Travel report

Our adventure in Madagascar

Travel with Arno and Annemieke on their wonderful trip to Madagascar

5 September 2025

Last Friday, we returned to the Netherlands full of wonderful memories after an exciting adventure in Madagascar. The trip that Marjet from Avila Reizen put together for us, in collaboration with the local team, deserves a huge compliment! It was a lovely mix of stunning natural scenery, an introduction to local customs and cultures, and the level of comfort we had requested.

The start was rather hectic because KLM/AF decided on Friday afternoon to cancel our Saturday morning flight to Paris. In the end, we flew out on Friday evening, which meant we had to pack our suitcases in two hours and so ended up leaving a day earlier.

From the moment we arrived in Antananarivo, we were looked after exceptionally well: upon arrival, we were met by a local representative even before clearing customs, and within 20 minutes we were standing in the arrivals hall with our suitcases. The flight to Toliara the following day went extremely smoothly, and on arrival we were introduced to Ta, our guide.

Ta deserves a special word of thanks and a huge compliment. Over the course of two weeks, he taught us an incredible amount about Madagascar and everything that makes the country what it is. He was constantly on the ball to ensure we were comfortable, but above all to make sure nothing could happen to us. He was there whenever we needed him and gave us space when we needed it. On arrival in Madagascar, the local representative told us we’d be travelling with the best guide in Madagascar, and we think he was right...

Together with Ta, we visited the highlights of Madagascar: Isalo National Park, Fiarantsoa, Ranomafana National Park, Antananarivo, Andasibe with its stunning natural beauty, and finally Akanin’ny Nofy. Along the way, we met the people of Madagascar, visited local markets and were welcomed into the homes of local guides. A wonderful experience.

If we were to offer some constructive feedback on the trip, there were two elements that you might wish to take on board for the future. On Ta’s advice, we swapped the visit to Mitsinjo Reserve (near Andasibe) for a visit to the Maromizaha Protected Area. Highly recommended and a tip for future trips. The nature reserve was a highlight of our trip.

As far as we were concerned, the trip to Akanin’ny Nofy could have been swapped for an extra day near Adasibe. That would have saved us two five-hour journeys on poor roads, whilst the local experience in Akanin’ny Nofy was somewhat disappointing: the hotel was clearly the worst of the trip and the local encounter with lemurs was very ‘staged’, which, after all the wonderful experiences in the wild the previous week, didn’t really add much. The boat trip to the hotel and the stunning starry sky during the visit made up for a lot, but as far as we’re concerned, it wasn’t enough to justify the enormous amount of extra travel time.

We rounded off our trip on Île Sainte-Marie. You’d already told us a thing or two about Voaara, but the resort exceeded all expectations. It’s probably the most exclusive hotel we’ve ever stayed in on all our travels. Of course, it was a stark contrast to the extreme poverty we also saw in Madagascar, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. I can recommend it to everyone.

Finally, one last tip for future travellers. We were deeply moved by the many children and families we met during our trip. The effort many people put into making the most of their lives is inspiring, and the smiles you receive in response to a small gesture – such as a biscuit for a child, a stack of exercise books for a school class or a few bars of soap for a family – are truly heart-warming. In Antananarivo, we visited Father Pedro’s church and learnt about his Akamasoa Foundation. We attended an impressive church service there and began supporting the foundation financially. It was only later that we realised this priest is a celebrity who enjoys international renown.

And should anyone have any doubts about flying with Madagascar Airlines, we took three flights which went very smoothly; all three departed 15–30 minutes early (!) and therefore arrived earlier than scheduled too. What a contrast to KLM/AF, who managed to cancel not only our outbound flight but also our return flight from Paris to Amsterdam right in front of us (we were already in the jet bridge)……. It was just a minor blip on an otherwise fantastic holiday.

Once again, many thanks for looking after us so well, and huge compliments to the local team.

Kind regards,
Arno and Annemieke

P.S. We’d love to hear any good tips for a new trip next summer to a top destination somewhere in the world!