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Kean Ethiopia & Madagascar family adventure
Madagascar
From
- Overview
- Itinerary
- Esential info
- Packing list
Grade:
Entry Level
Type:
Wildlife
Duration:
10 Nights
3 - 3
Group size
Leaders
Highlights
- Explore vibrant Addis Ababa
- Sail down the delightful Pangalanes Channel
- Beautiful beaches & baobab trees!
- Wildlife viewing in Analamazaotra National Park
Discover Madagascar's Eastern Wonders: Wildlife, Reserves, and Coastal Charm
A private family adventure, stopping off for two days in Ethiopia's capital city Addis Ababa before relaxing beneath baobab trees and on golden sandy beaches of Madagascar:
Madagascar is a truly unique and unforgettable travel destination, offering a rare combination of natural wonders, rich biodiversity, and vibrant culture. As the world’s fourth-largest island, it is home to wildlife found nowhere else on Earth—over 90% of its species are endemic. From the curious, wide-eyed lemurs to the iconic baobab trees and colourful chameleons, Madagascar feels like stepping into a different world.
The journey begins in Antananarivo, the vibrant capital of Madagascar, and takes you to the breathtaking eastern region of the island. Along the way, you’ll explore some of the area’s most iconic destinations, including the Analamazaotra Special Reserve, home to the majestic Indri Indri—the world’s largest lemur species.
You’ll also be visiting the enchanting private reserve of “Le Palmarium,” where you can marvel at a rich array of wildlife, lush flora, and unique fauna. The adventure continues with a serene river cruise along the picturesque Pangalanes Channel which meanders parallel to the golden sandy beaches - this is truly an unforgettable, adventurous but also relaxing break.
Day 1: 20th Sep 2025 - Arrival in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Transfer
Lunch
Dinner
4 star hotel
Arrive in Addis from London on at 06:45 AM on the 20th Sep ET0701
Welcome to Ethiopia! Upon arrival you will meet and greet your guide. Today, you will have a chance to begin to explore some of the city:
Sholla Geneya (Sholla Market) – Dive into the bold flavors of Ethiopian cuisine with a guided visit to Sholla Geneya, a bustling local market in Addis Ababa known for its rich spice offerings. Here, you’ll explore vibrant stalls filled with berbere, mitmita, korarima, and other essential spices that define Ethiopian cooking. Walk alongside your guide through fragrant aisles as you learn how these spices are blended and used in iconic dishes like Doro wat and shiro. Engage with seasoned spice vendors, smell the blends, and shop for authentic ingredients to take home—or use in a hands-on cooking session later in the day. Beyond spices, the market offers an immersive cultural moment: watch how locals shop for injera flour (teff), dried legumes, and traditional coffee beans—all vital components of the Ethiopian table. This visit isn't just about shopping—it's about understanding the flavors behind the food. You’ll leave with a deeper appreciation of Ethiopia’s culinary identity and perhaps even a few spice packets to bring home as edible memories.
Ethiopian Culinary and Coffee Ceremony Experience: you’re welcomed into a local family’s home for an intimate culinary experience that brings Ethiopian hospitality to life. Roll up your sleeves to learn how to prepare injera, Ethiopia’s beloved sour flatbread, using age-old techniques passed down through generations. With guidance from your host, cook traditional wot stews, explore the meaning of Ethiopia’s communal meals, and understand how spices tell stories of both place and identity. The experience continues with a traditional coffee ceremony, where green beans are roasted over open flame, ground fresh, and brewed in a jebena. Share three rounds of coffee — abol, tona, and bereka — each signifying connection, respect, and gratitude. It’s more than a drink; it’s a ritual of friendship and conversation.
St. George Cathedral: The church of St. George is a very traditionally structured building. Menelik II following his victory over the Italians at the Battle of Adwa built the octagonal church in 1896. St. George the dragon killer was the patron saint of soldiers and it is to him that the church is dedicated. In St. George church, the most interesting thing is the artwork of both modern and traditional church painting.
