Your holiday starts at the hotel in the Madagascan capital of Antananarivo. You will meet your guide at the airport (transfers from Antananarivo Airport are provided for all flights) and the rest of the day is at leisure. The name Antananarivo means 'one thousand warriors' and the Malagasy people tend to call it 'Tana'. Sitting at an elevation of around 1280 metres in the centre of the island, Tana is a picturesque city, built around a small lake, Lake Anosy. Some parts of the city are hilly and present a colourful array of colourful and tightly-packed houses made of wood and brick.

After breakfast at our hotel, we board our support vehicle for the start of our long journey to Madagascar's south coast. The inital transfer takes us through Ambatolampy, a small town famous for the fabrication of aluminium handicrafts, and onwards on a gravel road through a fertile highland landscape, with rice terraces and fruit and vegetable crops of all kinds. Arriving in Antsirabe (1500m) at around lunch-time, we will pick up our hire bikes at our local agent's office and store and set off on the first short ride of the holiday on a mix of tarmac and gravel roads. This will take us through a pleasant agricultural area with lots of opportunities to meet the local people and to visit a roadside handicraft centre (cow horn products). Antsirabe has a pleasant climate and was popular as a hill resort during the period of French rule from around 1900 to 1960. We will drop off our hire bikes at the store, before driving to the nearby hotel.

We ride a great loop today, taking us through the home of the Merina ethnic group who, in this area, are known for cultivating rice and other grain crops in well-constructed and very beautiful, terraced field systems. Much of the produce is apparently used by the brewery in Antsirabe. The first lake we see is Andraikiba, once something of a watersports centre, but now the water supply for Antsirabe. The 5 kilometre circuit of the lake on a footpath is a great ride. We then carry on beyond the village of Belazao towards Mount Titriva, a forested mound which conceals a second, hidden pool, Lake Tritriva which occupies an extinct volcanic crater. Here, we are at an elevation of around 1880 metres and we will stop for a picnic lunch, with the option for a guided hike around the crater lake. We then complete our ride back to the hotel in Antsirabe, starting out with a steep and quite challenging descent (dismount if you need to on short sections of this descent). There are great views across a broad valley, highlighted by flowers and rice fields. There are many hot springs in this area and we can visit one today. We can also visit the market in the village of Betafo. We spend a second night at our hotel in Antsirabe. About 30 kilometres of today's ride is on dirt roads and footpaths.

After breakfast at our hotel, we set off southwards on the road (National 7). This is a relatively quiet, single carriageway road, mostly good tarmac and generally with a narrow tarmac or dirt strip running alongside. This dirt strip is used by local people and their animals and provides useful extra space whenever we encounter traffic. This is an undulating road, passing through some pine forest, but also through fertile farmland, including terraced fields of rice. We will see lots of friendly local people and their zebu cattle and can watch the hustle and bustle of the farmers in the fields and womenfolk washing and drying their laundry on the banks of the river. After a stop for lunch, we will reach Ambositra in the afternoon and check in at our hotel, which is a little out of town and surrounded by a garden. Ambositra is the centre for arts and crafts and one of the most prominent examples of this is the Zafimaniry wood carvers. This traditional form of woodcarving has been included in UNESCO's list of 47 masterpieces of traditional world culture. We will visit one of the workshops either this evening or during tomorrow morning's initial transfer. Dinner and overnight at our hotel, which is decorated with Zafimaniry artwork and sculpture.

We start the day with a 90 kilometre transfer (2-hours) southwards along the N7 to the Lemur Forest Camp of Ialatsara. From here, we set out on our bikes on a tarmac road which takes us through a very beautiful valley beneath huge granite peaks. The road here is a mix of tarmac and dirt and beyond Ambohimahasoa there are two short and steep ascents on tarmac. We will ride a total of 21 kilometres of dirt road today. The road then undulates through villages and open eucalyptus forest until we reach the more dense jungle (or rain forest) of the Ranomafana National Park. The last few miles are downhill and we pass through the village of Ranomafana before reaching the simple hotel where we spend the night.

