Trek the Remote Trails of Madagascar

Some unbelievable trekking through Isalo and Andringitra National Park’s. Summiting Pic Boby and swimming in natural pools were highlights! Amazing varied landscapes and scenery with an abundance of wildlife too. There is a decent amount of driving involved per the itinerary but the trekking and cultural experiences are well worth it. Bruno was an amazing lead guide, constantly taking the time to explain things to give us a deeper insight into Malagasy culture and way of living, particularly as we walked through remote villages. The food was also incredible and substantial (zebu steak on an open fire while camping was a highlight!) Would highly recommend this tour.

Where to start… do not be put off by the length of some of the drives. They pass relatively quickly as you watch the scenery change whilst passing towns and villages. They are also completely worth it for the x2 hiking locations you visit! Our guide Bruno was fantastic, always happy to help and having been doing tours for the last 20yrs, knew people in nearly every town we stopped in to get information, demonstrations or just have a friendly chat. He also went above and beyond to ensure the trip ran as smoothly as possible. The food at all points was top notch! Zebu rib steak whilst camping in the mountains, to Malagasy stew in a rural town, all amazing! 3 tips if you do this trip,

1. Bring thermals. We woke to frost on the ground the first night at 2000m after hiking in 30 degree weather the day before.
2. If you hire a sleeping bag. You won’t get a 3 season, I slept in a 2 season at best with shorts and had to wake at 2am to change into more clothing and thermals before seeing the frost.
3. Embrace it all! The country is amazing and it is what you make of it. We will be recommending this trip to anyone who wants an adventure where you will not see many other tourists, experience a unique culture and see some amazing wildlife at the same time.

I think the MBA description is accurate (except ref 3 season sleeping bag, see below).

The countryside & views were diverse & beautiful. Despite this tour not being hugely focused on wildlife, we saw lots of chameleons, lizards, lemurs and even some snakes. I'm pleased I took my small binoculars (and they were fun for some of the kids we met). I loved all the opportunities for swimming, even when the water was properly chilly. The hiking was as described - some long days, sometimes steep and precarious, with really varied landscapes. All of it is on paths that already exist, but not overused and I think we only saw one other group in our time in both parks. It definitely met my expectations.

Barnabas was an excellent guide, very in tune with what us visitors might find interesting and very aware of individual needs. The National Park guides were also good - but not necessarily strong English - speaking French is helpful if you want to communicate more widely. We also really appreciated the excellent logistics team - Olivia, Fetra & Ranto - tents were clean & perfectly pitched, the food was tasty & plentiful AND they found the energy to have fun with us. Whenever we reached camp, they were already there and post hike tea & nibbles were provided.

The roads ARE bad and the drives ARE long. Camping in Andringitra IS cold, I agree with another reviewer who said take thermals & 4 season sleeping bag - it was so cold our swimming stuff froze solid overnight and had to be defrosted over the breakfast cooking fire. We really felt that night for the logistics team & porters who don't have access to clothes/kit that we might take for granted. I took a thermarest but didn't need it as the foam sleeping mattress was good.

Prepare your bag so that at the end of Isalo hiking you can quickly access you gear for Andringitra. We were not actually in a camp to execute this 'manoeuvre'. This is the evening that is spent in Camp Katta

At no point were we asked to use our chemicals or filters for water - it was portered even up to the Pic Boby camp.

I found all the accommodation very comfortable except the room in Antsirabe which was just a bit tired and cold and lacking in any atmosphere. I'm being fussy, but it just wasn't as good as the others.

I felt that my belonging and myself were safe - I found Malagasy people friendly & respectful, but particularly so in the countryside. (I spent a further 2 weeks doing solo travel). Many people are as interested in you as you are in them.

