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What a sensational trip! Broad in extent; deep in experiences in this fascinating country. Covering an amazing and surprising diversity of landscapes, wildlife, plant life, cultures and endless moments of ‘what’s next around the corner to amaze the senses?’ Just immerse yourself and be deeply rewarded!
I was just blown away by the whole experience. Obviously the wildlife (lemurs, chameleons) and the baobabs are something very special, and I really loved the 4WD trip to Tsingy and back.
In a word: exceptional! Armel ('Mel') was so knowledgeable, informative, caring and an absolute bundle of fun - and, above all, just so thoroughly professional. I simply cannot speak more highly of this terrific guy!
Just do it!
This is a fantastic trip! The scenery is quite breathtaking at times, and the wildlife encounters were better than I expected. You get to see a lot of what is a very big island, and you can get a peek into Malagasy culture.
My number one highlight was the hike through the Tsingy; it had dramatic scenery, wildlife, technical hiking and bouldering all in one day. Number two would be hearing the Indri location call from just a few feet away.
Sol (Solofoniray Razafimahazo) was outstanding. He was a great ambassador for the Malgasy culture and his patience and calm under all conditions was really inspirational. He always prepared the group for what we were likely to expect the following day, so we were always properly dressed. Little things like that can really add to the enjoyment of the experience.
Be sure to lock your rooms and your valuables (especially money) at all times, especially at night. At one place, my roommate was robbed by a thief who entered our room while we were sleeping! Avoid the local Malagasy wine; it's reputation as swill is well deserved; the imported wines available at the restaurants were of good quality and very reasonably priced.
This was my first trip with Exodus, but I believe it won't be my last.
I loved this trip and would even rate it as excellent, but future travelers need to understand that Madagascar is a third, possibly 4th world country. So there are, as some others have said, days of long drives on bad roads and heavy dust, and days with limited electricity, but it is all worth it to discover the beauty of Madagascar and its wildlife and people. This is a fascinating place, albeit being slowly destroyed, and my hope is that her future can be secured by people interested enough to tour there.
There are just too many to list: reaching the top of the Tsingy ( and I recommend an even earlier start than we did), sunset and sunrise over Isalo, snorkeling off Ifaty, the ring-tailed lemurs, having the entire beach to myself in Morondava, Lemur island (which is just too much fun to have the lemurs so up close and personal), swimming in the natural piscine after a long hike, Baobab alley, and on and on!
Sol was unequivocally the absolute best. He is patient with everyone, answers every question you might pose (or finds the answer for you if he doesn't know), has the greatest smile known to man, and his love for his country comes through in every thing he shares with the group. I can't imagine having done this trip with anyone else!
Be prepared for long, hot, dusty days of driving. But use them to look at the countryside and the people and enjoy the scenery. Bring quick drying, moisture wicking clothes, and listen to Sol when he tells you how much water you will need!
This is a trip well worth doing; I am a solo traveler, but the nature of this trip is such that the group that chooses to go will be interesting, well-traveled, and open to sharing their experiences and their company with you. You will meet wonderful people, and will learn about a new place and see new things. And you can help save a country worth saving.
A great trip. Be prepared for long, hot travelling days yet the rewards at the end are worth it.
Conquering the Grands Tsingy!
Looked after the group very well. Kept us informed during the trip and worked hard (and successfully) to source alternatives when our Itinerary changed. Even helped to check in online for the flight home for those of us who didn't have the technology to do so!
Be prepared for the long coach journeys and the heat. We travelled during Madagascar's spring and for half of the trip the temperature was +30C including the days walking in the Grands Tsingy and Isalo National Park. Yet the scenery is stunning and it was always worth arriving at a new and wonderful location where we would see more of Madagascar's amazing flora & fauna.
