Madagascar had long been on my radar if only to see the lemurs in their natural environment. However, I was not prepared for how much more this island country had to offer. In some of its national parks, we were able to observe at close range the many different varieties and sizes of lemurs, some of whom literally danced for us or jumped gracefully from tree to tree, landing perfectly every time. How do they do it?! As well, butterflies, giant moths, birds and colourful reptiles including chameleons and frogs, were seen, while the elusive fossa was spotted, unfortunately not by me. The flora of Madagascar, like much of its fauna, is also distinctive and in the stony forest we were able to observe the different species of Baobab, including one that is 1200 year old.
I found the Malagasy people shy, some curious about us, but friendly and Diary, our Tour Director from Awesome Madagascar tours, was a prime example of their caring nature. Thoroughly professional at all times, we wanted for nothing, but he was also very charming and imparted his wealth of knowledge to make our trip truly memorable, one of the ones I will always look back on with nostalgia.