Madagascar: The Lost Continent

This was a fantastic trip through Madagascar, great people and a wonderful itinerary. Our guide Charles was an excellent tour leader, full of information about his country and the wildlife. You need to prepare for long journeys! Some days are many hours on a bus across bumpy roads but these are all worth it to see a variety of landscapes and wildlife..We had a fab driver who kept us safe on these roads! This is a fascinating country to visit but be prepared for the widespread poverty you will see, more so than other developing countries. It can be upsetting at times. All that said you will not regret this trip. We saw lots of wildlife, lemurs, birds, chameleons and so many beautiful places and hikes. I few tips- take some warm clothes and waterproof layers if going in winter as the first few days are cold and can be wet. Take cash with you to exchange! Don’t rely on ATMs as a lot of them run out of money or swallow your card! You can exchange money at the first hotel as it’s usually a better rate than at the airport. (Not sure if they exchanged pounds but definitely USD and euros can be exchanged) Only 2 hotels will except payment by card! The rest of the trip you have to use cash. It’s not that expensive for meals - most of the time meals cost between £2-4 and you do have a lot of meals included in this trip. Any left over money change back at the airport before you go through security etc as you can’t use the local currency once you’re through. ( only usd or euros!) crazy!

Great trip and the Guide and drivers were excellent.

Fantastic trip! As with most trips, a good guide makes all the difference and Charles was one of the best we've had. He's on top of everything, is very knowledgeable about the culture, history and wildlife of Madagascar. We traveled at the end of August and it is quite chilly and sometimes rainy in the highlands, so bring warm clothes! The second half of the trip was in the lowlands and was much warmer, we were wearing t-shirts and shorts and spending time in the pool.

Fantastic trip! Charles was among the best guides we have ever had - knowledgable about the culture and wildlife, organized, a great communicator, and incredibly patient. We saw 18 different lemur species! Our group of 10 was fun and easy-going. Madagascar is a beautiful country with fascinating history and culture. In the winter months (June, July, August), bring warm layers! We were happy to have rain pants and rain jackets. A headlamp or flashlight and hiking boots are musts.

Good itinerary. Tour leader very helpful.

Madagascar's treasures are unique and close to extinction, and so definitely deserve serious consideration when planning a holiday. But the infrastructure for travel - roads and airlines, can quite challenging. Explore organizes and delivers a wonderful itinerary, but be prepared for long journeys across very bumpy roads for even short distances

Fantastic trip. Varied and interesting itinerary with plenty of amazing fauna and flora in abundance. I would definitely recommend this trip for anyone with a passion for the great outdoors.

Armand was an excellent Explore Leader always conscientious, caring and full of information about his country and the amazing wildlife. He is highly experienced and this showed. The trip is very busy, there is very little downtime and the long days on the terrible roads are tiring. I would make the following suggestions: In July/August you need warm clothes, waterproofs and walking boots, trainers won't do it. Don't stay at the Feony Ala Bungalows in Andasibe in July/Aug. There is no heat anywhere, it was 7C in the morning and everything was damp/wet. This trip needs an additional day in Hotel Relais de la Reine Isola. There is so much to see and do there and it's beautiful. The last day in Tana wasn't good. We spent 2 hours driving to the countryside to see an average "palace" we had a BBQ meal that no one really wanted then spent 2 hours driving back to Tana to go to a gift shop. It would be better to drop the palace in the countryside. Spend half a day exploring Haute Ville in Tana then give people time back at the hotel to rest to restbefore the last dinner.

