Compare Madagascar Hidden Gems by Aardvark Safaris vs Magic Christmas in Eastern Europe by Eastern European Experience

Day 1: Lokanga Boutique Hotel - 1 night - Bed and Breakfast

Accommodation: Lokanga Boutique Hotel

On arrival into Antananarivo (Tana) today you will be met by an English speaking guide who will accompany you until you depart mainland Madagascar for Nosy Be. You will be driven to Lokanga Boutique Hotel where you stay the night on a bed and breakfast basis

This intimate and freshly renovated hotel is situated atop a hill close to the old Queen's Palace in Madagascar. Designed in the traditional Malagasy townhouse style, Lokanga Boutique Hotel is built on the site that once housed the Queen's musicians, and is named after the Malagasy violin. This prominent viewpoint looks out across the city and is the perfect spot from which to enjoy magnificent evening sunsets.

Set in an ancient part of this beautiful city, Lokanga Boutique Hotel comprises six comfortable bedrooms, complete with en-suite facilities, mini-bar, television, heating, and Wi-Fi. The luxurious rooms are all decorated on an individual theme and adorned with elegant antiques. Most suites have a balcony with fabulous vistas across Madagascar. Perfect for an overnight stay or longer.

Day 2 - 5: Vakona Lodge - 3 nights - Half Board

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Vakona Lodge

From Tana this morning you will be driven to Vakona Lodge which is a journey of approximately two and a half to three hours on reasonably well maintained roads.  The drive itself is very scenic and gives you the opportunity to see more of Madagascar including rice fields, villages and markets.  There is an option to break your journey at Marozevo/Madagascar Exotic, which is about half way.  This is a breeding facility for Malagasy reptiles, amphibians and butterflies and gives you the opportunity to view some species you may not see in the wild.

You will be staying at Vakona for three nights on a half board basis to include breakfast and dinner. You will have the chance to visit Andasibe/Analamazaotra, Vakona Private and Mantadia Parks during your stay as well as do a night tour to spot nocturnal animals.

The spectacular Vakona Lodge is located in the center of Madagascar's Andasibe (Perinet) Forest. A stay here puts you near Mantadia National Park and just a three hour drive east to Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo.

Stay in one of 28 beautiful bungalows complete with en-suite facilities. Vakona Lodge also has a swimming pool, and comfortable bar and dining room in which you can share your adventures with friends over a meal and drink.

During your stay at Madagascar's Vakona Lodge, discover Andasibe (Perinet) National Park. Enjoy a day or night walking safari under the guidance of an expert ranger to learn more about this beautiful and world respected reserve. The area is famous for its wealth of diurnal and nocturnal wildlife, most notably the indri indri, the biggest member of the lemur family. You will almost certainly hear its haunting calls penetrating the forest canopy as day breaks.

Day 5 - 6: Bush House - 2 nights - Half Board

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Bush House Lodge

This morning you will be driven to Manambato from where you take a boat transfer to Akanin' ny Nofy. This is generally a lovely one and a half hour trip along the old shipping canal, but if the weather is wet or windy it can be a choppy journey.

You spend the next two nights at Bushhouse which is a small, secluded property overlooking Lake Ampitabe on the Pangalanes Canal.  Your stay is on a half board basis to include breakfast and dinner.

Beautifully hidden amid lush forest on a hillside with spectacular views across Lake Ampitabe on the Pangalanes Canal in eastern Madagascar is exclusive Bush House. The property is reached by boat via an old shipping canal interspersed with vast lakes. Most of Bush House is hand built using locally sourced materials. All 11 bungalows and two comfortable rooms are uniquely decorated and equipped with en-suite facilities. The public space comprises a relaxing bar and a restaurant with a great traditional Malagasy, Creole and French menu.

Investigate the exotic and beautiful area surrounding Madagascar's Bush House by boat, and take a relaxing walk through the local reserve that is home to a variety of endangered species, including lemur (crowned, red-bellied, ring-tailed, black and white ruffled), chameleon and radiated tortoise. Water based activities, including canoeing, are also available.

Day 7 - 10: Tsarabanjina - 4 nights - Full Board

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today you will continue along the Pangalanes Canal on another boat journey of around three hours. You will be met and driven to Tamatave Airport in time to take a scheduled flight departing for Tana.

On arrival you will connect onto the scheduled flight to Nosy Be. You will be met on arrival into Nosy Be and transferred by boat to Tsarabanjina where you spend the next four nights on a full board basis to include all meals.

