Madagascar Natural Tours Head office
Madagascar Natural Tours
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $90 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
An individually tailored adventure
From the start Harilala was a great contact, who created an itinerary that matched our wishes and needs.
Communication is quick and easy via email and WhatsApp and in very good English.
Overall we would absolutely recommend this local tour operator and we're grateful for their support even after the tour.
We booked a 2 week tour of wildlife and birding and saw lots of the endemic species, considering the season of course. Distances feel longer than they are due to road conditions, so take that into consideration.
In our experience it really isn't an issue to take things like physical ability, dietary requirements etc into consideration, as they adjust the itinerary to that.
We had Hoby and Des as our guide and driver and very much enjoyed the fun and knowledgeable team.
Email Mary Ann | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Harilala provided a wonderful experience to enjoy the national parks and preserves!
Harilala was wonderful to work with; responsive and clear in his communication. He had excellent staff driving me safely and guiding me in the national parks and preserves. I was a solo traveler!
I contracted his company based on the review of coworkers and I was not disappointed! He even designed my trip with a one week interruption for a medical mission trip I was on. During the medical mission I had to postpone resuming my tour because one day and he totally understood!
I saw a lot of animals and plants unique to Madagascar. My guides were not afraid to answer my questions so I could understand the culture and economy of Madagascar.
Email Colin MacLachlan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well run, reasonably priced company offering multiple tours to meet the needs of a diverse clientele
My wife and I went on a 20 day trip starting with a 2 day stay in the capital, Antananarivo, followed by visits to two eastern rainforest areas (Andasibe-Mantadia and Ranamofana) where our guide (Nambinina) not only ensured we saw multiple lemur species, but also many chameleons, geckos, butterflies, and birds unique to Madagascar. We were even fortunate enough to hear and see the largest and critically endangered lemur species, the Indri, thanks to some excellent spotting by our guide. Our visits were both at night and during the day as some lemurs and other wildlife are more active at night or more easily seen then. From the eastern rain forests we headed south and west, stopping in Antsirabe and Ambositra to visit the daily street markets and learn about the local crafts unique to the area including those made with Zebu horn. We then proceeded to the dry forest and grasslands of Madagascar where we had multiple, close up visits from Ringtail Lemurs and were fascinated by the sideways leaps of Verreaux’s Sifaka (another Lemur species) when making their way on the ground. We also enjoyed multiple, unique and colorful birds in both Isalo National Park and Zombitse Vohibasia National Park along with vegetation found only in Madagascar like Elephant’s Foot (Pachypodium) and endemic Aloe plants. The end of our trip was spent on the beach in Anakao where we did some snorkeling, visited Nosey Ve island and saw the endemic population of Tropic Birds who nest there. We also visited Tsimanapetsotsa National Park which has a large salt pond occupied by Flamingos beginning in April and lasting until the rainy season in November. The park has caves with blind fish along with a Baobob tree believed to be more than 1600 years old.
All of our itinerary and the arrangements for transportation, hotels, meals (breakfast and dinner), and water each day was arranged by Madagascar Natural Tours. Our hotels were always clean and comfortable and the food offerings were excellent. With two exceptions, every one of our hotels had a pool should you want or need it.
We were provided with both a driver and a guide (Nambinina, who I mentioned above). We were very happy to have the driver because driving conditions are not the best with both road and traffic conditions being subpar. Our two drivers, Desi and Solo, were excellent.
I should mention that the owner, Harilala, is always available via What’s App and he went out of his way to accommodate us when we decided to change the date of our visit from last October to this past May. He advised us on the next best time to visit and kept in touch with us. He even arranged some additional services for us while we were on the road which included a park visit outside Toliara while we were waiting for our plane back to Antanarivo on our last full day.
Finally, I should mention that Madagascar Natural Tours arranged ATM stops for me when I needed local currency (mostly for driver, guide, and hotel tips, but also for lunches and souvenir purchases). I had read that ATM’s were unreliable and that you could often only draw 200,000 Ariary per visit. That was not the case for me where I could always draw 800,000 if I chose to. The ATM fee is 9500 Ariary (a little less than $2.50). You can decide if that works for you.
I highly recommend Madagascar Natural Tours for anyone wanting to visit Madagascar and wishing to do it on a reasonable budget without sacrificing quality. I also strongly recommend asking for Nambinina as your guide. His English is excellent and his knowledge of the flora and fauna of his country is superb.
Email Jeni | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience
I had an amazing trip through Madagascar Natural Tours. The tour was private and customized to add things I was particularly interested in. Harilala was available when I had questions during the tour and even stopped to meet me a few times along the way and make sure everything was going well.
It was nice to leave the booking to someone who knew the area and could find the best spots to see and eat and provided really knowledgable tour guides who excelled at finding hidden animals during our hikes.
SG
Email KT | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent guide, resourceful for last minute changes and flexible to on site requests.
Tour guide Hoby is one of the best guides I’ve ever met. He speaks fluent English, is extremely knowledgeable about Madagascar’s flora and fauna, and most of the food he recommended was excellent.
A few days before our trip, we received news of a flight delay that could have caused us to miss our connecting flight. The tour manager was quick and flexible, helping us replan the trip and adjust most of our bookings within a day to fit the new schedule. This was incredibly helpful.
P.S. Don’t trust Madagascar Airlines’ timing. If you have a connecting flight, it’s safer to schedule it for the following day.