The food during the trip was a little hit and miss. Some of the hotels en route had a limited menu and meals became a little repetitive. For travellers with a limited diet (Vegetarian or vegan for example) it is a little harder to find a satisfying meal yet our guide Amrel was always on hand to help when ordering food. Don't be afraid to ask for something which isn't on the menu as the worst that can happen is they can say no. Recommend taking snack bars and sweets/nibbles with you, yet there are opportunites to stop en route at Supermarkets and stock up on food & water. Be prepared as well for lower standards of hygiene than you are used to. Several members on our tour became sick with stomach complaints, therefore it is worth stocking up with dehydration sachets and imodium tablets (just in case).
My wife and I have had Madagascar at the top of our “must go” list (which is a pretty long list!) for many years so it was really exciting to eventually book this trip and then hope that we hadn’t set our expectations of this far away island too high. Before we left the UK, we were a little daunted at the amount that was being included in the itinerary but once we arrived, we recognised that all of this was expertly organised and that we really were going to see the maximum number of highlights in a two week period. But the “glue” holding the itinerary together was our marvellous guide, Solofo (Sol), who calmly and efficiently made sure that we got from place to place, seeing all the key sights and experiencing the real Madagascar. There is something for everyone on this trip – the variety of landscape, wildlife and activity shows off Madagascar at its best. I’ve only had a little exposure to travel in the African continent but this unique island seems somehow different. I really felt that we were explorers seeing the island as it opens up to tourism but also struggles with tough ecological challenges. The welcome we received wherever we went was warm and genuine and that connection to both the people and the island has really remained with me since returning home. I can’t recommend this tour highly enough.
There are so many..... Climbing the limestone pinnacles in Grand Tsingy National Park, hearing the Indri calling to each other on our morning walk in Andasibe, walking along the pure white sea shore in Ifaty, the peace and tranquillity of the Maki gorge (it really is like paradise) and being just metres away from the cheeky ring-tailed lemurs
Sol was simply amazing. He was our guide, our teacher, our interpreter, our ecologist, our naturalist, our motivator (ahead of long journeys and early starts), our doctor (to a couple of poorly group members), but most importantly our friend. Sol calmly and quietly just gets things done but gives his time and support freely to ensure the total satisfaction of the group. Despite a few challenges that were thrown at him along the way (primarily the Air Madagascar strike) he just smiled and did whatever was necessary to keep the group happy and the itinerary on track.
Despite the fact that the trip is described as "moderate", be prepared for a really intensive and often tiring two week adventure. But rest assured, it's really worth it!! Most days start at (or before) sunrise and there are many days when you don't reach your destination until after sunset but that's based on the curious Madagascar combination of a) fabulous things to see and do during the days, b) terrible roads and slow journeys, and c) short days during the winter season. This is not a "holiday" in terms of rest and relaxation. In fact, there were only a couple of very short periods when we had "free time", but it is a full-on and magnificent introduction to the sights, sounds and experiences of this wonderful island. Booking a few extra days on a beach to end the trip might not be a bad plan....
This is an exciting adventure trip that enables you to take in the sights and sounds of this unique island. We were lucky enough to have Sol as our Tour Leader and we felt that we were treated like VIPs throughout the trip. Sol always went the extra mile to ensure our comfort and enjoyment at all times, even when things didn’t quite go to plan. He was lots of fun and we enjoyed listening to his knowledge of the history and wildlife of Madagascar. We were challenged by the Air Madagascar strike which meant that some of our trip had to be slightly altered. However, we felt that both Exodus and Sol did their very best to minimise disruption to our trip and hey, we got to see an extra 1000km of Madagascar at grass roots level that we weren’t expecting to see (thank you to Nerina for expert driving). It goes without saying that this is an underdeveloped country where the roads are poor/non-existent so flexibility and understanding is key. There are lots of benefits to this though as we were able to have plenty of opportunity to meet the local villagers and enjoy the children who at most wanted ‘bonbons’ but usually just wanted their picture to be taken. In all the national parks we were lucky enough to see lemurs and other wildlife. We saw 12 different species of lemur, fossas, reptiles, birds and insects, all in their own habitat. One of our highlights was trekking and climbing in Grand Tsingy which is achievable for anyone who is physically fit and doesn’t have a fear of heights. The view from the top of the limestone pinnacles is absolutely spectacular. We were impressed with the food which although centred around chicken, fish, zebu or vegetarian, was always well presented, tasty and quite creative. We certainly never went hungry with a 3 course meal on offer for lunch and dinner every day, even for our picnic in Isalo National Park. Our accommodation was also of a good standard, always clean and the rooms were large. I especially liked the forest lodges near Andasibe, Grand Tsingy, and in Morondava and Ifaty, both right on the beach. In many places we were often the only group there so great to have the place to ourselves (although sad to see that tourism is a little on the quiet side for Madagascans). There are a few long journeys and always early starts so worth taking some cereal bars or snacks for the journey, although Sol always made sure we had stops for water and snacks where possible. In summary this trip is not a holiday but rather a fantastic adventure to an interesting and inspiring island. See it before it changes too much!
