Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

There was no single moment I can identify. It was each occasion we went for a walk and encountered the Lemurs and Reptiles. Through the choice alone of the Lemus and Chameleons we got very close on more than one occasion. I will emphasise this was the animals choice not mine. Brown & Ring Tailed Lemurs can approach up to an arms length away. I didn't get bitten but I was wary. But it was exciting!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rija was one of the most enthusiastic and happy tour leaders I have had the pleasure of travelling with. Not only was she informative and organised she was also an expert wildlife spotter. She had an ability to spot something, when all we could see was undergrowth. I distinctly remember the rare 4 inch chameleon in the dark that she spotted from 10 paces when actually it was under a large leaf? I've never travelled with a leader equipped with xray infrared vision before, but I have now.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The tour company was good and supplied bottled water every day. Don't throw away the bottles. They are a desired commodity to the people in the hills and they are very happy when you hand over the empties for them to put their local produce in, honey, oil or similar. You may like to hand over other stuff too but the children can get a bit boisterous so choose your moment carefully if its something for them. Dont forget the adults, they are poor too. In a couple of areas during September it got chilly in the evening, please remember a light fleece or jumper.

Suggestions

I was surprised so many people used their mobile phone or tablet to take pictures. Be patient with them, as I noticed it took them much longer, and they stood so much closer to the subject than us with the SLR cameras.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being close to , seeing and hearing the Indri Lemurs was a very special experience. My favourite day was the walk in Isalo National Park.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rija was one of the best guides I have ever had. Her local knowledge was amazing. She had done this trip many times and she knew how to make it run smoothly, sometimes in difficult circumstances. Despite her experience she was still really enthusiastic about everything and made the trip really enjoyable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take walking poles if you usually walk with them. It was torrential rain in the Rainforest and I could have done with my full set of waterproof clothing and back pack cover. I should have taken a warmer jumper as well as my fleece. The hotel at Isalo offered washing very cheaply and we got all our wet and muddy Rainforest clothing washed and dried there. Change all your money at the airport on arrival and when you go back through later. The ATMs [we had two opportunities] may only allow you to change around £50. Those who did try and change money at the bank had to queue around 2 hours to be served!! No where took cards. Be prepared for the unexpected...no electricity, no running water, hold ups, bumpy roads, changes of time, unexpected encounters with local people etc

Suggestions

You need to have an Adventurous spirit. These sort of trips are more of an experience than a holiday!

Most Inspirational Moment

There were many highlights including the following: 1. Hearing the early morning cries of the Indri lemurs in Andasibe. 2. Seeing mouse lemurs and the rainforest in Ramofana. 3. Seeing ring tailed lemurs very close. 4. The amazing landscapes and the "black pool" at Isalo. 5. Travelling to and from Nosy Ve by a traditional dhow. 3. The welcome given to us by the villagers when our bus broke down and we had a 90 minute delay while Andree fixed the bus.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ritza was excellent. She was very friendly, enthusiastic and approachable throughout the trip and gave some very good talks on the bus on Madagascan life. The dealt with the bus breaking down crisis brilliantly and got the ladies on our trip dancing with the villagers.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for some long drives on some poor roads (although most of the roads outside the Tana to Fianarantsoa section were fairly decent) but that is realistically the only way to see the number of attractions which are covered by this trip. The accommodation was very good throughout but I would try and although the food was generally fine I would try and eat outside the hotels whenever possible. The town close to Isalo has an amazing pizza restaurant about 200 yards from the hotel.

Most Inspirational Moment

Obviously the wildlife was the main highlight: lemurs, chameleons and geckos were all fabulous. The range of species, colours, habits etc were constantly fascinating. If I had to pick one moment, however, it would be the chameleon catching an insect - so fast, so accurate, a great sight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Elodoie was a great tour leader - full of enthusiasm and always wanting to tell us more about the island, its people, language and way of life - as well as the animals and flora.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for long coach journeys: make sure you have insect repellent and malaria prophylaxis: good walking boots/shoes are essential. I found poles very useful.

Suggestions

Learn to use your camera. Some of the party I was with didn't know how to switch off the red-eye protection so I have several photos bathed in red - very annoying!

Most Inspirational Moment

The Ranohira national park had fantastic canyons and sandstone features. It was a shame we did not walk longer here.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was highly knowledgeable in all areas and managed to return us safely to Antananarivo safely even when the internal flights were cancelled.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There is really a lot of bus travel on this trip, even the city tour on the last day involves 60km of bus ride. Be careful about changing money back at the airport as we were tricked. The exchange only had 50 euro or 20 dollar notes so simply rounded up all the local money to an exchange rate in his favour essentially robbing us.

Suggestions

The cancellation of the internal flights essentially meant that we lost a day's holiday and any chance to explore and shop in Tana. This was extremely frustrating as I spent 2 days with motion sickness and diarrhea on the bus. Then the flight to Paris was delayed so I missed my connecting flight and spent 7 hours waiting at Charles-de-Gaulle as Air France would not transfer to the 3 Lufthansa flights that departed every 2 hours as my bags were checked through to my final destination.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing lemurs in their natural environoment. Snorkelling on Nosy Ve

Thoughts on Group Leader

The holiday was really well organised by our tour leader Armel. He even worked on days when he really did not have to as when we had free time he still guided us around the towns. He was enthusiastic about finding lemurs and making sure we could all get a good view of them. Great tour leader enthusiasic and knowledgeable about the country and wildlife. He spoke excellent English and always wanted to make our holiday as enjoyable as possible.

Advice for Potential Travellers

There is a lot of driving but the days are broken up with visits to national parks, so not as onerous as it sounds in the notes. However the last few days from leaving the beach to arriving home is very tiring and for a couple of days there was not much to see in Tulear and Antananarivo

Suggestions

Go while there is still things to see

Most Inspirational Moment

The range of lemur species that we were privileged to see interacting in the wild and swinging in the trees! I was surprised how close they came to us, allowing for some fantastic photo opportunities!

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was a native Madagascan so was able to give us a real insight into his country. He was also very eager to ensure that everyone had a positive experience and nothing was ever too much trouble... Having received the groups details before the trip began he'd even arranged some birthday surprises (a band and a cake) for one of the group members.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It was colder than I expected in the north, particularly at night - pack plenty of warm clothes for this part of the trip. And be prepared for crowds/chaos when you arrive - no one seems to queue for their entry visa!

Suggestions

I was struck by how poor the Madagascan people were, even compared to other African countries I'd visited. If I were to visit again I would take more T-shirts etc that I could give away when I'd finished with them or perhaps try to support a local organisation through something like the stuff your rucksack website.