Most Inspirational Moment
There are so many it's hard to choose. The wildlife, in particular the lemurs were the highlight of the trip and we were lucky to spot many different types of lemurs in the National Parks or purely whilst out trekking, it was such a thrill waking at Grace Lodge to the calls of the Indri and then seeing them close up in the wild. We enjoyed several night walks and were lucky enough to spot several Mouse Lemurs on these as well as many chameleons, frogs and so on. The walk to and through Canyon des Makis in Isalo was incredible, a walk through a dry landscape with Zebu farmers tending their cattle to rice fields and a verdant oasis with crystal clear pools. The trek to the piscine naturelle was hot and quite long but well worth it, so much to see along the way, the tombs and to learn about the history of the people. I loved driving through the Highlands in a hail storm and the 4wd drives across bumpy sandy tracks (roads) and then the ferry trips to Morondava. The first sighting of Baobab Alley was awe inspiring and I never tired of seeing the amazing baobabs. The camping in Kirindy Forest was just brilliant, I loved showering out in the forest listening to the calls of lemurs. Seeing the Fossa was so exciting too! The morning canoe trip through the gorge was so peaceful, amazing colours on the rocks and seeing the tombs of the first inhabitants of Madagascar. The trek and climb using harnesses through Grand Tsingy and over the bridge was tough and hot but so worthwhile and I felt a great sense of achievement. Tana the capital felt like home in the end, a lively city full of charm. The days we spent by the sea were so relaxing, some fabulous sunsets. I will never forget the welcome we got everywhere, children running out and waving to us, the whole trip is inspirational!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Sol was a fantastic group leader who told us all about the history of Madagascar, the people, the wildlife and the places we visited. I spotted a large bird when we were driving in separate 4x4's which I described to him later on and he was able to tell me exactly what it was which was great. He was really clear in letting us know what to bring for a night walk such as mozzie spray, head torch and so on and letting us know what we would need for a days activities and he tried to be as flexible as he could to fit in what everyone wanted to do. He was really helpful translating menus when we were choosing supper each night on arrival and in generally looking after us. I felt we were in a very safe pair of hands and would totally recommend Sol.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I think you need to be reasonably fit for this trip, there were some walks which were tiring mainly due to the heat rather than the distance, you do need to make sure you are drinking lots of water all the time. There are some quite steep treks through the rainforest when spotting lemurs so you need walking boots with a good grip. There are some longer days of driving but personally I enjoyed the variety of landscapes I saw from the window, there were also frequent stops along the way for different interesting sights or for a loo stop! The 4x4 drives were through amazing countryside and villages and although we had air conditioning in our vehicle we did not feel the need to use it as we found it was just fine with the windows down. Some reviews have been critical about the trip because of a few long days driving but Madagascar is quite a big country so in order to see everything some longer days driving were necessary, it didn't detract from the trip at all for me though so don't let it put you off. There are in any case relaxing days by the beach interspersed with the driving though overall it's a busy trip, often with early starts each day and packed with exciting activities and different things to see. The trip notes to me did not do justice to the amazing things we did every day, each day was 'wow'! Bring mosquito coils to burn at night, we found them invaluable! Also although the latter part of the trip was really hot, some earlier parts of the trip were cooler so make sure you bring a fleece for evenings. Bring a good camera, a spare battery for when there is no electricity and lots of memory cards as you will need them, there is so much to photograph!