Abundant, photogenic, and unique wildlife. Good hotels and food. Friendly people.
Tons of wildlife, from lemurs to endemic birds to lots of reptiles and butterflies. Most of the wildlife is tame and photogenic. The local guides are very skilled at finding whatever you want to see, especially lemurs. Hotels and food are surprisingly good. Some of the roads are decent, while others are poor, and drive times can be long. The Malagasy people are friendly and hospitable. Overall, a magical destination that is completely unlike any other place on Earth. I can thoroughly recommend the services of 8th Continent Expeditions, a Malagasy-owned tour company that made the bookings for my trip.
A stunning experience, from views and wildlife to the welcome and the people
This was a big holiday, so we spent a little extra on everything. The two week holiday was a stunning experience, from views and wildlife to the welcome and the people.
One of the first things we noticed was the poverty. The country is one of the poorest in the world. Children under ten work the fields, carry bricks, and generally do what they can to earn a living. Seeing children searching a rubbish tip to find items to either recycle or sell is not uncommon. To make an income this results in the nation, arguably, leading the way in recycling and reusing items. We visited one shop where miniature replicas of bicycles, Put-puts and trucks were made from tin cans and expired medical tubing. They sold for 10,000 MGA (about US$2.50)
The lodges we stayed in were top end of the range, although they varied in quality. All were clean, and though we didn't have any issues with mosquitoes, a couple of lodges did have nets.
You do not go to Madagascar expecting five star food, although there is a French influence. The fruit and vegetables are closer to organic, as the farmers cannot afford pesticides. But the meat is a little tough, to say the least. Zebu is the principle cattle, and is a working animal. Chickens run freely across the road looking for food. Fish and seafood are fine, although menus usually just say ‘Fish’. Get used to the same food and menu options wherever you go. Rice is a staple diet item.
We had a driver for the two weeks. He has been a guide and driver for over fifteen years. He was experienced to know where to go, but ensured we decided what to do. We asked about tipping, but was told it was up to us. Took about three days to get a handle on the tipping for services. Do expect to tip, everyone expects it, and they are thankful when you hand over a couple of notes. Try not to over tip, although 2000MGA may not be much to most, whereas it is a lot to the Malagasy.
The roads are astonishing. The Route 2 main road is more like a field in places. The road is just about a two lane country road. At one point we were driving amongst three rows of various vehicles; trying to avoid pot holes; trenches; whilst over-taking. All whilst avoiding the oncoming three lanes of traffic doing the same manoeuvres. Think of the cartoon ‘Wacky Races’.
But the food, hotels and driving were not why we went. The wildlife and scenery were. Over 90% of rain forest has been cut done. Loss of forests, the introduction of Eucalyptus and Chinese pine and slash and burn (widely used by farmers), has had a devastating effect on nature and the environment. Thankfully some areas are now protected by national parks. In most cases the local villages have fought to protect their forests and wildlife. This improves the environment, and protects the wildlife. Lemurs are now preserved, not hunted.
Wildlife is not predictable, it is wild, so expect to be walking, climbing, and scrabbling through vegetation to find that elusive photographic shot. Visitors must have a guide to enter the parks and rain forests. This means you, thanks to the spotters, will generally be taken to where the wildlife can be found. The 6 hours walking through Ranomafana Rainforest can be tiring. It is up and down steep hills; uneven paths; as well as through the forest itself. Expect rain (as the name rainforest suggests), although we didn’t get any until we hit the beach. It is well worth the effort, seeing 6 or 7 types of Lemurs, including the Golden Bamboo. Listening to the cry of the Indri in a forest is spooky, but not as bad in the early hours of the morning. In all we saw about 15 types of lemurs on our travels.
This is also somewhere to go if you are a ‘Twitcher’, bird watcher. Although don’t expect to wait around in a nice cosy hide waiting for them to appear. You need to be quick as usually you only get a glimpse. If you are lucky then you may see a flycatcher’s nest right by the path at eye level. Or quietly snap a Hoopoe or a Fody, whilst just missing a Hawk. Listen for the chatter of Myna birds, introduced to kerb the rise in locusts.
Our aim was to see not just the lemurs, but also other endangered species, such as tree frogs and giraffe necked weevils. We were not disappointed, our guides knew what they were looking for. The guide in Andasibe National Park spotted a Mouse Lemur in pitch black high in a tree. The guide in Ranomafana found the Giraffe Necked Weevil just as we were leaving. I would never have seen these without their experience and vision.
To summarize: you go to Madagascar to see the wildlife, lemurs, frogs, insects etc. This is a poverty stricken country. The people are friendly and welcoming, on the whole. Lodges are clean, and the food is basic. We never felt unsafe, but then our driver ensured we didn’t stray. Crime against tourists does occur, but not often. As with anywhere in the world, be aware of your surroundings and your belongings. This was an experience of a lifetime, a very enjoyable experience I would highly recommend.
Felt like a real adventure.
