Madagascar
November 5 – 16, 2024 | Location: Madagascar
A photographic wonderland
a unique and immersive way to experience the country
Staying in private eco-lodges we will travel through the various ecosystems on the island learning about and photographing the incredible animal species and people who make this place their home. Beyond witnessing an astounding number of species, Madagascar is also unique in that many species, including lemurs, are easily photographed in close proximity. There are so many, in fact, that you should even be prepared to photograph from the door of your hotel room!
Deposit
Due upon registration-
of total tuition
Tuition
November 5-16-
Due 120 days before the workshop begins
Extension
November 16-24-
Due 120 days before the workshop begins
Deposit due upon registration. Full tuition is due 120 days before the workshop begins.
Topics We Will Cover
Wildlife Photography
Travel Photography
Macro Photography
Conservation Photography
What To Know
- This workshop is all inclusive, and all meals, transportation, hotels, and domestic flights are covered.
- During this workshop, we will travel through some of the most breathtaking and pristine areas of Madagascar.
- This workshop will start and end in Paris, France where we will meet as a group and fly direct to Madagascar.
- The photography opportunities are never ending, expect to fill your memory cards every day!
- Our itinerary is remote and will entail full-day air conditioned van rides on windy mountain roads, trips up rivers in motorized canoes, and on a chartered plane. The views are absolutely stunning and always changing, so the time easily passes.
- All of the eco-lodges are first class and luxurious, but internet will be intermittent or not available for most of the trip. But not to worry, the incredible amount of wildlife you can watch and photograph from the front steps of your hotel rooms will make up for the lack of technology.
- While we will not hike more than a few miles each day, be prepared to carry telephoto lenses on rough terrain and in hot temperatures.
- Spouse and companion discounts are available for this workshop! These discounts are for non-photographers who want to share in this amazing experience with you. Please contact us for more information.
Workshop Itinerary
Arrive in Antananarivo (Tana) in the late evening and transfer to our arrival hotel near the airport. The Au Bois Vert Lodge is a small eco-preserve on the edge of Madagascar’s capital and offers a beautiful setting with stunning rooms for your introduction to this amazing country.
This morning we will depart Tana after breakfast for the 5 or 6 hour drive to the Palmarium Reserve on the eastern coast of the island. Along the way we will have several opportunities to stop and photograph wildlife, scenery, and fascinating local culture. In the late afternoon we will arrive at a river port, and transfer by boat to our comfortable lodge. After dinner we will have the option to do a short night hike in search of chameleons, frogs, nocturnal lemurs, and a wide variety of insects.
Located on the banks of the Pangalanes River in Eastern Madagascar, the private reserve of Palmarium offers incredible up-close encounters with a dozen species of Lemurs, including Indris, and Black and White Ruffed Lemurs. Most importantly, this location offers a very good chance of seeing the elusive Aye-aye! The photographic opportunities here are endless, so be prepared to take thousands of photos!
After breakfast at the lodge, we will transfer back to our cars and begin the 3-hour drive to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. After checking in to our rooms and having lunch at the lodge, we will do a late afternoon excursion into the park.
From our base at the new Mantadia Lodge, we will explore the nearby Andasibe- Mantadia National Park in search of a huge variety of wildlife. Each morning we will be awakened by the haunting calls of the Indri, the largest species of lemur. In addition, we will find numerous chameleons, frogs, insects, etc. The primary forests in this park are some of the best preserved in the country. Return to Tana in the afternoon and stay at Hotel Au Bois Vert, enjoying a dinner in the hotel’s beautiful garden.
