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Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, is a land of unparalleled natural beauty and biodiversity. Discover towering limestone pinnacles, some of the world’s most unique flora and fauna, and dense rainforests teeming with wildlife including lemurs, chameleons, birds, and so much more!

Madagascar is famous for its lemurs, with over 100 species and subspecies found nowhere else on Earth. Our plan is to see as many as possible!

The island is home to half of the world’s chameleon species, including the tiny Nosy Hara leaf chameleon.

Many bird species found in Madagascar are not found anywhere else in the world including the Madagascar Fish Eagle and the Madagascar Pochard, a critically endangered diving duck, rediscovered in 2006 after being thought extinct!

On top of the wildlife, you will also experience the massive baobab trees of Isalo and Tana; a vast array of endemic plants, including orchids, palms, and the iconic Madagascar periwinkle; the dense, lush rainforests of Ranomafana and Andasibe-Mantadia National Parks; the dry, spiny forests of the southwest; and beaches with clear turquoise waters, rich in marine biodiversity.

As we drive through rural areas you will learn more about the island’s rich cultural heritage and diverse ways of life. Malagasy villages vary significantly across different regions, reflecting the distinct cultures of the various ethnic groups inhabiting the island.

To enjoy this program to its fullest you should have a spirit of adventure, boundless energy, and be physically prepared for the rigors involved.

It's also good to know that this trip includes:

• Daily walks of at least three miles a day unaided on dirt paths
• Potential to leave the path to get close to wildlife
• Paths are not entirely flat requiring some uphill and downhill walking
• Hotels range from luxurious to simple, reflective of the properties available in each location (Download the brochure to learn more about each hotel.)
• A few long days of driving to ensure you get to see the most of this incredible destination

Growing up in eastern Missouri, Cole enjoyed a childhood exploring nearby woods and creeks and returning from expeditions laden with all manner of creatures, living, dead, and fossilized. His interest in insects was fostered by a neighborhood physician with an avocation studying butterflies and while attending college at Washington University in St. Louis he studied animal behavior and neurobiology.

These topics became Cole’s principal interest: how an animal acquires sensory information, evaluates it, and produces adaptive behavior. He earned graduate degrees in insect behavior at the University of Kansas, where he met Linda. He did post-doctoral work in visual physiology at Indiana University, and in neuroscience at the University of Arizona before joining the Entomology Department at Cornell in 1992. Along the way, he spent a Fulbright year in West Germany, served a year as a program officer at the National Science Foundation, and taught for 7 summers at the Marine Biological Laboratory on Cape Cod. At Cornell, he has taught courses in Introductory Biology, Evolution, Insect Biology, Insect Physiology, Comparative Physiology, and Art & Vision for which he earned university, state, and national teaching awards. He served 7 years as Director of Undergraduate Biology and is currently Director of Undergraduate Studies in Entomology. He also enjoys working with “life-long learners” having taught 10 CAU on-campus courses, co-led multiple CAU Study Tours with Linda, and for the past 13 years has taught workshops for New York State Master Naturalists. When not biologizing, Cole enjoys cooking (and eating) dishes from a variety of cuisines, and listening to improvisational music, such as jazz and bluegrass.

"Cole is one of the funniest professors I have ever met. He knows his material so well and never refers to notes.  He is a delightful and enthusiastic teacher filled with wonder and totally non-judgmental." ~CAU Summer 2024 participant

Dr. Linda S. Rayor, Senior Lecturer/ Senior Research Associate, has been on the faculty of the Department of Entomology at Cornell University since 1994. Linda teaches courses on how to do scientific outreach (Naturalist Outreach), Spider Biology and Social Animal Behavior: Arthropods to Apes. Her innovative teaching has been recognized by national societies (2016, 2008 Entomology Society of America; 2015 Animal Behavior Society) and within Cornell University (2007 Innovative Teacher Award; 2005 Kaplan Service-Learning Award).  Linda is a behavioral ecologist whose research is focused on social spiders and other arachnids, with research experience on social dynamics in primates, prairie dogs, and paper wasps.  Her current research focuses on the behavioral, physiological, and systematic patterns found in the large group-living and solitary huntsman spiders [https://www.sciencenews.org/article/subsocial-behavior-among-delena-huntsman-spiders]. She is currently the President of the American Arachnological Society.

Helping others understand and appreciate science has permeated all aspects of Linda’s career – from running the Naturalist Outreach Program, a K-12 STEM Outreach Program which trains and sends Cornell students into classrooms to give hands-on presentations on biodiversity and ecology [http://blogs.cornell.edu/naturalistoutreach]., to starring in the nature documentary ‘Monster Bug Wars’ (@MonsterBugWarsTV), producing videos explaining nature-oriented biology with her Naturalist Outreach students (youtube.com/naturalistoutreach), and helping develop parts of Australian Museum’s stunning ‘Spiders: From Fear to Fascination’ blockbuster exhibit which is touring the USA and Canada, to leading CAU wildlife tours around the world.  Along with tours, Linda has taught numerous CAU workshops on spiders.  A proud field biologist, she has done research in Colorado, British Columbia, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Australia.

“Totally enjoyed Cole and Linda! They are passionate and knowledgeable about wildlife while also very clear when responding to a question with true knowledge.” ~Michael McNamara '84

Set off on your great adventure en route to Antananarivo, Madagascar!

Arrive in Antananarivo and transfer to the Radisson Blue Waterfront Hotel. Get to know Cole and Linda, your Distant Horizons Tour Manager, and your fellow travelers over a glass of wine and a light dinner this evening.

