Madagascar Honeymoon: Lemurs & Nosy Be Beaches

Today you ease gently into your honeymoon with a relaxed day exploring a little of Antananarivo. You might wind up through the old upper town to the royal hill for sweeping views over the city and its rice paddies, wander lively markets fragrant with vanilla and spices, and browse Malagasy handicrafts for a keepsake, perhaps visiting a private lemur reserve on the city fringe for a first, charming encounter with the island's famous residents. The pace is unhurried, with time for a leisurely lunch and a coffee stop, letting you recover from your flights and simply enjoy being together in this fascinating city. Your guide shares the highland capital's history and character. As the day ends, you return to your hotel with a first taste of Malagasy culture. This evening, enjoy a relaxed dinner for two. Rest well, for tomorrow you head into the enchanting rainforest of Andasibe.

Today you head east together into the rainforest and the enchanting reserve of Andasibe. The road winds down from the highlands through green hills, rice paddies and villages, entering lusher, wetter country as the eastern escarpment nears, and you may stop at a private reserve to admire chameleons and habituated lemurs along the way. By afternoon you reach Andasibe, where thick rainforest cloaks the hills and the air hums with birdsong, and you settle into a charming forest lodge wrapped in greenery, an idyllic romantic base. This evening you set out hand in hand on a guided night walk along the forest edge, sweeping the darkness with torches to reveal tiny mouse lemurs whose eyes glow in the beam, sleeping chameleons and other creatures of the Malagasy night. As the day ends, the magical sounds of the forest surround you. Rest well together, for tomorrow you meet the singing indri.

Today you share one of the great wildlife experiences on Earth in the rainforests of Andasibe-Mantadia. Setting out in the cool of the morning with your local guide, you walk together into the forest to find the indri, the largest of all lemurs, and few moments in life compare with standing among the trees, hand in hand, as their eerie, soaring song rises around you; you watch family groups leap powerfully through the canopy. You explore the reserve for brown lemurs, chameleons, colourful frogs, orchids and unique birds, and may venture into the wilder primary forest of Mantadia in search of the beautiful diademed sifaka on quieter trails. The wonder of it all is a joy to share. As the day ends, you return to your lodge, exhilarated and enchanted. This evening, enjoy a romantic dinner in the forest. Rest well, for tomorrow you return to the capital.

Today you journey back through the green hills to the capital, ready to swap forest for island. The drive retraces the beautiful road from Andasibe up to the highlands, with time for photographs, a craft stop and a relaxed lunch along the way, and perhaps a final short forest walk before you leave. By afternoon you reach Antananarivo and settle back into your hotel, with the evening free to relax, reflect together on the magic of the rainforest and look forward to the beaches ahead. Your guide can recommend a lovely restaurant for a romantic dinner in the capital, where you can toast the honeymoon so far. The change from misty forest to the promise of turquoise seas gives the journey a delicious sense of anticipation. As the day ends, you savour a peaceful evening for two. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly to the romantic island of Nosy Be.

Today your honeymoon by the sea begins as you fly northwest to Nosy Be, Madagascar's most romantic island. On arrival the air is warm and fragrant with ylang-ylang, and you are transferred to your beautiful beach retreat, trading forest trails for sweeping sands and turquoise seas. The rest of the day is yours to unwind together and settle into island time, swimming in the warm Indian Ocean, relaxing on the beach with a cool drink, and strolling the sand as the sun begins to set. As dusk falls, you enjoy a private candlelit dinner of fresh seafood on the beach beneath a canopy of stars, a romantic welcome to this idyllic island. The gentle pace, warm sea and glorious light are pure honeymoon bliss. As the day ends, you toast your first evening on Nosy Be. Rest well together, for tomorrow the island's pleasures await.

Today you enjoy a magical day sailing together among the beautiful islands around Nosy Be. You might sail to Nosy Komba to meet its famous tame black lemurs and browse craft markets, and on to the marine reserve of Nosy Tanikely, where you snorkel side by side over vibrant coral among turtles, rays and clouds of colourful fish in warm, clear water, before a fresh seafood lunch served on the sand. The combination of tame lemurs, coral gardens and castaway beaches is idyllic, and having such beauty to share makes it all the more special. If you prefer, we can arrange a private boat just for the two of you. As the day ends, you sail back to Nosy Be under a golden sky, salt-kissed and happy. This evening, savour dinner at the water's edge. Rest well, for tomorrow brings more island romance.

Today you sail to one of the most beautiful spots in the Indian Ocean for a day of castaway romance. A wonderful choice is Nosy Iranja, where a dazzling white sandbar links two islands and can be walked barefoot at low tide, the sea shimmering turquoise on either side, a scene of pure honeymoon fantasy. You swim, snorkel over coral, laze on empty sands and enjoy a relaxed lunch, feeling as though you have the tropics to yourselves. Alternatively you might choose the orchid island of Nosy Sakatia, snorkelling with turtles in its clear shallows. In season, the sail out may bring the thrill of spotting humpback whales or gentle whale sharks in the surrounding seas. As the day ends, you sail back to your retreat, sun-warmed and blissful. This evening, enjoy a romantic dinner for two. Rest well, for tomorrow is yours to savour at leisure.

Today is a free day to spend together exactly as you wish, savouring the island at your own pace. You might laze on the beach and swim in the warm turquoise sea, indulge in a couple's spa treatment scented with island ylang-ylang, or simply relax by the pool with a book and a cocktail. You could wander a fragrant ylang-ylang or vanilla plantation to learn about the island's perfumed crops, browse the market and craft stalls of Hell-Ville for keepsakes, or take a gentle stroll along the shore at sunset. The unhurried rhythm, warm hospitality and sensuous atmosphere are deeply restorative, and there is nothing to do but enjoy each other's company. As the day ends, you watch a last spectacular sunset over the sea, reflecting on your extraordinary honeymoon. This evening, savour a final romantic dinner on Nosy Be. Rest well, for tomorrow you begin your journey home.

Today you have a final, unhurried morning on Nosy Be to make the most of your last hours in paradise before your onward journey. Depending on your departure, you might enjoy a leisurely breakfast overlooking the sea, a final swim in the warm turquoise water, a last walk along the beach collecting shells, or one more moment by the pool with a cool drink in hand. It is a chance to soak up the island's fragrant air and gentle rhythm, to take a few last photographs together, and perhaps to pick up a final souvenir or bottle of vanilla or ylang-ylang oil to carry the island home with you. Your retreat can arrange a late check-out or a day room where helpful. As the morning ends, you gather your happy memories of Nosy Be. Rest and relax, for your transfer and homeward journey follow.

After a final morning by the sea, perhaps a last swim or a quiet moment on the sand, you are transferred to Nosy Be airport for your flight back to Antananarivo and your onward international departure. You leave having shared an extraordinary honeymoon, the spine-tingling song of the indri and torchlit forests of Andasibe, and then the beaches, coral reefs, castaway islands and glorious sunsets of romantic Nosy Be, woven with candlelit dinners, sunset cruises and blissful seclusion. The images stay vivid long after you land, the indri leaping through the misty canopy, the white sandbar of Nosy Iranja, and the sun sinking into the sea as you dined by candlelight. Madagascar has given you a beginning to married life like no other, adventurous, romantic and utterly unique, and you depart together already dreaming of a return to this enchanting island.