While all of our lodges have felt luxurious so far, we haven’t seen anything yet for today we embark via private plane to one of Madagascar’s nicest beachfront hotels. After breakfast we will meet our private plane at the Tana airport and fly to Anjanjavy on the northwest coast. Part of the exclusive Relais & Chateaux collection of boutique hotels, the Anjanjavy Lodge is one of the finest hotels in Africa. After checking into our beachfront villas, the next three days will be spent exploring the lodge’s private reserve and surrounding landscape. Each day will be a new adventure from hiking in the forest, taking a boat trip to nearby islands and bays to go snorkeling, or visiting the local village to photograph culture. Candlelit dinners will be had each night on the beach while the Indian Ocean laps nearby.
Bidding farewell to Anjanjavy we will hop back in to our private plane and return to Tana. Because most international flights depart in the evening, we will arrange day rooms at Hotel Au bois Vert so we can relax, eat, and edit until we return to the airport.
Extension Itinerary
For those continuing on the extension, or just joining the group in Madagascar – after flying from Anjanjavy to Tana we will enjoy a lunch at the Au Bois Vert before driving about 4 hours to Antsirabe. Overnight at the Royal Palace Hotel.
This morning we will embark on a long drive through the central plateau of Madagascar en route to the cloud forests of Ranomafana National Park. This drive will likely take about 6 hours, but we will stop several times along the way to photograph scenery and local villages. Arrive at Ranomafana in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Setam Lodge.
Ranomafana National Park is a truly special place. The cloud forest here is home to a vast array of wildlife found nowhere else on the island. The animals found here include 12 species of lemurs (including the critically endangered Golden Bamboo Lemur), 7 species of tenrecs, and over 160 species of reptiles and amphibians. We will spend two full days on the trails here, and have the chance to do a few night hikes along the road. Setam Lodge.
Today we will bid farewell to the cool, misty cloud forest and begin a drive to a very different habitat. During the 6-8 hour drive to Isalo National Park we will pass through the cattle ranching region of Madagascar. The habitat in this region is largely open, arid grassland dotted with palm trees and the occasional village. Late in the afternoon the habitat will transition again to a rocky, desert environment reminiscent of the southwestern US. Here we will find our spectacular lodge, which is built into the surrounding rock formations.
After an early breakfast we will venture into the park for a 3-4 hour hike. It can get quite hot here, so we will try to begin our hike in the cool of early morning. Along the trail we will search for strange plants in the genus Pachypodium, and troops of Ring- Tailed Lemurs that live on the cliffs. In the late morning we will return to our hotel for lunch and some free time. Late in the afternoon we will venture out again to a spectacular rock formation for sunset.
Today we will have an early departure to continue south along the central highway. After about 2 hours, we will reach Zombitse National Park. This park contains a different type of spiny forest than what we have encountered in other parts of Madagascar. Here we can find several different lemurs, ground boas, chameleons, and a diversity of orchids.
After a box lunch on the bus, we will drive another 2-3 hours to the port city of Toliara. Here we will check in to our beachside hotel overlooking the turquoise waters of the Mozambique Channel. Overnight at Bakuba Lodge.
This morning we will venture past the village of Ifaty to a small reserve where we can see massive Baobab trees, several endemic birds, and the largest Swallowtail Butterfly in Africa. After lunch back at our hotel, we will have the afternoon free to enjoy the hotel or beach.
After a free morning at the hotel to relax and repack our luggage, we will fly back to Tana to catch our late-night flight home.
Return flights to the US from Paris, early at 12.55am
Meet your WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS
Ian Segebarth
Matt Stirn
Workshop Information
Trip Highlights
- Small Group Experience (6 Students, 2 Faculty)
- All Inclusive
- Stay at a Private Eco Lodges
- Spend Days in a Private Wildlife Preserve
- Observe and Photograph Over 12 Species of Lemurs
- Conduct Night Hikes In Search of Frogs, Chameleons, and More
- Experience Madagascar’s Amazing Coastal Communities
- Walk Along Rows of Giant Baobab Trees
Costs Included In Tuition
- Hotels, Meals, Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Transfers, Entrance / Guide Fees, Domestic Flights, Local Guide Tips
Not Included
- International Flights