In the evening watch traditional musicians and dancers performing different tribal dances in a culture house where you will also enjoy traditional Ethiopian food for dinner - this really never fails to be enormous fun!
Overnight: Jupiter Hotel or Monarch Hotel
Day 2: 21st Sep - City tour of Addis & Entoto Mountains
Transfer
Breakfast
Lunch
4 star hotel
Today, you will have the morning to visit the national museum which comprises of many archaeological and historical findings including the famous complete hominid fossil remain of ‘Lucy’ locally known as ‘Dinknesh’ meaning wonderful. Visiting this museum is having a good summary for your visit to the historic Ethiopia.
then you will drive up to a stunning church in the Entoto Mountains overlooking the city - a fantastic expereince. On the way back if you want you can stop at Merkato which is the largest open-air market in Africa. Here you will be presented with confusing, but fascinating, glimpse of the vast range of goods and artefacts available from all parts of the country and you will enjoy the Ethiopian trade exchange tradition in the open air, you can purchase anything you desire here.
A good stop can also be the Ethnological Museum which is found in the main campus of the Addis Ababa University by the Institute of Ethiopian Studies with the aim to preserve the country's historical and cultural heritages. It has complete collections that describe almost all the tribal groups in Ethiopia. Here you will have an overview about the history, culture and traditions of the people of Ethiopia. The collections include the nomadic tribal groups that are now living just as man's forefather lived thousands of years back.
We would recommend you have dinner tonight at Castelli's - the best Italian restaurant in the country with a generational heritage all of it's own - but this is completely up to you and not included in the price.
Overnight: Jupiter Hotel or Monarch Hotel
Day 3: 22nd Sep - Fly to Antananarivo, Madagascar
Transfer
Breakfast
Dinner
4 star hotel
Welcome, Tonga soa!
Upon your arrival at Ivato International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. If time permits, you will be provided with a comprehensive briefing about your adventure.
Distance 30-45 mins
Accommodation: Relais des Plateaux Hotel & Spa
Day 4: 23rd Dep - Antananarivo – Andasibe - Discovery of Reptiles
Transfer
Wildlife
Breakfast
Dinner
Lodge
After breakfast, you will depart for Andasibe, with a stop en route to visit an exotic farm showcasing a variety of reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. Following the visit, the journey continues to Andasibe.
In the evening, a night walk is highly recommended, as the park is home to several nocturnal species, including the long-eared owl, which may be spotted resting on tree branches, mouse lemurs and other reptiles.
Visit Duration: Around 45 minutes
Distance: 145km by car (around 3.5 hours)
Accommodation: Hotel Mantadia Lodge
Day 5: 24th Sep - Indri Indri, the Star of the Day
Transfer
Wildlife
Breakfast
Dinner
Lodge
Early this morning, you will depart for the Analamazaotra Special Reserve, where the day will be dedicated to exploring the rich Malagasy fauna and flora.
Analamazaotra Park is renowned for its rare orchids, which bloom throughout the forest, playing a vital role in maintaining the ecosystem's balance and providing shelter for a diverse range of animals, including the Indri indri, which can be observed year-round. The reserve is also home to numerous bird species, such as the Blue Coua and the white-throated rail.
In the afternoon, you will visit a private reserve and explore Lemur Island.
Walking Duration:
National Park: About 3 hours
Private Reserve: About 2 hours
Accommodation: Hotel Mantadia Lodge
Day 6: 25th Sep - Andasibe – Manambato – Ankanin'ny Nofy
Boat/Ferry
Transfer
Wildlife
Breakfast
Dinner
Lodge
After breakfast, you’ll set off for Manambato, the gateway to Ankanin’ny Nofy.
From there, enjoy a scenic boat ride across the serene Rasoa Be Lake and along the Pangalanes Channel, arriving at the enchanting Ankanin’ny Nofy. Upon arrival, you’ll check into your hotel and settle in.
