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25th October 2025 - 5th November 2025
12 days/Madagascar /Moderate to Challenging
Join Cats Protection as they explore the towering mountains, verdant grasslands and exotic rainforests of the incredible island of Madagascar.
This 12-day trip will give you ample opportunity to discover the delights of this island nation as you spend 5 days trekking through the Andringitra National Park.
Join us as we attempt to summit the island’s second highest peak Pic Boby and neighbouring Chameleon Peak for some spectacular views over the Tsaranoro Valley.
Don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for the endangered lemurs, reptiles and a host of other creatures endemic to the region along the way.
You will spend the final day visiting Andasibe National Park, which is home to a variety of species of lemur. You will meet with Maromizaha Project and hear from their team about the work being taken to protect the endangered lemurs, and other animals, in the area. You will enjoy a nocturnal visit to the park, with a chance to try and spot the rare indri.
This trip is rated as moderate to challenging for someone of good fitness levels. You will be trekking for 5 consecutive days, over varying and sometimes challenging terrain. You will cover approximately 15-20km per day but this will take around 6 – 8 hours.
An ideal candidate for the trek would be someone who enjoys being out of their comfort zone and trying something new.
You are strongly advised to train to a good fitness level before departure to ensure fast recovery from each day’s walk. The distances covered may not be great but you must be prepared for, and be capable of, trekking for many hours a day on steep, rough terrain while carrying a daypack of around 6-8kg in weight. If you attempt to complete the trek without training, it will be unnecessarily challenging and will hinder your experience, and the experience of your teammates.
You will be accompanied by first aid trained English-speaking guides who have an excellent knowledge of hiking, culture and nature in the region. You will also be accompanied by a team of local support staff, a Different Travel Company UK tour manager and a Cats Protection representative.
You must be aged at least 18 to participate unaccompanied. It may be possible for you to participate if you are aged 16 or 17 years old if you are accompanied by a parent or guardian–please contact us for advice. There is no upper age limit.
The hotels in Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Ambalavao and Fianrantsoa are basic but comfortable.
During the trek you will be staying in three-man tents (two to a tent). You will need to bring your own sleeping bag. You will also be spending 2 nights at a lodge at Tsara Camp and one night at a lodge in Andasibe.
The camping facilities and lodge at Tsara Camp are very basic with simple facilities.
The hotels and lodge at Andasibe will have en-suite facilities with western style flushing toilets and hot showers. At camp there is a private toilet in a privacy tent. Toilet paper is not provided so you will need to bring your own.
If you need to use the toilet during the trek day you must find a private area off the trail. You must never leave used toilet paper on the ground; this must be packed up into a nappy bag or sanitary disposal bag, pop it in your daypack and dispose of it properly at camp.
There will be basic washing facilities at camp including a shower in a privacy tent. Please bring a pack of baby wipes to keep as clean as possible.
The undulating terrain you will be walking across will be a mixture from grassy bush paths to rocky, dry mountain tracks.
The maximum expected daytime temperature in May is around 24°C, dropping down to 13°C at night. The climate is very humid and intermittent downpours are possible so you are advised to bring good waterproofs and warm layers for evenings.
Please note: the temperatures and conditions above are historically accurate for this time of year; climate change can impact the seasons so you may experience conditions during the trip which are uncharacteristic and out of our control. If unexpected climate conditions occur the guides will make decisions to ensure the best enjoyment and safety of the group.
The altitude you experience on this trek is up to 2,658m which is slightly under the threshold that is considered high altitude (3000m). However there is a possibility that some people may notice altitude related symptoms.
The local guides are very experienced in spotting signs of altitude sickness but it is important that you also research the effects so you can be aware of how your body is adjusting.
A great source of information can be found at http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Altitude-sickness/Pages/Introduction.aspx or http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/altitude.htm.
London – Antananarivo – Antsirabe
Fly from London to Antananarivo. Depending on flight times we will either stay in the city overnight, or (if an overnight flight) will commence the journey to Antsirabe (approx 5 hours) immediately. Enjoy a welcome dinner tonight.
