Carefully planning a trip to Madagascar involves juggling several moving parts, rather than simply choosing where you wish to travel. This island-country off the southeastern coast of Africa is one of the world’s most biodiverse destinations, home to the humid, wildlife-rich eastern rainforests and remote ‘tsingy’ limestone pinnacle-fields. With its modest infrastructure and complex geography, expert advice and guidance will help you navigate it comfortably.
Our Madagascar Travel Specialists take frequent field visits and have built long-standing relationships with talented local guides, owner-run lodges, conservation organisations and in-country partners. So, you can tell us what interests you – whether that includes observing lemurs and chameleons or relaxing on a white sandy beach – and we’ll meticulously organise your travel plans and include authentic experiences to give you the best possible holiday.
From drawing on our first-hand knowledge of Madagascar’s varied landscapes and extraordinary wildlife to having peace of mind that your holiday is ABTA and ATOL-protected, discover why Rainbow is the right choice for your Madagascar adventure.
In this guide:
– Discover Why Our Madagascar Expertise Matters
– Meet Our Madagascar Specialists
– Build a Tailored Itinerary Around You
– Explore Wildlife Regions with Specialist Guides
– Make a Positive Difference Through Travel
– Read Real Stories from our Madagascar Travellers
– Travel to Madagascar with Peace of Mind
Discover Why Our Madagascar Expertise Matters
Here at Rainbow, we’ve taken people to experience the natural world since 1997 and are proud to be the UK’s leading tour operator for Madagascar. We believe this is down to a few key things:
– Our Travel Specialists have first-hand knowledge of the destinations we offer, built through extensive travel and experience, so they can recommend what best suits you as an individual.
– We aim to make thoughtful choices when designing our trips, working with trusted local partners and considering the impact of tourism on the places, people and wildlife we visit.
– Our long-standing relationships with local operators, lodges and guides help us create well-informed, rewarding experiences that connect travellers with the places they visit.
Whether you’re most keen on seeing mouse lemurs or whale sharks, our Travel Specialists listen to your ideas and design a bespoke private tour around your interests. Or, if you wish to share the experience with like-minded travellers, you could opt for our small group set departures.
Meet Our Madagascar Specialists
Derek Schuurman
Our expertise with Madagascar goes back to the early 1990s. Madagascar and Alternative Africa Product Manager, Derek, first visited the island in late 1991 and forged a strong relationship with Nivo Ravelojaona, the founder of the highly-praised Malagasy ground operator, Za Tours.
Derek is recognised as one of the world’s leading Madagascar specialists, having visited the island more than 20 times and co-authoring guidebooks and papers for conservation journals. His extensive first-hand experience and decades-long involvement with Madagascar have helped shape and refine Rainbow’s Madagascar programme over many years.
To read some of Derek’s ongoing work, see his papers on ResearchGate here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Derek-Schuurman
Helen Kennedy
Africa Travel Specialist Helen has travelled extensively around Madagascar. Passionate about lemurs, she’s criss-crossed the country as a traveller and volunteer for the NGO now known as SEED. It works to improve the lives of rural communities in the semi-arid south of the island.
With over 20 years in the travel industry (10 of which are at Rainbow), Helen is highly regarded for designing complex, tailor-made journeys that combine wildlife, culture and adventure. Madagascar is a particular speciality, shaped by her involvement in lemur conservation and community-based initiatives, and by extensive experience creating bespoke itineraries.
Tour Leaders & Guides
PICTURED: Daniel Austin during one of our Madagascar Endangered Icons small group tours.
Our small group tours are led by experienced Madagascar specialists, including long-standing tour leader and Bradt guidebook author Daniel Austin (pictured above). Other scheduled departures are accompanied by accomplished Malagasy tour leaders, while all clients benefit from the expertise of experienced English-speaking Malagasy guides.
Daniel leads our Madagascar Endangered Icons small group tour alongside expert Malagasy guide Harry Rakotosalama. Combined, their depth of knowledge of the wildlife, habitats, local context, identification and tracking adds real meaning to what you see each day.
Build a Tailored Itinerary Around You
What are you looking for in a Madagascar adventure?
Perhaps you’re determined to seek out the fossa in Kirindy Forest, Western Madagascar. In Southern Madagascar, Isalo National Park provides wonderful walking and hiking conditions, and the chance to see squat and increasingly scarce ‘elephant’s foot’ pachypodium.
