Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Visiting small house in rural village and being invited in to see the house and even have coffee.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Absolutely fantastic.Lovely Malagasy man with real passion for his country.I can’t think of anything he could have done to be any better.Fantastic work ethic .

Advice for Potential Travellers

Cycling quite hilly so 100 Km and lots of hills needs some preparation such as regular cycling 30+ miles to get full enjoyment

Suggestions

Like many countries sadly there is deforestation occuring which is so sad as it is beautiful country but desperately poor and lacking investment

Most Inspirational Moment

Breakfast on the road watching the sun come up. Lunches cooked by Madame Le Chef from Tana Seeing the countryside change as we cycled south.... Relaxing on the beach at the end.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Mel, was excellent. Put his heart into making us have a special adventure in his country.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Madagascar is off the map for a lot of travellers, but it has interesting wildlife and stunning scenery. It is also a very poor country, but the people were very friendly. A lot of the locals speak French, rather than English, so be prepared to speak some basic French. In August, its winter, so cold nights but warm days - ideal for cycling...and less mosquitos !

Most Inspirational Moment

Every day had its special moments, for me cycling through the small villages were among my highlights and of course seeing the Lemurs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armel couldn’t be faulted he tried his best at every stage to make sure we got the most out of our trip, his leg massage certainly helped with the bout of cramp I got on the first day of the bike ride, didn’t have a problem after that. Otherwise Armel was as good as any tour guide I have experienced, I noticed he was better at spotting the wildlife in the parks than the local guides were, thanks Mel.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just take every day as it comes, the scenery is ever changing, but except that this is a country trying to pull itself out of abject poverty, so not everything runs perfectly smooth, in saying that Armel and his team did everything they could to deal with any issues that cropped up. The whole experience of cycling in Madagascar is better than individual moments.

Suggestions

A few on the tour did get upset stomachs at different times so couldn’t pinpoint the cause, however, it is worth taking three to five day course of Ciprofloxicin just in case.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved waking up early two mornings to ride while watching the sunrise. Not only did that mean we avoided cycling during the hottest part of the day (in the afternoon), but the sunrise over the mountains was really dramatic and the morning light was just breathtaking.

Most Inspirational Moment

The visit to the Malagasy house. It was a very humbling experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He’s a legend! He works 24/7 to ensure the smooth running of the trip, includes his own initiatives which add so much, never stops smiling and joking. He is the difference between this and other Exodus trips.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go with an open mind and a sense of humour. Be prepared for some physical challenges. Don’t expect wifi to always work. Take a gel saddle.

Most Inspirational Moment

For me there were 4 particularly inspirational moments/events: 1) seeing lemurs in both the lemur park and in the wild; 2) the walk across the rocks up into the hills/mountains; 3) the visit to a "typical" dwelling together with a brief description of how the family lived; 4) the unspoiled beach and shoreline at Ifaty.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armel was excellent, always cheery, humorous and well informed. He was also keen to give me/us a glimpse of Madagascan culture in so far as that was possible.

Advice for Potential Travellers

In early morning and evening it is quite cold so a fleece or two and other layers are important. The walk in the rain forest certainly requires a descent pair if walking shoes/boots.

Suggestions

The small herds of zebu are quite memorable and the zebu steaks are very tasty.

Most Inspirational Moment

I can think of more than one! - Cycling at sunrise riding towards the full moon while the sun was slowly rising behind us. It was simply surreal. - Night walk in the rainforest looking for chameleons with millions of starts shining above us and the sound of the nature. - Riding through the small villages in the remote areas and the entire family greeting us and the cute little kids jumping up and down as if we were doing 'Tour de France'! :) - The exilerating long downhills surrounded with mountains.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armel was simply amazing. He was very passionate about his country and the tour. He was full of energy and always had a big smile. He cared about every single member of the group and did not leave anybody out. Without him, the tour would not have been the same!

Advice for Potential Travellers

There are quite a few hills to climb so make sure you have a decent fitness level.

Most Inspirational Moment

Being able to cycle the longest distances I've ever cycled in my entire life. Seeing so much beautiful scenery that my eyes hurt, and feeling on certain roads that there was noone else in the world.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mel was a fantastic tour leader. He had a tough job on his hands as I was a very amateur cyclist with a very strong group. He managed to accommodate across alllevels.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Ensure that you are fully prepped on cycling on hills. The Malagasy flats are undulating and challenging. I thought I had a reasonable base level of fitness, but would have enjoyed it more if I had done more cycling related prep.

Suggestions

Would highly recommend this trip. I had an amazing time and would do more as a result of this!

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling 100 kms in one day - the furthest we'd ever cycled. Seeing lemurs on several occasions. Some of the long descents were absolutely wonderful. The warm welcome we received in every small village, with children keen to wave and greet us. A surprise visit to a village house for coffee.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mel was extremely good natured and efficient. Getting checked into each hotel was smooth and organised very quickly. He was at ease with everyone in the group (we ranged in age from early twenties to late sixties). He was encouraging and friendly and was happyfor us to cycle at our own pace. Everything on the trip ran very efficiently - a lot of thought and previous experience went into things such as ordering our meals a couple of hours early so that the small kitchens could cope. Suggesting and organising a group kitty for snacks en route and to pay tips in the hotels was really helpful. He emphasised safety regularly, particularly in damp weather and when the roads were steep with sharp bends.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you're cycling, a gel saddle cover or your own saddle is useful. Don't expect to see lemurs in the wild - we saw plenty, but only in National Parks. Don't expect great wi-fi! Do expect to see a lot of cloud/rain in the rainforest.

Suggestions

A suggestion regarding Ifaty beach. A few of us walked to the nearby village with one of the hotel staff as our guide. We paid the hotel a small amount for this service. We agreed that travellers would be happy to pay twice as much and for some of the money to go to the village (whose water pump had failed).

Most Inspirational Moment

Difficult to pick one thing, so I have chosen 3 things. -Seeing so many different types of Lemur, we saw Lemurs on 4 separate occasions. -The 10k downhill cycle through Ranomafana national park -Swimming in the natural pool at Liliha waterfall. There's nothing like a refreshing swim when you are hot from cycling.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armel (Mel) was great. He really loves his country and is personally involved in supporting the rural communities.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Credit cards are only accepted in Antananarivo, and ATM/Cash machines are few and far between, so planning money is a bit tricky. Taking extra Euros or dollars as a back up is an option. There were lots of picnics, some smart people in our group bought a foam garden kneeler to sit on. A sarong makes a good improvised changing room for the 2 natural swimming days.

Suggestions

Make this your next Exodus cycling trip!