Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The time we walked up peak Toby Camping overnight then setting off at 4.30am having breakfast on a ledge with our porters were all set up and organised Then finally reaching the top with an amazing view

Thoughts on Group Leader

Armel is a credit to your company taking great pride in his job and organising everything to presision We had some lovely surprises Even had a Easter cake delivered in the middle of nowhere on Easter Sunday That was something that wasn’t expected Voiding to malagasi homes The list goes on

Advice for Potential Travellers

Buy malagasi dollars

Suggestions

I can’t wait for my next adventure x

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting up close and personal with the ring-tailed lemurs was completely unexpected. Their indifference to us was fantastic as we watched them go about their business. Night walks seeking out the mouse lemurs, chameleons and tree frogs was equally exciting. The amazing range of scenery was stunning, even the long dusty roads against a blue-sky backdrop were dramatic.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Claudia, was brilliant. She was in control at all times, had an excellent sense of humour and always in a good mood despite a few challenges along the way - especially when our internal flight to get us home was cancelled and she had to make alternative arrangements at very short notice.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you take a head-torch for the night and cave walks. Pack light if you can - there's only a 5kg carry-on limit on the internal flights and they do try to enforce it. If you're carrying an SLR take it out of your bag before they weight it - it'll save a lot of weight! Make sure you take some Imodium with you, half of our group needed it at some point and you'll be very grateful for it on the long drives! If you're into photography, take a tripod and get some pictures of the night-sky. The views of the milky way are spectacular - especially from the beach at Ifaty. The menus can become monotonous, if you just want a sandwich for lunch rather than a full meal then just ask for one. Also, stock up on snacks when you can.

Suggestions

Parts of Madagascar are extremely poor and it's a bit of an eye-opener, but I was staggered at just how friendly and approachable everyone is. Go with an open mind and you will not be disappointed.

Most Inspirational Moment

I’d wanted to visit Madagascar for some time to see the wildlife and to visit the giant baobab forests and these did not disappoint. As a keen photographer it was great to see the Avenue of Baobabs in both the afternoon sun and at sunset, and also to get lots of opportunities to see lemurs in the wild, although we all got neck-ache from looking up at the tops of trees for hours at a time! The night walk in Kirindy was particularly rewarding, and hearing the haunting call of the Indri in the morning in Andasibe was just superb. I can’t believe that I got to the top of the Tsingy as I have issues around heights, so that was an unexpected if terrifying highlight! I really loved the drive from Morondava to Bekopaka with the baobabs, villages and Heath-Robinson-style ferry crossings: all very wild!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sol was brilliant. The trip went like clockwork because Sol spent much of the trip checking ahead to make sure that everything was organised for us, including nabbing us a ferry for the Tsiribihina River crossing so we wouldn’t be held up by the Prime Minister who was about to visit! Sol kept us fully informed of all aspects of our itinerary and managed everything so that we didn’t waste time, particularly as regards ordering food, wearing the most appropriate clothes for each excursion, finding us good shopping spots and bush toilets (some better than others!). He was a fount of wisdom on all fronts – history, flora and fauna, culture, food, topography etc etc and we all soaked up his fascinating insights about the Malagasy culture. He was always cheerful and patient, despite various annoyances, and contributed hugely to the trip’s success.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes and all the reviews thoroughly as they are full of tips and information. In practical terms . . . Camera Gear: photographers should take the best wide and long lenses you have: 100-400mm is ideal as some wildlife gets very close. Don’t bother with laptops/hard drives etc as the luggage limit for internal flights is limited. Take lots of memory cards and spare batteries. I took binoculars but didn’t use them and used my long lens instead. Take video clips when you can as these really convey the culture, wildlife and landscape better than stills – particularly the leaping lemurs which are so difficult to capture. Clothing: I should have taken more long-sleeved t-shirts as these are v useful in the rainforest under a waterproof. It gets cold in the highlands so a fleece is essential. No need for smart clothes – travel light with layers for the rainforest and a sarong for the beach (or buy a Malagasy one along the way). Take advantage of the laundry facilities on two-night stopovers – you get very dusty! Food: Take a few protein/crunchy bars for a snack if you need them, but the food is filling if not very varied. Be prepared for a limited menu particularly if you have a restricted diet. Don’t be afraid to go off-menu as the restaurants will do their best to accommodate you. I took tea-bags and Marmite and was glad I did as a breakfast boost will set you up for the day. Give your empty plastic water bottles to the kids who will recycle them by finding a use for them at home. Change all your money at the airport as doing so later is a pain. I changed £400 and that was just enough to cover everything, including a bit of souvenir shopping (if you see something you like, buy it then and there as there are few shopping opportunities), wine at dinner (NOT the local stuff) and a few beers along the way. Food is cheap! Take hand sanitizer and use it regularly to stay healthy. Get as fit as you can before the trip. The Tsingy is challenging and the terrain in some of the parks (Ranomafana) requires stamina. Hotels are varied, some more basic than others. Take a travel pillow for both bus and hotel bed! This is not a ‘relaxing’ holiday but it is really rewarding. Take an open mind and an easy-going attitude and soak it all up!