My husband and I recently returned from the Lost Continent trip to Madagascar. It was an amazing experience that will live in our memories for a long time. Our guide Armand was fantastic, a genuinely caring, knowledgeable, conscientious person, with a deep love for his country, it's people and its wildlife. He looked after us brilliantly and we learnt so much from him. The itinerary was full but we saw a lot. Some of the days involved many hours in the bus but given the size of the country and the state of its roads this was inevitable. The poverty was confronting, more so than in any of the other developing countries we have visited. The accommodation was mostly excellent, the one exception being the lodge at Andasibe Reserve (Feon'ny Ala Bungalows) where the rooms were dark, cold and rather damp. I think Explore could consider alternative places if available in the area. We all would have liked an extra day at the extraordinary Isalo National Park, and could have traded this off with one less day at the beach at the end (though we all enjoyed the snorkeling trip, whale watching, and the opportunity to relax). The local guides were excellent, though there were a couple of occasions when their desire to help us get good photos resulted in disturbance to the wildlife (though Armand did his best to limit this). Another suggestion would be to have a water reservoir on the bus with a filter (so as to be able to use tap water), so that we could fill water bottles without the need to buy so much plastic. I note that Explore did recommend taking a filter bottle (which some of us had but not everyone). Finally, one of the most distressing manifestations of poverty was children running beside the bus in some of the villages in the south begging for water. We would like to donate to reputable charities that are addressing this need and guidance from Explore as to which charities are likely to be the most effective would be appreciated, though I understand you may not be able to do this. This was out first Explore trip and I'm sure won't be our last.

We were lucky to have been taken through the incredible sights of Madagascar with the most wonderful tour leader, Armand. His knowledge, his energy and his enthusiasm knew no bounds. Despite being very full-on, he kept us feeling positive and we knew, without such a tightly packed and varied itinerary, we wouldn't have seen so much. Highly recommended.

Excellent tour very well managed by our tour leader. Most of the accommodation was good or excellent. Included meals were either good or excellent. The guide was excellent. Transport was by way of a clean & comfortable small coach with an experienced driver. The itenerary was quite full on with early starts and some long days but we saw some amazing sights including multiple types of birds, lemurs, lizard and many others. We also made use of local guides with specialist local knowledge in many of the national parks and they brought everything into sharper focus. This was our first trip with Explore. We will definitely do future trips with them and would not hesitate to recommend this tour.

A well, organised varied tour, expertly led and great fun!

I really enjoyed this trip, our guide was fantastic, and Madagascar is a unique country. I loved the lemurs and the humpback whales and the people are happy and friendly in spite of the living conditions some of them find themselves in.

Some hotels were fantastic Coleur Cafe comes to mind) with a cozy fireplace in the room perfect for drying wet clothes after days and days of rain during so called dry season. Others such as Paradieser have a fantastic location but bungalows are quite separated from each other (good) with very few lights between them and uneven cobblestone paths joining them.

An amazing trip - the long bumpy road trips are worth it to see the variety of landscapes in a very special country. We saw lovely lemurs of many species and birds and chameleons and lakes/rock formations carved out of colourful layers - all are worth the walking safaris that are sometimes challenging particularly in the rainforest, where it can be muddy/slippery underfoot and when it rains, it's a full downpour. A lovely group of 10 expertly guided by Heri who was knowledgeable on all the local customs and wildlife. Do take the items on the equipment list - full waterproofs and a poncho, fleece and long sleeve T shirts for the first week, torch (for night safaris and to find your cabin in the dark), walking poles are useful, waterproof walking boots, a sports bra for bumpy travel days - and for those who like a hairdryer, bring one - there's one hotel where it's provided. This is a lovely trip - just be prepared for fewer mod cons than at home.

Madagascar was a fascinating country to visit. Despite widespread poverty the people are so welcoming to tourists and witnessing weddings, funerals and other religious ceremonies were unexpected highlights alongside the breathtaking scenery, miles of rice paddies and endemic wildlife. We had an amazing guide Heri who shared his love and knowledge of the country and made sure everything from check-ins to bags and meals went seemlessly. The group was a really fun one too. Thanks guys! Accommodation was mostly great and lots of included meals were of a high quality. A few tips: It was very wet in the first few days (and this was the 'dry' season so do bring plenty of waterproofs (including trousers for the jungle walks) and warm clothing. You need to bring smaller US notes to exchange at the start of the trip (larger notes have a less favourable exchange rate) as little opportunity to use ATMs cards or indeed exchange money once you leave the capital. No tea/coffee or kettles provided in rooms. Also believe the itinerary regarding long drives on poor roads and there are lots of early starts. Bring binoculars for the birds. Definitely one on my best experiences with Explore (this was trip 34). Highly recommended for those seeking a new full on experience.

