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This Trip Reviews
21.
| Client: | Bärbel Chambalu - from Austria |
| Trip: | This Trip: Nature & Culture Tour of Madagascar |
| Rating: |  rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | Our trip to Madagascar was a great success. We can warmly recommend this operator to anybody planning to visit the country. Our trip from Antananarivo to Tulear and Tolonaro (Fort Dauphin) was extremely well organized as regards sights, accommodation and food. Our tour was scheduled it according to our needs on account of our age - 77 and 68. We did not want to race around but preferred a slower pace. Also the driver/guide Olivier whom she had assigned to us was reliable, knowledgeable with a very pleasant personality. This made the trip very harmonious. I will come back and consult your website should we plan another trip to Africa. |
22.
| Client: | Dr’s Mahreen and Farrokh Pakzad - from United Kingdom |
| Trip: | This Trip: Nature & Culture Tour of Madagascar |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | About six months ago we enquired about travelling to Madagascar and you referred us to this operator. We are writing to thank you for a great recommendation! We spent 12 days of our 3 week long honey moon in Madagascar in September, which was singly one of the best experiences of our lives. Its needless to say that we found Madagascar to be a fascinating and amazingly beautiful country. But we particularly owe the success of the trip to the operator and the relentless efforts made by our tour guide Fanja and her husband Hangu to make the trip as exciting and comfortable for us as possible. One of the most important aspects of the trip was the fact that we both felt extremely safe. What impressed me most was the fact that our tour guides were available to meet us in the airport on our arrival, even though our flight from Mauritius was delayed for 12 hours. We only have the utmost level of praise for the operator and highly recommend their services to future travellers to Madagascar. I only hope others can have the same opportunity to experience the delights of this beautiful island. Your sincerely, Dr’s Mahreen and Farrokh Pakzad |
23.
| Client: | Neville Humphris - from Australia |
| Trip: | This Trip: Nature & Culture Tour of Madagascar |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | 3 of us (aged 42 to 62) undertook a 19-day trip to Madagascar in August 2005 and are pleased to recommend this operator who were our wonderful tour guides. We emailed for almost a year, and Fanja was always prompt, extremely friendly and helpful with her replies, as well as flexible, creating a tailored trip to meet our specific needs. Our guide was Haingo - an extremely charming young man and a great travelling companion. Everything on our trip went without a hitch, we were never ill, always felt safe and secure and the trip was constantly interesting with no time for boredom. Madagascar is not an easy place for travelling and more isolated than you may think. Don't be fooled by distances on maps - the roads are often terrible and accomodation limited. However, it is a visually stunning country, with fascinating flora and fauna and extremely friendly people with an interesting culture. It is somewhere that you will never forget and a place well worth visiting for those with a sense. |
24.
| Client: | Stephen Adamthwaite - from Australia |
| Trip: | This Trip: Nature & Culture Tour of Madagascar |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | We had a wonderful trip in Madagascar. The wildlife spotting in parks around Perinet and Ranomafana were highlights, along with our relaxing beach stay in Ifaty. Our tour was very well organised, and we greatly appreciated the effort the tour operator went to make us as comfortable and informed as possible. Even though we didn't speak french or english, we had very few problems with the language barrier thanks to our competent guide. We definately recommend nature lovers to see Madagascar, and use this tour operator. |
25.
| Client: | Christopher Mersey - from Singapore |
| Trip: | This Trip: Nature & Culture Tour of Madagascar |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | Very soon after we requested info from Africa Guide, Mrs Fanja from the tour company emailed me and discussion over itinery etc was initiated. This was all painless. Mrs Fanja and our Driver/guide met us at the airport and briefed personally. This was the same each time we were in Tana. Olivier was cheerful, helpful, flexible and a safe driver. The car was fine - he cleaned it every day it seemed - not an easy task. We had a great time in Madagascar - I think you fall in love with it when the first lemur jumps on your back, and the quality of the food makes up for the somewhat spartan accommodations.We would go back and I'm sure we'd use them again. If I had to sum up this operator, the trip was well organised, and you really felt the personal attention every day. Recommended! |
This Operator Reviews
26.
