Reviewed 26 Sep 2011 by Michelle Evans
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Lemurs! Being woken up by the sound of the Indri calling on day 3 was really extra special. Very haunting as you 'knew' that you'd be able to see them later in the day!
Lemur Island also gets you 'up close and personal' with friendly lemurs who bounce all over you looking for bananas. (Not terribly PC - but as they are rescued, apparently they were all former pets, it feels a little less naughty! Plus, you really wouldn't miss it - such an exceptional opportunity!)
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
If you can, do the whole tour (DMME - the Encompassed trip) the two trips combined gives you the most variety and enables you to include wildlife and relaxation; I feel that the people who only did one half or the other really missed out, in different ways. I know it's a long time and expensive so you might not be able to, but I honestly wouldn't have given up either 'half' and feel that the contrast in them makes them really complimentary.
Be aware of the tips - it ends up being a relatively large amount on money - which you genuinely won't begrudge - worth every penny and more - but just keep it in mind and put your stashes aside to begin with! (Maybe we went excessive, but our guides and particularly Fano were sooooo great!)
If you're an Aussie please read the info and don't bring Aussie Dollars! No-one takes them and you end up financially embarrassed! Small group travel means that no-one minds and everyone helps, but this happened to people on both 'ends' of the tour and I think it diminished their experience a bit. (They do take - GBP, USD, Euros, Japanese YEN, Swiss Francs ....) Also remember Ariary can not be used in the International airport on your way out! Once you're through the security check, you're back to 'foreign' currency! So spend it, give it away or change it (?) before you go through! [We do all recommend keeping a 1000 Ariary "lemur" for posterity though!]
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I'd like to think so, but possibly not as much as it could have. (Although I have no idea how that could be altered.) It's probable that the tourist industry benefited the most, as opposed to 'the people' but having listened to the guides imploring us to get more tourists to Madagascar in order to 'save' it, I'm not sure that is a terrible thing!
We stayed in lovely (presumably quite expensive - relatively) huts or bungalows at almost all of the hotels. Where none of us worried about the amount of water or electricity consumed and only in a couple were we encouraged to consider it. (We could and should have tried harder I think!)
We traveled by our own bus and 4x4s (but as 2 people left early they reduced the number of booked vehicles, which was good and minimized the impact by not having a 3rd car.) We did use quite a few taxis and stayed away from the taxi-bus so that locals were not disturbed in their daily routine. We ate out all of the time - ensuring that we left decent tips - but I suppose that many of those 'restaurants' were touristy, or were ready booked for us. We never had a problem getting a table! (That could have been because Fano was so good - I don't suppose we'll know!)
We did walk through many markets and were encouraged to buy things; but Fano was generally clear about what a good price was and we were told when we should barter so as not to offend. (Admittedly, you then didn't have the right change, so told them to keep the difference!) We put together some money from the trip and asked Fano to decide how it was best given - he chose to buy school supplies for a couple of villages we were passing through, so they could use the gifts most appropriately. (He then bought the supplies from a shop he knew which was cheap so that he managed to get the most from the money.) So, maybe actually we tried very hard to do so and I hope that it did. Everyone was very careful in the national parks and the environment was as minimally impacted as possible! Plus, although a couple of attempts were made, no-one stole a lemur! :0) Therefore, I have to conclude (arguably contrary to my first statement) that yes, I do feel that my holiday benefited local people and minimized the impacts on the environment.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent! I feel very lucky to have been to Madagascar and would definitely recommend the trip to anyone who was interested in going.
It's not a relaxing trip (well the south isn't) and if you just can't live without a 5 star hotel and choice of breakfast - don't bother! (I think we were probably in 5 star hotels, but Madagascar is not Paris!)
Do it - and please bring me back a black and white ruffed lemur - they got mine as I boarded the plane! (Damn!) :0)
