Trekking In Madagascar: Madagasy Republic

Essential Information

Trip Profile

5 days walking with full porterage plus 3 shorter walks. Altitude maximum 2658m, average 500m.

Accommodation

9 nights standard hotels with en suite facilities, 5 nights full-service camping, at some quite basic campsites, all with shared facilities.

Food

All breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners included.

Reality Check

Madagascar is a rewarding destination with its wealth of flora and fauna, but, before you decide to travel, we would highlight the following issues for you to consider:

Travelling by vehicle in Madagascar can be uncomfortable as some of the road quality varies. Please read our travelling conditions for more information. We do have some longer drives but the diverse scenery more than makes up for time spent on the bus. We break up our road journeys with stops to visit villages, to take photos and to stretch our legs.

Madagascar is one of the world's poorest countries and a degree of flexibility and improvisation is required at times. The tourist infrastructure in Madagascar is still new and some services are limited. It is not unusual for there to be changes to accommodation or internal flights and for this reason, the order of the itinerary (but not the content) may sometimes have to be changed. However, what tourism does exist is of a pleasantly good standard and you may be impressed by the level of services in some of the places we stay.

Grade moderate/challenging. Moderate/Challenging graded trips are suitable for clients with a good level of fitness. Previous trekking experience is desirable but not vital as long as you are confident of your physical condition. Some of the areas we visit are quite remote and will have basic facilities. Some of the walks in the national parks are uneven and may be slippery underfoot so you need to be comfortable with this.

Normal group size and age

Normally 6 to 16, plus leader, and local guides where appropriate. Minimum age 18.

Icons explained

The vast majority of Exodus adventures are adult group holidays. Groups are always small in size. We strongly believe that this adherence to small groups means a better experience for all; more time with your guide, less waiting around and a reduced impact on the communities and environments visited.
Each group is generally made up of like-minded travellers - with singles, couples and friends all joining in together. All these trips are suitable for single travellers, but if you prefer to travel with clients booking individually, please see our Solo Departures page.

In order to provide a more accurate grading system, where a trip falls between two grades we use an intermediate or split grade, for example Moderate/Challenging. Occasionally, there are optional activities available en route, in this case the optional grade is indicated in brackets, for example Grade Challenging (climb Tough+). Clearly, conditions may differ from region-to-region or month-to-month and as such the information given on these pages is designed to act as a guide only. In all cases you should refer to the respective holiday's Trip Notes for further details.

Special Interest: For those who have a passion for archaeology, food, flowers, languages or yoga. Solar eclipse departures and specialist conservation holidays are also included.

Walking & Trekking: Trips are wholly trekking-focused or simply include a significant number of walking days during the itinerary.

Wildlife: Trips may be wholly wildlife focused, or contain an element of wildlife viewing within a less specific itinerary.

Wilderness: Visit the deserts, jungles, plateaux, tundra and mountains of all seven continents, including Antarctica.

Photography: Fantastic opportunity to get behind the lens of your camera and get some expert advice from our award winning photographers who run specialist travel photography holidays.