Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the lemurs up close and doing the Tsingy walk.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Claudia was great, quite inspirational and with a great personality. She too had some medical issues during the trip but she kept going and behaved very professionally. She also had a personal tragedy to deal with, but we never suffered because of the things that were going on in her personal life. She was wonderful, we loved her.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Be very aware of the long journeys on such poor roads. For me this was a daily torture.. I hated the long bus journeys..! I think that the level of activity rating for this trip it not correct. The Tsingy walk was not for the faint hearted. I was well able for it, but it was tough for others. If I were to go again, I would take old clothes with me and donate them to the locals at the end of the trip. My clothes got really dirty on this trip! I would also take some goodies for the many children that we encountered along the way (Pens, pencils, note pads, yoyo's for hair, anything that would be light to carry!). I can't recommend this trip to any of my friends, because any of my friends wouldn't be able to cope with the long days and the long journeys. I appreciate that it is a big country and if you want to see it you have to travel. It was quite exhausting. One day we left our hotel at 05:30...!
![Review Centre]()
Reply from Exodus
We’d like to thank you for your review, Mary, and we are heartened to receive your comments about your tour leader, Claudia, which have been passed on. On the other hand, we were sorry to hear that you were disappointed with several other aspects of your holiday, particularly the accommodation. Hotel standards in Madagascar are known to significantly contrast those in Europe and this, alongside our literature description of simple yet comfortable lodgings, usually sets our customers’ expectations accordingly. In order to keep the trip attractive, whilst still affordable, we use the best quality mid-range properties in the country, and, though they may not be everyone’s preference, we have not previously received feedback to suggest they are not meeting the mark. In fact, one of our staff members recently undertook this trip and relayed that even the most basic hotels featured clean rooms, reliable electricity and constant water, which is not always a given in this part of the world. We understand that the lack of toiletries is part of an effort to reduce plastic waste, which honours our commitment to travelling responsibly, but we are sorry if the soap you were provided was insufficient. Whilst paying a single supplement does not guarantee a superior room, rather one for sole occupancy, we were regretful to learn that yours were somewhat cramped. Our local manager has advised us that room types do not vary at any of the properties we use, other than between doubles and twins, and we’ve not received this type of feedback in the past, which we find reassuring. Nevertheless, we wouldn’t wish to downplay your disappointment and we’ll closely monitor the reviews we receive going forward to ensure that we are continuing to please our solo customers, who we greatly value. One of the selling points of this trip is that it covers many of Madagascar’s highlights such as the Alley of the Baobabs and Tsingy De Bemaraha National Park, although this does translate to some lengthy drives on underdeveloped roads, which we realise is not ideal. Tour leaders are encouraged to incorporate as many rest stops as possible, to break up the journeys, but it is not always safe to stop by the roadside, which means that long stretches are inevitable. Should your comments become more commonplace, we will certainly consider redesigning the itinerary to incorporate rest days, which we hope shows that we are willing to make changes to our tours to enhance our customers’ experiences. We sincerely hope that you retain some fond memories of Madagascar overall and that you continue choosing Exodus for your travel plans.
John Penge, Product Manager
