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Madagascar – A Bevy of Lemurs, Traditions & Biodiversity
    • 6795 $
    • 3295 $
    • 1495 $
    • 595 $
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Escape to an island known for its endemic life, where flora and fauna you won’t find anywhere else in the world come together to create a singularly unique landscape of beauty and biodiversity. Explore the townships and wild enclaves of Madagascar, catching sight of many different species of lemur in their various natural habitats. Learn about the culture of this place and how man and the wild co-exist in a land like no other.

Note: Depending on flight schedule, it may take one or two overnight flights from the US.

Today arrive in Antananarivo (popularly known as Tana,) capital of Madagascar, where you are met by your naturalist and escorted to your hotel. A short drive from the airport through lush green rice fields will bring you into this charming city with its brightly colored houses stacked up the hillsides, and its deliciously foreign flavor. Your day will be at leisure to relax after your long flights and explore the city on your own.

Antananarivo is situated in the central part of the island, on the slopes of a rocky ridge that rises to about 4,700 feet. The city of 1,000 warriors takes its name from an episode in Malagasy history. When King Andrianjaka, who had called his people the Merina (highlanders) occupied the 12 sacred hills upon which Analamanga (where the forest is blue) was built, he had his royal palace and stronghold erected. One thousand warriors were quartered there and he called this city Antananarivo. The community grew in importance as the Merina dynasty, notably Radama I, gained control of most of the island in the 19th century. The French captured the city in 1895, and subsequently it became the capital of the French dependency of Madagascar. Today, the city is the chief economic, cultural, and administrative center of the country. It is the trade center for a rice-growing region, and industries here manufacture processed food, tobacco products, textiles, and leather goods.

Meet your fellow travelers this evening at your welcome dinner. Your home for the next two nights, The Louvre Hotel & Spa Antananarivo, is located directly across from Independence Square, in the heart of the business district. All rooms have satellite television, Wi-Fi, mini-bar, tea/coffee making facilities, and en suite bathrooms. This charming hotel houses a modern brasserie with huge windows overlooking the garden. Local coffee shops and several other restaurants in this vibrant neighborhood provide wandering guests with many options for an evening spent on the town. Overnight at the LOUVRE HOTEL & SPA.

(Meals Aloft, D)