You may also wish to pair the south with the island’s western half or one of Eastern Madagascar’s rainforests. For example, Ranomafana National Park is the only place where you can find the critically endangered golden bamboo lemur in the wild.
Whatever it is you choose to experience, we’ll consider all the practicalities, from journey times and road conditions to the best order in which to visit different regions. As such, you can make the most of your time without trying to fit too much into one trip, and comfortably include elements of wildlife, family-friendly experiences or beach time. By speaking with one of our experts today, you’ll be well on your way to putting together your ideal tailor-made itinerary.
Explore Wildlife Regions with Specialist Guides
Madagascar is full of surprises around every corner.
Night walks may reveal a variety of endemic birds, lemur species and herps (reptiles and frogs) as well as other wildlife oddities. Plus, if you head towards the coast, you can partake in whale watching excursions or snorkelling and scuba diving with marine turtles among coral reefs.
If you make your way towards Ifaty Spiny Bush in the south, be on the lookout for the eye-catching sickle-billed vanga and highly sought-after long-tailed ground roller – although you may actually hear the sickle-billed vanga first, as it travels in noisy, gregarious groups. Masoala National Park, on the other hand, is home to the hedgehog-like lowland streaked tenrec. During a morning or night walk through the lowland rainforest, you could come across an individual as it roots through the leaf litter for earthworms and insect larvae.
Make a Positive Difference Through Travel
Image credit: Money for Madagascar
We believe that tourism can play a positive role in Madagascar. We have long supported Money for Madagascar, a UK charity working with Malagasy partners on community-led projects addressing poverty, education, livelihoods and environmental protection. For every Madagascar holiday we book, Rainbow donates to the charity.
Further Reading: Antananarivo Travel Guide
Aside from the Akany Avoko centres, Money for Madagascar also supports the NGO Association Mitsinjo’s reforestation programme at Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. For travellers interested in getting involved with conservation, we can highlight opportunities to learn more about habitat restoration and other conservation initiatives across the island.
Further Reading: Inspiring Conservation Initiatives in Madagascar
Read Real Stories from our Madagascar Travellers
Don’t just take our word for it; discover what our clients have had to say about their travels to Madagascar with us through our Madagascar website reviews and Rainbow Trustpilot reviews.
“Overall, the holiday was great and we had a fabulous time. When we arrived in Antananarivo, we were met by our guide, Njiva, who introduced us to our driver, Harifidy. We have done a few of these guided holidays in our time, but have to say that these two were head and shoulders above anyone else we’ve come across in their respective roles. Nothing was ever too much trouble during the whole of our stay in Madagascar. Our guide for the walks, Dimanche, was brilliant in tracking down every lemur species we needed to see and then in getting us through the jungle to get up close to them. A very big ‘thank you’ is due to Njiva, Harifidy and Dimanche for looking after us so perfectly in Madagascar!” – Tom and Nicky
“We have just come back from an amazing two weeks in Madagascar organised by Rainbow Tours in conjunction with the local agency Za Tours. It is a beautiful country, and the local guides were all excellent. The wildlife (in particular lemurs and chameleons) was the highlight. I would thoroughly recommend both Rainbow Tours and Za Tours.” – Jenny
Travel to Madagascar with Peace of Mind
From the moment you begin planning your holiday to the second you return home, you can rest assured knowing that your travel experience is in the right, knowledgeable hands.
To start with, one of our dedicated Madagascar specialists will get to know you and your plans and share their first-hand insights. Plus, our local partners and 24/7 emergency contact provide support while you’re away. Your holiday is also financially protected through ABTA or ATOL.
When you purchase an ATOL-protected flight or flight-inclusive holiday* from us, you’ll receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what’s financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and whom to contact if things go wrong in an unexpected event.
*The flights and flight-inclusive holidays we arrange are ATOL protected, providing they’re made available in the UK. Visit www.atol.org for further information.
If your holiday doesn’t include flights, ABTA will financially protect your holiday by ensuring you receive a refund or, if your arrangements include return travel to the UK (other than flights), you’re returned to the UK if your holiday cannot be provided as a result of our insolvency. Please go to www.abta.com for a copy of the guide to ABTA’s scheme of Financial Protection.
Further Reading: ABTA & ATOL
Speak to a Madagascar Expert Today
Ready to plan your Madagascar adventure? Speak with one of our Travel Specialists now to discuss your ideas and what you hope to experience, and start getting excited about exploring these staggering landscapes and encountering the unusual inhabitants.
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