Lots of early starts and several long travel days. Be aware of the weather in July as there where several days before we had the opportunity to dry out and do laundry. Fleeces and wet weather gear required. Diverse scenery, excellent and knowledgeable local tour guides who could spot the well camouflaged wild life. We saw many species of lemur, birds, camelons and whales. A great trip.

A truly spectacular and unforgettable trip. The tour delivers an eclectic mix of Madagascar's culture, history and people, plus an abundance of wildlife, Those Lemurs, WOW! All of this was expertly and enthusiastically presented by our wonderful tour leader Armand. The long days on the deteriorating roads are necessary to move from one area containing Madagascar's highlights to the next, however, whilst on route there is much to see and be amazed at from the bus. This makes the slight discomfort worth it, to experience such a large part of the fantastic country that is Madagascar.

The trip was memorable, but the long journeys were extremely tiring . The condition of the roads were not something that was the fault of Explore, but perhaps the journeys could be staggered, as we had a few days where we travelled almost 12 hours! The lack of available toilets in these journeys were not ideal. Most accommodation was comfortable. The meal at the last hotel, which unfortunately was also the farewell meal left much to be desired. It actually gave me food poisoning!

This trip was exactly as described. We saw all the lemurs we could hope for, plus other creatures, and the scenery was wonderful. Although we travelled on bumpy roads for some long days, our driver (Jean) was excellent, and there were frequent stops. The three nights in a good hotel on the beach were very welcome at the end. Most of the accommodation was great, and several hotels had a pool. Our Explore Leader (Naina / Charles) took great care of us and was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and many other aspects of his country. He really made the trip for us. Thank you!

This is a great trip to a very poor country! Be prepared for stunning wildlife, beautiful views, friendly people but also an insight into the tough daily lives for many. There are some challenges, sometimes to get to where the Lemurs are, means getting through tangled undergrowth on slippery slopes. The roads too are diabolical meaning some long slow bumpy journeys, but that’s Madagascar… and thoroughly worth it!

I loved everything about Madagascar. I have had 4 trips with Explore and feel safe knowing they will look after me. The accommodation was excellent, we stayed in some really luxurious hotels. Our guide was excellent, very knowledgeable. Whatever I asked him to ID (insect, animal, plant) he knew what it was, even giving the Latin name. I recommend this trip and hope to return to visit the north of the Island one day.

A full-on trip around a beautiful but very poor country. A small group with a fantastic tour leader, Armaud. Great wildlife, forest walks, highland trek, lovely coast, friendly people. Terrible roads!

An excellent trip for an introduction to Madagascar

Brilliant trip best way to travel around Madagascar would be in an organised group like this. Some long travel days but I thought were very well broken up with interesting stops. The parks and lemurs were well worth the effort. The only problem I had was the change to the itinerary after I had already booked after comparing itineraries with other companies. There is basically a wasted day - boat trip had been removed and replaced with sitting around a hotel waiting to check into the next hotel !! I assume this will be updated?

Yes this was a great trip. There were 12 people in our group and we all got along very well. We also had a great tour leader and an excellent driver who got us everywhere. We saw an amazing variety of wildlife and landscapes which really impressed me even though this was my second time visiting the country. The mini bus we used was pretty comfortable and the variety of hotels was also very good.

Fabulous trip. Highlights were hearing and see the Indri and Sifakas, walking through the rainforests. The Explore Guide, the drivers and all the local guides were amazing, really helpful and could spot the smallest insect from a distance! Some days are long travel days, and early starts - but that suited me fine. Great trip. Highly recommend.