| Client: | Carol Marquis Alen - from United States |
| Trip: | customised itinerary |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | Thank you for putting us in touch with this operator. We loved Madagascar and thought the tour was great. Fanja is a very nice person and was helpful throughout. |
27.
| Client: | David Daneker - from United States |
| Trip: | Safari on the south west coast of Madagascar (a guided tour) |
| Rating: |  rating 4/5 |
| Comment: | I would say that the tour itinerary was very good, giving us a broad view of a substantial part of Madagascar, while the pacing was very reasonable. The hiking opportunities at Ranomafano and at Isalo National Parks were some of the best hikes that I have taken. The accommodations exceeded our expectations and the provided meals (as well as the places suggested for meals on our own) were excellent. The vehicle provided was satisfactory. The company manager, was most gracious in an initial greeting meeting and in a farewell assessment meeting. Overall, I would say that the trip was a good value for the price. |
28.
| Client: | Alice Perlman - from United States |
| Trip: | Lemur Tour in Madagascar |
| Rating: |  rating 4.5/5 |
| Comment: | My god daughter and I had a most amazing time in Madagascar. We thank the tour operator who helped us put together the trip and Aro who was very patient and was able to reroute us when we were rained out. I don't recommend that any traveler spend a Sunday or other holiday in Antananrivo as the city has little to offer other than the museums which were all closed. Thanks again for your hospitality and great service. |
29.
| Client: | Tricia Kolp - from South Africa |
| Trip: | customised itinerary |
| Rating: | rating 4/5 |
| Comment: | I just completed a 5 day trip to Anatananarivo and Andasibe National Park. We just had a few days to spend, but the tour operator made it possible for us to see and do quite a bit. They met us at the airport and checked in with us twice more during the trip. We had a wonderful driver who was pleasant, informative and accommodating. Our wildlife guides were excellent! Accommodations in Tana were very nice. Our bungalow at the National Park was a little more rustic than expected (broken toilets and shower heads), but the people were very nice. Overall, it was a great experience and I would recommend working with this company. |
30.
| Client: | Henrique Bente - from Brazil |
| Trip: | Madagascar Budget Trip - Canoe, Train & Car |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | Great experience! A friendly and very attentive tour company run by lovely and multilingual Ms. Fanja and conducted by Mr. Romance, the extraordinary driver-guide-translator and my newest friend. Highly recommended!!! |
31.
| Client: | Mike Bertram - from United States |
| Trip: | Lemur Tour in Madagascar |
| Rating: | rating 4/5 |
| Comment: | the trip we took to Madagascar was based on a standard tour. The operator was very willing to tailor the tour exactly to our requirements. The party consisted of myself and my wife. We had 2 English speaking drivers during the tour and their English was very good, so we could have interesting conversations with them. The trip length was 15 days. We started our trip by spending a few days in Isle Sainte Marie off the northeast coast. Then from Tana we were driven to the Andasibe, Ranomafana, and Isalo National Parks, ending the trip by spending a couple of days at Ifaty on the southwest coast, and then flying back to Tana. The National Parks were wonderful with knowledgeable guides at each Park. We saw many lemurs, chameleons, birds, and other animals and plants. Not being a beach lover I found the resorts at the beginning and end of our trip less interesting. Except for a couple of minor problems, they did a great job. |
32.