Madagascar had been on my list of countries to visit for several years. Those David Attenborough documentaries have a lot to answer for. I'm always slightly skeptical of visiting a country that has had good exposure on television; often it doesn't live up to expectations but this did, and more. When first landing in Antananarivo, a large sprawling city, it's hard to imagine the wildlife that you're likely to encounter on your travels around the country. We traveled, for the most part, as a group of sixteen in a minibus with a guide and a driver. During this time we saw rain forests, dry spiny forests, sandy beaches and national parks, each of which offered their own unique collections of wildlife.
We went in September and the weather was very pleasant. The east side of the country was a lot cooler than the west, requiring a fleece or light jacket in the evenings. Whereas the west side and middle of the country was warm enough for t-shirts and shorts. We didn't see any significant rain during this period, other than some light drizzle in the rain forest which you'd expect but this didn't spoil the exploration.
Seeing the wildlife is really what we were here for though and it didn't disappoint. We did several night walks where we were lucky enough to spot the tiny mouse lemurs, tree frogs and chameleons. The main attraction has to be the range of lemurs that you'll see. We saw beautiful indri, sifakas, bamboo lemurs and best of all we were surrounded by a family of ring-tailed lemurs at the Isalo National Park. Going in September is a good time if you still want to see the babies clinging confidently to their mums as they jump from one precarious branch to another.
The scenery we saw was as varied as the wildlife. Driving around the country it's clear how important rice is as a staple. There are paddy fields everywhere and often the mud from these is also used to make bricks, piles of which you can still see 'cooking' by the roadside in piles. Seeing Baobab Alley at sunset felt like a dream come true; the majestic trees, some of them hundreds of years old, casting long shadows into the desert and the setting sun painting everything in shades of orange and black. The Grand Tsingi was also a striking place, the stark limestone formations as sharp as needles and in stark contrast to the beautiful green backdrop. Traveling to the Tsingy and the Kirindy Dry Forest was fairly tough, the roads are rough dirt tracks traveled by 4x4 and there are two ferry crossings involved. The scenery is dramatic, but also extremely dusty and long so if you're suffering from a sensitive stomach make sure you stock up on Imodium. Our tour ended at Ifaty beach which was a good place to relax for a day or two after all the traveling. The beach is bordered by palm trees and due to the very low level of light pollution the views of the milky way glittering over the sea was absolutely spectacular.
A few tips for travelers. Take some mosquito spray for during the night and forest walks because the mossies are relentless. A good head torch is a must for spotting on the night walks also.
Unique Madagascar with Great Island Adventure Safaris
We just spent three weeks in Madagascar with Bakoly Razanamiarantsoa the owner of Great Island Adventure Safaris as our guide. We travelled to and from Antananarivo via Paris from the US with four key areas visited:
Rainforests in Andasibe/Mantadia and Ranomafana in the East,
Dry forest and coast at Mahajanga/Ankarafantsika in the West,
The Spiny forests and coast around Ifaty and Toliara in the Southwest
Isalo and Zombitse on the Central plateau
Air Madagascar cancelled a flight which meant us missing a trip to the Masoala peninsula in the Northeast. Transport during our tour was by private 4WD and two internal flights.
The country is heavily deforested with most of the population depending on charcoal for cooking, however the remaining forest ecosystems in the national park areas visited still hold the unique wildlife that Madagascar is famous for. September is just prior to the peak birding months of Oct and Nov, but we saw every species available to us, with over 190 birds, 25+ species of Lemur, and many Chameleons, reptiles, frogs, insects, invertebrates and plants and trees. Eighty percent of every living species on the island is endemic, and many can be seen fairly easily and well in the right habitats. Photography opportunities were excellent, and whilst in September, not all species are highly active as the Austral winter ends, the vast majority of creatures were easy to see.
Friendly people throughout, and for a developing country, great accommodation and eating choices available in all but the more remote rural and wilderness areas. Local food and French style cooking was excellent throughout.
The country offers many options for adventure in addition to the unique wildlife with wilderness camping, trekking, canoeing and rafting all available. Not a traditional African style safari destination, but a fantastic experience nonetheless.
I can highly recommend Bakoly and her Great Island Adventure Safaris for any style or length of adventure.
She and her guides were excellent, expert in the wildlife and culture, and spoke excellent English and French. Drivers used, accommodations selected and meals were all top notch.
A unique destination that needs to be visited before the pressure on the wildlife becomes too great.
Simon
NJ USA
A truly excelent birding tour with Wings/Sunbird. Great guides Brian Finch and Bruno Raveloson.
We began in Antananarivo and flew to Mahajanga, then flew back to Tana and had a long birding drive to Toliara. Then we flew back to Tana and had another birding drive to Moramanga, spending 3 days at the national park there. Wings/Sunbird and Boogie Pilgrim ran a first-class birding tour, with excellent accommodations, food and vehicles. The birding was great and both guides paid special attention to getting EVERYONE on the bird EVERY TIME. I saw six new bird families, 147 bird species and got 107 life birds; we saw nearly every bird on the trip list. We visited at the end of the dry season and the weather was very pleasant and dry. My only concern was that Madagascar's human population is growing very rapidly (40% of their 25 million people are less than 15 years old) and its forests are ruthlessly being cut down. So, visit Madagascar soon, as nowhere did we see large numbers of birds and mammals, even in protected forest areas. One exception was the delightful Ring-tailed lemurs, which were numerous in the two lemur sites we visited.