This trip was one of the best I have been one. It was a truly amazing, albeit sobering experience. I felt humbled and privileged to be in Madagascar. I loved every minute of it.

Excellent tour with Charles as superb guide. Probably best for the more experienced travellers as there are some long drives on very poor roads. Expect a wide range of hotels from luxury to arriving in towns where there is no power/water at the hotel due to hydro-power shortage. Food generally a lot better than expected. The whole group had norovirus whilst there despite all of us being careful, so be prepared and take some wet-wipes. We saw 14 types of lemur and seeing the ring-tailed lemurs so close (1m away) was a highlight, along with a 1200 year old baobab tree. The trip notes do not state anything about allowance for tips to the driver and assistant driver as they are not in the main tripping allowance. Suggest add £40-50 total for these two. Madagascar is one of the ten poorest countries in the world and most people are living in very poor conditions, with no power, lighting or running water. In the dry south, people were begging for water, so best to arrange with guide to buy extra water bottles before you get there to distribute on the road side. Everybody was very friendly and welcoming. So if you want a unique experience, well worth considering this trip.

The trip was amazing. You hike in parks to fine lemurs, chameleons, bugs, etc. It’s really exciting and fun to encounter them up close. Guide Charles (Naina) provided superior service. 11 of 12 felt ill at some point and Charles took care of us. Some who were slower were assisted by Charles. This is a full on itinerary with many early morning starts, long, bumpy drives, as described. Some hotels were luxurious and some were basic but you are in Madagascar—that’s what it is so don’t complain. Driver M. skillfully got us through the country with assistant David (smiley) graciously assisting with everything. You need a strong constitution but the trip is well worth it.

Charles was brilliant. Knowledgeable, organized, kind. I couldn't fault him. He made our trip to Madagascar so memorable and seemless. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was an amazing trip which included incredible wildlife viewing as well as opportunities to understand more about the daily lives of the Malagasy people, and the challenges faced by these lovely people. We visited several communities, including one evening enjoying a meal and traditional dancing. Our guide Charles was outstanding, and our driver skilfully and safely negotiated the poor road conditions. I personally found the long travelling days on bumpy roads a great way appreciate Malagasy life, which is such a contrast to life in the UK. Many people have no access to running water, and we tried to help by giving empty water bottles for them to re-use. We realised part way through that refilling the bottles at hotels was even more helpful. We were asked for clothing at one community, so if you bring clothing to give out will be appreciated. It is important to realise that you need good stamina, and good fitness levels. The temperatures are high, and stomach upsets are not uncommon. The optional snorkelling trip was well worth doing, and the ride out to the reef on a traditional pirogue was great fun. I was glad I had taken my own mask and snorkel.

3 of the accommodations were poor, 2,in particular- the artisan .. horrible, dark, a dribble of hot water after waiting until almost 9pm n lots of black outs. The public toilet there had no loo roll and there was a lump of pooh on the floor .. so no pre checking to ensure all was ok before our group arriving. No one in the office and another guests water tank broke n my son had to find someone at gone 10.30pm to sort it out. The victory hotel.. nasty, very poor quality.. but did do a nice dinner there. Otherwise all good. The tour leader, Armand is a fantastic guy, a lovely man, so passionate and knowledgeable about his country. Lovely humour, patience and helpful. I would definitely recommend him for best tour leader award. A lot of humility for his country’s people which was truly humbling. He went out of his way to make special experiences for us. Madagascar is stunning and although a ********* trip due to the roads often being poor and a lot of travel, I have and will recommend it. Incredible and a tour with so many amazing experiences.. I and my son will treasure for a lifetime. Thanks also to our helping man Odilong, what a nice young man - our driver Alex, a total star driver who kept us safe on our journeys. Fabulous.. amazing scenery and of course the lemur experiences were just beautiful. Apart from my comments on the accommodations.. I will give this trip a very high 9.5/ 10.

