Detailed description. Madagascar in short. Welcome. Day to Day schedule. Ring-tailed lemurs and indris. Trip code: Group size: Number of days:

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1 Madagascar in short Ring-tailed lemurs and indris Trip code: Group size: Number of days: SMZ Detailed description Welcome Step into the fascinating world of lemurs, chameleons, baobabs and carnivorous plants! Madagascar, with its warm people, is often described as a mix of the intense colours of Africa and the mysteries of Asia. With unprecedented plant and animal life, it is like a continent in itself. A number of species, including the endearing indri, can only be found living naturally in Madagascar. Isalo N.P. is dominated by narrow ravines and rocks carved by the elements. The beautifully situated Ranomafana is one of the most pleasant places in the country. Ifaty is ideal for relaxation, where you can rent a boat and snorkel at the reef. Day to Day schedule Below is a summary of the day-to-day description. Transport Route Overnight stay 1 Antananarivo Antananarivo 2 Bus Antananarivo - Ambositra Ambositra 3 Bus Ambositra - Ambalavao Ambalavao 4 Bus Ambalavao - Isalo N.P. via Anja Park Ranohira / Isalo N.P. 5 Isalo N.P. Ranohira / Isalo N.P. 6 Bus Isalo N.P. - Ifaty Ifaty 7 Ifaty Ifaty 8 Ifaty Ifaty 9 Bus Ifaty - Isalo N.P. Ranohira / Isalo N.P. 10 Bus Isalo N.P. - Ranomafana N.P. Ranomafana N.P. 11 Ranomafana N.P. Ranomafana N.P. 12 Bus Ranomafana N.P. - Antsirabe Antsirabe 13 Bus Antsirabe - Andasibe Andasibe 14 Andasibe Andasibe 15 Bus Andasibe - Antananarivo Antananarivo - End of tour

2 Day to Day description Day 1: Antananarivo Welcome to Madagascar! Your tour starts in the capital Antananarivo, or simply ''Tana'', as everyone calls it (to avoid having to wrap your tongue around it!). You stay in a good hotel just outside the city, close to the airport so that we can leave early the following morning. Your travel companions will also arrive this morning (exact time depending upon flight schedule). Take your time this first day and adjust to your new surroundings. Day 2: Antananarivo - Ambositra We drive to the city of Ambositra that lies between the hills and has a very different climate. Ambositra (pronounced 'Ambousjt') is located between the ULFH ILHOGV LQ WKH DUHD RI WKH Zafamaniry tribe. Literally translated Ambositra means the "City of Roses". The Zafimaniry are famous for their beautiful carvings, and you can often buy these carvings in the various souvenir shops in Ambositra. TIP: We spend the night in Sous le Soleil de Mada, a guesthouse on the way from Ambositra to Antoetra. This accommodation is eco-friendly! For more information click here. Day 3: Ambositra - Ambalavao Ambalavao is one of the most beautiful villages on the high plateau in the area. The name literally means "New Valley". The houses are colourfully painted and have characteristic wooden balconies. Every Tuesday and Wednesday in Ambalavao, the largest zebu market of all Madagascar takes place. Merchants travel from afar with their herds of zebu. This area is also known for its deckle, or 'Antemoro' paper. You can visit a workshop where the paper is created or you can see silk-spinning, local traditions here are still very much alive. Day 4: Ambalavao - Isalo N.P. via Anja Park Today you embark on a long journey to Isalo. You travel via Ihosy and at the end of the day you reach Ranohira (351 km), starting point for several hikes in the Isalo NP. The small village is located next to one of the most unique national parks of Madagascar. On the way to Isalo we pay a visit to the Anja Reserve, a private park where you can encounter various types of lemurs from up-close. There are a number of different lemur species, some nocturnal and others diurnal. Lemurs are probably the evolutionary predecessors of the monkeys. They are omnivores, eating fruit, flowers and leaves but also insects and spiders. Day 5: Isalo N.P. Isalo is sacred to the Bara tribe who live in the area. The Bara have used the caves and coves in the rock for hundreds of years as cemeteries. The Bara attach (as many other tribes do) great importance to the possession of zebu (Indian cows with their big fat hump on their backs that you see everywhere in Madagascar). Isalo is dominated by narrow ravines and wind and water have sculpted the face of the rocks. This fascinating park covers an area of 80,000 hectares and we recommend an optional visit where you can see lemurs, chameleons and different bird species.

