The only place in the world where you can see lemurs in the wild, Madagascar is home to a unique plethora of wildlife. Boggle-eyed chameleons, dancing lemurs, and leaf-tailed geckos are just the start.
Madagascar is a destination like no other and has even been named the ‘8th continent’ for its enchanting beauty and resplendent breadth of diversity. An early breakaway from the earth’s single landmass Gondwanaland over 165 million years ago, this stunning island, located 250 miles off the coast of East Africa, is the world’s fourth-largest. The majestic Red Island's landscapes vary from palm and forest-fringed beaches, to semi-arid deserts, limestone pinnacles, volcanoes, and grassy plateaus. Combined with the immense diversity of the wildlife on offer, Madagascar is often referred to as the 'Galapagos of Africa', still providing to this day, one of the most unique and unheard of wildlife adventures left on the planet.
Our Founder & CEO, Will Bolsover, spent many years guiding in Madagascar, while several other members of the team have also now spent extended periods of time in the depths of the country. Whilst others shy away from Madagascar, we have an in depth knowledge and passion for this fantastic country having several contacts and personal friends in-country who we can rely on day in day out. Using the very best English-speaking guides you will also always have both a private naturalist guide and driver; this is a destination where you want your driver to keep his eyes on the road, not sharing stories and information while looking out for points of interest. Our focus is wildlife, including up-close and personal encounters.
A Madagascar holiday is actually still very good value for money, especially when you compare it to mainland Africa. For a 7-day safari in Madagascar, we recommend a starting price of £4000 per person. This will generally include accommodation at three different lodges, transfers and private guides. If you are looking to stay in some of Madagascar’s most iconic and best loved lodges, you’ll need to increase the budget to £35000 per person including private light aircraft and helicopter flights, intimate lemur encounters and private guides.
As part of a small group of just eight guests you will visit the wildlife rich rain forest reserves of Andasibe and Mantadia listening out for the early morning calls of the Indri lemurs, before the landscape shifts to vineyards, savannah and the rocky outcrops at Isalo National Park and encounters with the distinctive ring tailed lemurs before exploring the remote national park of the Masoala Peninsula, where the rainforest meets the sea.
From 9300 per person
This exhilarating adventure through some of Madagascar’s most biodiverse regions showcases the best of its wildlife and natural splendour. Lacking in the big game and fierce predators of its African relatives, Madagascar offers a unique and ‘hands on’ experience for your safari. A range of weird and wonderful insects and reptiles can be discovered and closely inspected, and the instant appeal of cuddly lemurs is magnetic for many travellers.
From 35000 per person
In this safari you can experience a vast amount of wildlife in a short amount of time. Head into Andasibe National Park and Mantadia Reserve to offer you a truly unique insight into the initial fauna and flora of Madagascar.
From 5000 per person
A safari holiday to Madagascar is not like other traditional African safaris where you explore by 4x4, here you take in the wildlife on foot. A prime destination for getting up close and personal with the wildlife you meet along the way, learning about the small things as much as the big, and taking in the sheer diversity of one of our planet's forgotten havens. Madagascar drifted from mainland Africa way before any big cats, elephants or apes evolved, making this one of the most diverse and unusual wildlife safari hotspots in the world today. Madagascar safaris in themselves can be challenging; roads are rough, transport infrastructure is minimal, and distances are long. However, the efforts you need to put in are more than compensated for by the friendliness of the Malagasy people, the wide choice of comfortable accommodation, and the diversity of the culture, geography, climate, wildlife, and people. If you are prepared to put up with some of the hardships, then Madagascar is well worth the investment of your time.
You may wish to include the following in your Madagascar itinerary:
From remote camping in undiscovered parks, to luxury beach hideaways and jungle lodges, Madagascar now has a great selection of truly diverse places to stay. If you are looking for primary rainforest, tropical coastlines, and truly wild lemurs, then look no further than Masoala Forest Lodge. A family run property owned by Pierre and Maria every guest is made to feel at home in thatched tented bandas overlooking the beach. For a luxury beach retreat, escape to the private island destination of Miavana with stunning villas and ocean views. Read more about where to stay in Madagascar.
The best time to visit Madagascar is from April to October. This dry season brings fewer rain showers, meaning optimal conditions for seeking out wildlife, hiking and enjoying the beach. Whilst Madagascar holidays can be enjoyed year-round, the principal wet season is from late December through to the month of March; often involving cyclones, it is probably best avoided! Being prepared for all weather conditions is always recommended as weather patterns do not necessarily stick to the traditional seasons. Madagascar is a huge country and therefore climate varies hugely subject to your geographic location. Read more about when to go to Madagascar.
Mamy Razafitsalama was born in a small village on the east coast of Madagascar, and developed his love of the wild from a young age. Now an award-winning conservationist, Mamy has become a guardian for the endangered species that populate his homeland. He has dedicated his career to protecting the wildlife of Madagascar and empowering the local communities who play a vital role in safeguarding the country's natural treasures. He has also worked as a consultant in a malaria program at Population Services International.
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Dr. Patricia Wright has been one of the leading figures in Madagascar conservation for over 30 years. Best known for her extensive study of the social and family interactions of wild lemurs, as well as discovering a new species - Hapalemur aureus, the golden bamboo lemur - Patricia also founded the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments (ICTE) at New York state's Stony Brook University. Established in 1991, the Institute is dedicated to science-based research and conservation in the tropical regions of the world.
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Enlightening travellers for over 40 years, Hilary Bradt MBE is a pioneering author and publisher whose passion for niche travel led to the creation of the world famous award-winning Bradt Travel Guides.
