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4th Oct 2025 - 15th Oct 2025
12 days/Madagascar /Moderate to Challenging
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 also spend a day learning about the work being done to protect endangered lemurs and other animals as you visit a project based in the Andasibe National Park.
You don’t have to fundraise to join an open challenge but you can support a charity of your choice if you wish. See the costs tab for more details.
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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. Do not underestimate the importance of training for this trek. Some of the days are harder than you may expect.
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, and a Different Travel Company UK tour manager.
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 October is around 27°C, dropping down to 14°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.
You will be staying in comfortable 2/3 star hotels in Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Ambalavao and Fianrantsoa.
During the trek you will be staying in three man tents (two to a tent). You will need to bring your own sleeping bag and sleeping mat.
You will also be spending 2 nights at the basic lodge at Tsaranoro and one night at Andasibe Lemurs Lodge.
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.
An ideal candidate for the trek would be someone who enjoys being out of their comfort zone and trying something new.
Do not underestimate the importance of training for this trek. It’s tougher than you expect. 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 must engage in training (including plenty of walking up and down hills) before departure to ensure your best chance of enjoyment of the trip. This could include hill walking, running, cycling, gym workouts, bootcamps, etc. Increasing your cardiovascular endurance, core strength and leg strength will also benefit you greatly so resistance workouts should be added to your training regime in addition to plenty of hill walking.
You can download a number of free apps which will help you train and track your progress. E.g. MapMyWalk, couch to 5k, MyFitnessPal etc.
If you attempt to complete the challenge without training it will make the trek unnecessarily difficult and may be detrimental to your experience, and the experience of your team mates.
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/Altitudesickness/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 transfer to your centrally located hotel for an overnight stay or begin the 5-hour journey to Antsirabe. This evening we will enjoy a welcome dinner together.
Meals: Dinner (subject to arrival time)
Overnight: Hotel
Antsirabe – Ambalayo
Our journey continues as we head to Ambalayo – 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 this morning 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 Miora Avarate (altitude 1987m) before on to our first campsite at Antantsoa. The route will also take us past some stunning natural rock pools.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Trekking: Approx 5 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 hour to reach our campsite in Andranolava.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Trekking: Approx 6 hours
Overnight: Camping
Andranolava – Iantaranomomby – Tsaranoro
After breakfast we cross the beautiful lunar landscape and pass by Iantaranomomby Camp before contining downhill for around 4 hours to reach Tsaranono in the ‘Dream Valley’. This afternoon we head into the forest, hoping to see more creatures endemic to the region. T
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Trekking: Approx 6 hours
Overnight: Basic lodge
Tsaranoro – Chameleon Peak
We will summit another mountain today Chameleon Peak. The climb will take around 4 hours to the top where you will be treated to spectacular views over the Tsaranoro Valey. We will stop for a picnic lunch before heading back down to the lodge at Tsara.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Trekking: Approx 6 hours
Overnight: Basic lodge
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. 11-12 hours) as we head back north to the capital Antananarivo.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Overnight: hotel
Antananarivo
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: hotel
Andasibe – Antananarivo – London
Depending on flight times there may be a chance for a further foray into the national park before transferring back to the airport for your flight home. You may return to the UK on Friday 16 October 2025.
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: £350
and then either…
Self-Funding: £2,400
or
Sponsorship: £4,800
orÂ
Flexi: £2,400 trip costs and £2,400 donation to your chosen charity
This option is for those who choose to pay the trip costs (flights, accommodation, food, guides etc.) themselves. There is no sponsorship required although if you wish to raise sponsorship for a charity you are welcome to do so.
This option is for those who wish to raise sponsorship to cover both the costs of the trip (flights, accommodation, food, guides etc.) and a donation to their chosen charity. There is a minimum sponsorship amount for each trip that you are required to raise in order to participate.
This option is for those who choose to pay the trip costs (flights, accommodation, food, guides etc.) themselves while still raising some funds for the charity.
*If your chosen charity is not on this list, please seek permission to fundraise for them by taking part in this challenge before making your booking.
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.
