Madagascar wilderness trekking vacation

Planet

This walking trip focus on exploring Madagascar's National Parks on foot. We travel through five parks; Ramonafana, Anja, Andringitra, Isalo and Zombitse. Tourism is vital in helping to preserve these areas, many of which are home to endangered species, and the entrance fees included as part of this tour contribute to the conservation efforts. We ensure that our walks only follow marked official trails, we carry all waste out of parks and camp within designated areas. Camping allows uninterrupted access to the natural behaviors and sounds of the parks, without human interference and boundaries.

We recommend that all customers to take a reusable and filter water bottle and water purification tablets with them which helps to reduce the number of plastic bottles provided and used locally. Within the national parks there are fresh water sources which are used to refill bottles, elsewhere due to the extremely poor infrastructure in Madagascar it is sometimes difficult to to find a safe alternative to bottled water when traveling. However once used plastic waster bottles are distributed to the local people along the route who will reuse them.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

Traveling overland and on foot through the country our customers see a snapshot of life in Madagascar passing through rural and city areas. From communities in the Malagasy highlands to lively markets and traditional fishing villages.

When in the National parks we use trusted and experienced guides who understand the importance of protecting the wildlife. The crew will educate groups about the wildlife within the national park, sharing their knowledge and helping to spot and identifying the wildlife and plants. Whilst trekking between campsites we also use local porters to carry luggage and equipment. This distributes jobs to the communities living within and surrounding the national parks.

Anja is a community reserve, ran by the Anja Miray Association since 1999. Despite its small size this park is famed for its population of ring-tailed lemurs which the community are fighting to protect. The main threat is from devastating slash and burn farming which sadly is becoming more of a prominent feature of Madagascar's landscape. The association is ensuring that cultivation is restricted to certain areas, that forests were replanted and that the population are engaged in ecotourism activities. This creates jobs and income for the local community alongside preserving the wildlife and environment.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.