accompanied by a birding guide is a memorable experience. An optional excursion is offered out to island-dotted Moramba Bay for fishing, snorkeling, or swimming. The bay has one of the largest coral reefs outside Australia. Visit the nearby fishing village that is home to many of the friendly people employed by the lodge. Overnights at Anjajavy Lodge...BLD each day
Depart for the lodge airstrip and fly to Antananarivo to connect to international flight (international flights should depart after 2pm)...B
A visa is not required for U.S. citizens visiting Madagascar.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
Book your trip today
Our Area Specialists know every detail about our tours. They will be happy to answer any questions and help you choose the journey that’s right for you. Contact us to learn more or book your trip today!
Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.
Level 1 – Easiest
Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Level 2 – Easy to Moderate
Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Level 3 – Moderate
Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
- Tuscany & the Cinque Terre
- Argentina: Hikes and Estancias of Patagonia
- Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking
- Some trips with minimal hiking but rugged travel conditions or long drives, such as Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin, are Trip Level 3.
Level 4 – Moderate to Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Level 5 – Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Level 6 – Very Strenuous
Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.