3 Day 6: Isalo N.P. - Ifaty A ride of about seven hours (253 km) takes you to your ultimate goal: the beach town of Ifaty, a lovely wide sandy beach. Along the way you see the landscape change, you see the typical "spiny forest" vegetation and the bottle-shaped baobab trees. We stop for lunch in Tulear. As you sit here on the coast, you can enjoy the wide variety of seafood. The last 30 km to Ifaty is unpaved road. In Ifaty you can relax and enjoy the sun and the beautiful sunsets. You stay in beach-front cottages. Day 7: Ifaty Free day in Ifaty. This is a typically African village, consisting entirely of thatched huts where time seems to stand still. Fishing plays an important role and children can often be seen playing on the beach with homemade fishing boats while women try to earn some money by selling sarongs or offering massages. The bizarre forest beyond demonstrates unparalleled beauty. Baobabs, Pachypodium and various cacti set the tone. An optional excursion in the late afternoon to the "spiny forest" delivers fantastic photos. A path takes you deep into the forest and after just a few kilometers you arrive at a huge baobab. Day 8: Ifaty In July and August you can see migrating whales as they migrate along the coast by the Mozambique Channel. You can rent a boat and take a ride along the coast and if you wish, you can stop along the way at the reef to snorkel. There is also opportunity to dive. In the evening there is often a local band at the hotel bar, where you can relax and enjoy the African music. Day 9: Ifaty - Isalo N.P. You travel through the more African part of Madagascar. The Zombitse National Park forms the border between west and south Madagascar, reflected in the unique vegetation. We will visit this park (if sufficient time) where, with a bit of luck, you can see the sifaka. Ilakaka is the domain of the sapphire. There is still plenty of trade in this. The town has the atmosphere of a wild west movie. From here it is another hour's drive, back to Isalo N.P. Day 10: Isalo N.P. - Ranomafana N.P. From Isalo N.P it is about a five hour drive to the beautifully situated Ranomafana, one of the most pleasant places in the entire country, with friendly people, hot springs and the homonymous National Park. Rano means 'water'; Mafana means 'hot'. After discovering the hot springs of Ranomafana a century ago, a Frenchman built a spa cum hotel close by. Around the hotel, people settled and soon the village of Ranomafana developed. The hotel is still there, but is in need of renovation to restore the spa to its' former glory. In 1986 a new species of lemur was discovered in the nearby bamboo forest and in 1991 it was decided to create Ranomafana National Park to preserve such rare species. The name of this species is the golden bamboo lemur and only 30 of them have been counted, thus they are unfortunately high on the list of endangered species. You can visit the park accompanied by a (mandatory) guide where there are several walks possible (optional excursions).

4 Day 11: Ranomafana N.P. TIP: Free day in Ranomafana. There are several walks through the Ranomafana NP ranging from 2 to 6 hours. The village is a lovely place to stay and to get acquainted with the hotely's, the small restaurants on the side of the road where you can taste zebu steak and other local dishes or join a game of soccer with the local youth. Day 12: Ranomafana N.P. - Antsirabe Today we travel for around 5-6 hours. Antsirabe is the city of the pousse pousse or walking rickshaws. Another attraction is the station, a relic of the colonial era. Day 13: Antsirabe - Andasibe Andasibe is our base for discovering the Andasibe National Park, home of the indri, the largest type of lemur. Early in the morning you'll wake up in the Andasibe NP to the characteristic cry of the indri. The sound carries for miles, and is intended to delineate their territory. Sometimes you hear ten different families, some distant, others nearby. You might also see a Parson's chameleon, one of the largest chameleon species. Day 14: Andasibe Under the guidance of a (mandatory) local guide you can take an optional half day trip, during which, you will certainly start to see the various species. The guides help you to find the indri and almost always they'll find a family of them. Also 'Woolly Lemurs' and 'Brown Lemurs' are frequently seen. Furthermore there are chameleons, various very special frogs and many species of birds including coua's. The tour will largely be along well-trodden paths, but to see lemurs you will occasionally need to leave the path and embark on a little scrambling and climbing. The guides generally speak quite a bit of English and can explain the flora and fauna.