Famous for providing the exotic backdrop to a BBC castaway island series, Tsarabanjina is a small private island fringed by white sandy beaches, mature forest and the azure sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean.

The island is set to the northwest of Madagascar's coastline in the Nosy Be area. Tsarabanjina comprises 25 luxurious rooms traditionally constructed from thatch and woven reeds. Each room is equipped with en-suite bathroom and has a fabulous terrace with hammocks in which you can look out across the soft white sand to the blue Ocean. Enjoy a delicious evening meal and sundowner drinks in the dining room and bar.

During your stay at this Madagascan paradise, you can enjoy the fantastic diving and snorkeling for which this area is renowned. You can also organize deep sea fishing, sailing, boat cruises and waterskiing, which are on offer from local operators.

Day 11: Fly Nosy Be to Antananarivo

Today you will be flown by scheduled flight back to Tana. From here you will take an international flight, or continue with another African adventure.

Day 1  22nd of December

Your Romanian Holiday Tour starts today.

After your arrival in Cluj Napoca, you will meet your English speaking tour guide.

The region of Maramures.  It is a place where unique traditions are still kept as centuries ago and Christmas time is one of the richest periods when you can witness them.

Depending on your arrival time you can start exploring the village where you will stay or you can enjoy a relaxing evening at the charming rural guesthouse which will be your home for the next four days. Dinner included. Accommodation in Maramures.

Day 2  23rd of December

You will start with a visit to probably the only happy cemetery in the world called the Merry Cemetery. Its crosses are decorated with lively colors and some funny poems about the life of the deceased.

Then you will travel to Sighetu Marmatiei where you will learn about the communist time and its impact on our country at the Memorial of the Victims of Communism. Dinner included. Accommodation in Maramures.

Day 3  24th of December

You had some time to get used to Maramures so it’s time to start acting like one of the locals! In the first part of the day you will enjoy a horse-sledge ride through the village and countryside.

Then, as every “maramuresean” does on Christmas Eve, you will prepare to greet the carolers wandering from house to house dressed in traditional clothes. Caroling or “colindat” in Romania is a very rich tradition and its uniqueness was recently acknowledged when it listed as part of the UNESCO intangible world heritage. And Maramures is the best region to experience this fascinating custom. Dinner included. Accommodation in Maramures.

Day 4  25th of December

On Christmas Day you will delight yourself with a traditional festive lunch prepared by your hosts.

Then you will find out why Maramures is called “the land of the wooden churches”. You will visit some of the beautiful small churches, made entirely of wood, which are specific to the region. Their uniqueness is internationally appreciated and some of them are part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. Dinner included. Accommodation in Maramures.

Day 5  26h of December

Today you will be introduced to the beautiful nature of the Carpathian Mountains. You will have a ride with the only narrow-gauge steam train in Europe which is still functional today. The train takes you to spectacular landscapes of mountains and valleys. In the heart of the picturesque mountain village, the Câmpul Cetăţii, you can have lunch at the Fisherman’s Inn (not included).

Then you will leave Maramures behind and head to the much more famous Transylvania region.

You will arrive in Sovata where you will stay at a hotel with a spa so you will enjoy a sauna, Jacuzzi and pools. Accommodation in Sovata.

Day 6  27th of December

The best story in Sovata. Our story tour will start with Bernady Gyorgy Mansion, a sumptuous villa for those times, built in romantic style. The construction work began in 1930 and the idea belonged to the then mayor of Targu Mures, Bernady Gyorgy. The building is made of wood and fits perfectly in the alpine landscape. Do not be discouraged by the ruin you will find!

Later we will go to an extraordinary picture, 9 kilometers from Sovata, in the village of Praid, in the Salt Mountain Reservation, everything around is white. Crystals, crusts, pebbles, bouquets, all shapes you will find in the salt of Praid. The salt mountain is the largest deposit in Romania and is buried in the ground up to 3 kilometers, the largest depth in Europe.

In your way to your accommodation, you will pass by Bear Lake, which is the largest helioterm lake in the world, has vegetation and it is known when it was formed.

Sovata is famous for its lakes, 7 in number: Lake Black, Alunis, Lake Green, Red, Lake Mierlei, Lake Snakes and Bear Lake. All chlorinated and sodium waters, with properties beneficial for health and increasingly sought by tourists. Return to the same accommodation in Sovata.

Day 7  28th of December

After breakfast, prepare for a trip to Praid salt mines.

A cure with mine salt? Praid salt mine is the perfect place, far from the Sovata resort at only 10 kilometers away! Located in the Gurghiului Basin, in Harghita County,this salt mine is one of the largest in Romania and Europe.

