Madagascar holiday, Lemurs, canals & mountains

Planet

Following on from an ongoing commitment to reforestation in Madagascar, in 2011 we launched a long term reforestation project in Tsarasoa. We continue to invest in a new long term project, which launched in May 2011.

We have set up a tree nursery and orchard for a local school. We have already started building the fencing (350-400m) and are in the process of planting a well designed/equipped 100 tree orchard as well as 100 luguminous and 100 moringa Oleifera (nutrional plants) on a piece of land we have bought for the school.

After the first couple of years this will produce 200 young fruit trees saplings (to be planted on student's family land) + 1800 leguminous trees (to be planted on community land).

The plan is that the first harvest of Ananambo nutritional leaves will be ready by 2013/14 to supplement the daily diet of students. Once the trees start growing and with the first seeds (papayas, passiflores, moringa, etc, ...) a small poultry operation will be launched, providing eggs and occasional meat for special school events.

The association of poultry and fruit trees is extremely beneficial for both and is a long long time old practice in Madagascar.

After 5-6 years, daily fruit distribution for students will be possible.

We employ one permanent gardener to maintain and direct student's works and are able to implement this with the support of our clients travelling to Madagascar with us (approximately 2% of the trip cost is donated to this project) and our local partner who is extremely active in reforestation of this area.

By supporting the conservation of the rainforest, we can encourage the authorities to recognise the potential of wildlife tourism and photographic safaris, ensuring the protection of this unique environment. You will be issued with instructions as to how you can help to preserve the environment and we hope that you will follow our advice to help make a difference.

Moreover, you will also be able to spot many various endemic wildlife such as different species of lemuriens, chameleons, birds, reptiles and orchids. Your stay will contribute to the conservation of the unique Madagascan biodiversity. Local guides will make you discover all these endemic species in their own environment and will explain you everything you need to know about the incredible wildlfe. For instance national sites aim at favouring genetic mixing and improving the availability of food resources in order to maintain and even increase the wide population of existing Sifak.

People

Our local staff accompanying this expedition will give you a real sense of Madagascan culture. We only use Malagasy guides, pay all staff fair wages and treat everybody on the trip, including staff, with equal respect and we expect you to do the same. We offer a continual training program for our local guides including English language lessons as well as continual development in activities such as rafting.

Our local agent has an active approach to employing and mentoring guides in Madagascar. One of whom joined us when he was 16 and a ‘street kid’ . Our agent took him under his wing, trained him up in all rafting skills, language skills, guiding skills and at the age of 29 he is one of our popular guides. It is principally wildlife tourism that brings people to Madagascar and by using local businesses and services we can inject much needed capital into the local economy. On this expedition we are following a responsible camping procedure which leaves no negative evidence of our presence. We stay in small towns and villages interacting with the locals.

Hotels and camps are owned by locals. They will welcome us in accordance with Malagasy tradition, construction and design. Some of them provide traditional bungalows made of stones and wood at the foot of Tsaranoro’s cliff, and some other have a beautiful garden full of plants, turtles and chameleons.