5 Day 15: Andasibe - Antananarivo It is about three hours drive to Antananarivo. You have the afternoon to discover Antananarivo. The La Digue marché is a classic large craft market, well worth a visit and an opportunity to buy the latest souvenirs. We return to the hotel in Tana where you have the possibility of using one of the few day-rooms to freshen up. Your tour will now conclude here in the early evening. A transfer back to the airport is not included but can easily be arranged locally and the cost is little. Please make sure to book your return flight after hrs. We wish you a comfortable journey home and are sure you will take with you some wonderful memories of Madagascar. Your personal my.shoestring page on our website is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today. When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any posttour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (day 15) is not included. NOTE: The single tours travel in reverse order if both the regular and the single tours on the same date are guaranteed departures. More info What's included: transportation in (mini) bus; overnight stays in hotels; English speaking tour leader. What's excluded: international flights; airport transfers; all meals; optional excursions; all entrance fees; services of local park guides; tips; booking fee; visa; travel insurance. Travel documents

6 Passport and Visa requirements: You are responsible for making sure that your travel documents are in order. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months after having left Madagascar. Also keep in mind that your passport needs at least 2 consecutive blank pages. A photocopy of your passport is a great idea (keep it somewhere separate in your luggage). At present, a visa is required for entry as a tourist into Madagascar. You need to arrange this yourself. Single entry visas (up to 30 days) can be obtained upon arrival.* Please check the visa requirements for your country well in advance of travel as they can of course change at any moment. You can check visa requirements through a site such as this one. *Local Malagasy law requires that all visitors have a return air ticket and will be asked to produce this on arrival. Accommodation and transport Transport: During this trip we make use of a private bus. Please note that the buses in Madagascar have limited legroom compared to those you may be used to. The luggage is carried on the roof of the bus, covered with a tarp. We recommend you carry your luggage in a flight bag. Please note that airport transfers are not included. Accommodation: During this trip you'll stay in simple hotels (cottages) with double and triple rooms (often one double with an extra bed), with shower and toilet in the room. In the selection of the hotels we especially consider the location, cleanliness and atmosphere. The quality of the hotels may vary by location. Thus, in the small towns we often have little choice in hotels, or the usual hotel - despite timely booking - is already full. Throughout the journey (almost) every room has mosquito nets available. Taking a sleeping bag is not necessary, it is advisable however to take your own sleeping bag liner. Participants who register individually will share a room with another participant. We keep in mind that of course to share the room with someone of the same sex is the preference. If you would like a room for the whole trip for yourself, it could in principle be arranged. You should then add the single room supplement to your booking. We would like to point out that the single rooms in Madagascar are SMALLER than the double rooms, albeit with the same facilities but the space is smaller and often these rooms are further from the restaurant and the lobby than the double rooms. Travel distances: Tana - Ambositra: 260 km, 6 hours Ambositra - Antoetra: 12 km, 1 to 2 hours (due to poor roads) Ambositra - Ambalavao: 206 km, 5-6 hours Ambalavao - Isalo N.P.: 233 km, 7-8 hours Isalo - Ifaty: 270 km, 5-6 hours Ifaty - Tulear: 40 km, hours (due to poor roads) Tulear - Isalo: 300 km, 8-9 hours Isalo - Ranomafana: 350 km, 8-9 hours Ranomafana - Antsirabe: Antsirabe - Andasibe: Andasibe - Tana: 135 km, 3-4 hours Note: The above-mentioned journey times are of course approximate. *If there is a single tour and a regular group tour both guaranteed and starting on the same date, the single tour is operated in reverse order.

7 During your trip, it is possible to participate in 'single' excursions offered locally by the tour leader. These excursions are optional. To allow you to plan a budget for your trip we have provided you with an idea of the cost of these excursions. The price can change due to currency fluctuations. The amounts are therefore only meant to give you an indication of the cost. Entrance fees will often change and therefore are excluded from the prices displayed (unless explicitly stated). We display the prices in Euros/GB Pounds/US Dollars. When you are in your destination, it is possible to pay for the excursions in local currency. Single excursions Excursion Details Price Baobab Park / Spiny Forest Ifaty Book at location Entrance fee to Isalo N.P. The cost for this excursion includes transport and access to the Spiny Forest Book at location Entrance fees to National Parks Book at location Entrance fees to private parks Book at location Evening walk in National Parks Book at location Guides in National Parks per walk (price per person) Book at location Ifaty - Whale excursion All National Parks are applying the same entrance price of 15. This excludes the cost of a local guide. These depend on the group size and amount to 3 pp. Prices apply to Ranomafana NP, Isalo NP and Perinet NP. Smaller game parks charge an entrance fee of 5 per person. The price of the guide is about 3 per person. These prices shall apply to Anja park and Zombitse NP. These are carried out by local guides from the National Park. Not all evening walks are in the national parks but on the edge of the park where many nocturnal animals such as mouse lemurs and chameleons can be seen Book at location Festival info News