In the evening, embark on an exciting nocturnal excursion to spot the elusive and fascinating “Aye-aye” lemur.
Distance: 140km by car
Cruise: About 3 hours
Accommodation: Hotel Palmarium
Day 7: 26th Sep - Ankanin’ny Nofy - A sanctuary of nature
Wildlife
Breakfast
Dinner
Lodge
Today, you’ll explore the private reserve of 'Le Palmarium', nestled on a stunning 50-hectare peninsula. This remarkable sanctuary feels like a curated 'personal collection', where diverse species of plants and animals have been lovingly gathered and meticulously cared for. Highlights include a rich variety of palms, unique xerophytic plants, vibrant yellow-flowered acacias, and striking lianas.
The afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure. You can stroll along the scenic banks of the channel, take a refreshing swim, or immerse yourself in the charm of nearby villages.
Visit: About 2 hours
Accommodation: Hotel Palmarium
Day 8: 27th Sep - Day at leisure in the natural sanctuary
Breakfast
Dinner
Lodge
This day is set aside for relaxation at the Palmarium. Spend the morning by the calm shores of Lake Ampitabe, enjoying the quiet views and fresh breeze. Wander among the palm trees and gardens and take some time to rest in the shade, listening to the sounds of nature. In the evening, gather back at the lodge for a delicious seafood meal, prepared with fresh, local ingredients.
Accommodation: Hotel Palmarium
Day 9: 28th Sep - Ankanin’ny Nofy – Toamasina – Cruise on the Pangalanes Channel
Boat/Ferry
Transfer
Breakfast
Dinner
4 star hotel
In the early morning, you’ll embark on a boat transfer to Toamasina. The Pangalanes Channel, operational since the early 20th century, has long served as a vital trade route, connecting Madagascar’s eastern coast to the bustling port of Toamasina.
Known as the country’s primary commercial harbor, Toamasina boasts charming rickshaws and wide, palm-lined avenues.
Upon your arrival in Toamasina you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel.
Cruise: About 3 hours
Accommodation: Hotel Marina Beach
Day 10: 29th Sep - Toamasina - Antananarivo - Back to the Capital
Flights
Transfer
Breakfast
Dinner
4 star hotel
After days filled with discovery and relaxation, it’s time to journey back to Antananarivo. Depending on your flight schedule, you’ll be transferred to Toamasina Airport for a short domestic flight to Ivato International Airport, lasting approximately one hour. Upon arrival in Antananarivo, you’ll be escorted to your hotel to settle in and relax.
Flight duration: About 1 hour
Accommodation: Relais des PlateauxHotel & Spa
Day 11: 30th Sep - International departure
Transfer
Breakfast
Veloma!
As your memorable journey through Madagascar comes to an end, filled with unforgettable experiences and treasured photographs, it’s time to return home. Depending on your flight schedule, you’ll be transferred to Ivato International Airport for departure back to Addis to catch your connecting flight back home, filled with amazing African memories.
Depart Addis to London at 12:45 AM on the 1st October ET0700
Adventure Optional Extras
Plant an additional 15 trees for your adventure
Carbon Compensation is not the perfect solution, and it is important to first reduce our carbon emissions as much as we can, yet trees remain an excellent natural technology to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to slow global warming.
For every client and guide who attends a YellowWood Adventure, we donate £30 to our partner charity WeForest to plant 15 trees to (over) compensate for the carbon footprint of the tour.
We also invite our clients to match this with an optional additional £30 for another 15 trees to be planted to help compensate for the carbon footprint of their international flights.
WeForest run many tree planting and tree maintenance projects such as this seedling nursery in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil and many other projects in other countries including Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania & India.
Click Here to find out more about their amazing projects around the world.