Suggestions

Despite a 6-hour layover in Nairobi, my luggage did not make the connecting flight to Antananarivo, and the same happened to two others in our party as well as many more people on the flight. This is not uncommon apparently. I'd recommend having all camera gear in your hand luggage including battery chargers, plus overnight essentials. We returned to the airport at 3am the same night to meet the next flight and our bags were on it, thankfully. We'd have been in trouble otherwise: shopping for 'regular' kit in Madagascar is tricky as there are few Western shops, although it is also refreshing NOT to have the usual global brands, shops and advertising on every corner!

Most Inspirational Moment

I have no idea why I was expecting rainforest everywhere as Madagascar is such a big country. So the dry forest at Kirindy was a joy to the senses - fresh leafy, earthy smells, crunch of the leaves underfoot, the warmth of the sun and the amazing lemurs, fossa (even if it was just at the lodge area), owls to be seen. My favourite bit was when the group of lemurs headed straight for us and had a gawp at us at very close range (touching distance) before heading higher into the trees. The fact that they actively approached humans was unique! So expect the difference of cool rainforest, tropical rainforest, dry forest, grasslands, mountains, desert/scrub and the amazing Tsingy. I loved the day hike around the Tsingy. As I have been climbing, caving and done many hikes, I was keen to do this day's walk. I was impressed that Exodus provided their own harnesses for the Via Ferrata - the harnesses provided to the other group were a bit old and tatty. The guides were very patient and helpful to members of the group who had issues with the climb or over the bridge. So everyone successfully completed the walk and had an amazing walk to remember. I was very thankful that I had my Camelpak to keep up the fluids readily as it was hot dry and sweaty work! Sunset at the baobabs was lovely - it is of course dependent on the clouds and dust in the atmosphere as how the sunset glows - but you feel like you are a world away from your worries at that time.

Thoughts on Group Leader

From the start, Sol was looking after us well. Three of us had our bags left in Nairobi by Kenya Airways so he arranged at no cost to ourselves for a taxi to pick us up and take us back to the airport to hope that our bags were on the next flight. This was Sol - always organising things and smoothing things along. He was so informative about the ethnic groups, the local industies, politics, history, flora and fauna. Many a time whilst on the bus, his dulcet tones lulled me to sleep but not through lack of interest but as he has such a calming voice. I think this say it all - Sol rushes in to get us to leave the restaurant post haste as the President of Madagascar is coming along this road and it could cause delays. We get to the ferry site, we are told we'll have to wait as the President is coming. Sol puts his foot down and states that he has responsibility for his clients and they are more important to him than the president at this moment!! We got on the ferry thankfully or would have had a delay of a number of hours and missed the baobabs at sunset! He made sure that we were looked after and if we had a request, he would try his best to accommodate this - purchasing suntan lotion in small towns, sarong shopping, stopping for Gem workshops....... Sol is a lovely gentleman who is a credit to Madagascar and to Exodus allowing us to have an amazing trip. He had a hard task to keep our group in order as we were like a bunch of frogs jumping everywhere when allowed out! He was funny, serious and interested in us as we were in his life too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Madagascar is a huge country so distances to be covered make for long bus trips. A travel pillow is recommended. But this meant that we got to see the real lives of Madagascar - the activity on the villages as we traveled through, seeing the variety of houses in the different areas and the different farming activities. The landscape changes so much as well too -we might start at the seaside and be in rainforest by the end of the day. Don't expect a sleep in- we had a running joke by the end of the trip up with bags out and leaving at times that most holidays would never consider. But we needed to be on the road as our trip was pretty full on and a huge variety of animals and environments, that the last full day at the seaside was a free activities day was a godsend to have free time! As I previously mentioned the Tsingy and Isalo NP are hot so a Camel pak is better than just drinking out of a bottle - it stopped me from getting dehydrated as I drank 3 litres of water each walk. I had used previous reviewers information about changing money - Sol requests one the first day 200,000Ar (approx £40) for a kitty for drivers, guides etc. The airport has a number of exchange places that change euros, (post 2009 marked) USD and GBP. You have the opportunity to go back to the airport on Day 3 as well, or Day 9 we can change at a money changer in Morodava (with slightly poorer rates than at the airport) only euro or USD. I bought a few souvenirs, had an hours' massage, went snorkelling, tried to see the giant jumping rat and drank wine with my meals so I change £400. Did not change any money back but it was worth it!