Today, we will try to get an early start to make the most of this special place with a day of guided hiking in the Ranomafana National Park. We will transfer back up the hill to the park entrance to start this walk. Designated as a reserve in 1991 this area became Madagascar's fourth national park. Located on the edge of Madagascar's High Plateau, Ranomafana varies in height from 600 to 1400 metres and this range of elevations has produced several different forest types, from the lowland rainforest to cloud forest and high plateau forest. The lush green of the area is in stark contrast to some of the drier landscape we have seen up to now. There are 12 species of lemurs in the park, as well as geckos, chameleons, frogs and almost 100 species of birds, two thirds of which are endemic to this area. We will see orchids and many types of tree, including giant bamboo. Redbellied lemurs, redfronted lemurs and the diademed sifaka (another type of lemur) are also on our ticklist. Golden bamboo lemurs are more shy and retiring and we will be lucky to spot one. Returning to our accommodation, there is the chance to take a dip in the public swimming pool which is naturally heated by nearby hot springs. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

After breakfast, we will drive steeply back up and out of the park, then on to Vohiparara, where we unload our bikes from the support vehicle and set off on a relatively short day of cycling. During this transfer we may encounter local families collecting sand from the river bed. Quite often, there are also basket makers selling their wares along this stretch of road. The first 20 kilometres or so of the day's ride are on tarmac and we soon start to leave the rainforest area behind. The second part of the day's ride is on a dirt road leading amongst fields and forest and takes us to the outskirts of Sahambavy and our bungalow-style hotel accommodation on the shores of Lake Sahambavy. On this section we might encounter some bridges which are only suitable for pedestrians and cyclists - the support vehicle will have to go around. Close by is the only tea estate in Madagascar and after checking in at our hotel and having lunch, we may be able to visit the estate and, hopefully, see the tea-pickers at work. The estate was set up in 1970 and most of the produce is sent to Kenya. Dinner and overnight at our lakeside hotel.

There are 2 possible routes today, one on the N7 and a shorter, dirt-road route. Group members can discuss with the guide and make a choice of which works best for them. There will be sufficient local staff and usually 2 support vehicles to allow us to split the group if necessary. The N7 route starts with a cycle ride to the hill-top town of Fianarantsoa. With a name that means 'good education' this is a cultural and intellectual centre for the whole island and also a centre for wine production. From here, the N7 route runs mostly downhill, to our overnight stop at Ambalavao. There is a short climb at the end of the day and the ride is very scenic, with views across the valley. Approximately 15 kilometres of this route is straightforward dirt road riding. The alternative and more direct dirt road route (63 kilometres) is rarely travelled and takes us through small valleys with rice and cassava plantations and some eucalyptus forest. Tourists are rarely seen here and the people we meet will be especially curious about seeing a cycling group. Quite rough in places, this alternative route climbs gradually and ends with a descent to our lunch stop. There is the option after lunch to transfer to Ambalavao or to do a bit more cycling. Arriving in Ambalavao, we check in at our hotel which shares the same grounds as a traditional Antaimoro paper manufacturing set-up. This beautiful paper is usually copper coloured and decorated with dried flowers and leaves.

We cycle for an hour from Ambalavao to reach the locally-administered Anja Community Reserve, a small and accessible park where we can get up close to one of Madagascar's iconic animals, the ring-tailed lemur - more than 300 inhabit this area. This compact rainforest area runs up to the base of a huge granite mountain and has a freshwater lake, woodland and a jumble of giant boulders - a landscape out of Lord of the Rings. We will have a 1-hour tour of the site, before continuing our journey by bike. We are now starting to leave the highland area and enter a striking landscape of grassland savannah, dotted with enormous granite peaks.Turning into the Tsaranoro Valley, we head towards the Andringitra Massif (and national park). Approximately 20 kilometres of today's ride is on dirt roads. Our accommodation for the next 2 nights is a pleasant camp with bungalow-style accommodation and a central restaurant. The camp has great views across to the granite cliffs of Andringitra (popular with rock climbers) and is a great place from which to explore the region's flora and fauna.

