Madagascar trekking and rafting expedition. Helping Dreamers Do

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£2895

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13 Days excluding flights

More info:Price includes accommodation, most meals (see itinerary), entrance fees, guiding and logistics. Maximum group size 10

Tailor made

Travel Team

If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.

01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.com

Departure information

This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements

Vouchers

Accepted

Holiday type

Small group holidays

Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modelled on independent travel – but with the advantage of a group leader to take care of the itinerary, accommodation and tickets, and dealing with the language. It’s easy to tick off the big sights independently – but finding those one-off experiences, local festivals, travelling markets and secret viewpoints is almost impossible for someone without the insider knowledge gained from years in the field. If you’re heading off on a gap year your, perhaps – but for those with a two-week holiday, a small group tour will save valuable planning time.

The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travellers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.

We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.

What are the main benefits?

Big experiences
Have big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.

Simplicity
Make the most of your holiday time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!

Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.

Who is it ideal for?

Travellers who are short of time
If you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your holiday.

Solo travellers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those travelling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.

Less confident travellers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.

Mythbuster

“I won’t get any privacy!”
Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travellers their own room.

“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.

“The accommodation will be basic”
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.

“I won’t like the other travellers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.

“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.

Meet a group leader

As well as taking care of all the day-to-day practicalities, your group leader is the one who will turn your trip into an adventure. Leaders are extraordinary characters – the kind of person who has spent 14 Christmas days on the slopes of Mount Everest, runs marathons wearing tiger suits to raise funds for their conservation and thinks nothing of leading an overland trip in Sudan or Afghanistan. Fearless and inspiring, group leaders are as important as the destination itself.

Meet a local guide

No matter how experienced your group leader, they can never make up for the knowledge gained from a lifetime in the destination. That’s why many of our trips work with local guides around the world – who invite you into their homeland with pleasure. As well as doing crazy things like climbing Kilimanjaro 100 times, they also donate their time to local projects supported by travellers – such as rebuilding Sri Lankan villages following the 2004 tsunami.

Responsible tourism

Responsible tourism: Madagascar trekking and rafting expedition

Environment

Our local agent on this trip will give you a personal and knowledgeable insight of the region. We are very active in reforestation and in 2008 raised funds for 230,000 trees to be planted. For every client booked on any Madagascar trips, we finance one tree per day per client. We have just received our certificate that in 2010 our trips (many of these through rt.com) funded the planting of 400 trees.

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. 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.

Community

Our local staff accompanying this expedition will give you a real sense of Madagascan culture. We pay all staff fair wages and treat everybody on the trip, including staff, with equal respect and we expect you to do the same.

2 Reviews of Madagascar trekking and rafting expedition

4 out of 5 stars

SHOW

Reviewed on 16 Jun 2011 by Rosemary Llewellin

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

A great experience all round but the most memorable part was the river experience. We canoed for two days, negotiated rapids and camped at night on the sandy banks beside the river. The locals were intrigued by these strange foreigners who chose to sleep in tents rather than a hotel but readily came to our rescue when our cooking pots sank to the bottom of the river!

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

Take waterproof bags to put all your clothes and equipment into for the canoe trip. No need to take pillows or sleeping mats as these are provided by the local company. Make sure you have a good torch as electricity supplies in hotels are unpredictable. No need for water purifying tablets as bottled water is available everywhere even in the back of beyond!

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

Yes, we bought local handicrafts at every opportunity. We visited a wonderful children’s orphanage just outside Tana and learnt about the opportunities that the children have there to improve their education and learn a trade in safe surroundings. We were able to support this work with a donation and plan to spread the word in the UK as it is entirely self supporting.

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

Excellent experience with real opportunities to interact with the local people and understand more about their culture and to see something of the unique wildlife in the country.

Reviewed on 23 Mar 2011 by Hayley Fagg

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

Most obviously just the many people we met. Everybody says it but it really is true, what a lovely lovely bunch of people to have had the privilege to meet.
On the wildlife front, I think the spitting cobra trumped even the komodo dragons! Oh and I don't think I have ever seen so many marvellous shades of green.

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

Take a polypropylene (spelling?) or other similar quick drying top and some gloves for paddling.

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

Yes, we feel we did just a little to help. Re the environment, excuse me being direct but I can't understand why the bog roll didn't get burned. Also, we were shocked by the amount of plastic rubbish on the beaches and in the sea. I don't know if there's much point, or if there's room, or anywhere to dispose of it correctly but I'd have happily spent an hour on each beach we visited picking up rubbish. As I said, there's so much I'm not sure it would make any difference!

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

Bloody marvellous. The rubbish was the only downside really.