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8.6 7 beoordelingen
  • 8

    Sarah

    Wonderful trip - still not perfect (since it was only the fourth one) .. but getting there

    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

    Ranomafana - the rain forest

    What did you think of your group leader?

    Armel is a great tour leader and had everything under control at all times - he did a brilliant job. Excellent knowledge about the flora and fauna - knew every path and supplied us with lots of snacks (from the kitty).

    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

    1) Pack lots of disinfection spray 2) Sun factor 50 3) Pack antivomiting pills - 3/4 of the group got sick during the course of the trip 4) take something to give flavor to your drinking water

    Is there anything else you would like to add?

    The trip was originally 14 days long - than Exodus shortened it and we were left hanging there, not knowing if the last night would be included or not .... We tried to get in contact with Exodus and they told us that it's not their problem - we should talk to the company we booked it with. Several travelers had the same problem and I for my part did not think that with was handled very well. Our tour guide was brilliant and he successfully sorted it out - cheers Armel!

  • 8

    CYCLING HIGHLIGHTS IN MADAGASCAR

    To summarize, my cycling trip to Madagascar proved to be an extremely enjoyable experience. Great wildlife,exhilarating cycling,competent and enthusiastic tour leader and excellent Hotels.Even the weather in November was brilliant.

    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

    Downhill cycling through mountain terrain

    What did you think of your group leader?

    Extremely competent and enthusiastic.

    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

    Is there anything else you would like to add?

  • 8

    Seeing rural Madagascar by bike

    This was an exciting trip, with varied scenery, and the lemurs don't disappoint! Madagascar is an intriguing country with rural life lived without much western influence. The population were universally friendly. This trip is fairly new and as such not as slickly run as other established trips elsewhere, but it's great nonetheless and Armel is very committed to sorting the fine detail. Good hotels, good food, good beer - A great choice - book it!

    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

    Roads were quite safe, with many Zebu and people power carts plus chickens, geese and a few extremely docile dogs. The scenery and village locations are often quite stunning, and the children endlessly enthusiastic for cyclists passing through. In the Parks it comes as quite a surprise when you first realise how close to the Lemurs you can get in the wild and how many different varieties you see; not to mention the snakes and reptiles.

    What did you think of your group leader?

    Armel was an excellent guide. He was always good humoured and enthusiastic. Quite rightly, he got us up fairly early every morning so that at least some of the cycling was before the hotter part of the day. His management of the snacks kitty was really good -he always managed to produce some surprises at the right moment to keep us going. He was also very supportive when anyone was unwell, giving good practical advice. Perhaps however, Armel needs more thought and presentational planning prior to the daily itinerary briefings. People do expect well explained details and background info, at the right moment.

    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

    By early November the weather was getting hotter. It didn't spoil the cycling, but made it tougher. We used mosquito repellent liberally in the evenings, but in fact saw few mossies. Some of the cycling is fairly arduous but the bikes were comfortable and the low gears came in useful given the number of hills! Some hotels have pools and the natural pool (and BBQ) at Isalo is excellent. Don't miss the optional walk to the fishing village at the beach and the snorkelling trip via wind powered pirogue.

    Is there anything else you would like to add?

    Credit cards not really usable after Tana. Limited ATMs but probably adequate. Exodus recommended spending money about right but dodgy to manage if you stay on at the beach at the end (we extended a few days). Weak WiFi available every evening. Take hand gel and wipes. It will rain in the rain forrest but you will love it !

  • 10

    Finding King Julian!

    It was with some trepidation that I booked to go on the inaugural Madagascar cycle tour, but with only a couple of hiccups, I can quite honestly say this has been the best Exodus cycle tour I have been on. (My 4th). Madagascar is a country of such stunning natural beauty it will surely take your breath away. The trip had plenty of variety with 8 days of cycling &amp; 2 superb days of trekking in 2 totally different National parks - the first Ranomafana - a lush jungle rainforest where everything smells damp &amp; earthy &amp; then Isalo Nat park which was in complete contrast with it's stunning rock formations &amp; canyons &amp; beautiful rich red hues of colour. Both were home to wild lemurs &amp; having them join us for lunch at Isalo was the icing on the cake. They are cheeky &amp; naughty &amp; won't miss an opportunity to steal food. No two days of cycling were ever the same - the landscape constantly changes from beautiful valleys with terraced rice paddies &amp; fields of assorted crops, colourful, noisy villages where the children fall about laughing hysterically at these white people riding bikes! Some real "off road" riding on dirt roads/tracks. Long stretches of road disappearing for miles in front of you, magestic rock formations &amp; the hills! Madagascar is not flat &amp; some days I'm sure we spent as much time going up as we did coming down! The gradients are not too bad though and on our lovely new bikes were easily manageable.

    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

    Our moment of reflection at Isalo National Park. Getting up close with lemurs in their natural surroundings. Breathtaking scenery &amp; landscapes. The opportunity to see something of village life &amp; how hard working the people are.

