Madagascar at its best

  Thank you Dadamanga! - Communication was 5/5. They provided itineraries and messaged us along the way to make sure everything was going well. The accommodations and logistics were all great. The staff was very... read more kind and helpful. When we come back we will absolutely work with Dadamanga again. Thank you everyone, especially Tojo!

  Do yourselves a favor—if you’re planning a trip to Madagascar, plan it with Dadamanga! - We are a couple in our late fifties, fulfilling a lifelong dream to visit Madagascar for 30 days.
For our convenience, we chose November 2024 as the travel date. Our... read more main interest is zoological—not limited to lemurs and birds but also including reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods. Naturally, we also wanted to incorporate scenic views, relaxing beaches, and encounters with Malagasy culture and art. After extensive research, including reading articles, listening to podcasts, and searching online, we decided to approach Dadamanga, which seemed like the best company to meet our needs.
Having prior travel experience, we understand that the most valuable resource in any trip is our time and the effort required to create the opportunity for such an experience. For this reason, we believe that almost any investment to maximize this window of opportunity is worthwhile. It was therefore important for us to have comprehensive support and a local office that could assist with any issues. The bottom line: we returned home satisfied and full of incredible experiences, summarizing our trip as nothing less than wonderful!
There is no doubt that Brett and the entire Dadamanga team played a significant role in this, and we are happy to share a few examples:
Trip Planning:
Even when we thought we knew what we wanted, it turned out there were many aspects we hadn’t considered or understood. Dadamanga certainly knew what to take into account, which was immediately evident in their planning and the email exchanges between us. It is worth noting that they never grew tired of answering our questions, explaining things, or revising the itinerary again and again. Later, when it became clear that some reserves would be closed on certain dates, they didn’t hesitate to help rebuild an important part of the itinerary. Alongside this, we received detailed guidance, recommendations, and instructions on how to navigate Madagascar and prepare for the trip—even down to how much of a tip is customary in various places.
On-the-Ground Support:
Arriving in a foreign and unfamiliar place can be daunting. Meeting a friendly face like Roberto, who immediately helped us with everything, was priceless! From exchanging currency to getting to the hotel and arranging dinners, everything was handled seamlessly. This was just the start of a month during which we were almost always accompanied by a company representative who guided, translated, explained, and mediated our experience.
Problem Solving:
This might be the most important point! Problems almost always arise, and they are not easy to solve, especially in developing countries. The difference between part of the trip falling apart and a smooth continuation lies in the company’s ability to assist and handle issues. Dadamanga excels in this!
For example, we were staying at a hotel in a small town after a week in the jungle. The next morning, we were scheduled to fly with Madagascar Airlines back to the capital to continue our trip. This flight, which operates only once a week, was critical for our itinerary. Unknown to us, the airline had canceled the flight on short notice. Who knew? Dadamanga did!
For some reason, we had no cell phone reception, but Brett didn’t give up. He contacted the hotel where we were staying, asking them to notify us of the issue and have us get in touch with him as soon as possible. After explaining the situation, we calmly continued with our dinner while Brett and his team worked tirelessly on phones and emails to find a solution. A few hours later, they provided us with updated options. We chose to join a charter flight with several other travelers. Dadamanga’s team booked our tickets, coordinated payment with the charter company, provided the pilot’s name and personal phone number, and arranged an early transfer to the airport to ensure we were among the first to arrive—just in case there was high demand for this “rescue flight.”
This level of responsible and caring service not only saved our itinerary but also allowed us to remain relaxed while they handled the necessary arrangements. There’s simply no substitute for this kind of support!
Later in the trip, there were additional smaller issues that Rado, our driver, managed and resolved effectively. For example, when a two-day blockage occurred on the main road, Rado found an alternative route through villages, once again keeping us on schedule.
Availability:
Throughout the trip, we had access to support from the office, company representatives, and Brett himself. This wasn’t just helpful for specific issues; the reassurance of having someone available at all times was incredibly comforting.
Criticism:
So, what could have been better? Honestly, very little. However, we did face some challenges understanding the breakdown of costs, particularly when comparing different accommodation options. Additionally, when we specifically requested a certain hotel (which, in hindsight, was a mistake on our part), Dadamanga didn’t warn us against it. This ended with us moving the next day to the original hotel Dadamanga had recommended.
Conclusion:
Do yourselves a favor—if you’re planning a trip to Madagascar, plan it with Dadamanga!