Whatever you're expecting from this trip it'l probably provide something rather different. There is such a diversity in temperature, terrain, people, flora and fauna - it's best to leave your expectations behind and just enjoy it for what it is. Firstly a note on the travel - when they say Madagascar's roads are bad believe it. Road travel is slow due to the size and frequency of potholes, expect to travel no more than 100 miles a day even on the main roads (route national). Temperatures - it was early winter when we visited (late May) and we encountered temperatures between 27-28 degrees during the day down to 3 or 4 degrees at night in our high camp. Best to pack a set of thermals and take a 4 seasons sleeping bag (not 3 seasons as suggested) - we woke up to frost on the ground one morning. The people are lovely and so, so friendly - we didn't encounter any of the threat that is sometimes present when travelling in Africa. Our guide, Barnabas, was superb as were all the local guides, the porters and logistics crew and our longsuffering driver (see my comment on the roads above). We quickly reached the conclusion that the plants in Madagascar were more dangerous that the animals - no poisonous snakes and no predators bigger than a Fossa (google it). The landscapes range from the desert environment near Tulear to the sub alpine environments of Isalo and Andringitra and everything in between. The currency is crazy - I've never taken half a million of anything out of a cash machine before and spent it all and more in less than two weeks. About half the population live in Tana (the capital) so it's a real culture shock when the hustle and bustle of Tana hits you after days in the wilderness. If you want something that you know you've enjoyed tremendously but can't quite put your finger on why this is probably the trip for you.

Really loved this trip! Madagascar is such a beautiful country and Barnabas and all the local guides were fantastic. There are some long drives but they are still beautiful and they did take pretty much exactly the length of time it says in the description. I think it helped that our group was smaller than the previous group so if you can try to get a smaller group! Madagascar feels very undiscovered in areas so really worth the visit. Was really great to see lots of lemurs and iguanas too! Remember to take lots of warm layers and a 4 season sleeping bag - the nights get cold when you’re camping at 2k metres.

Trekking through majestic rural landscapes and vibrant capital cities like Fianarantsoa, Antsirabe and Antananarivo, I witnessed firsthand the country's extraordinary beauty and deep-seated poverty. There exists a paradox of a land rich in natural wonders, beauty and resources yet challenged by economic hardship and missed opportunities. I admire the resilience of its people and hope sustainable development delivers them a brighter future. Our guide, Barnabas became so much more over our journey. I am grateful to call him a friend. Along with his support guides including Philibert, porters and logistics team, they delivered us not only safe passage but also an insight into the complexities of Malagasy life, the awesome natural beauty and its rich history. Our group of travelers became close as we shared this unique experience. I hope to stay in touch over the coming years. In closing, Madagascar is beautiful but it was also an opportunity for me to ground myself with a richer understanding and appreciation. Thank you Much Better Adventures for presenting this opportunity.

I really enjoyed this trip and thought it was an excellent way to explore the south of Madagascar.

Barnabus was one of the best guides I've had. He was incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of life in Madagascar and very open to sharing with our group. As such, we were able to learn a lot about the fascinating culture and traditions of Malagasy people as well as seeing the beautiful landscapes and wildlife.

The hiking is definitely made challenging by the heat if you are not used to it as there isn't a lot of tree cover for shade but the views are well worth the effort.

I can see that MBA have since amended some of the descriptions in the itinerary to better reflect the trip which is good. However, I still think the current itinerary downplays the amount of driving involved in the trip. Day 3 involved roughly 7 hours on the bus to get to the place where we started our hike. Day 10 involved 10 hours on the bus rather than the 6 indicated on the itinerary.

These rides are still a great way to see and learn about Madagascar as the views are great and Barnabus was always sharing information about the places we were passing through and answering any questions the group had but I think it's important to note just in case this is a deal breaker for anyone.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the trip to others.

Had a wonderful time on this trip. It was a fantastic balance of adventure and hiking in astounding nature with an exploration of a different culture.

Madagascar is a very poor country and inevitably unexpected challenges arise. For example, one of our flights was cancelled. But the local guides took care of everything and organised alternatives so it was always stress free for us.

Our guides were incredibly knowledgable helpful and keen to share their country with us. I'd highly recommend this trip to anyone who's decently fit.

Very pleased to have gone on this trip!! Our guide Barnabas was excellent who always offered up interesting insights into life in Madagascar and talked through the incredible landscapes, culture and wildlife that Madagascar has to offer. We were lucky enough to see a wide range of lemurs, which was amazing as well as spotting lots of chameleons.

I really enjoyed the hikes; views were amazing but worth noting that they were quite challenging due to the elevation and heat. The bike ride I felt I could have had more detail provided before taking part as it was more mountain biking than a road cycle as the itinerary originally indicated. Barnabas was excellent at tailoring to my ability though to which I was very thankful for and was fun to try.

The drives on this trip were long due to the poor road conditions, but the scenery and people on the way made it enjoyable as well as commentary from Barnabas.

Overall I would highly recommend this trip though and for anyone to visit Madagascar. It really was an adventure I will never forget and would definitely go back to explore the Northern part of Madagascar!