| Client: | Blasco D'souza - from Australia |
| Trip: | Madagascar Budget Trip - Canoe, Train & Car |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | I spent nearly three weeks in Madagascar in March. What an amazingly unusual and varied country! I am still struck by the unique harmony of the tall red brick houses and red earth combined with intense greenery of terraced rice fields in the Haute Plateau. The majestic granite outcrops near Fianarantsoa could have come from 'Lord of the Rings'. Even the cleared hills south of Ranohira had an uncanny beauty...and all of this is before the big attractions of wandering through primary rainforests laced with disarmingly inquisitive fauna, clambering over craggy limestone formations of Isalo Massif, and lazing on an idyllic beach or snorkelling in the fringing reef. As my opportunity to travel came up at very short notice I was delighted to receive a quick response from the operator to my enquiry through the Africa Guide website. After I indicated an interest in trekking in national parks, wildlife and photography the administrator (Fanja) quickly adjusted the itinery and suggested better accommodation sites as they became available. The term 'budget holiday' really is a misnomer because it suggests you must be 'roughing it', but this is far from the case. I travelled in in a very comfortable private car, stayed in hotels ranging from good to inspiring, and I was served such big breakfasts that lunch was often not required. Just remember, don't always order an entree and main meal unless you are ravenous! Even the most elaborate seafood meals were inexpensive by Australian standards and the service was always great. My driver (Mamy) was excellent with his quiet attention to safety combined with a great sense of humour as well as providing intriguing stories behind the numerous sights. When initially reading about travel to Madagascar I suspect some people may be intimidated by various authors mentioning a need to speak Malagache or French. For an Anglophone with only a small amount of high school French I was pleasantly surprised to encounter English speaking staff at all the hotels and tourist sites,..and Mamy was never far away to sort out any misunderstandings. Madagascar has to be experienced. |
33.
| Client: | Mura Sayers - from United Kingdom |
| Trip: | Madagascar - VIP - Luxury Trip |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | We are just back from the wonderful 'Nature and Culture tour of Madagascar' which was most interesting. The tour was well organised. Fanja, could not have been more helpful. Also our driver Hainjo whom we got to know quite well over the 10 days was always considerate of our needs and made sure we saw everything to our full satisfaction. We can highly recommend this company. |
34.
| Client: | Judi Walton - from Ethiopia |
| Trip: | Madagascar - VIP - Luxury Trip |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | An excellent holiday, well organised in every detail. We had a particularly good guide and driver - a very safe driver. Enquiries by e-mail were quickly and efficiently dealt with by the company. We enjoyed everywhere we visited in Madagascar. |
35.
| Client: | Alan Feigenbaum - from United States |
| Trip: | Madagascar Budget Trip - Canoe, Train & Car |
| Rating: | rating 4/5 |
| Comment: | I participated in the 16 day Madagascar tour including the Manakara to Fianarantsoa train trip. It was a wonderful time for the most part but the stay at the Manakara beach bungalow was not up to par. Other than that everything else was fine. All hotels were very clean, with hot showers, flush toilets, and good food. prices were reasonable too. Would recommend this trip to anyone who enjoys strange flora and fauna. |
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Trip Operators Response:
Thanks for the constructive feedback as it does help us to improve services. I am pleased that Alan had a good holiday but sorry that the Beach Bungalow was not up to standard. Alan did mention to us about his dis-satisfaction with the Manakara Beach Bungalow, he explained it was clean but too primitive. I told him we had the same remarks from a client a short while before he arrived and we wanted to change the itinerary and book at another hotel. Unfortunately as the telephone connexion to Manakara were all out of order so we could not change the hotel at that late stage. We no longer use Manakara Beach Bungalow. |
36.
| Client: | Chris Dyt - from Australia |
| Trip: | Madagascar Budget Trip - Canoe, Train & Car |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | My wife and I completed "The Budget Trip, train to Manakara, trekkings". Our trip was almost identical to the suggested itenary with only slight modifications to incorperate a couple of extra days in some places, and reduce time in one place. All this was easily arranged before hand via email with Mrs Fanja. The tour operator organised a great driver for us, who spoke more than reasonable english, and who did alot more for us than just drive, such as helping organise excellent guides for walks in National Parks. He was also a wealth of information about the local customs, habits, etiquette and could suggest great places to eat. The accomodation ranged, from quite/very luxurious in some locations, to clean and comfortable mid range places, through to only two places where whilst clean, the beds were pretty uncomfortable. This was mainly due to a lack of other options in those places (and the scenery outside was excellent). Really "Budget Trip" is a bit of a misnomer, you stay at pretty much the same places that other trips do (in fact where most tour operators put tourists). We chose the trip because of the extra time in National Parks, and the train trip to Manakara which was just fantastic. Having someone who knows the different towns and hotels pre book for you makes a big difference, especially in peak season where the limited accomodation must pack out. Having a driver is really the only way to do it if you want to move around at any sort of pace and still be able to stop where you wish. Really I cant fault the operator, they communicated very well, organised a great tour, driver and accomodation. Minor hiccups (outside of their control) were dealt with quickly and with no effort from us. I'd heartily recommend them. Chris Dyt Perth, WA Australia |
37.