  Dadamanga were 1st class! - Dadamanga were 1st class

Great, prompt and proactive Communication and recommendations

Would highly recommend to anyone travelling to Madagascar

We went to the west coast,... read more Andasibe, Nosy Be and spent a day in Tana - all fabulous

  Madagascar - Country of wonder!  - We have just completed a four week trip through Madagascar organised from being to end by Dadamanga and we could not recommend them more highly - they were exceptional!
From... read more our initial contact with Brett in 2019, through many emails, to finally arriving at Antananarivo where we were met by Roberto, to our travels to the west with Theo, the glorious beach breaks at Anakao and Nosy Komba to our travels with Stephan in the east everything was extremely well organised. The hotels were great considering the remoteness of some of the locations, the wildlife from Lemurs, chameleons, snakes, frogs, birds were incredible, the landscapes constantly changing, and the warmth and hospitality of the Malagasy truly enriched the experience.
Madagascar is not an easy country to travel within and we had days of long drives on very bad roads but we always knew at the end of the day we would arrive somewhere unique and special which made the long dusty roads worthwhile.
The local guides used at the National Parks and in our Tana site seeing days were all very good with lots of local knowledge and the ability to spot wildlife that we would never have seen on our own.
Many reviews will advise not visiting Antananarivo as it is a big crowded city with bad traffic but our few days there were worth it especially the cooking class at Tana Kitchen which was an absolute highlight.
We cannot thank our two wonderful drivers Theo and Stephan enough for their patience with endless questions, their excellent driving in very tough conditions and their friendly and caring manner which made it hard to say goodbye at the end of our trip.. The Dadamanga team were contactable if needed and quickly responded with a couple of queries during the four weeks of our adventure.
This was a trip of a lifetime with many memories created and the trip was made as easy and stress free as possible due to the care and attention of the entire Dadamanga team. We intend to adapt the Malagasy saying when we get home “Mora Mora” - take it easy!

  Dream come true  - We are just back from a fantastic trip to Madagascar with Dadamanga. We contacted them with the brief that we really wanted to see wild ring tailed lemurs, and as... read more many other species as possible, though our budget was on the low end. Throughout the whole process, from initial contact to the end of our trip, Dadamanga (and Madagascar) thoroughly exceeded our expectations!
The know before you go guide was very useful and realistic in what to expect, it helped us to be prepared for any issues that may arise (airports/roads/breakdowns etc), but thanks to our driver, hotels booked and guides along the way, everything went perfectly.
Didi, who drove us, was brilliant and was a perfect fit for us. We had a great time with him - practicing Malagasy phrases, learning about Madagascar, exploring local restaurants and playing UNO!
We were so lucky to see ring tailed lemurs three times, as well as many more lemur species than we expected! The local guides in the national parks were amazing - so knowledgeable and able to spot the smallest animal from a great distance away.
We would thoroughly recommend Dadamanga (and Madagascar) - thank you so much for such an incredible trip!

  Madagascar full circuit made possible by Dadamanga. Thank you! - We had two weeks to see Madagascar. After a lot of independent research, we put together a trip that was pretty intense: Morondava, Kirindy, Tsingy, Belo sur Mer, Morombe, Ankasy,... read more Tulear, Ranohira, Andringitra, Ranomafana, Antsirabe, Andasibe and back to Tana. Dadamanga made the trip possible. Pre-trip organisation and info was excellent, our driver guide Theo was fantastic and went above and beyond getting us round the country, and the background admin and support during the trip helped it go well (preempting food allergy issues, sorting hotel problems etc.). Having travelled independently around 70+ countries, we couldn't have got round the route ourselves; but Dadamanga did and with a smile and good value. Thank you!!

  GLORIOUS  - GLORY, our entire trip was filled with GLORY ~ we usually travel by doing all the destination preparation work ourselves, we decided to give Brett & the team... read more he has amassed @ DADAMANGA the responsibility, freeing ourselves of the sometimes tricky/ laborious work of putting an itinerary together~ not sure we were the best customers, we decided to give the team the amount time we had to spend in Madagascar,& 2 of our must sees, Of course they were Lemurs & chameleons ~ that was it ~ from that minimal info they put together an itinerary, we decided to just trust them and had scant idea of where we really were going to go even though the itinerary was very detailed in what to expect ( we decided to not read it & just trust the team so this meant SO SO many GREAT Surprises for us ) ~ a great decision that turned out to be ~ we were met @ the airport in Tana & from that moment on we were treated to an amazing range of experiences that South Madagascar has to offer, we had a 'holiday', the team took over, drove us in comfort to all the destinations, sometimes handing over to experts in certain parks etc who guided us to wonders eg a picnic in a lush oasis in a national park during a wonderful hike , surrounded by & feeding the Lemurs we wanted to see ~ a night in a rainforest to see nocturnal teeny weeny little Chameleons & Lemurs ~ o i had a medical emergency in a town, our multi lingual driver/guide had a Dr into our hotel room in a jiffy to diagnose & medicate me , the friendliness/professionalism/ knowledgeable team were a SENSATION. So hotel choices were superb, drivers WONDERFUL, locations visited super fascinating looking forward to doing the North of this wonderous island & DEFINATELY putting our trust intoBfrett & the DADAMANGA team again. x THANKS for a super trip x