There were many. Trekking in Grand Tsingy National Park, sitting among ring-tailed lemurs that had come down from the trees to eat earth, seeing the resourcefulness of the local people......
We were lucky to have Sol as our group leader. He was extremely professional and capable and we never wanted for anything on the trip. He was always cheerful, great sense of humour and very knowledgeable about his country.
This is not a relaxing holiday as you are on the go all the time with early starts every day. However, the rewards are numerous and the experience is definitely worth it. Take a few snacks with you for the journeys, although there were often opportunities to stock up and the meals are plentiful! Take warm clothing as it is very cold in the desert at night (frosty).
This is an amazing island and a must see before tourism really takes off or it is changed too much more. All of the lemurs are severely endangered and tourism is probably the only way that they can be saved.
This was a brilliant trip which covered a huge amount of territory and exposed us to many different types of landscape and countryside. There were some very long drives but they were fascinating and comfortable and there were plenty of opportunities to get out and stretch our legs. The accommodation was better than expected and in places absolutely lovely, and generally the food was very good, although the breakfasts were sometimes less than appealing. It was easy to buy good South African wine almost everywhere for dinner, and cold beer was available everywhere. We saw much more wildlife and far more lemurs of many different varieties than I had expected, and there were many good photo opportunities.
Waking up to the sound of the Indris on the first morning and seeing them like giant teddy bears later that morning in the forest. Also going to Lemur Island and having the chance to be very close to the lemurs and feel how soft their hands and fur was and they were so gentle, absolutely delightful creatures. Achieving the climb up the Grands Tsingy was a huge achievement for me as I am terrified of heights and was very scared of the bridge, but I managed it with the help of one of the guides. It was an exhausting but very special day. The Isalo canyon was also amazing, and all the walks in the National Parks were wonderful. The kids were lovely and the people in general were beautiful, warm and friendly and seemed genuinely pleased to see us.
Armel was very capable and versatile, and able to deal with any problems. He was one step ahead at any time, and when one of our group injured her foot he made arrangements for her to have a special guide to do alternative short walks when we were doing long treks, which was very thoughtful. He also made sure that the people who were prone to travel sickness sat near the front of the bus because there were some very bumpy and bendy roads and organised a lady to come and give us a massage at the Lodge before we went on the Isalo walk, which was great because we were still stiff from the Tsingy. He organised lots of little treats out of the kitty and generally did everything he could to make this a great trip for us. A really good leader.
If you can manage to go shopping in Tulear then do it because it is much better than Tana or anywhere else we stopped. Lots of really good value raffia wares and artwork as well as other touristy things. Be really careful about what you eat and drink and be very aware of hand hygiene as most of us came down with tummy troubles at some point in the trip. Take appropriate medication for diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Although we were warned about anti-malarials, if you take proper precautions with mosquito repellent it seemed that you were unlikely to be bitten. Neither my friend nor I were bitten at all throughout the trip. Keep a couple of small water bottles for the long walks rather than one big one, they are easier to carry. Take a sarong or something like that as a cover up when you are walking, You can put it over your head, over your arms or use it to pad your backpack so it doesn't rub.