Madagascar with Great Island Adventure Safaris
We just spent three weeks in Madagascar with Bakoly Razanamiarantsoa the owner of Great Island Adventure Safaris as our guide. Travel to and from Antananarivo via Paris from the US and four key areas visited - Rainforests in Andasibe/Mantadia and Ranomafana in the East, dry forest and coast at Mahajanga/Ankarafantsika in the West, and the spiny forests and coast around Ifaty and Toliara in the Southwest with stops at Isalo and Zombitse on the way. Air Madagascar cancelled a flight which meant us missing a trip to the Masoala peninsula rainforest in the Northeast. Transport during our tour was by private 4WD and two internal flights.
The country is heavily deforested with most of the population depending on charcoal for cooking, however the remaining forest ecosystems in the national park areas visited still hold the unique wildlife that Madagascar is famous for. September is just before the peak birding months of Oct and Nov, but we saw every species available to us, with over 190 birds, 25+ species of Lemur, and many Chameleons, reptiles, frogs, insects and invertebrates and plants and trees. Eighty percent of every living species on the island is endemic, and many can be seen fairly well in the right habitats. Photography opportunities were excellent, and whilst in September, not all species are highly active as the Austral winter ends, the vast majority of creatures were easy to see.
Friendly people throughout, and for a developing country, great accommodation and eating choices available in all but the more remote rural and wilderness areas. Local food and French style cooking was excellent throughout.
The country offers many options for adventure in addition to the unique wildlife with wilderness camping, trekking, canoeing and rafting all available. Not a traditional African style safari destination, but a fantastic experience nonetheless.
I can highly recommend Bakoly and her Great Island Adventure Safaris for any style or length of adventure.
www.gias-madagascar.com
She and her guides were excellent, expert in the wildlife and culture, and spoke excellent English and French.
A unique destination that needs to be visited before the pressure on the ecosystem and wildlife becomes too great.
Ten days in Madagascar
I love photographing birds, so I was very pleasantly surprised to find many birds I had never seen before. The highlight was a flock of Madagascan Olive Bee-Eaters right in the centre of Antananarivo. I arrived in Antananarivo spending five nights there. Although it was the middle of winter I found myself wearing shorts and t-shirts by the middle of most days. Beautiful sunshine. Antananarivo is beautiful from several vantage points with canals running through it while being surrounded by pretty mountains. The architecture is a unique combination of old European style, complimented by countless ageing French motor vehicles, and more random Madagascan shacks. People are obviously very poor compared to first world nations, but they remain outwardly content with their way of life. It's a challenging confronting country to visit and yet, at the same time, heartwarming to see people happily going about their daily lives worlds apart from the worlds most tourists come from. I spent five nights in my brother's home in Antananarivo. Then we adventured to a small resort on the shores of Lake Mantasoa. The 65km drive was incredibly scenic and took us about two and a half hours. Road conditions were generally good, only requiring us to go very slowly in a couple of places. Traffic congestion entering and/or exiting Antananarivo is a challenge. But once you break free from the city it's easy enough. Our accomodation was right on the shore of Lake Mantasoa and was very affordable, perfectly clean, and incredibly relaxing. I couldn't have wished for better in Australia, let alone Madagascar. We had a wonderful relaxing stay. We mostly self-catered, having found everything anyone could need in a very well stocked Shoprite Supermarket in Antananarivo. However we did eat out at a Swiss-themed Restaurant (yes Switzerland in the middle of Madagascar) near Lake Mantasoa and our meal was great value and delicious. Nicely presented too.
Highlights from this visit included relaxing walks on the shores of Lake Mantasoa; beautiful birds; beautiful sunny weather in the middle of Winter. And being Winter Mosquitos were generally not a problem. I've visited previously and on previous visit highlights included amazing experiences with Lemurs at a Lemur park and also in the wilds of a rain forrest. Lemurs are gorgeous and can be quite sociable. We explored some truly beautiful rain forests (a good four hour drive from Antananarivo). Madagascar has no dangerous poisonous snakes so one can enjoy walking searching for lemurs, chameleons, and many beautiful birds without fear of being bitten. I do intend to return.
I benefited greatly from my brother's local knowledge and his ability to navigate the roads and understand the way local traffic operates. If you are used to driving on the right hand side of the road then it certainly helps. Despite that I would recommend travelling with a local tour operator or someone with local driving experience. The crazy variety of vehicles all the way from bicycles to human-propelled carts to donkey carts and large trucks and the haphazard way they navigate is amazing to see and photograph. I would recommend being a passenger with a camera (or phone) ready to take photographs than being a driver in Antananarivo. Having said that, most road users are friendly so if you must drive, just be ready to take it slow!
safari rich in diversity of landscapes, terrestrial wildlife and underwater, very welcoming people
Fauna very rich and accessible, amazing landscapes "red and gray tsingy", pleasant weather even in the rainy season, different accommodation and food according to the choices, pay attention to hygiene for food and water.
Delicate local transport due to poor roads. Relatively good local guide. Tour very rich in emotions and sensations.