  Fantastic trip and highly recommend Dadamanga  - Our trip to Madagascar was fantastic thanks to Dadamanga. I cannot give a more positive review to Brett and his team. From the pre-trip planning to on the ground execution,... read more Dadamanga went above and beyond. I worked with Urbain to create an itinerary that worked for us- it was 17 days with a nice split of different landscapes and climates. Brett was more than accommodating with sorting out payment and even hopped on a phone call with me to confirm the wire details. Once we arrived in country, everything ran super smoothly, and if there was ever confusion or if we needed confirmations for our drivers/reservations, Brett and his team were quick to reply and sort it all out.

We were met at the airport by an English speaking guide who helped us exchange money. We especially appreciated the fact that he watched closely as the teller counted our money and insisted they use the automated money counter to ensure we were given the correct amounts. We had several domestic flights, and Madagascar air frequently shifted flight times— the Dadamanga team was always quick to notify us on flight changes and how our pick up/drop off would be affected.

Our first stop on the trip was the west and we flew into Morondava. We were greeted by our guide, Naina— who was absolutely fantastic! We loved staying in the forest at the Akiba Lodge and saw amazing wildlife on our hikes into the reserve. Our long drive up to the Tsingy was well worth the experience and our driver and guide made us feel safe along the way. We stayed at Soleil de Tsingy and it was an oasis- beautiful accommodations and good food. The Tsingy hike was challenging but amazing, and Naina along with the national park guide were so great and offered to take photos of us the entire time. (Naina and the local driver were just so fantastic!). Up next we flew back to Tana and we were met by our next guide, Ravo, to take us out to Andasibe. Ravo was great— he was knowledgeable and accommodating when we wanted to stop for food along the way. We absolutely loved staying at the Manjarano Lodge— it was a stunning hotel with beautiful facilities and good food. We enjoyed the hikes out in the reserve and national park and we were lucky enough to see a wide variety of wildlife.

Next Dadamanga arranged for us to fly to Sainte Marie for 5 days of relaxation at the Princesse Bora Lodge. We were booked in a beautiful ocean front villa and loved our stay— the resort has many activities to choose from and so we had a great combination of relaxation and fun.

Last up, we flew back to Tana for a couple days in the capital. Our local guide, Jon, was super knowledgeable and we very much enjoyed learning about the culture and history of the country. He also helped us stop at a spot to by some souvenirs and some local vanilla/spices— he was incredibly helpful in ensuring we weren’t taken advantage of and helped us get a fair price for items we purchased.

We had a fantastic experience in Madagascar and highly recommend Dadamanga to help organize and coordinate your Madagascar travel experience! Misoatra to the entire Dadamanga team!

  Great ~2.5 week trip around Madagascar  - My mother and I did a ~2.5 week trip with Dadamanga in July-August 2024. Our itinerary was basically three pieces (each with different guides and drivers):
1. The RN7 route... read more but no time at the beach. Highlights: Ranomafana and Isalo. We then flew back to Antananarivo and did a one-day city tour.
2. A trip out west. We flew between Antananarivo and Morondava and then visited the Avenue of Baobabs, Kirindy Reserve, and the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park.
3. After flying back to Antananarivo, we went to Andasibe. Highlights: Mantadia and Analamazaotra.

I had proposed the original general areas we were interested in, and Dadamanga did a great job of putting together a comprehensive itinerary. We felt like the trip was really well organized, and they were great about accommodating specific itinerary requests. We especially liked our guide and driver (Lova and Lionel) for the first leg of the trip, and most of the local/park guides were great. We really loved the diversity of scenery and animals we saw on the trip.

The main negatives were mostly about the difficulty of traveling in Madagascar. The roads are really bad, so it is slow to get anywhere. A few of the hotels in more remote areas had limited food choices.