This is a really great trip - what more can I say. Lemurs are wonderful, chameleons are bizarre, and Madagascar itself is an amazing, diverse and fascinating country. If they can manage to pull the economy together and improve the infrastructure it will be a miracle, but one that I personally hope they can pull off. Despite all the difficulties in getting around, this country is worth supporting in so many different ways, but the main way we can help is by tourism.
I was in a group of twelve on the 4 September 2014 trip, led by a very popular Malagasy guide (favourably referred to in many reviews) whose very long name was conveniently shortened to “Sol”. Weather at this time of year turned out to be mainly very good – not over-hot in the later stages of the trip. Unfortunately, our first few days in the rain forest were pretty damp – it rained non-stop. This did not prevent us seeing any of the wildlife but some of the initial photos inevitably reflected the difficulty of taking them. Occasionally, as in the Kirindi reserve, the lemurs are habituated to humans and, if you sit quietly, one troupe will come and mingle – especially if you give them some water. (Don’t touch their tails!) Others stick to the high trees and are often frustratingly difficult to photograph because so many branches and twigs get in the way. After the rain forest we flew back to Antananarivo (“Tana”) and, thereafter until the last day, all travel was by road. Apart from splitting the group into four 4WDs for the Tsingy excursion, all driving was in a smallish bus. The bus was reasonably comfortable and air-conditioned but we rarely felt the need for the A/C as long as the fan was on. There are a lot of long driving days but the roads on the circular part of the tour are all pretty good and, if you want to see the country properly, there is really no alternative. Sol made sure we had plenty of stops so the experience was fine for most of us – if not all. The road up to the Tsingy was a different matter and was in serious need of improvement. It will probably get this before too long – graders were already in evidence and tourists will wonder what the fuss was about within a couple of years. Ferry crossings were slow and inefficient but provided a good opportunity to chill out. The worst length of dirt road is probably between Tulear and the hotel north of Ifaty. This requires a lot of patience and will probably not be upgraded anytime soon. Hotels were, as indicated by previous reviews, surprisingly good and pretty clean for the most part. For those who cannot get away from their phones or tablets Wi-Fi is available at most of them – if only in Reception. Electricity is sometimes rationed (e.g. 7-10pm only) and room lighting usually leaves a lot to be desired. One “tented” camp was a bit basic but perfectly acceptable. Meals were good – although menus were not particularly varied. If you like Zebu steak and chips you will enjoy this trip a lot. That said some of the fish is excellent and I had one meal of lobster which was greatly enjoyed. Desserts are mainly fruit so it is difficult to over-indulge too much. As regards health issues I was lucky – being on antibiotics for a pre-holiday infection. I suspect this protected me because everybody else had tummy troubles during the first week, although nobody seemed much under the weather for more than a day or two. Few mosquitos were in evidence – even in the rain forest. I took great care to smother myself in DEET throughout the trip and only relaxed the regime when we returned to Tana at the end – when, inevitably, I suffered several bites. The Tsingy is a strange area of pinnacles and extremely sharp rocks. It is well worth seeing and the climbing element is worth experiencing (not for the faint-hearted but not onerous). We had no problems but it is probably worth making sure that your insurance covers helicopter evacuation (assuming a helicopter is actually available – which may not be the case). To my surprise the scenery on our later circular route did not vary very much – rolling brown/yellow hills with scrub and lots of little square houses. (I had been expecting mountains but we only saw them from a distance in the south). Others have commented on the “slash and burn” approach to agriculture and the deforestation evident, with all the wildlife under threat and confined to reserves. Whilst there is a lot of truth to these observations I felt that most of the scenery we saw had probably not changed much for many years. That said, the change will probably accelerate in the near future so now is a good time to go. Baobabs are nearly everywhere on the west coast and you will get baobabbed out! Tana has some interesting areas and the older buildings on the central escarpment (where the wealthy live) could almost be from an old European town. The lake in the centre of the city is a disgrace – being widely (and openly) used as a latrine and the smell is offputting. Baobab alley was good – although the locals tend to congregate there a lot (some with herds of Zebu) and there were comments to the effect that they spoiled the pictures! Sadly we didn’t get a decent sunset there. Others may be luckier. I think now is a very good time to see Madagascar. Tourism, whilst increasing, has not yet taken off and one does not get pestered to buy souvenirs to anything like the irritating extent one does in so many other countries. I think I would still recommend seeing Ethiopia first but this was a good and enjoyable trip and can safely be recommended.