    What did you think of your group leader?

    Mel was an inspiration himself! He certainly had his work cut out for him from the start with 5 people off the group flight arriving minus their luggage &amp; Exodus's brand new bikes sitting at the airport tied up in red tape. Luckily everyone was reunited with their gear by about day 2/3 &amp; we finally got our lovely new bikes on day 4 after riding loan bikes hired virtually the day before we arrived. Mel went out of his way to ensure everyone was enjoying themselves. He always had a smile, a sense of humour &amp; an aura of calmness even when everything could easily have gone pear shaped. He kept us well informed of any changes - like our flight from Tulear which changed from a late afternoon flight to a very early morning flight virtually within an hour! If there was something we wanted to do that wasn't necessarily in the itinerary (like an impromptu village visit) like a genie, Mel delivered! Over the course of our journey, he also became an expert at finding "lady bushes" - an essential skill when there are no "real" toilets virtually anywhere en route! Mel is so very passionate about his country &amp; it is easy to see why. He also takes the most stunning photos!

    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

    In June, be prepared for some cold, possibly wet days. There are few opportunities to dry wet clothes in these conditions ( no matter how quick drying your fabrics might be) so extra changes &amp; plenty of warm layers are essential. Our snacks were plentiful &amp; varied. Lunches were generally "picnics" so we would either stop at a supermarket or the hotel would make baguettes. Overall the food in Madagascar was good &amp; reasonably cheap. Breakfasts were generally always eggs - fried, scrambled or omelette so if you have an aversion to them you can buy cereal at the supermarket.

    Is there anything else you would like to add?

    Put this trip at the top of your bucket list - you will not be disappointed. The variety, the wildlife, the scenery, the people (&amp; Mel!) - this trip has it all.

  • 8

    Cycle Madagascar

    An astounding country to visit. The scenery was spectacular and various. The people very friendly and of course the wildlife unique.

    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

    The trek into the National Park.

    What did you think of your group leader?

    Fi (Finaritra) was very willing and helpful. He was however inexperienced which led to a few minor problems but he did cope very well over some confusion about return flights and accommodation. I would have liked to have heard and therefore learnt more about the country as we travelled from our guide.

    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

    Leave your smartphones in you luggage.

    Is there anything else you would like to add?

    My only real concern was the bikes. Ours was only the third trip for the bikes. They were more than adequate for the terrain but they were already showing signs of excessive wear. Not unurprising but the staff were very inexperienced with few tools (a plastic bag with a 14mm spanner, a couple of allen keys, a flat head and crosshead screwdriver, puncture repair kit and a pump) and virtually no spares. My multi-tool was used frequently. If a chain had broken or a derailleur had failed they would not have been able to cope. Cleaning the bikes in a river is a surefire way of decreasing the life of bottom brackets, hubs and derailleurs. Fortunately we escaped serious breakdown but future tours may not.

  • 8

    Madagaskar cycling

    Altogether a good trip, would do it again!

    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

    Seeing the people happy, although they are very poor (in western standard).

    What did you think of your group leader?

    Friendly and helpful, knows a lot about the nature and animals.

    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

    Bring your own moskito -net, because most hotels don't provide it. Avoid milk and cheese and yoghurt .....

    Is there anything else you would like to add?

    You shortened the yourney for one day without telling ... meaning for nearly all of us one more (useless?) day in Antananarivo. - Quite angry about that, I must tell you!

  • 10

    Madagascar Moments!

    What a fantastic trip. The country is just amazing with constantly changing scenery that was quite unexpected. The people took great delight in cheering us on and were only too happy to have their photos taken with the mad white people cycling in the heat of the day. The cycling was varied, undulations they call it, I call it hills! But the downhill was worth every uphill. One day was mainly off road so that was quite a challenge but very enjoyable. The hotels were brilliant, always had hot water and really nice rooms - much better than I anticipated. Also having 2 nights at several places was great. The seafood at Ifaty was fantastic as were the cocktails! The trip was graded as moderate when I booked but changed to moderate/challenging which is what I felt it was - but a great achievement finishing it in one piece. Madagascar is truly a wonderful country and still relatively undiscovered by tourists so cycling is the best way to really see it.

    What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

    Not sure about inspirational but cycling the off road bits has to be my favourite. I had not really done much of this and thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially as at the geysirs we treated ourselves to a well deserved leg massage.

    What did you think of your group leader?

    Tahina was one of the best leaders I have had on an Exodus trip. He encouraged the group to ride at their own pace, stop to take lots of photos and generally just enjoy themselves. Being at the back most of the time he was very supportive and kept us amused. He was always around to help and nothing was a problem for him. Cannot rate him highly enough and his knowledge was amazing.

    Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

    Take lots of snacks from home - museli bars, energy tablets and sweets. The lunches were normally things you had brought from the supermarket or baguettes from the hotel and this did become a bit too much bread for most people so that would be the only thing I would change.

    Is there anything else you would like to add?

    Just do it!

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