Eastern part of Madagascar: The biodiversity realm

Customer Reviews

• Léa

  · October 15th, 2024
  The country is a must visit! The people were friendly and the food was great. The tour guides were very helpful. We had an amazing experience!
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• Tim

  · June 25th, 2023
  24-day private tour from Tulear to Morondava to Nosy Be. This tour was provided by Bio D Island. We provided them with our dates and regions of interest, and they arranged our itinerary, airport pickup/drop-offs, drivers, hotels, national park and private reserve visits, and local guides. We arranged our flights into/out of Madagascar and a few flights in Madagascar during the tour. Before the tour, we were able to communicate directly with Bio D Island staff to make minor changes, gain some confidence in the tour operator, and confirm the arrangements including payment, receipts and documents, a good experience overall. We have recommended to Bio D Island that the include an option for credit card payments in the future. In early April, we flew into Antananarivo airport from La Reunion and were met by the tour operator and their driver who would spend the next 14 days with us. They helped us get a mobile SIM card and cash from the ATM, then drove us to our hotel. Their english skills were good which allowed us to ask many questions. They always arranged English speakers for us during the trip. And if you spoke French, that'll usually helped to close any language gaps. Of course knowing Malagasy will take you far and we were taught some basic Malagasy during the trip. Our customised 24-day tour started in Antananarivo. Then we flew to Tulear and visited reserves and parks from Ifaty, Ranohira, Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana, Antsirabe to Morondava. From there, we flew to Diego Suarez (stopover in Tana) to visit reserves and parks from Diego Suarez to Red Tsingy to Ankify and then a boat ride to Nosy Be. We used the local airline to move to new regions to shorten the transition time. Our driver and guide on the first leg (Tulear to Morondava) and the second leg (Diego Suarez to Ankify) were noticeably experienced and knowledgeable of their regions. We rode in 4-wheel drive SUV with air conditioning both times. We never had an issue with the vehicle even though the terrain and roads could be difficult and slow going at times. For the national highways that we travelled, they were obviously important for commerce and the people, but poorly maintained by the government. Much discussion about how the government works. Makes you appreciative of the well-maintained roads by our government. Loved the Madagascar national parks and their certified park guides. The guides were all knowledgeable for each specific park we visited and their training was apparent and much appreciated. We usually had a local guide and a spotter who would run ahead and find interesting animals/insects/reptiles for us. The cost of guides and park fees were always covered by Bio D Island and the driver would manage these transactions. So we would get to enjoy the park and interactions with the guide. We always provided the drivers and guides with a cash tip for their service. It's winter time in Australia, and I'm missing the warmth of Madagascar. The tropical beaches were up to 32 degC and humid. Our accommodations were always comfortable with fans and mosquito nets, bottled water, and the windows allowed a breeze to pass through. As we moved toward the mountains, the higher elevation was cooler and pleasant. All of our accommodations were comfortable, some more memorable than others. We enjoyed La Bella Donna in Ifaty, Relais Thermal in Ranomafana, Ankara Lodge in Red Tsingy, and Anjiamarango in Nosy Be. Overall an excellent 24-day tour arranged by Bio D Island. It was a trouble free adventure and a humbling experience to interact with the Malagasy people, to see their villages and towns amid the beautiful landscapes, and learn about Madagascar history and culture. We'd like to return in July and visit the east coast of Madagascar next time.
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• Anonymous

  · January 23rd, 2023
  Let s just say our trip was off the chain, all thanks to the Bio D Island s team. They had everything handled from the moment we landed till our departure. It was like they were reading our minds when we look back at the way they took care of all the details. We did n have to worry about a thing from Tananarive to Ifaty, and could enjoy every single moment of the journey. You guys went above and beyond to make sure this tour was one to remember. To anyone who s looking 4 a top notch travel Xperience, Bio D Island is the one to go. Good job guys, appreciate.
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