The day-long trek in Isola park (including a swim in a natural pool) was exactly the right length and gave us a morning in a shady canyon and a hot walk in the afternoon finished off with a nice swim. I wouldn't say this was inspirational but the scenery was occasionally spectacular and it was a very enjoyable day.
Sol was excellent - always smiling, always helpful, always well-organised. He well deserves the accolades he always gets!
If you want to take photos of lemurs in the tree tops you will obviously need an up-to-date camera with plenty of zoom capability. (I found 20x was sufficient for the most part but could have done with more.) The nocturnal walks also demand flash and anti-shake technology. A waterproof camera could well be useful in the rain forest. Walking around in the cities (especially Tana) is dangerous - not so much from attention by the locals but because there are a lot of cars and they all seem to be parked on the pavement/sidewalk so you have to venture into the road risking life and limb. Take care! There is no particular problem outside the cities. Depending on when you travel it is probably worth taking water-proofs and/or a folding umbrella. Mosquito nets are often provided - but not always when they are needed (like in Tana). It is still worth taking your own wedge net. The exchange rate means that changing the recommended £400 at the outset means you get a brick of notes. After you have contributed to the tips kitty you will need somewhere to carry this securely. There are very few places where reliable ATMs can be found (e.g. there is a good one in Tulear) so doing a large change at the airport on the first day is the best way. There are still surprisingly few places to buy souvenirs. You will find a few stalls around Baobab alley and at Kirindi but the only other good opportunities are at stops at shops after Andisirabe and in Tulear (where there is a shell market). More excursions are available than are advertised. On the last day (north of Ifaty) you will need something to do unless you like mooching around. In season, whale watching is possible (we were unlucky) but there are also snorkelling trips, wind-surfing and visits to the "Spiny Forest". Bear in mind that transport has to be organised for these. Cost for the day is unlikely to exceed £30. Save your plastic water bottles for the local kids during the driving days - but throw them to people rather than attempting to give them to specific kids. We nearly had an accident when a kid decided to run alongside the bus in order to get hold of a proffered bottle and nearly fell under the bus wheels. The morning gorge walk on Day 10 started early and was surprisingly cold before the sun came up. we didn't take Sol's warnings seriously and regretted it. Take a pullover and gloves.
I understand that there may be an issue with the number of days for which a park ticket is required but the time spent in the ferry queue on the day after the Tsingy would have been a better time to take the river gorge cruise, rather than having to get up early for it the day before.
I enjoyed the variety of scenery and the wildlife, particularly the lemurs. The group was quite small (9 of us) and we seemed to gel well with one another. I enjoyed the food which was more adventurous than that I had in Borneo last year with another company.
The lemurs ! That's what I looked forward to and I was not disappointed. I particularly enjoyed Lemur Island early on in the holiday, as the lemurs were habituated to humans and were virtually 'all over us'. I enjoyed the Tsingy and the walk in Isalo equally.
He was a good leader. Always appeared cheerful even though he possibly didn't feel it. Most things went smoothly and he dealt with issues as they arose.
The trip notes prepared us for most eventualities such as the rough roads and long drives and problems with hot water/power- I was grateful for that preparation. If anything, I was surprised at the low-ish temperature in the east of Madagascar and could have done with taking a couple of more warm garments.
Grace Lodge had its charm and the owner was delightful-a heater in the restaurant would have made the meal there a bit more enjoyable.
This was an amazing trip using a variety of transport through a culturally diverse country with varied landscapes and incredible flora and fauna much of which is endemic to Madagascar. This is far more than a wildlife spotting trip, it is an active trip with early starts and most days were packed full-every day was an adventure.
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!
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.
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!
Madagascar is a wonderful country and I would thoroughly recommend this trip!
