TESTIMONIALS

Madagascar was not my destination of choice but I am thankful that I went, and would encourage anyone who is thinking about it to go. It is indeed a country few know much about, and one of the few places where the daily life of the locals has not been transformed by modern age. Renowned for its unique biodiversity, dramatic landscapes, and rich cultural heritage, Madagascar is more than a destination. 

The destination is a drawcard but the icing comes from the carefully selected driver, national park rangers & legendary tour guide, Herilala.  Herilala is not only knowledgeable but is able to handle all sticky situations with humour and creativity. Every accommodation is a destination of its own. Every meal is a treat and every dietary requirement was met. The whole trip is not about getting to a destination, but the journey and the surprise that awaits us at the destination. Thank you G& T for taking us to an adventure holiday.

If you’re thinking about travelling to Madagascar with Gools & Thommo, stop thinking and grab the next opportunity as this is not a country to be found on standard tourist itineraries.  G&T’s exceptional organising abilities will ensure that you not only get there and back safely but around and about through challenging but fascinating terrain.

G&T have been able to link up with one of the most knowledgeable guides I have ever encountered, a walking talking encyclopedia on all things Madagascan, be it history, culture, society, fauna, botany, food, geography etc as well as being as genial and affable a person as you could wish for.  Having Herilala accompany us for the entire trip was a masterstroke.

The standard of accommodation throughout the trip was outstanding, and the food was excellent with a range of dietary requirements catered for.

While all these facets meant that we were kept comfortable, sated and informed, the real stars of the trip were the wildlife, plants and people that we encountered.  Such variety, such colour, and such proximity!  The itinerary was carefully but brilliantly handpicked to ensure maximum opportunity for seeing such sights.

This is an outstanding trip, full of wonder and delight.

Thank you for my Madagascar experience.

The lemurs, chameleons and baobabs were mesmerising, – flagships of a vast, rare and vulnerable environment. The culture is diverse and it was a privilege to have the introduction made by such a knowledgeable, caring and good humoured guide. Food was great and accommodation top class, embracing location.

Meanwhile, Gools and Thommo, you were always there to ensure comfort, safety and a spirit of fun. It was a pleasure to be part of a travel group that gave so much respect to the local people, environment and culture.

Best wishes for all your future travel experiences.

Gools & Thommo are the best… ensuring the group stayed on track, remained safe, were well fed , and were well informed on every aspect of the trip. The local guides used were top quality with vast knowledge of the country and its flora and fauna. In particular, the guide that travelled with us was well spoken, friendly, funny, helpful, extremely knowledgeable and could answer any question put to him!

Madagascar itself is a wonderous place, with significant contrast between the capital city & country (people, traffic, roads, living conditions) and a diversity of landscape from one side of the island to the other that will keep your interest piqued.

The trip constantly delivered those ‘wow’ moments and awesome experiences, whether we were exploring the rainforest in the east, the dry forest and baobabs in the west or the savannah with rocky mountains & deep gorges in the south. To see the various types of lemurs, chameleons and other wildlife in their natural habitat was a delight… the lemurs especially are the most beautiful & graceful of animals.  And to top it off, we also managed to see the rarely sighted fossa (‘foo-sa’)!

The accommodation provided was top-class. Whether staying at hotels in the city or resorts in the country regions, all the accommodation was comfortable and spacious & their staff friendly and welcoming. 

The group itself was a nice bunch, all a similar age with similar interests and positive attitudes. This made the social aspects of the trip (e.g. dinners or our surprise last-day cooking class!) all the better and a lot more fun.

Like some others, I did a 3-day stop-over in Mauritius on the way to Madagascar to get better alignment of flights. This worked well and gave me the opportunity to get in the holiday mode as well as doing a guided daytrip to see the highlights of Mauritius. Well worth the extra few days and highly recommended if you have the time.

Some tips to travellers:

• have your French-to-English translator tool handy (Google Lens is great for this)
• be ready to accept things ‘as part of the experience’, with some long days, bumpy roads and tweaks to the itinerary due to circumstances out of everyone’s control
• a luggage-weigher is handy to ensure you’re within limits for domestic flights

Madagascar is definitely one to tick off the bucket list!

Happy travelling.

Madagascar was truly a marvelous experience that will forever have a place in my heart.  I cannot stop reliving the memorable landscapes and creatures we got to experience, the beautiful people, and fantastic accommodations we enjoyed.  Seeing lemurs jumping, chameleon change colors, and all the other endemic animals and plants seems surreal yet somehow etched in my mind.  I’ve heard Madagascar described as the Garden of Mars and it seems so very appropriate- totally out of this world!  

What may say the most about my experience is that though it took 28 hours of flying to get there, I’m already thinking of returning.  

Wayne and Cheryl, I can’t thank you enough for making such great memories for us all.  You are the magnets to the most lovely of fellow travelers.  I only wish a reunion tour were in our futures.