Compare Madagascar family adventure by Audley Travel vs Amazing Bucovina - UNESCO by Eastern European Experience
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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4.5 | Great
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| Duration | 12 days | 3 days |
| Price From | $ 5,288 | $ 425 |
| Price Per Day | $ 441 | $ 142 |
| Highlights |
N/A
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| Trip Style | Private guided tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Premium |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions | N/A |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
2 breakfasts, 1 dinner |
| Description |
Walk in the Ifotaka sacred forest and view tombs hidden deep in the undergrowth. Explore the spiny forest and the wildlife that lives within. |
Step in the land of art and culture by visiting unique landmarks, protected by UNESCO. Monasteries here have preserved their culture for centuries and the art that is covering their walls is a testimony to this. Be amazed by the Voronet Blue, the Humor Red or the Moldovita Yellow, all of them displayed in biblical scenes on the walls of these superb places. It's like the Holy Scripture in images. All would not be complete without enjoying a traditional dinner with locals in heart of a local village. |
Day 1 : International outbound flight
Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Antananarivo.
Day 2 : Antananarivo
On arrival, a driver will meet you and take you to your city centre hotel to relax after your flights.
Day 3 : Ifotaka Community Forest
Today you will be taken back to the airport to fly down to Fort Dauphin. A driver from Mandrare River Camp will meet you and transfer you back to the camp. Settle in and relax with a cold drink before enjoying some of the superb food the chef conjures up.
Day 4 : Ifotaka Community Forest
There are numerous activities to enjoy from Mandrare River Camp. We highly recommend a walk in the sacred forest. This is excellent for viewing lemurs, chameleons and birds.
Day 5 : Ifotaka Community Forest
Today you can choose to spend the day either on further forest walks or immersing yourself in the Antandroy culture. You could visit the local village and meet with the ombiasy or get involved with learning how to use a zebu-hide slingshot! The Antandroy tribe are a fascinating people and this is a great opportunity to gain a unique insight to their culture.
Day 6 : Manafiafy
You will be taken back to Fort Dauphin today and continue on to Manafiafy Beach and Rainforest Lodge. This is a great place to relax with plenty of wildlife in the area and numerous activities on offer.
Day 7 : Manafiafy
There are a number of different excursions and activities included during your stay including snorkelling around the sheltered bay, guided walks in the forest along with boat rides through the mangrove channels and to nearby islands.
Day 8 : Manafiafy
Today you may like to arrange a fishing trip from Manafiafy with guides from the lodge.
Day 9 : Manafiafy
Enjoy a guided walk to explore the surrounding area. The forest is home to a large number of different lemur species including the dwarf, mouse, sportive and brown lemurs as well as reptiles.
Day 10 : Antananarivo
From Manafiafy you will be transferred by road to Fort Dauphin for your flight back to Tana and your overnight hotel.
Day 11 : International return flight
You will be taken back to the airport to meet your onward flights today.
Day 12 : International return flight
Arrive home today to complete your journey.
1st day-Bucharest, Focsani, Panciu and Sucevita.
Get ready in the morning to meet your guide and to discover the beauty of Bucovina. Departure to Focsani or “The town of the Milcov Tower” as it’s called in some scripts. Stefan the Great Voivode established the boundary between Moldavia and the Romanian Country in 1482, on the Milcov River bank until 1859, when the two Romanian Principalities united. Upon arrival at Panciu, discover the Panciu Wine Cellar. Built 500 years ago, during the reign of Stephen the Great it has 1700 ha and it harvests approx. 105000 hl annual.
Arrival and overnight in Sucevita.
2nd day-Sucevita, Marginea, Vatra Moldovitei, Voronet and Sucevita.
Today you will have a full day to discover the beauty of this area, the painted monasteries. First stop will be at Marginea, a village known for its black pottery. It became a pottery center sometimes in the 16th century. The pottery was crafted for food storage and other purposes. It is crossed by the Suceviţa River and surrounded by forests and lands providing water, fire and clay for the preservation of this art. Marginea is the only place in the world where the black color is obtained without adding anything to the clay paste. The most picturesque treasures of Romania are the Painted Monasteries of Bucovina. Their exterior walls are decorated with elaborate 15th and 16th century containing portraits of saints and prophets, scenes from the life of Jesus, images of angels and demons, and heaven and hell. First stop is at Sucevita Monastery (UNESCO Heritage), built between 1582 and 1584. The architecture of the church contains both Byzantine and Gothic elements, and some elements typical to other painted churches of northern Moldavia. Both interior and exterior walls are covered by mural paintings, which are of great artistic value and depict biblical episodes from the Old and New Testament. The paintings date from around 1601, which makes Sucevița one of the last monasteries to be decorated in the famous Moldavian style of exterior paintings. Next is the Monastery of Moldovița built between 1532 and 1537 by Petru Rareș, who was Stephen III of Moldavia’s illegitimate son. It was founded as a protective barrier against the Muslim Ottoman conquerors from the East. The frescoes were painted by Toma of Suceava in 1537. They are filled with yellow accents and are well-preserved. The predominantly yellow-and-blue paintings on its exterior represent recurring themes in Christian Orthodox art. Next is Voronet Monastery, constructed by Stephen the Great in 1488 over a period of 3 months and 3 weeks to commemorate the victory at Battle of Vaslui. Often known as the “Sistine Chapel of the East”, the frescoes at Voroneț feature an intense shade of blue known in Romania as “Voroneț blue.”
Overnight in Sucevita.
3rd day- Sucevita, Neamt, Agapia, Piatra Neamt and Bucharest.
Today we will drive along the villages from Moldova and we will visit Neamt Monastery, one of the oldest and most important of its kind in Romania. It was built in the 15th century, and it is an example of medieval Moldavian architecture. A jewel of 15th-century architecture, the church was built during Ştefan the Greatest’s reign and finished in the year when the Moldavian army won the battle against King John Albert (1497). Neamt County is an area blessed with many touristic sites such as century-old monasteries, museums, fortresses and as well many natural parks ideal for hiking and wild-life watching. Monasteries Neamt (the oldest in eastern Romania) and Agapia- featuring by Romania`s best known painters: Nicolae Grigorescu at Agapia Monastery, the Ceahlau Mountain also known as the Athos of Romanian Orthodoxy.
Drive back to Bucharest and drop off to your hotel.