To get to the middle of the salt mine, a bus will take you through a 1,500-meter long corridor and you will descend 300 steep steps. The air here is effective in treating respiratory conditions.

On your way back to the accommodation, we will have a stop in Corund village. Ceramics from Corund, also appreciated abroad, still preserves the old grandmother’s craft. If you are still in the area it would be a shame not to find the secrets of the folk crafts. Only 20 kilometers from Sovata you will enter a universe of potters from Transylvania. Here each house is practically a workshop, where carefully crafted ceramic objects are displayed.

The same accommodation in Sovata

Day 8  29th of December

We leave Sovata early morning and head towards Sighisoara. In our way, we will stop at Lake Sfanta Ana, the only lake of volcanic origin in Romania, near Tusnad, about 150 kilometers from Sovata. The lake water, fed only by rainfall, has a high purity, similar to that of distilled water. You will not regret that you have come this way. The area is extremely quiet, with negative ions and it will bring the well-deserved relaxation.

Sighisoara, one of the best well – preserved medieval towns in the world that is still inhabited. Sighisoara is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the historic center of this small tow, you can visit the Clock Tower, the Blacksmith Tower, the Venetian House, Vlad Tepes’ house (aka Dracula), Shoemakers Tower, Tailors Tower, Furriers Tower, Butchers Tower and various churches. Asides from that, the town square, the cobbled streets and the colorful buildings are very similar to a fairytale – like setting. Next stop will be in Biertan, a place of Transylvanian Saxon heritage where you will visit the fortified church, an imposing monument that overlooks the entire village and valley. Accommodation in Sibiu.

Day 9  30th of December

Today you will enjoy a day trip and travel east towards the neighboring counties of Hunedoara and Alba.

Hunedoara is home to Romania’s most important Gothic architectural monument, Corvin Castle. Don’t hesitate to cross the long entrance bridge and find out the various legends of the place. Alba Iulia, a city of historical importance is a must-see attraction. Spend a few hours in the place where the three main regions united to form the present Romania and explore the fortress, after which you will travel back to Sibiu. Accommodation in Sibiu.

Day 10  31st of December

This day will be fully dedicated to discovering Sibiu and its captivating attractions. A charming town exuding a bohemian atmosphere where you will spend the next days of your Christmas and New Year’s holidays in Romania.

You can stroll through the Old Town to admire the colorfully painted houses and find out the stories behind their walls, visit Romania’s oldest museum or take in the picturesque views from one of the tall towers. Sibiu is also famous for having the best Christmas Market in Romania, so leave aside a few hours for enjoying the festive atmosphere.

At night you can gather in one of Sibiu’s many squares and count down to the New Year. Welcome 2021 with fireworks, good food and music. Accommodation in Sibiu.

Day 11  1st of January

As most shops and attractions are closed on the first day of the year you can choose to spend the day relaxing or walking along the beautiful streets of the town. If you wish for a more active day you can travel to Paltinis, a famous area amongst sport lovers where you can ski or ride a bobsled or just have a walk in nature. Accommodation in Sibiu.

Day 12  2nd of January

You will drive from Sibiu towards the Fagaras Mountains and then take a cable car up to Balea Lake, where the ice hotel is built every year. The hotel has everything one would expect from such a place: rooms or igloos decorated with furniture made entirely of ice, soft blankets that will keep you warm at night, an ice restaurant and even a park where you can have fun and enjoy winter sports. Accommodation in Balea.

Day 13  3rd of January

In the morning you will say farewell to your ice room, descend the mountain and head to Brasov, a medieval city surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains. On the way there you may stop in the village of Prejmer, home to the largest fortified church in Transylvania. In Brasov you can walk around the old town, admire the defensive walls and towers. Not to be missed are the views from the nearby Tampa Mountain, where you can arrive by hiking or taking the cable car. Accommodation in Brasov.

Day 14  4th of January

In the morning you will go to Zarnesti to visit the Libearty Bear Sanctuary, a place where formerly captive bears are now kept in safe conditions. You’ll be able to observe them in their natural habitat and find out their moving stories.

Next on your itinerary is Bran Castle, famous for its association with Dracula. Built in the 15th century, the imposing monument manages to bring to life the long-forgotten atmosphere of medieval times. Accommodation in Brasov.

Day 15  5th of January

On the last day of your Christmas holidays in Romania you will leave Brasov and travel to Bucharest, from where you will take a flight back home.