Madagascar Photography Tour

By any measure, Madagascar ranks amongst the most extraordinary countries on Earth. The fourth largest island in the world, it has been isolated from all other landmasses for some 80 million years. During that time, a dazzling array of endemic birds, mammals, reptiles, insects and plants have evolved, almost all of which are found nowhere else in the world. Madagascar has all of the world’s species of lemurs (of which there are over 100, and still more being discovered!), half of the world’s chameleon species and six out of eight baobab species. The entire native terrestrial mammal fauna has evolved from just four colonists (one primate, one rodent, one insectivore and one carnivore) that are thought to have completed the perilous journey to Madagascar, by chance, on rafts of vegetation. Then, over tens of millions of years, these early pioneers evolved into over 100 living species, filling all manner of ecological niches across the island, and all are found nowhere else on Earth.

The landscapes of this huge tropical island are similarly unique, ranging from luxuriant tropical rainforest to spiny desert and tsingy (limestone pinnacles). Because it is so completely different to anywhere else on Earth, biologists often refer to Madagascar as “the eighth continent”. One 18th century traveller wrote: “Of Madagascar I can announce to naturalists that truly this is their promised land. Here Nature seems to have created a special sanctuary whither she seems to have withdrawn to experiment with designs different from any she has created elsewhere. At every step, one meets more remarkable and marvellous forms of life.”

During this tour we will explore and photograph several of the most spectacular locations and endemic species by both day and night. We will also encounter the charming, hospitable Malagasy people, learning about their unique customs and beliefs.

This tour has been specifically designed to maximise photographic opportunities. It will be led by professional photographer Robert Harvey, who is experienced in the key locations and target species. Our carefully constructed programme will be complemented by detailed guidance on locations and photographic settings to use for each subject.

Particular highlights of this tour include:

• Avenue of Baobabs at dusk, dawn and at night.

• Astrophotography to capture the stunning night skies of the southern hemisphere and the Milky Way with unique Madagascar landscapes as foregrounds.

• Kirindy Forest, one of the most biodiverse environments in the world for primates, where we will search for the island’s largest carnivore, the Fosa, and largest rodent, the Giant Jumping Rat.

• Extraordinary landscape of the Tsingy de Bemaraha with its iconic limestone pinnacles.

• Dancing Sifakas, friendly Ring-tailed lemurs and spiny forest of Berenty.

• Amazing nocturnal wildlife including chameleons, leaf-tailed geckos, giraffe-necked weevils and many species of lemurs.

• Indri, the largest living lemur, and Aye-aye, the most bizarre of all the lemurs, in their rainforest homes.