Madagascar Lemurs safari, tailor made

Environment

We know our wildlife; in fact it is buried within the roots of the company and will always be so. Madagascar is home to many endemic species unlike those found anywhere else in the world. It is essential that we preserve the natural habitat and home of these creatures, great and small – from chameleons to sifaka, giraffe-necked weevils to fossa. We contribute a percentage of each safari sold to wildlife conservation and always keep our eyes peeled for new projects to get involved with.

We aim to reduce waste and our impact on the environment within our destinations, and at home in the UK, where our offices our based. We work in partnership with the Borough of Brighton & Hove in an attempt to recycle and reuse as much as possible. Our clients are always advised on the best way to do this when away. We recommend using environmentally friendly shampoos, soaps and toiletries, to avoid leaving any litter (whether it is biodegradable or not).

Whenever possible we use accommodation that savours every drop of precious water; from using environmentally friendly flushing toilets and to savouring rain water for washing, to using solar power heating.

Accommodation when traveling will vary, but we do try to be as environmentally friendly as possible, promoting the use of locally owned eco-lodges, such as the Palmarium. Please bear in mind that it is not always possible to find eco-friendly accommodation in some remote destinations; if this is the case then we make every effort to alert the management of the accommodation in question in order to find ways of improving their service with the environment in mind.

We try to use shared excursions and transfers, minimising the carbon emissions from the vehicles used. We also donate a percentage of each safari sold to the conservation of primates throughout the world at the end of each year.

Community

Where possible, we always use local suppliers in preference to others, whether this is in the purchase of provisions, accommodation, transport or equipment. Through the employment of our local ground operators, who use local guides and drivers, money is fed directly back into individual families and villages that would otherwise not benefit from tourism, as well as giving more jobs to local people. Great guiding is essential on wildlife adventures and few people know a place better than the locals. Even on specialist led trips, we still try our best to use the local guides alongside, we whole-heartedly do not believe in taking jobs from local populations for our own needs.

We make sure tourists have the opportunity to buy local souvenirs and handicrafts, assisting further to contribute to their community, and always give support to local communities and conservation agencies. We advise people not to bargain just for the sake of it and because it is the ‘thing to do’; you should pay what you feel the object is worth to yourself and the vendor, bearing in mind local cultures.

Wherever possible we use locally run and managed accommodation; lodging does vary however and can either be in environmentally low impact eco-lodges or tented camping safaris. As a result of this we minimise the impact on the local environment at the same time as providing the traveler with a high level of comfort. This is a private safari which means that your impact on the environment and wildlife is kept to a minimum at all times resulting in you also being likely to see more!

Please note that we give a direct contribution of each safari sold to conserving the wildlife, helping local communities and supporting local conservation agencies.