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Madagascar

COUNTRY:
Madagascar
DEPARTURES:
Departs every Saturday subject to flight schedules, between April and December (minimum of 6 passengers)
PRICE:
From US $770 (8 days) excluding flights. Single supplement US $17. Child prices (8-11 years) from US $695
VOUCHERS:
Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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Madagascar

Madagascar

Small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.

How this holiday makes a difference

On arrival in Madagascar, the clients are picked up and transferred to the boat making use of local taxi drivers. 100% of the employees on the dhow are from Madagascar/Nosy Be, thereby supporting local business. In off season, from January to March when the cyclones make it impossible to arrange a dhow trip, all the staff are sent to a school to learn English and French. We have also encouraged the skipper, Mohammed, to build a second boat and to expand his business. This means that more employees are needed for the 2nd boat, providing more employment opportunities for local people.

100% of the products to prepare meals for our clients are purchased locally and all recipes are Malagasy. All the furniture used on both dhows is also sourced from local craftspeople. We ensure our clients visit local villages, restaurants and local markets, especially the markets of Nosy Komba and Nosy Be.

We treat the cultural heritage with respect and inform our clients about local customs, fady (taboos) and traditions as well as appropriate behaviour before and while travelling. We also ensure that tourists ask permission to take photographs or to videotape people. To minimize impact on the environment, we make sure that any rubbish produced comes back onto the dhow and is not left behind on the islands. For cooking purposes we make use of gas instead of wood. We don’t put up harsh lights on the campsite as it may impact on local people and wildlife. We also minimise the use of water and energy, making sure to stay in accommodation making use of solar power.

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How we choose providers
Madagascar

Madagascar

Reviewed 01 Jul 2010 by Nichola Court4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


Hard to pick one thing - snorkelling with turtles was fantastic, as was Nosy Tanikeley. But the close encounters with lemurs on Nosy Komba probably stands out the most. All in all, though, the trip was fantastic.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Change Euros to Ariary if / when you get the chance, as most Malagasy don't like to have Euros and you can miss out on variable exchange rates (on the odd chance you get to spend money, that is). Be aware that the climate in the islands is very different to that of the mainland; we could only find temperatures for Antananarivo, and it was vastly hotter and more humid in the islands than Tana. We didn't need sleeping bags, although it did get a bit chilly on the odd night, so take a blanket, or at least a duvet cover to sleep in. Be prepared to use drop toilets and not have a proper shower for a few days!! If you like comfort, think hard before booking this trip. Take your own snorkelling gear, there was spare stuff to use but better to have your own. Be aware that you can only charge batteries when the boat has its engines on and is actually moving, so you might not be able to get your camera batteries fully charged. Also, be aware that Air Madagascar can be a bit erratic with its timings, so be sure to leave ample time between connections (although the service on board was very good).

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Very little environmental impact as little waste was generated. There were very few locals for us to interact with, but there is a crew of 5 on the dhow and each campsite has 2 people to provide security / 'room service' so it is a good source of employment / tips.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Fantastic!!!!!! A wonderful experience and better than I had hoped for.
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Day tour/Attraction Reviews

We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!

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Madagascar
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