Read more about Hilary
Crossing the Backbone of Madagascar, by Robin Hoskyns, 1 Sep 2015 As I write this I am pretty exhausted from an eleven hour journey crossing the highlands that are the backbone of Madagascar, arriving in Morondava on the west coast.
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The World Lemur Festival is celebrated every year at the end of October. The festival started in 2014 with the objective of raising awareness worldwide both of lemurs and their home, Madagascar, a country with one of the largest variety of endemic species, but also one that suffers from extreme poverty, and recently, political strife. The Malagasy people can barely sustain themselves from the crops grown on the island, forcing them to encroach further into the forests to create more farm land.
All you need to know about lemursEverything that was shown to me and described to me before the trip was exactly as it played out and I can humbly say that this trip exceeded my expectations. The guide we had was fantastic. He was not only knowledgeable with answers for every question and concern but his passion, pride, and love for his home was quite evident which made it easy to learn about Madagascar regarding the wildlife, the cities, the countryside, the people and everything else in between. Thank you for this experience and a special thanks to Toky, our guide who made this trip very special and to be quite honest, the best trip I have been fortunate to enjoy.
David was excellent and was very professional and courteous to communicate with. My trip to Madagascar was wonderful and easily a 10/10 experience. I enjoyed the landscapes and wildlife and our guide Toky went above and beyond to make sure we had a great trip - he even included extra night walks that weren't included in the itinerary. NWS is clearly committed to delivering quality trips with excellent guides and accommodations to beautiful destinations in the world.
We saw so many lemurs as mentioned in the itinerary and lots of other wildlife including chameleons! The tour was very well organised and we were treated with great accommodation. We felt safe and sure we were getting the best experience available in each location.
All in all, this was a great safari - highly recommended! Everyone we interacted with from NWS was friendly and helpful. This tour was reasonably priced for the high quality of its guides, accommodations, and local tours. The small group safari was the perfect size (for mobility, to encourage interaction, and to ensure that everyone got good looks at sometimes skittish wildlife). The NWS app was very helpful, and I referred to it frequently before and during the tour to check the itinerary, weather, map, etc.
We loved this trip and Masoala with incredible wildlife sightings. Our guide, Felix, was amazing. We had no idea the food would be so excellent at the lodge. The evening campfire, while a small detail, was a very nice touch and helped form relationships among guests and staff.
Madagascar is a fascinating but very difficult place to travel to. NWS worked with me to put together a really interesting itinerary. Lodges ranged from good to superb. Local guides were excellent. Tough place to travel. Glad I had their help.
Simply amazed. We had unrealistic expectations for this "adventure" but they were nevertheless exceeded. In almost every instance where it could have gone south...it went NORTH! All in my travel group were impressed by the superior service and experiences that were a direct result of our NWS itinerary. This experience set the bar. We don't know how any other service could exceed it for the things we like to do.
David was excellent in crafting a short safari that met the special requirements of our group, giving us a wonderful variety of wildlife experiences in eastern Madagascar. NWS were appropriately realistic in describing the resource challenges in the country, but nonetheless we enjoyed very comfortable accommodations, very good food and superb local guides throughout the week. Great service from NWS HQ and the high-quality local partners who provide the experiences.
No, we recommend that you always drink bottled, boiled or treated water during your time in Madagascar. You can buy purification tablets or iodine to treat water during your travels, and vitamin C tablets are good for hiding the taste. If you are buying bottled water, ensure the bottle is sealed when it is handed to you. Always ensure that any ice in drinks is purified or made from bottled water rather than tap.
The official first language of Madagascar is Malagasy, and the official business language is French. Your guides and some hospitality staff in hotels and lodges will speak English but speaking some basic French could come in handy.
The local currency in Madagascar is Malagasy Ariary, although most major currencies are accepted. US Dollars and Euros are usually the preferred currency. There are not very many opportunities to change money in Madagascar, so when you arrive at the airport (or before you depart) try to change enough to last you at least a week. Credit card use is very limited throughout Madagascar (the most widely accepted is Visa), but very useful as a back up.
Malagasy food is heavily rice based, influenced by the many cultures of Madagascar, including Indonesian and European. The closer to the coast you are, the better the seafood. In Antananarivo, as with many big cities, there is a huge variety in international restaurants and cuisine.
For those who eat meat, there are lots of pork, beef and fish dishes, including a traditional dish made from pork and cassava leaves. Vegetarian and vegan options can be quite limited - often there will be a choice of omelettes or spaghetti and sometimes there will be some sautéed vegetables on offer with rice and noodles. Let us know your dietary requirements in advance and we will do our best to arrange something for you in destination.
Madagascar is one of the safest and friendliest countries we have travelled to. The locals, staff and guides are all welcoming and friendly, happy to answer your questions and keen to talk. Remember that Madagascar is a very poor country and there are some cases of petty theft in the capital, so make sure you don’t walk around flaunting jewellery or money. You must ensure, as with travelling in any destination, that you look after you belongings, keep money in separate places in case of loss or theft and ensure you’re not out alone at night. In regards to the wildlife, there are very few animals that pose a threat to humans. Listen to your guides, you will remain in safe hands.
At present, tourist visas are required by all nationalities entering Madagascar. These can be gained upon arrival in Antananarivo, however we do recommend you look into obtaining it in advance. Visas for Madagascar are approximately EUR35 per person, to be organised on arrival at the airport, but things change regularly so contact your local Embassy for more details. Obtaining the correct visa is your responsibility.
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