JoBeth & Mark in Madagascar
Another fabulous trip facilitated by Kirsten @ Amazing Adventures Travel and we couldn’t have had a more fabulous time. Madagascar proved to be more than we had imagined, the topography, animal sightings and people were all absolutely wonderful and we can’t thank you enough for your expertise and help in planning this trip.
After some research as to our next trip, Mark saw pictures of the tsingy in Madagascar and he was eager to see this unique landscape in person. I was looking forward to seeing the lemurs and neither of us were disappointed. Your advice and recent trip experience sealed the deal.
After our long flight, we were glad to spend the night to recuperate at Hotel Nosy Manga, a charming, art filled hotel in Antananarivo close to the airport with a good shower, comfortable bed and good food. The hotel was mere minutes from the airport so no time was lost the following day as we hopped on a charter flight to Mandrare River Camp, our first lodge in southeastern Madagascar.
We were greeted at the airport by our private guide and whisked back to camp to our private, spacious tent and in time for our first night walk in the forest viewing lemurs, birds and all the magic of the local flora and fauna. Daily we woke to the sounds of birds and children harvesting potatoes before the rainy season arrived. Our days were filled with walks in the spiny and sacred forests where we were constantly amazed by the tree filled lemurs and birds, a drive to the Indian Ocean with lunch on the beach and a visit to a local village on market day. Nights were spent sipping sundowners under baobab trees or wishing on the stars and one evening, we were surprised by a performance of local dancers. 
Next stop, our favorite, Namoroka Tsingy Camp. This camp is located close to the National Park and the tsingy, amazing rock formations, create Mother Nature’s unbelievable and magnificent sculptures in every direction we looked. We could not see them enough! Daily we would visit the park, carefully climbing over the rocks, into the caves and one day, we were treated to lunch deep in the park. Our camp guide and national park guide assured that we were safe and that our every need was met. One day we visited the flying foxes/bats where the trees were literally dripping with bats from every branch, something I never dreamed I see. The lodge management greeted us daily as we returned from our outings with cool wash cloths, cold drinks at the bar, delicious meals and endless good humor. We stayed for 7 days and we both agreed, we could have stayed longer! 
Last stop, Nosy Sakatia on the northwestern coast. We are scuba divers and so looking underwater is essential and completes our ‘surf and turf’ itinerary. We were fortunate to book the villa next door to Sakatia Lodge, which not only came with a helpful and charming hostess but also with a dunking pool, large room, full kitchen and ac, (if you want to cook, we ate next door at the lodge, or cool down at night), and its location directly on the beach with lounges under the palms made our days comfortable and perfect.The island itself is known as the orchid island with flowers everywhere and a short snorkel away you can swim with very large turtles feeding on the seagrass. The rocky underwater topography was not the most colorful but it was packed with life at every turn. Daily we would walk down the beach to the local village and beyond exploring the island as we watched outriggers and boats in the distance, young girls dragging their fishing nets behind them in the channel and even younger children playing and splashing in the water as the tide rolled out. 
We knew our 16 hour flight home would give us ample time to reflect on everything we had seen and done and of course to begin dreaming of 'where to next’. Again our thanks for so seamlessly providing us with yet another Amazing Adventure and a lifetime of incredible memories.
All our best,
Jo Beth and Mark - Oct/Nov 2025 Madagascar