22 Oct 2025 - 01 Nov 2025 (11 days)
USD4,950 - Spaces Available
Tour Leader: Nigel Redman
Pricing notes : The pricing structure is based on a minimum of 7 guests. Refer to the itinerary outline for smaller group sizes.
Tour price (Per person): USD4,950 * GBP3,952 * EUR4,755 * AUD7,622
Single Supplement: USD350 * GBP279 * EUR336 * AUD539
Flight costs (Linked Tour): USD572 * GBP457 * EUR549 * AUD881
TV Presenter Nigel Marven is teaming up with Rockjumper for an adventure to Madagascar showcasing the island’s iconic endemic birds and mammals. On this adventure Nigel will join another Nigel, his friend Nigel Redman of Rockjumper Birding Tours, world birder par excellence and author of the brilliant “Where to watch” books!
This tour of remote northern Madagascar is dedicated to finding several rarely encountered endemics. We’ll start birding in the dry deciduous forests of the Ampijoroa Forest Station located in the Ankarafantsika Reserve for the highly localised Van Dam’s Vanga, White-breasted Mesite and Schlegel’s Asity. Then it is off am an adventure to reach the remote Lac Matsaborimena, which will be the undoubted highlight of the trip as we search for Madagascan Pochard, the critically endangered Slender-billed Flufftail, declining Malagasy Harrier and rare Red Owl.
Madagascan Pochard; Bernier's Teal; Meller’s Duck; Van Dam's, Hook-billed, Blue, Tylas & Pollen’ Vangas; White-breasted Mesite; Schlegel’s Asity; Slender-billed Flufftail; Malagasy Harrier; Red, Madagascan & Rainforest Scop Owls; Broad-billed Roller; Lesser Vasa Parrot; Red-capped & Coquerel’s Couas; Sickle-billed & Madagascar Blue Vangas; Madagascar Serpent Eagle; Madagascan Ibis; Madagascan Wood Rail; Madagascan Pygmy Kingfisher; Pitta-like Ground Roller; Forest Rock Thrush; Rand’s Warbler; Grey Emutail; Madagascan Snipe; Forest Fody; Madagascan Buttonquail; Madagascan Lark; Madagascan Nightjar.
Coquerel’s Sifaka; Common Brown, Mongoose, Milne-Edward’s Sportive, Fat-tailed Dwarf, Golden-brown Mouse (rare), Western Grey Bamboo & Grey Mouse Lemurs; Sambirano & Western Avahis;
Rainforest, riparian forest, deciduous woodland, spiny desert, mudflats, wetlands
Warm to very hot, cooler evenings in highlands, some rainfall possible
7 with 1 Rockjumper leader, Nigel Marven & local leader
WARNING: This tour involves strenuous activities and is intended for experienced adventurers. If you prefer a more relaxed experience, please check out our [Explore Relaxed Tours]
Demanding & tiring. Designed for the dedicated lister & serious birder. Not suitable for inexperienced travellers, dedicated or avid photographers; inexperienced birders; or anyone with mobility or health challenges.
Generally comfortable standard of hotels & resorts in main cities. Otherwise basic dome tents at Bemanevika.
Moderate to difficult. Many low-density targets that may require repeat attempts.
Good to very good, opportunities are limited due to time.
Adam Walleyn went above and beyond to find just about everything there was to see. His knowledge of herps, mammals and birds is very comprehensive.
Stephan was an excellent guide and leader. Excellent knowledge, bags of energy, calm and attentive to the needs of the group. Accommodation and food generally very good and local ground agent had logistics well sorted - even internal flights all to plan.
This was our first tour with Rockjumper and it was absolutely fabulous. Adam Walleyn is by far the best bird guide we have ever had the privilege of working with. His combined qualities as the overall tour leader in terms of personality, ability to deal with whatever got thrown at him and interactive skills were all great. He was very good at keeping us informed of what was planned and was happening next. He was very good at imposing a gentle but essential discipline on the group - rotation in the procession, rotation of positions in the buses, ensuring that everyone got to see the bird - all made for a really good functionality in the group. His sharpness in the field, knowledge of bird calls and bird identification were simply remarkable.
We had been with Greg before on the Ethiopia tour. We selected this tour because Greg was leading it. Not only does he have excellent birding skills, but he also has excellent people skills. He kept the tour running smoothly, handled problems quickly, and was most anxious that every member of the tour got to see the birds if at all possible. We would definitely travel with him again. We got lots of new birds, had lots of laughs, and enjoyed our fellow birders.
Adam Walleyn was amazing, and we will definitely be looking into arranging a private Rockjumper tour with him in the future. Not only did he have extensive knowledge of the birds, but also the other flora and fauna, as well as some of the historical aspects of Madagascar.
Madagascar - Highlights I 2024 - May 2024
Madagascar - Herz & friends 2023 - November 2023
Madagascar - Comprehensive III 2023 - October 2023
Madagascar - Whitlock 2023 - October 2023
Madagascar - Highlights II 2023 - October 2023
Madagascar - Comprehensive II 2023 - September 2023
Madagascar - Kingsbury 2023 - September 2023
Madagascar - Vounnou 2022 - November 2022
Madagascar - Highlights II 2022 - October 2022
Madagascar - Comprehensive II 2022 - September 2022
Madagascar - Highlights II 2019 - October 2019
Madagascar - Comprehensive II 2019 - October 2019
Madagascar - Comprehensive III 2018 - November 2018
Madagascar - Masoala Peninsula Extension 2018 - October 2018
Madagascar - Highlights II 2018 - October 2018
Madagascar - Franzen 2018 - October 2018
Madagascar - Comprehensive II 2018 - October 2018
Madagascar - Comprehensive I 2018 - July 2018