Highlights of Madagascar holiday
Highlights
Four hour walk in Andasibe National Park | Vondron’olona Miaro Mitia Ala Reserve | Antsirabe | Ambositra | five hour walk in Ranomafana National Park | Anja National Park | Ranohira | Isalo National Park | Tulear | Zombitse National Park | Anakao | optional: snorkelling, diving, pirogue excursions | Tsimanampetsotse National Park | boat excursion to Nosy Ve | Ambohimanga | Antananarivo city tourDescription of Highlights of Madagascar holiday
Madagascar may be famous for its lemurs, but as this 16 day holiday reveals, these delightful creatures are just one of the many highlights of this unique island. Hugely diverse scenery, beautiful beaches, small villages and abundant wildlife that often can’t be found anywhere else in the world all wait to be explored.For many, though, the opportunity to see lemurs in the wild is the reason to visit Madagascar. There are more than 70 species living here, and as we travel from the capital Antananarivo down through the centre of the island to the coast at Anakao, we’ll look out for the large Indri lemurs that live in Andasibe Nature Reserve, the golden bamboo and greater bamboo lemurs which make the cloud forest of Ranomafana National Park their home and the distincitive ring-tailed lemurs in Anja Reserve. Our final wildlife watching day is in Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, home to countless endemic species and striking spiny forest vegetation. In addition to spotting wildlife and birds, we’ll see the amazing rock formations and canyons of Isalo National Park, perhaps taking a dip in one of its natural swimming holes. Finally, relax on the beach in the coastal town of Anakao, with an excursion to the island of Nosy Ve.
Travel Team
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Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.
Activity:Our tours are designed to entertain as well as inform about wildlife issues and promote animal welfare. When we visit National Parks such as Ranomafana , Perinet and Tsimanampetsotsa N.P, we pay park fees which contribute to the upkeep of these parks and the myriad of unique (and sometimes endangered) species which can be found there e.g. ring-tailed lemur, baoab trees, flamingos, sifaka. In Mandraka, we also visit the Peyeiras centre, which houses a large and colourful selection of butterflies, chameleons and frogs. Local guides are employed when we enter these reserves. This creates employment and gives clients an altogether more informative, genuine experience.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
Accommodation and Meals:
We spend the duration of the trip in standard hotels. The vast majority of the staff is from nearby villages and they even offer accommodation for staff staying in villages further away. This industry is a great source of employment for local people, so by staying in these hotels we are providing a steady source of income for local communities. You will also find that some of the hotels have solar panels -meaning a smaller carbon footprint- whereas many work on their own electricity generators but switch them off from around 22:00 to 07:00. In terms of meals, hotels will source local produce as much as possible and clients are encouraged to explore local restaurants and markets if convenient. The cuisine has been strongly influenced by the French and the seafood is particularly fresh.
Local Craft and Culture:
Although this is a largely nature based trip, we incorporate as much benefit to local people as possible. One of the ways to support local people and boost the economy is to buy crafts along the roads in the smaller villages which we pass. There is some very creative Zafimaniry craftsmanship in Madagascar using recycled materials to create toys, decorate items and jewellery. For example, in Ambostria, they use recuperated wood to create souvenirs, ornaments and furniture. The Zafimaniry people are renowned for intricate woodcarvings and this can be observed even in the decoration of village houses. Guides are careful to explain that anything made from animal parts and shells should not be purchased as this trade is detrimental to many of the wonderful species we find here.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
Activity:Our tours are designed to entertain as well as inform about wildlife issues and promote animal welfare. When we visit National Parks such as Ranomafana , Perinet and Tsimanampetsotsa N.P, we pay park fees which contribute to the upkeep of these parks and the myriad of unique (and sometimes endangered) species which can be found there e.g. ring-tailed lemur, baoab trees, flamingos, sifaka. In Mandraka, we also visit the Peyeiras centre, which houses a large and colourful selection of butterflies, chameleons and frogs. Local guides are employed when we enter these reserves. This creates employment and gives clients an altogether more informative, genuine experience.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
Accommodation and Meals:
We spend the duration of the trip in standard hotels. The vast majority of the staff is from nearby villages and they even offer accommodation for staff staying in villages further away. This industry is a great source of employment for local people, so by staying in these hotels we are providing a steady source of income for local communities. You will also find that some of the hotels have solar panels -meaning a smaller carbon footprint- whereas many work on their own electricity generators but switch them off from around 22:00 to 07:00. In terms of meals, hotels will source local produce as much as possible and clients are encouraged to explore local restaurants and markets if convenient. The cuisine has been strongly influenced by the French and the seafood is particularly fresh.
Local Craft and Culture:
Although this is a largely nature based trip, we incorporate as much benefit to local people as possible. One of the ways to support local people and boost the economy is to buy crafts along the roads in the smaller villages which we pass. There is some very creative Zafimaniry craftsmanship in Madagascar using recycled materials to create toys, decorate items and jewellery. For example, in Ambostria, they use recuperated wood to create souvenirs, ornaments and furniture. The Zafimaniry people are renowned for intricate woodcarvings and this can be observed even in the decoration of village houses. Guides are careful to explain that anything made from animal parts and shells should not be purchased as this trade is detrimental to many of the wonderful species we find here.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
1 Reviews of Highlights of Madagascar holiday
Reviewed on 07 Nov 2017 by Stella Jales
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Seeing the lemurs in the forest and watching them playing around like our children was fantastic, but most exciting was how different the culture and scenery was to ours in the UK.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Relax and take all you see in. Get out and meet the people.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. We traveled with Exodus who use local services so employ and pay the local people. We also stayed in hotels and ate in restaurants run by local people.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Brilliant holiday! Our guide, Rija was excellent. She was bubbly and showed great enthusiasm for her country, passing on her vast knowledge about the country and all we saw.
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