Not Included
- International Flights
- Visa Fee - Around £10 payable at the airport
- All activities on the rest days
- Tips
- Meals not mentioned in the programme
Contents
Accommodation
We fully believe in, and practice, Responsible Tourism, using hotels run by locals. We put time and effort into building our relationship with them to ensure you have a a great trip.
We choose hotels based on cleanliness, comfort, safety, proximity to our route (to avoid unnecessary extra travel), and a warm client welcome, as well as reliability in their service to us. Some hotels will be basic, and in modern buildings and or in towns. Wherever we can, we will choose smaller more characterful, individual hotels, but in areas where tourism is still developing, this may not be available.
An aspect of our adventures is to escape the ‘trappings’ of modern Western lifestyles and to experience new things which is exciting and memorable, and reflects the countries we are visiting.
This is adventure travel and on occasion the advertised services at a hotel, guesthouse or camp (eg wifi, or hot showers!) may not be functional on our arrival. This tends to occur in the smaller, more remote places.
Very rarely a hotel lets us down and we are required to find alternative suitable accommodation that might not be our first choice.
Unless you have booked a single room (where they are available) and paid the single room supplement for those nights, you will be sharing a twin room with another client (of the same gender).
Guiding & Your Group
Supporting you on your holiday will be an experienced, local, English speaking guide with a good knowledge of the areas visited, and the wildlife that might be encountered.
We work closely with our Madagascan Tour Operator partners both before and during your adventure to ensure that they understand your needs and the standard that YellowWood Adventures expects. We believe that it is a very important positive aspect of Responsible Tourism, to employ the expertise of local suppliers, as well as offering you a much more informative and authentic experience.
Your Group
Your group will be any number from our minimum group size of 4, up to a maximum of 12 clients. This number works really well with the ratio of guides, and ensures the optimum level of service to you during your adventure.
We get clients booking alone, as couples and in small groups of friends. If you have a group of friends or family who are interested in having their own customised trip, then please let us know and we can cost it for you.
Travel
Your YellowWood adventure starts at the airport in Ivato Airport in Antananarivo on the start day of the trip. We understand that arriving into an unfamiliar airport can be very daunting, so we aim to give you as much information here as possible to help you prepare.
Finding flights
Flights are not included in the cost of your holiday, and whilst we are happy to help advise you, responsibility for booking the correct flights rests with you. We recommend that you use a comparison tool such as www.momondo.co.uk or www.skyscanner.net when searching for flights. We will send you a Flight Information Sheet with further pointers on which flights to book for your adventure.
Domestic flight - Flight from Toamasina Airport to Ivato International Airport is included in the cost of your adventure.
Foreign Travel Advice
All of the above information is correct to the best of our knowledge. For the latest travel advice from the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office including security and local laws, plus passport and visa information, check www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. As the situation in our destination countries can change, please do ensure you check regularly before your adventure. We also receive notifications direct from the FCDO so we are always aware of the ‘status’ in our destination countries.
Insurance
Holiday insurance is essential for all Yellow Wood Adventures. Unfortunately, anyone without insurance is not able to take part in the holiday, so please make sure you arrange cover. We recommend arranging your insurance cover when you book so that if you have problems during the run up to your holiday, and need to cancel, you are covered.
YellowWood partners with battleface as a travel insurance provider. Click here for a quote.
battleface insurance is provided in the UK by battleface Insurance Services Limited, a UK insurance intermediary authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Details provided on this webpage are for information only. Terms, conditions, exclusions, and limitations apply. Always read the description of cover contained within your policy to ensure it is suitable for your needs.
Prior to the holiday, we will ask you to send us details of your insurer, policy number, 24 hour emergency assistance contact details and the name, address, and telephone numbers of your NOK or persons to be notified in the event of an emergency.
You must ensure the travel insurance you purchase provides you with suitable cover for the entirety of your trip. Your travel insurance must include cover in the event that you have to cancel for a reason outside your control prior to departure, for any medical expenses you may incur whilst away (including repatriation in the case of medical need) and for the activities which you may participate in during your trip.