Email Greg Atkinson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great trip to Madagascar and Kenya
This was my wife and my first visit to Madagascar and Kenya. Harilala from Natural Tours was a great choice. He arranged a 10 day tour of Madagascar, including Rainforests and Nosybe Island and a 10 day Safari in Kenya with an associated tour company Holidayworks. He communicated through WhatsApp timely and clear. Flight delays due to the Iranian war at the end of the trip required an additional day at the last hotel which was accommodated . The cost for our driver and guide was very reasonable. The guide’s English was excellent and he was informative as we drove out to Andasibe and other national and local parks. We went on night hikes and saw lemurs, chameleons and other animals. Went for many day hikes and saw lots of different lemurs. Harilala’s service was great including local boat tours of smaller islands near Nosybe, where he provided a local guide for the island. Highly recommend using Natural Tours.
Email Brian L | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic host
For our first visit to Madagascar, Harilala from Natural Tours couldn’t have been a better choice. His communication through WhatsApp was always timely and clear. Cost for our driver and guide was very reasonable. The guide’s English was excellent and he was informative as we drove out to Andasibe national park. Harilala’s service was above and beyond when my wife’s luggage didn’t make the transfer and he picked it up and delivered it without drama! Highly recommend.
Email Dylan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Strong communication, and knowledgeable guides provided an enjoyable trip
My partner and I went on a custom trip with Madagascar natural tours for most of the month of February, and despite it being the low season the itinerary was able to be flexible and enjoyable while working around a cyclone that hit during the beginning of the trip. I recommend being very direct if there are specific things you want to do that aren't included in an itinerary you're given. I also recommend if you want to get more off the beaten path that you are forthcoming with this to both Harilala, who created our itinerary and was very helpful communicating through the whole planning process, and with the guides you are assigned when you arrive.
There were two guides we had for different sections of the trip, Nambinina and Lala, and both were flexible and great conversationalists if you have cultural and wildlife questions to ask them. Their openness to conversation even on controversial topics made this trip really memorable as Madagascar has a very diverse and interesting cultures. At one point during the trip we asked to change hotels and both Madagascar natural tours and the guides were extremely accomodating and the move was convenient and had no difficulties. I definitely recommend Madagascar natural tours for those planning a custom small group trip to the island.
DE
Email Andrea & Niklas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
More than a trip — a warm, well-organized, and truly eye-opening experience
We (40 & 45) traveled with Madagascar Natural Tours for four weeks through this fascinating country and were able to experience its breathtaking nature and incredible biodiversity in the best possible way.
We contacted Harilala from Madagascar Natural Tours only about eight weeks before our trip, which is quite short notice, especially during high season. Despite that, he managed to fulfill all our wishes, gave us great advice, and organized a journey that perfectly matched what we were looking for. Communication was excellent from the beginning, and we always felt safe and well looked after.
Due to political unrest, our arrival was delayed by two nights because our flight was diverted. During this stressful situation, we stayed in contact with Harilala, who reassured us and handled everything calmly and professionally. Of course, we missed one planned day of the itinerary, but he adjusted transport, accomodation and activities where necessary so we could still enjoy the rest of the journey as planned. He, the drivers, and the guides are in constant communication — we never had to worry about anything.
This was the first time we had ever booked a fully organized tour, and we are very glad we did. Without local support, we would never have seen so much of the country or been able to travel between destinations so safely and efficiently. The road conditions are very challenging, and we were truly impressed by the drivers’ skills (Fanambinana, Dominique and Aina are the best) and even their mechanical knowledge when needed.
Whenever we had questions, we could reach Harilala via WhatsApp. Sometimes he replied within a minute, sometimes a bit later — but always reliably. It’s clear he is coordinating many travelers at once, especially in high season, and we always felt supported.
Towards the end of our trip, we spent several days with our guide Adrien, who went above and beyond to show us even more bird, insect, and lemur species. His knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm for his work were amazing. He even showed us his home town, which was a very special and personal experience.
Madagascar is a developing country, and infrastructure and processes can be very different from what visitors may be used to at home. What stood out most to us was how dedicated everyone was to making our stay a good one. If something didn’t go exactly as planned, there was always a solution. The Malagasy people are incredibly warm and supportive — it was wonderful to experience.
If you travel through Madagascar with an open heart and curiosity for other cultures, you will have an unforgettable time.
We would absolutely travel with Madagascar Natural Tours again.
NL
Email Roderick & Jasmine | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent, Local (!), Eco-Conscious, and Professional Operator
We booked a 2-week, eco-friendly tour with Madagascar Natural Tours (MNT) and Harilala to see as much as possible of Madagascar, combining a few “off the beaten track” nature-experiences with some special (local) eco-lodges.
And in this MNT delivered with 5/5 stars! We had the most amazing, nature trip Madagascar can offer!
Beforehand and throughout the trip Harilala (as coordinator) was quick, responsive, thought along, flexible, and pro-active in helping to organize for our wishes. Especially with the recent unrest having some unforeseen negative consequences for detailed planning (for example changes in flight plans)
Most importantly, in the different nature reserves we visited, we always had an excellent, experienced (local!) guide, that was very knowledgable and spoke English well.
What is important to understand when visiting Madagascar for its amazing nature, is that Madagascar (contrary to mainland Africa) has extremely diverse and highly location-specific diversity and landscapes. This is what makes the Madagascar ecosystem so special and unique in the world, but from a tour-organization perspective, this necessitates you work with experienced local guides, as literally every forest is a different ecosystem (much much more vs other countries). And this is exactly what Harilala and MNT delivered.
On top of this, the fact that Madagascar is a very poor country, for us knowing our money directly goes to Malagasy and their communities was a huge plus.
Furthermore, in the rest of our travels, we were very wel accommodated, without any worries on planning or accommodation issues at all. (Which is not an easy feat in the highly decentralized, and hard-to-travel Madagascar!)
Would 100% recommend and use again for a next experience! Go local everyone!
