MADAGASCAR

5th October - 1st November 2007

click here to view the main report/photo pages

 

 

A dream fulfilled! In autumn 2007, courtesy of some time off from our employer, we were finally able to visit the fabled island of Madagascar, in peak wildlife season, just at the end of the dry season.

We decided early on not to do this trip independently, as we had read some horror stories about birding crews missing out on a lot of endemics, and having all kinds of administrative and logistical problems. We considered all the big and many smaller outfits, and eventually settled on Rockjumper, a small South African company, whose itinerary was clearly the fullest on offer, and who had a good reputation with various of our worldwide contacts.

The logistics were completely smooth, largely as a result of the superb ground agent work of Fano Mezana (and his trainee, Solo Herivelona). Our leaders, Glen Valentine and Rainer Summers, were as enthusiastic as advertised, and we had a great time birding with them.

All the hotels were comfortable and more than adequate - some were simply superb, others a bit more "characterful", but we were well looked after. The food was good throughout - another Malagasy myth exploded!

Transport on land was in spacious midi-buses - the roads were either good and empty, or appalling. The Berenty stretch will stick in our minds (and spines) for many years.

We took a total of six internal flights - again, Fano's superb organisation made the whole thing utterly slick and unproblematic. Boat trips - fun, but sometimes nerve-wracking....read the main report!

Itinerary:

5-7/10
7-9/10
9-10/10
11-14/10
14-16/10
16-18/10
18-20/10
20-22/10
22-23/10
23-25/10
25-30/10
30/10-1/11

Tana
Ampijoroa
Mahajanga
Perinet/Mantadia
Anjozorobe
Berenty
Ifaty
Tulear
Isalo
Ranamofana
Masoala Peninsula
Tana

Main report available here

Julia Casson & Simon Woolley

Glen Valentine
Rockjumper guide

Rainer Summers
Rockjumper guide

Fano Mezana
Ground agent & all round superhero

Solo Herivelona
Trainee superhero

Neal Clark
California, USA

Benita Clark
California, USA

Wim "Darth" Vader
Tromsø, Norway (via the Netherlands)

Ruth Stewart
Vermont, USA

Tom Heatley
Michigan, USA

The Group
Anjozorobe NP

Martha O'Neal
California, USA

Carol Masterson
California, USA

"It's hatching!"

"Do I look like Poncherello yet, Neal?"

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