| Client: | Markus & Jana Niederöst - from Switzerland |
| Trip: | Barge Trip on the river of Tsiribihina and Trekking in the Tsingy of Bemaraha |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | The operator did a great job and we would recommend to book with them. They adapted their standard program to our wishes. Contact with the manager was always pleasant and easy. It was a pleasure to travel with their guides/drivers who are competent and helpful. Just great! Our Madagascar trip was a great experience: beautiful landscape, nice people, interesting culture. Some highlights were: The 4-day canoe trip on the Tsiribihina River with our guide and boatman, picknicks under mango trees and camping on the banks of the river; the Tsingy of Bemaraha with their marvellous and unique lime stone formations; relaxing on the seaside in Morondava; the flight to Toliara; several national parks where we saw various kinds of lemurs, geckos and more; the train trip from Fianarantsoa to Manakara; and and and... |
38.
| Client: | Edith Brosnan - from Ireland |
| Trip: | Beach Holiday on the paradisiac island of Sainte-Marie |
| Rating: | rating 4.5/5 |
| Comment: | We had booked a small group advenure holiday in Madagascar with a different company who we have travelled with to many parts of the world . We decided to stay on for an additional week on our own and we booked this independantly with the operator who we had been put in touch with through your company. We wished to visit one of the islands off Madagascar an finally decided on Ille Sainte Marie. Mrs Fanja - our contact suggested an itinerary but was very willing to re arrange things to suit us better. Our hotel in Sainte Marie was very nice, fantastic location and we enjoyed our stay there although as our French is limited we had a few communication problems but nothing major. We had nothing pre booked except accomodation so we were able to relax or take tours as we felt inclined at the time - that suited us perfectly. The island was quite different to the other parts of Madagascar we had visited. We also had a night in a Hotel in Antananarivo - we wondered if we were in the right place when we arrived outside but one inside we were reassured. They were very accomodating - providing us with breakfast at 4.30am as we were getting an early morning flight. Our last day in Tana Mrs Fanja provided us with a car and driver for the day and when she heard it was my husband's birthday she even treated us to pasterie. Initally I had thought the holiday was expensive but as it worked out I think we did okay and it was very reassuring to have Mrs Fanja look after everything. |
39.
| Client: | Steve Wilson - from United Kingdom |
| Trip: | customised itinerary |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | From the outset we were provided with the best service possible. As well as tailor making an itinerary to our specification, they were immaculately organised, flexible and went out of their way to ensure all our requirements were catered for. And with the reasonable price and best accommodation, we felt we got great value for money. But perhaps the best thing about our tour was the kindness and generosity of the staff - Fanja and Hangu - with whom we hope to stay in contact. Without wanting to sound like I'm on commission, we couldn't fault them. EXCELLENT |
40.
| Client: | Paul Egerton - from United Kingdom |
| Trip: | customised itinerary |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | Thank you for your enquiry and I am pleased to give some feedback on our holiday. We used the operator to build a customised itinerary in Madagascar. They were first class in their attention to our specified requirements. We were provided with a car and driver who was excellent and contributed to our holiday very significantly with his knowledge of local customs and history - it helped us to gain a much greater insight into the country than we could have done otherwise. At all times planned events happened when they were supposed to, Hotels were booked according to our requirements and overall we were looked after extremely well. Also there was flexibility in our arrangements so that if we wished we could deviate from plan - this was always accomodated with no fuss. I would have no hesitation in recommending this operator to any of our UK friends, particularly if a customised tour is required but at a moderate cost. Thanks to Africa Guide for providing the initial contact and we will use you again as we are thinking of a visit to South Africa next year. |