Suggestions

Another word of thanks to our brilliant driver Dama. He was smooth and safe whilst driving us on long trips. The bus was always immaculately clean, withe bin emptied numerous times throughout the day, the floors swept daily and windows washed daily so it was a pleasure to be in. I think that this was a well thought out itinerary that gave the traveler an excellent taste of the variety of wildlife, landscape, local people and ways of life in such a compact schedule. It is an adventure that changes rapidly and keeps you marveling at the beauty of Madagascar. It is Africa but without the large game and that difference means that you have to look closer but then you enjoy what you find even more!

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing and hearing the indris (my favourite lemur). Climbing the Tsingy - challenging in places for those of us with issues around heights, but well worth it. Sunset at the Alley of Baobabs - although you will be with a large number of tourists gathering to see it - quite a funny sight! The ferry crossing with the 4x4s - fascinating. Isalo National Park walk, including the 'piscine naturelles'. Meeting local people and learning about their culture.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sol was an excellent leader. All leaders that I've met over 12 years of travelling with Exodus have been good - and Sol is up there with the very best of them. He has incredible organisation skills, happily shares his knowledge on all things Madagascan, is a good leader - clear information, always available to help if required, but never in your face. Best of all he's a really nice guy with a great personality and is a real pleasure to spend time with.

Advice for Potential Travellers

On arrival at the airport avoid the 'helpful' staff in high viz vests who offer to help you jump to the front of the visa queue or help with your bags - they will charge you a fortune for the pleasure! Money - change cash at the airport. Only one hotel took credit cards, so you do need cash. £350-£400 should be sufficient for most people, including all tips, unless you like to buy a lot of souvenirs. Spend all your Ariary before check-in for the flight home (Euros preferred in departures). Take a first aid kit - I cut my foot on a rock and was glad I had antiseptic wipes, ointment and plasters to keep out infection. Most people had a 24/48 hour stomach bug (cramps or the 'runs') at some point - not a major issue, but come prepared. Bring toilet wipes as many loos whilst out and about don't have loo roll and hotels only provide a small roll! I'd also recommend hand sanitizer. Hotel laundry services at Olympe de Bemaraha and Ihary were good and inexpensive.

Suggestions

A full on trip, but worth the effort.

Most Inspirational Moment

Two: Seeing Baobab Alley on two occasions, once at sunset and the moment a friendly Lemur gently jumped on my shoulder and stayed put! In spite of the mad rush by our group to get good good pics of the Lemurs at the start, towards the end we found a glut of Lemurs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sol Razafimahazo, a charming guy, was a tolerant and knowledgeable leader. He had everything in hand from the moment he got us to change money at the airport on arrival, handed us pocket maps and after the interesting tour, made sure that we got checked in for the homeward journey. He was in contact with hotels and restaurants on the long journeys and would pre-order food for us to cut down on the waiting times. One of the best that I have met in over 15 years of traveling with Exodus!

Advice for Potential Travellers

The roads are largely unpaved and washed away. The 4 wheel vehicles are therefore essential. Be prepared for dusty, bumpy rides. The drivers are very safe but do put on seat belts. Take anti-Malaria tablets. The hotels we stayed in provided good mosquito nets and repellents but you can get bitten outdoors. One trek involves rock climbing (Exodus trip notes specifically warn you about this!) and, at my age, I opted out of it. Sensible shoes are a must. There is no point bringing fancy evening clothes. There is no National Electric Grid as such and in most parts the hotels have their own generators which, understandably, only work when needed. Electronic devices are a pain as some of the group found out. Signals are weak and the power not reliable. Internal flights weigh your baggage assiduously! Be warned! Airlines confiscate a lot of items including locally produced souvenirs. Do check with your tour leader before buying. Cuisine is either local or French or Italian. Do not expect a full English Breakfast although in all the hotels, we did get eggs cooked the way we wanted.

Suggestions

It takes a long time to get from Antananarivo airport to Hotel Belvedere. This was fine at the start but when, on the last day, we had to fly from Tuliary Airport to Antananarivo, drive to Hotel Belvedere through heavy traffic, have a quick dinner/turnaround and drive back to the same airport to catch our flights back home it was a little bit of a pain. Sol did his best to smooth things out: Some of us opted to leave our big bags in the coach so as not to waste time loading and unloading. Maybe it would be a good idea to find accommodation closer to the airport on the last day.

Most Inspirational Moment

The hightlight for me was Vakona Lemur Island, where you can get up close and personal with the lemurs. Grand Tsingy was suitably dramatic and the walk through Isalo National Park was excellent.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ben, our group leader was helpful and knowledgeable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware of the length of the drives involved, and the days of consecutive driving. But the ferry crossings were good fun.