Our leader, Armand, was excellent - a friendly, reliable and approachable guide who loves Madagascar and is incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of the country - including an astonishing knowledge of the flora and fauna. His enthusiasm was infectious.

I couldn’t have hoped for a better leader than Armand - nothing was too much trouble for him. He was so knowledgeable about his home country and passed on so much information that enhanced the trip. He was attentive, kind and caring- always making sure that each member of the group had what they needed. He listened to each of us if any issues arose and he always had a solution. He is an excellent leader and Explore are fortunate to have him!

The tour was overall a great experience with lots of variety in landscapes and experiences. It was a good trip, although considering the difficulty traveling here, you must be very interested in wildlife and/or botany to really enjoy. The accomodations was overall pretty good, with a couple being excellent. However, the Feon'ny Ala Bungalows are. They are extremely basic, freezing, damp, the toilet seat kept falling off, and lack hot water most of the time. They were also not all that clean, to the point that I had to use wipes to clean the light switches and remove brown smudges. There were some that were slightly nicer as they backed directly onto the forest with a balcony, but we were not placed in those. While close to wildlife (there were lemurs that visited the ground), this was otherwise the most basic and uncomfortable accomodations of the trip. The food there was also generally less than satisfactory and was much better at the restaurant across the street. But on the positive, everything is better from there! The best hotel was the stay at Isalo - beautiful place. While the hotel in Ambositira was okay, the town lacked water, so all you had was a bucket. It was a rough go for those in the trip suffering from stomach virus that about half the group came down with. So in general, just be prepared! The food was overall good, with some of the best food at the community guesthouse. The itinerary is pretty good, although as many have said, there are long drives which become wearing. The flight situation at the end is also erratic, and left two in a our group taking a different flight from the rest of us. I'm unsure if this is just due to booking or what, but one couple was split up, with the wife on the morning flight and the husband in the afternoon. More effort should be taken if possible to ensure couples stay together. Obviously the walks in the parks are the highlights. The snorkeling in ifaty was also pretty good. Although a short trip (you only spend about an hour snorkeling), there is a lot of fish a good variety to be seen. It was nice to get out in the water. Our guide was great and extremely knowledgeable on wildlife and generally tried at all times to ensure people had what they needed.

An amazing trip. It was full on and lots of travelling from place to place. Be prepared for this. The first sighting of a Lemur was magical. The trackers and local guides knew their job well and were very patient with us. The guide was very knowledgeable and managed our group very well. Food was very good at each venue. Wonderful memories.

This was a trip I enjoyed very much. Besides seeing many natural wonders, we also got a lovely tour leader Hery. No matter when and where we needed his help, he was always there available. He tried his hardest to let’s get the best from this trip in every aspect in Madagascar. He far saw the problems and prepared solutions in advance for them to make our trip possibly smoother. To the end he prepared a list of animals, insects, and plants we encountered, to enhance our knowledge and memory about the trip. Our driver and his assistant were very professional as well. The bus was always clean. They did their best to drive us safely and efficiently under the bad road conditions. I deeply appreciate their efforts.

This tour covers a lot of ground and visits many of the best National Parks. Wildlife encounters are something of a priority here and time is spent to give the best opportunities for viewing many of the expected species. The accommodation is very varied but most is comfortable and sometimes quite special. There are challenges in terms of long travel days but the details in the trip notes etc should enable everyone to be aware of the situation. On these days, the highlights were stopping at petrol stations for toilets and refreshments! I felt well looked after with an excellent tour leader and driver. As a group of travellers we got on very well- one of the best groups I've ever travelled with.

Madagascar is an amazing place with some beautiful places to see. I didn't realise though how much of the time would be spent on the road. The coach had no air-conditioning because the fan belt went. We should have been given a new bus but weren't. The bus was also cramped and uncomfortable which caused some friction with the group.

Excellent leader, itinerary and 75% of the accommodation.

Varied and interesting itinerary, good mix of wildlife, trekking and culture. Need to be reasonably fit to enjoy the walking.