(Meals included: Dinner)

Spend the day in a guided exploration of key sites in Antananarivo, including the Andohalo Cathedral and the Is’Art Galerie, the only contemporary art space in the city. This evening enjoy a more formal welcome dinner at the hotel’s formal dining restaurant which serves French-themed cuisine.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Head east this morning to the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, driving by small villages, agricultural fields, and rice paddies. Pass Moramanga, capital of the Bezanozano people, one of the earliest inhabitants of the island, where colorful rickshaws ply the streets. Spend time in Lemur Island, a private lemur sanctuary accessible only by a short boat ride, for an excellent opportunity to see a wide variety of rescued lemurs. Overnight at the spectacular Mantadia Lodge. Enjoy a freshly prepared dinner tonight using locally sourced ingredients.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Spend the day exploring Andasibe-Mantadia National Park inside the small Réserve Spéciale d’Analamazaotra. The ground here is reasonably flat and provides excellent opportunities to track down the rare indri whose unforgettable wail can be heard emanating from the misty forest throughout the day. We may also see woolly lemurs, the immense and colorful Parson’s chameleon, up to twenty species of amphibians including the nose-horned chameleon, and vivid bird species such as blue and red-fronted coucals. After dinner enjoy an evening guided walk.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Depart the hotel this morning for a long, but scenic day driving west and then south to Antsirabe along the famous N7 road. Along the way, enjoy stops to meet with local artisans. Arrive in Antsirabe late afternoon and transfer to the Arotel Hotel. Enjoy dinner this evening at the hotel.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

This morning our focus will be on the vibrant craft culture of the city much of which depends on the recycling of waste. After lunch, drive along the plateau of central Madagascar further south to Ranomafana National Park which is a part of the UNESCO inscribed Rainforests of Atisnanana. Tonight enjoy a gentle walk through the rainforest surrounding the lodge to spot some of the many nocturnal animals in the park including nocturnal lemurs, reptiles such as Uroplatus geckos, tree frogs, and fascinating invertebrates including the Madagascar comet (lunar) moth. Overnight at the Setam Lodge.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

This morning explore the sub-humid evergreen Ranomafana National Park, home of the rare golden bamboo lemur. The park’s landscape consists of rolling hills fed by rushing streams and a tough and uneven terrain which will need careful navigation. Accompanied by our guide, we will move slowly up and through the park in search of the golden bamboo lemur but also the other 12 species of lemur, including the Aye-Aye. After a later lunch we will visit the spectacular Centre ValBio. Dinner will be at the lodge tonight.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

This morning drive southwest towards Isalo National Park with some interesting stops en route. Pass through Fianarantsoa, home to many intellectuals, schools, bookstores and known for its vineyards and tea plantations. Continue driving through a magnificent landscape of vineyards and terraced fields, visit a small family run business where silk is worked from the cocoon to the final woven product. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing on to Isalo National Park to marvel at a breathtaking landscape of craggy rocks and dazzling mountains. Dinner and overnight at the Isalo Rock Lodge, sculpted out of the local sandstone, and providing breath-taking vistas of this moon-like landscape.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

This morning we will set out to explore the Isalo National Park which was established in 1962 to protect a landscape dominated by a dramatic sandstone massif that had been eroded by time and weather into an otherworldly collection of plateaus, canyons, gorges and pinnacles. Biological highlights abound! Depending on weather, we will determine a route to plan on covering about three miles as we discover this landscape of dramatic ridges and high plateau where deep canyons are shot through with streams, lush vegetation and pools for swimming! Return to the lodge for a free afternoon followed by a dinner at the lodge.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Head west today following the N7 to the coast, a striking contrast to Madagascar’s interior. Stop off at the Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park. This rarely visited park falls within the eco region classified as Madagascar succulent woodlands, where dense dry forest shelters an astounding 85 recorded bird species, as well as lemurs  33 reptile species, and 8 amphibian species. After lunch continue on to Toliara and the eco-Famata Lodge located in the mangroves on the coast.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

This morning we will depart the hotel, with provided snorkeling equipment, to explore the reef that stretches along the south-western coast of Madagascar making it one of the largest coral reefs in the world. To reach the reef, we will board a pirogue, a traditional dug-out canoe, the primary means of transportation in these coastal areas. This afternoon leave the ocean for dry land and the Arbotetum d’Antsokay. Return to Tana and stay the night at Nosy Manga Hotel. Dinner at leisure this evening.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch)

Take a mid-day flight to the island of Nosy Be, located off the northwest coast of Madagascar. Upon arrival head to the Lokobe National Park, the last remaining primary forest in the region, known for being home to the rare black lemur and the Nosy Be panther chameleon. Our time here begins with paddling a pirogue down the tranquil river and through the mangroves to Lokobe. We will then walk through the primary forest looking for snakes, geckos, frogs, chameleons, and the endangered black lemur. Transfer to the Anjiamarango Beach Resort located near the small village of Befotaka at the northwestern tip of the island. Enjoy dinner this evening at the lodge.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

This morning we will focus on the wonderful waters around Nosy Be. From June to September humpback whales can be seen in almost every coastal area of the island where they breed. They pass through the waters off Nosy Be, often staying to look after their calves before setting off on their long journey to the cold waters. There will also be an opportunity for some fantastic snorkeling. Whale sharks, clownfish, manta rays, and sea turtles are among the underwater fauna you might expect to encounter while snorkeling the island.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Return home directly from Nosy Be to Addis Ababa and beyond.

July 31 – August 14, 2025

To reserve your space, contact CAU partner Distant Horizons
Phone: 562-983-8828 | Email: emilyw@distant-horizons.com

June 12 - 19, 2025
Study Tour featuring CAU Summer's dynamic duo, David and Jen Todd.

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