Madagascar is indeed a world apart. Its rain forests are home to diademed sifakas, indris, fossas and tenrecs, while baobabs and pachypodia dot its sandstone deserts. Curious about these exotic-sounding names? For even the best-traveled nature lover, Madagascar offers a kaleidoscope of discoveries. It's no wonder World Wildlife Fund calls it a priority place—more than 80% of the island nation's rare and intriguing plants and animals, including more than 100 different varieties of lemur, exist nowhere else. There's no better way to experience this living time capsule that broke away from the super-continent some 100 million years ago than on our exclusive small-group journey.