Most Inspirational Moment

National parks - Tsingy was spectacular and fun to explore by walking and via ferrata - the views at the top were superb. Isalo was great - walking through desert only to find a lush canyon oasis filled with plants and a (very cold!) natural swimming pool at the end (definately take the option of the local community barbequing food for you rather than the hotel sandwich!). Seeing lemurs in the wild eating and playing was excellent. There are loads of opportunities to see lemurs - mostly in the trees from from a short distance (but note if you want really good pictures you'll need a camera with a proper zoom e.g. 75-300mm DSLR lens... in some areas (where they are more tame a standard compact camera will do). Diving on the reef was great. The landscape changes on a daily basis - lush rainforests, deserts, white sand beaches etc.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ben (Nambinina) was great fun. He took care of us throughout the trip and ensured we were in the right place at the right time. He arranged a kitty so that all tips for porters etc. were taken care of. He tried to cater for everyone's needs.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Exchange most of your money at tbe airport. This is the easiest place to do so and probably the best rates (certainly compared to hotels in Tana). Cash machines are possible but are only really present in larger places, are often out of order or have no money and there is a maximum of around £100 you can withdraw at one time (often the machine will let you do more than one withdrawl... if there is enough money!). It's also a hassle if one person needs the cash machine as it holds up the whole trip. Similarly there are often queues at banks which can take a while to exchange. The airport currency exchange took sterling without a problem. Meals are between 15000-25000 ariary (£4-7) each for lunch and evening meal. Drinks are £0.5-1.50 each (cold beer is available everywhere!). By the time the kitty is paid for and tips at the end along with souvenirs and extra trips probably £350 spending money is needed. There are long journeys - this is clearly documented in the trip notes. It's the only way to see everything. On a few occasions we arrived at the hotel at dark and were leaving early the next day. For one of the internal flights it was a 3am start! There are times to relax on certain days but there is a lot of travelling too.... and some is on very bumpy roads and rather 'interesting' ferry crossings - all adding to the adventure. Most of the journey was spent in a very comfortable mini-bus and a small amount in four-wheel drive cars. For those with a bit more time it would be very easy to book a few extra nights in Ifaty at the end to spend relaxing on the beach or to do some more diving or birdwatching. Get rid of all Ariary befire you check in to the flight home (Euros is preferred once you pass through security in the limited shops in the airport). Have some Euro for entering the country to pay for the visa - was 27 euros. It gets cold in Andasibe and Ranomafana in the evening so take a warm jumper. It is generally a poor country and children will ask for sweats ("bon bon") - especially on the west side. One person had brought along some pencils, balloons and brightly coloured bangels which went down a treat with the children! They like to have their photo taken and it will amuse them for ages if you show them the picture on the screen afterwards! There are at least three night hikes so make sure you have a torch. Hand santiser is useful as often no soap in toilets.... 'bush' toilets may be cleaner! As you will be staying in remote areas food options can be limited at times - usually chicken or zebu (seafood on west coast which was amazing). In larger areas pasta and other options are available. No vegetarians etc. in our group. There is a three course meal on offer for lunch and dinner but often a main meal will suffice. It is possible to wash clothes at most hotels but save this for the places that you'll be staying in more than one night. It was fairly cheap. It is worth taking mosquito spray - I rarely used it and wasn't bothered too much (but some others were).

Suggestions

Great trip - definately worthwhile!

Most Inspirational Moment

At age-83, having survived the hike-in, the climbs/etc to the Peaks, the bridge, and back-out at Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Taskmaster who put it all together to do the most, see the most -- often with special events -- in a region where Mora-Mora rules everything and Mel was able to overcome it.

Advice for Potential Travellers

if you wish for unique exposure to nature and people different from almost anything you've ever seen -- DO IT !!

Suggestions

Exodus failed badly at beginning by not describing the need for "kitty", lunch & dinner monies plus "for goodies" in a region where ATM's are very scarce and the Need for an estimated $800-USD = 2,400,000-Local currency (for two) at airport in a world where 400,000 was MAX withdrawal from ATM's caused problems (which did get resolved)

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking in the Tsingy, it was better than I ever imagined. I had not been to Anja park before and I was pleasantly surprised to see the ring tailed lemurs enjoying themselves in a natural setting. I have never seen so many ring tailed lemurs in a single tree as I did here. Walking in the Isalo National Park was stunning.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our tour leader Sol was very good and he was very helpful when people had problems.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't miss out on seeing the spiny forest at Ifaty. It was very sunny so take some good sunscreen, I used factor 50 and didn't burn.

Suggestions

The east of the island can be wet as we found at the Andasibe and Ranomafana national parks. However, as this holiday concentrated on the middle and west of Madagascar, there was good weather everywhere apart from the above mentioned national parks. There is some long coach journeys but it was worth it.