Why Travel with Insider Journeys

BESPOKE ACCOMMODATION

A quality hotel is an essential element of an enjoyable holiday. We offer an extensive range of accommodation options and experiences, so you can customise your vacation. Our hotels have been handpicked for charm, comfort, location and to provide you with an insight into the region. From the forts and palaces to beach resorts, we have accommodation options to suit all tastes and budgets.

INDEPENDENCE AND FLEXIBILITY

An ideal tour is a balance of activity and relaxation. We know sometimes you want to explore on your own, eat on your own, or relax on your own. We can include moments of leisure without any scheduled activities, where you have the freedom to be spontaneous, to choose your own meals, to choose your own experiences, and to enjoy your holiday as you see fit.

Our guides were really good at making the history of India come alive. You could tell that they obviously love their country, and this comes across. We would definitely use Insider Journeys again.

Henry & Lisa, Wellington, New Zealand

GETTING AROUND

We don’t do ‘bus tours’… we do Small Group Journeys. Whether it’s a tuktuk, jeep safari, or bullet train, you’ll get a local experience when it provides the best sightseeing or transport opportunity. Otherwise, road journeys are in our comfortable air-conditioned vehicles. We keep it small and never use large coaches. You can use our Small Group Journey itineraries as inspiration, or you can create your own completely customised holiday. Either way, you will get a tailor-made holiday where you take control of your experience and we create a holiday exactly the way you want.

I just returned from Sri Lanka and wished to say how much I enjoyed this trip! It was the first time I had used Insider Journeys and I was very impressed with the level of organisation, quality of the hotels, tour guides, vans, cyclos, etc. It was a truly memorable 12 days and thank you to the Insider Journeys team for organising it.

Debbie, Wagga Wagga, Australia

For guests who prefer to travel with

SMALL others, we offer our popular Small

GROUP Group Journeys. We limit these groups

JOURNEYS to a maximum of 16 people (and only 12 in Japan) so you can enjoy a personalised, authentic experience. Smaller groups ensure more time with your local expert, more time to make new friends, less time waiting, and more time for you to enjoy the amazing destinations throughout your journey.

PRIVATE GROUPS

Whether you’re gathering your family for a reunion, your friends for a dream wedding, or your co-workers for a rewards trip, let us design the perfect custom itinerary for your group’s needs. Large groups come with large expectations, and our dedicated Groups department specializes in these unique requirements. We offer advice and support at all times, so you have peace of mind that we are here for your group.

IDENTITY CARD

Madagascar lies in the Indian Ocean, 400 km off the African coast from which it is separated by the Mozambique Channel. Réunion Island is 700 km East Mauritius at 900 km.

Surface Area: 587 000 km², length from north to south 1500 km and width from east to west 500 km.

Population: 27 millions people according to estimates made in 2019

Density: 42 inhabitants per square kilometre.

WEATHER

MADAGASCAR MADAGASCAR

165 million years ago, Madagascar already showed its uniqueness and originality by breaking away from the African continent to land 40 million years later, somewhere in the Tropic of Capricorn, in the shadow of the African continent with which it has so little in common. This island continent is known for its rich biodiversity: the luxurious tropical forest in the East, the desert like aridity of the South, the vast savannahs of the West, the lush rice fields and terrace of the central highlands and its volcanic region and the turquoise lagoons of the North. The variety of climates, vegetation, landscapes, ways of life, habitats and traditions. The incredible melting pot of Asians, Arabs, Africans and the European gave the island continent its personality and its biodiversity. The evolution of the living species of the Grande Ile or literally: “Great Island” has followed a different path from that of the neighbouring continents. This enables every traveller to be submerged in a particularly unique flora and fauna, endemic to Madagascar.

Not far from the Equator Madagascar is influenced by the dry season/rainy season, but also by the notion of spring/summer/autumn/ winter. Our rainy season runs from midDecember to mid-March with the probability of tropical storms to cyclones, thus not the best season to travel, but it remains possible to visit some regions. The months of April to June after the rainy season are good for travel with a pleasant and mild climate. The country is lush and green after the rainy season. July and August are our southern winter months, it can be cool in the morning in the highlands. September to mid-December are ideal for traveling around the country. In summary: April to November is the best time to visit Madagascar.

OCT – MAR APR – SEP

Antanarivo 17-26

Nosy Bè 21-31 10-22

19-30 Ethnic groups: 18 as well as minority communities like the Comoros, the Indo-Pakistani and Chinese. The French are the largest European community with nearly 25,000 citizens.

Capital: Antananarivo (Tana) with 2.5 million inhabitants.

Main cities: Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) to the north, Majunga (Mahajanga) northwest, Tamatave (Toamasina, the first port in the country) on the east coast, Antsirabe and Fianarantsoa in south-central and Tulear (Toliara) to the southwest.

Government: Independent republic with presidential character endowed with the following institutions: Senate, National Assembly and Prime Minister.

Languages spoken: The official Malagasy (spoken throughout the island), regional dialects, and French.

Currency: Ariary (MGA) has officially replaced the Malagasy Franc since 2005. The foreign currency used is the Euro

Religion: A large part of the population (about 44%) practice indigenous beliefs and rituals that accompany it. Catholicism and Protestantism represent approximately 22% of the population. A small minority of Muslims (not exceeding 2% of the population).