Madagascar trekking vacation

Planet

Your local agent on this trip will give you a personal and knowledgeable insight of the region. We are very active in reforestation and in 2008 raised funds for 230,000 trees to be planted. For every client booked on any Madagascar trips, we finance one tree per day per client. We have just received our certificate that in 2010 our trips (many of these through rt.com) funded the planting of 400 trees.

This is a trekking trip which allows you to explore the country in a low-carbon way. On this expedition, we camp for a number of nights in between treks, not only is this a sustainable form of accommodation but we ensure that we follow responsible camping procedures which leaves no negative evidence of our presence.

When not camping we stay in small towns and villages interacting with the locals, learning of local environmental issues. For example we stay at Ialatsara Bungalows which are in the middle of an eco reserve and have been built from local materials to blend into the surrounding forest. Food is produced from the family's farm.

We support the conservation of the rainforest, through which we can encourage the authorities to recognise the potential of wildlife tourism and photographic safaris, ensuring the protection of this unique environment.

You will be issued with instructions as to how you can help to preserve the environment and we hope that you will follow our advice to help make a difference.

People

Our local staff accompanying this expedition will give you a real sense of Madagascan culture. We only use Malagasy guides, pay all staff fair wages and treat everybody on the trip, including staff, with equal respect and we expect you to do the same.

It is principally wildlife tourism that brings people to Madagascar and by using local businesses and services we can inject much needed capital into the local economy. On this expedition for example, we stay in small towns and villages interacting with the locals.

We have set up a tree nursery and orchard for a local school in Italavina. We are now in the process of planting (and nurturing) a well designed/equipped 100 tree orchard as well as 100 luguminous and 100 moringa Oleifera (nutrional plants) on a piece of land we have bought for the school. We plan for the first harvest of Ananambo nutritional leaves will be ready by 2014/2015 to supplement the daily diet of students. Once the trees start growing and with the first seeds (papayas, passiflores, moringa, etc.) a small poultry operation will be launched, providing eggs and occasional meat for special school events.

We employ one permanent gardener to maintain and direct student's works and are able to implement this with the support of our clients traveling to Madagascar with us (approximately 2% of the trip cost is donated to this project) and our local partner who is extremely active in reforestation of this area. Guests the chance to visit Tsarasoa on this trip where they can see reforestation efforts for themselves.