Madagascar’s rainforests ring to the calls of lemurs and exotic birdlife, humpback whales breed in its waters and ancient 2 CV taxis ply the streets.
Meanwhile restaurants in the middle of nowhere serve homemade foie gras as good as anything you’ll find in Dordogne. After many trips over the past few years this place has become a firm favourite of ours.
A Madagascar safari holiday offers the sort of eccentric charm it’s increasingly hard to find these days. Not quite Africa, part Indonesia with a dash of Arabic, all overlaid with a French accent. This is a place with the capacity to surprise on many levels, whether it’s the wildlife, the beautiful scenery or the food.
While it may not be the obvious choice for those wanting a sophisticated modern safari experience, it will reward those of a curious nature looking for a bit of adventure in a wildly exciting corner of the planet. And some of Madagascar’s wildlife experiences – particularly the rainforests and coast on the Northeast of the island - are as good as anything you’ll find on mainland Africa.
For families Madagascar is a cornucopia of eclectic experiences that will keep children big and small thrilled
Enter the rainforest on foot and you’ll be smitten by the extraordinary endemic species that live their; brightly coloured chameleons that resemble the beaded trinkets for sale in Johannesburg airport or some of the world’s last Indris – sombre looking lemurs the size of a child, with a call like a vuvuzela and the ability to leap 7 metres in a single bound.
Take night walks to discover creatures deeply asleep on the ends of branches, explore massive caves and landscapes that look like they came from a Hollywood set. Head to the coast and the turquoise waters, white sandy beaches and rich sea life are mesmerising.
If you know where to look Madagascar still contains sensational wild areas
While much of the island has suffered terribly from deforestation, the country’s last remaining rainforests are still cathedrals to biodiversity teaming with colourful mammals, reptiles, birds, insects and plants - many of which remain unknown to science.
In all Madagascar is home to over 100 species of lemur, while stunning islands and beaches offer the chance to see – and even swim with - a plethora of marine wildlife, from humpback whales to whale sharks, manta rays and turtles.
In August and September look out for breaching humpback whales as they migrate to and from their breeding grounds. At Christmas time whale sharks can be found in the islands around Nosy Be, while manta rays and sea turtles are year-round residents.
For those after real adventure consider taking the RN5 “the world’s worst highway” which follows the magical east coast of the island; 5 days of unspoilt beaches and small fishing villages.
It's no mean feat to be able to run a luxury lodge in Madagascar - few people would have the determination to try, but of those that do, a few stand out as remarkable.
Beyond a select handful of properties that we'd advise you to build your itinerary around, it’s sensible to assume that accommodation in Madagascar won’t be highly sophisticated
In many cases there are good logistical reasons for this (it’s pretty hard to get a lot of things in very remote areas), but this aside, the travel market here isn’t as mature as in some parts of Africa and standards reflect this.
You could however argue that moderate accommodation is the price to be paid for visiting the little visited regions of Madagascar.
In many places – and particularly if you’re driving, there is a reasonable selection of mid range hotels to choose from in places like Andasibe, but styling tends to be functional rather than ground breaking. Go further afield though, for example to the wild east coast and you can expect some quite basic set ups.
However, in our experience, what you will find almost everywhere are enormously welcoming people and very often exceptional food.
All of this said, there are one or two exceptions that prove the rule – truly special small lodges like Masoala Forest Lodge, located in the magical Masoala National Park, that offer exceptional food in a seriously off the map locations and it’s places like this that we’d advocate building your trip around if you can.
I am not sure if Julien bought us to the lemurs or vice versa, but there they were, astonishing beings, upright, immaculately attired in furs and tails, bouncing through the trees like pianists in white tie and knickerbockers. They had no fear of us. They crooned, chattered, ate, carried their babies — and then they called. I jumped. Lemurs can make a shrieking hoot that vibrates through tree trunks. You would think a troop of yeti were coming for you.”
Madagascar changes you. It made me an evangelist for the country - for the necessity of foreign understanding and support for this vulnerable and still extraordinary place”
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Our experienced travellers include:
Catherine Ronan
Vanessa Janion
Rod Tether
It takes genuine local knowledge to craft trips that go beyond the ordinary.
All of us at Natural High have over 20 years’ experience in the countries we offer. We’ve lived there, worked there and arranged countless one-off journeys for clients. We live to travel – and love to share our tips on what’s really worth doing. For expert advice (and a traveller’s tale or two), speak to one of our team. They’ll be happy to let you in on their travel secrets, and help you plan a tailor-made trip that’s truly unforgettable.
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"We are repeat customers and NH never fail to deliver an exceptional trip. They understand exactly what we want to experience and tailor the adventure using accommodation that suits us and fabulous guides. The advice is sound and backup there if necessary."
Enjoyed EVERY second of an action- packed two weeks in Kenya. Asante Sana👏
"This was my fourth safari booked with Natural High and, as previously, it surpassed my expectations. Vanessa’s Itinerary was spot on - the three camps were very different but all were spectacular with food to die for, wonderful staff, friendly, knowledgeable and great driver/guides. I could go on and on - it was perfect, and the icing on the whole trip was tracking, and finding a pack of Wild Dogs - the reason for going😃
Already saving for a 5th trip and will DEFINITELY book with Natural High - they are the Best!"
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"They picked out good places to stay that fitted the criteria. Very thoughtful and attentive. They called back and they sent emails with suggestions."
Morroco was a pleasant surprise
"This was certainly not our first trip with natural high.
As any other trip, organization was great, ie pick up, vehicles, local guides, food, all well done.
I now have a different opinion of the country and people."