Meals: Dinner (subject to arrival time)
Overnight: Hotel
Antsirabe – Ambalayo
Our journey continues as we head to Ambalaya – the gateway to the South. The drive will be approximately 7 hours but we will be stopping at Ambositra, famed for its handicrafts, on the way. Tonight you will meet your trek guides for a briefing about the days ahead.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Overnight: Hotel
Ambalayo – Namoly – Antantsoa
It’s an early start as we head to Namoly (approx. 3 hours’ drive) and the starting point of our trek. Keep your eyes peeled for our first lemurs as we walk to our first campsite at Antantsoa. The route will also take us past some stunning natural rock pools.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Trekking: Approx. 4 hours
Overnight: Camping
Antantsoa – Andriampotsy
Expect a tough day today as we head uphill to our next camp at around 2,100m above sea level. We will stop to visit some caves on the way and may even get the chance for a relaxing dip in a natural pool.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Trekking: Approx. 6 hours
Overnight: Camping
Andriampotsy – Pic Boby – Andranolava
Another early start this morning as we attempt to summit Boby Peak (2,658m). The climb will take around 2.5 hours but you’ll be rewarded with incredible views of the valley below. The descent back to camp will be around 2 hours where you will be welcomed with a hearty lunch. This afternoon we will continue trekking for another 4 hours to reach our final campsite.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Trekking: Approx. 8 hours
Overnight: Camping
Andranolava – Iantaranomomby – Tsaranoro
After breakfast we cross the beautiful lunar landscape and pass by Iantaranomomby Camp. We continue downhill for around 4 hours to reach Tsaranono in the ‘Dream Valley’.
This afternoon we head into the forest, hoping to see more lemurs and other creatures endemic to the region. Tonight we will be staying in a basic lodge at Tsaranoro.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Trekking: Approx. 6 hours
Overnight: Camp Catta
Tsara – Chameleon Peak
One final mountain awaits today, Chameleon Peak. The climb will take around 4 hours to the top where you will be treated to spectacular views over the Tsaranoro Valley. We will stop for a picnic lunch before heading back down to the lodge at Tsaranoro.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Trekking: Approx. 6 hours
Overnight: Camp Catta
Tsaranoro – Fianrantsoa
After breakfast we will rejoin our vehicle to drive approx. 5 hours to the old royal city with a colonial past of Fianrantsoa. We will spend some time this afternoon exploring both the ancient and modern sides of the city.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Overnight: hotel
Fianrantsoa – Antananarivo
It’s a long day on the road today (approx. 10 hours) as we head back north to the capital Antananarivo.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Overnight: hotel
Antananarivo – Andasibe
Our final day in Madagascar is spent visiting Andasibe National Park, home to a variety of species of lemur. Here we will meet with Maromizaha Project and hear from their team about the work being taken to protect the endangered lemurs, and other animals, in the area. We will enjoy a nocturnal visit to the park, a chance to try and spot the rare indri, and stay overnight in the park where we will also have our celebratory meal.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Overnight: lodge
Andasibe – Antananarivo – London
Depending on flight tines there may be a chance for a further foray into the Nationla Park before transferring to the airport for the return flight to the UK.
Meals: Breakfast
N.B. We will do our best to keep to this itinerary however we cannot be held responsible for changes that might occur outside of our control. In all such circumstances your guide and tour leader will have the final say in the interest of the health and safety of the group.
Registration fee: £399 (payable in instalments)
and then either…
Sponsorship: £4,700
or
Flexi: £1,175 trip costs* and fundraise a reduced commitment of £2,351 for Cats Protection
or
Self-funded: £2,351 trip costs* and raise as much as possible for Cats ProtectionÂ
There is a minimum sponsorship amount for the tour that you are required to raise in order to participate. The Events team at Cats Protection will help you every step of the way to reach, and most likely exceed, this target.
This option is for those who choose to pay a portion of the trip costs* (flights, accommodation, food, guides etc.) themselves while still raising some funds for the charity.
This option is for those who choose to pay the trip costs* (flights, accommodation, food, guides etc.) themselves. You are then invited to raise as much as possible for Cats Protection.
*Please note trip costs are based on the final group size and are subject to change.
If you’ve a question about this challenge that you can’t find the answer to within the given information then complete this quick form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