Am I fit enough?
This itinerary is a Grade 3; an Entry Level adventure.
Some days involve short walks of up to 3 hours, but the distances are optional. Depending on which departure you are on, it could involve walking in the heat, over some uneven terrain but at a leisurely pace / the natural pace of the group. However, to get the most of out of this adventure, you need to be a regular walker and in good physical health.
Compulsory
Need a little help?
All adventures can be tailored as private bespoke trips.
Please contact us for more information:
+44 207 846 0197
Related Adventures
Booking Process
Select dates: Choose the dates for your adventure and consider adding any extra adventures or add-ons to enhance your experience.
Check the box to agree to our Terms & Conditions.
Make Booking: Click on "Make Booking." If you're booking more than 56 days before your adventure, you'll be redirected to secure WorldPay to make your deposit. If it's 56 days or less before your adventure, you'll need to make full payment. Rest assured, your money is held securely by the Travel Trust Association.
Your booking will show as 'pending' in your YellowWood online account.
Confirmation: We'll be in touch as soon as possible to confirm your booking or discuss any availability limitations. Please refrain from booking transport or flights until we've emailed you to confirm your booking. (Note: Receipt of your booking form is not confirmation.)
Making payment: Once your booking is confirmed, we'll change the status of your final invoice from 'Pending Approval' to 'Outstanding,' indicating that it's ready for payment online.
You will receive a reminder email for your final payment 56 days before the departure date.
Feel free to contact us with any questions about your adventure or booking, we're here to help!
Grading
To help you choose the right adventure for you, we have given each itinerary a grading that relates to the level of Walking / Trekking you will experience during the trip. This grading can be found on the Yellow map on the adventure page of the website.
All of our trips involve a level of general activity so are designed for people who are in good health, enjoy the outdoors, and have a taste for adventure and some level of fitness. As will be clear from our destinations, the climate (and altitude) may be different to that which you are used to, so please take this into consideration when choosing the most suitable holiday.
Please read our Adventure Itinerary & Essential Information for more information and don't hesitate to contact us if you would like to chat through whether you have found a suitable adventure for you.
Grade 1-3: Entry Level
You need to be in good physical health to enjoy your active holiday, but you don’t need to be an experienced hiker. These itineraries offer a mix of sightseeing and easier walking for around 2-4hrs a day, with the emphasis on sights and cultural experiences.
Walks will be well marked or on defined pathways, and often around sites of interest. The expected amount of descent/ascent will depend on the landscapes of the destination, but will not exceed 400m/day, and will often be much less. Walks are at low altitude (below 3000m).
You will not be required to carry more than a day sack with water and essentials. Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have a pair of comfortable and worn in walking shoes/boots.
Grades 4-6: Intermediate
You need to have a good level of fitness and be a regular walker for these adventures, with ideally some trekking experience. You can expect to be walking for 3-6 hours per day, not including rest stops, normally on good trail paths but with some uneven surfaces at times.
You will not be required to carry more than a day sack. You may be walking in more challenging temperatures. You will generally be walking at low altitude (below 3000m) but may walk at altitudes up to 4000m. The amount of ascent could be up to 800m in a day but will frequently be less. You may walk on consecutive days.
Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have suitable clothing for this adventure.
Grades 7-9: Challenging
You need to have a good level of fitness with previous experience of trekking. Extra training before your trip will ensure that you get the most out of your adventure. Areas will be remote and terrain uneven.
Expect to walk for 5 – 8 hours a day, not including breaks, with some very steep ascents and descents. You will be walking at altitude (over 3000m but not higher than 5000m).
Ensure you are aware of the weather conditions likely in the destination you are visiting and have suitable equipment/clothing for this adventure (see the packing list for your adventure).
Please check individual itineraries for details of what you will need to be carrying with you.
Get in touch
CLICK HERE to schedule a call online with YellowWood Founder Sam McManus.
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