Madagascar vacations, The lost continent

Planet and people

During our journey through Madagascar we stay in predominantly locally-owned accommodation and employ the services of local guides within the parks we visit. The tour leaders are Malagasy, offering in depth insight into the local culture, great knowledge of wildlife and an understanding of the people which they will be happy to share with you.

In addition, the park fees we pay are used by the Malagasy authorities to fund and benefit the protected areas we visit. On one night of the tour we stay at a development center close to the town of Ambositra in the highlands. The center is part of the FJKM (Fiangonariny Jesosy Kristy eto Madagascar) church, established in 1973, and aims to educate the local population in practical topics from sex education to farming skills.

As well as financial support from our stay, there is the opportunity during our time at the center to interact and learn more about the everyday lives of the local people. We limit the group size on this tour to 16 to assist in reducing both the potential negative cultural and environmental impact of our visit.

In addition to the above, 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. As well as this, 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 UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.

As a company we support Cool Earth. Protecting rainforest is one of the most effective actions to tackle climate breakdown. Cool Earth work with indigenous communities empowering them to conserve their forest; keeping CO2 locked in.