Madagascar is the sort of place that defies being put in a nutshell. Cut off from mainland Africa by the Mozambique channel for millions of years, evolution has been experimenting on the island for millennia. The result is a truly unique place with fully 5% of the world’s biodiversity and weird and wonderful flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth.

It’s bewilderingly diverse, with ancient primary rainforest, rugged landscapes and magnificent beaches. Madagascar has a rich, vibrant culture with 18 different ethnic groups all linked by a common language. You’ll find Malagasies to be joyful and optimistic people, despite their country being among the poorest on earth. The feeling of untapped potential is almost palpable. A young population combined with vast natural resources give you the sense of a nation waiting to be unleashed.

As a place to visit, the seemingly inexorable march of the corporate flattening of travel has yet to touch the island. There are still places here where you can almost disappear. There’s quirk and character in spades here and if you’re willing to explore with an open mind and a little extra patience and flexibility, Madagascar can defy your expectations and astonish you.

• Access from North America is either via Europe, Kenya or Ethiopia and there are direct flight from Paris, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Addis Ababa to Antananarivo “Tana", and from Milan, Frankfurt and Addis Ababa to the norther town of Nosy Be.
• The two most iconic images people have in their minds are of Lemurs and the Avenue of the Boababs. The Lemurs are absolutely fantastic, the Baobabs are impractical to get to and an expensive add on and not really worth the trip unless you absolutely have to say you’ve seen them and get the photo.
• Madagascar is more expensive than people expect. While the hotels are not necessarily that expensive (with a couple of notable exceptions), getting around efficiently (so mainly by air) adds significantly to costs.
• The capital Antatanarivo “Tana” is something of a sensory assault and is far from a glittering modern capital city, but it’s worth a day exploring.
• Patience and flexibility are the name of the game when travelling in Madagascar. Roads are poor and flight schedules can change unexpectedly. It’s best to assume that your trip may have a hiccup or two but our trusted local partners will definitely make sure everything gets smoothed out in the end.
• Madagascar is one of the poorest countries on earth and some of the poverty you see can be jarring at first.
  Most scheduled flights require an overnight between chapters in Tana so on a trip with multiple stops you can expect several nights in Tana. You can avoid this by flying by private charter
• While Malagasy, French and English are the official languages. Malagasy is the most widely spoken and while many people will speak French, it’s not necessarily spoken everywhere and English even less so. Not to worry though, your guides will all speak excellent english and help you find your way.

Generally speaking you can visit Madagascar anytime between May and the end of December though some areas become inaccessible due to weather come the end of October. June, July and August are mid winter and some areas can be cool, especially at night. Generally speaking the best time to visit is between July and the end of October for most regions.

Humpback whales tend to arrive off the north and east coasts around mid July and are generally present until September.

January, February and March are months when cyclones tend to hit the island and are best avoided. The exception here being Miavana which has great (though hot) weather during this time.

• Leaping Lemurs - Lemurs abound in Madagascar and there are over 100 different species. You can travel to every corner of the country and find lemurs species that exist only in that pocket, hiking to see them into the varied habitats that they have adapted to.
• Tsingy & Spiny Forests - the island is home to bizarre and fantastic forests and landscapes shaped by Madagascar's unique geography and ecology found nowhere else on earth.
• Beaches - Madagascar has some spectacular beaches and and whether you’re looking for something more adventurous like Masoala or top end luxury like Miavana, Madagascar can deliver. Either included in a longer trip around the uisland or as a beach stop at the end of a safari on the mainland.
• Whales & sharks - in season, humpback whales and whale sharks pass by Madagascar on their annual migration down the east coast of Africa.