The area of the Andringitra is one of the most biologically diverse in Madagascar, with 100 species of birds and 50 species of mammals, many of which are endemic. Today, we will leave our bikes at camp and take a hike up through the Tsaranoro Valley onto the rock formation known as Chameleon Peak. Our hike takes us through rural villages and farmland and through forested areas where we can look out for lemurs and other wildlife. As we climb higher, we have fantastic views of some of the most impressive granite cliffs on the island, some of which are 700 metres high. The high point of the massif is Peak Boby (2658m), Madagascar's second highest summit. After our walk, we return to spend a second night at our bungalow-style accommodation.

After breakfast at camp, we cycle the 20 kilometre dirt road back to the N7 and then transfer on a great road with great views to Ankaramena, a small town that is known for its production of mango and papaya. We continue in the bus to Ihosy and the Horombe Plateau, where we stop for lunch. Here, we are starting to leave behind the greener highland region, with the drier grassland of the south ahead of us. To give us a feel for this amazing 'steppe-like' landscape, we cycle the last 65 kilometres to our hotel, which is in the small town of Ranohira, the gateway to the Isalo National Park.

In the morning, after breakfast, we will drive out to the visitor centre for the Isalo National Park. Here, we can get an overview of the origins and history of the region, before setting off on a walk into the park. Mountainous, with caves, deep ravines, streams and bizarre rock formations, Isalo is just one more of the unmissable highlights of Madagascar. We should see some of the area's wildlife, including brown and ring-tailed lemurs and also have the chance to swim in a beautiful river pool. After the hike, we return to our hotel in Ranohira.

On this last day of our journey from the highlands to the coast, we set out in the support vehicle on the last stretch of the N7. Our drive takes us through an area with some of the most impressive baobab trees in Madagascar and we will be obliged to stop several times to take photographs. Amongst the other highlights of this 4-hour drive out to the coast are the bizarre tombs of the Mahalafy and Antandroy people. We will need to stop to see these, too. Lavishly decorated, with vivid painting, sculpted wooden figures and heaps of zebu horns, these are completely unique. Arriving at a viewpoint above Tulear, we get on our bikes for the 16 kilometre ride down to the coast. We then have lunch at Tulear, before continuing our ride northwards on a beautiful coast road which has only recently been surfaced. With the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel on our left hand side, we pass through the fishing villages of Ifaty, Madiorano and Ambohimailaka which are home to people of the Vezo ethnic group. Arriving at our beach-front, bungalow-style accommodation, it's time to chill-out, take a dip in the sea and enjoy a final evening meal with the guide. Our local crew will be leaving us today and the usual procedure is that they will take clients' own bikes back to the group hotel in Antananarivo. If this is not possible for some reason, or you wish to use your bike during your time in Ifaty, you will need to take your bike with you on the internal flight on Day 16. There is an additional baggage fee of €50 for this which is payable directly at the airport.

For the next 2 days no services are included other than your accommodation on a half-board basis. You are free to take it easy, walk along the shore and swim in the ocean, which stays at a very pleasant 25 degree centigrade throughout the year. Diving, snorkelling, kite-surfing and kayaking can be arranged locally.

A final day in this paradise location. If you want to see a little more of Madagascar's distinctive plant life, there is a nature reserve (Reniala) within walking distance that has old and giant baobab trees, spiny forest and a bird sanctuary. We spend a third and final night at our accommodation beside the sea.

A transfer is provided from the hotel to Tulear Airport where you will check in for the flight north to Antananarivo. Arriving in 'Tana' you will transfer to your hotel (transfer provided by the hotel). The rest of the day is at leisure.

Your holiday ends after breakfast. A group transfer to Antananarivo Airport is provided by the hotel.