8 COUNTRY INFORMATION MADAGASCAR BACKGROUND INFORMATION Culture Culture The cultural differences between Europeans and the people of Madagascar are so big that you could devote a whole book to them. Even within the different regions, you will find differences in the way in which people interact with one another. You need to accept that people in Madagascar in some respects have different demands than you're used to. So you should not get irritated if they do not react to something in the same way in which you are accustomed. For instance, they look differently at appointments and have a different sense of time. Malagasy have a relaxed and laid back lifestyle. Mora mora is the motto. This makes them no less different. With proper preparation you can already adjust to these cultural differences. Notice the trick is to stay positive, be flexible and respect a different way of life. Take your time, try to be open and tolerant and try to chat with people. Do you speak the language? if not, then there are other ways to make contact. A simple greeting or a simple smile costs nothing and opens all doors and hearts. Malagasy people greet each other with a hug and three kisses on the cheeks. Even men and women greet each other this way. In Madagascar commissioned officers, politicians and businessmen generally wear western clothes to emphasize their important position. Even with forty degrees Celsius they wear a jacket, shirt and tie. Outside the capital bears the majority of the population, traditional clothes. If you are invited to people's homes then you are supposed to pay something for the meal. Wait to eat until the oldest family member invites you to do so. While visiting family, dress neatly and definitely not too exposed. Long pants or skirts should cover exposed areas. Do not interrupt people when they speak. Do not raise your voice, even if something doesn't go to your liking. Do not point your finger at someone. Fady Madagascar is the land of the fady, rules dictated by ancestors that must be respected. The taboos are based on historical experience. If for example anyone was ever saved by a dog, then a dogs descendants may never be mistreated. In this way, the strangest things are declared to fady. On the coast it is fady to eat pork beside the sea. It is wrong to point to a grave. Out of respect for the people it is wise to be informed about fady. For our visitors, it is impossible to give an exact insight into what is fady and what is not. Nevertheless, there are some guidelines regarding fady that actually apply to the whole country and you should take into account. Respect for people, property, family relationships and parents is important. Never speak a bad word about the dead. Respect the inhabitants of Madagascar. Rice Terraces also occupy an important position and deserve respect. Do not joke about local fady. For the population fady is a serious matter. Shopping: In Antananarivo and other larger towns are small shops with a wide range of souvenirs and handmade products. Local markets such as Marche Artisanal in Antananarivo, are the best place for handmade art objects such as carvings, raffia products, handmade paper flowers, gems, horn products and cloths. Vango Vango are the silver bracelets that you see a lot in the south and traditionally worn by men. Lamba Oany are coloured printed cotton cloths that women wear in different ways. A lamba mena is a cloth in which the dead are wrapped. In supermarkets and larger stores prices are usually fixed while in souvenir shops and markets haggling is usual. The price that sellers initially give can sometimes be a bit higher than the normal selling price. By negotiating, you are showing respect for the seller. There is no fixed price so you have to decide for yourself how low you wish to go. Only bid if you really want to buy something. During the negotiation, the seller will try to win your sympathy with a friendly conversation or offering a drink. That's all part of the bargaining game. Do not feel burdened if you get something for a low price because the seller rarely sells below the price they want. If you do not reach an agreement on the price you can simply move on. General: Realize that you are constantly there as a guest in a country where one simply has different manners. This is not abnormal, it is you that is acting differently.

9 Religion In Madagascar, 52% of people follow animist beliefs; about 41% Christian and the remainder are Muslim. Language English is not that widely spoken. Malagasy (which is related to Indonesian) and French are the official languages here. Local dialects are also common. Festivals Besides new year and Christian holidays such as Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, Whitsun and Christmas, Madagascar has several national holidays: Day of Uprising (29 March), Labour Day (1 May), Independence Day (June 26). In addition, the different communities have their own celebrations and festivals. Food and drinks In Madagascar, you can eat well. Many places have an extensive menu and the better places serve Western, Chinese and local dishes. Western meals are often of French footing. The menus are usually in French so a dictionary may come in handy. For vegetarians: "Tsy Misy hena" means "without meat". For breakfast delicious fresh baguettes (mofo) are often served with La Vache Qui Rit-cheese, jam, fresh juice and tea or coffee. You can also buy your own breakfast everywhere on the streets where you find baguettes and cheese which is considerably cheaper. Vary (rice) is an important part of almost every meal and is often served with zebu meat (hen'omby) or fish (hen'andrano) and sometimes duck or chicken. The national food is romazava, stewed vegetables and meat which is served with bredes, tasty cooked vegetables. Another common dish is ravitoto, shredded cassava leaves with fried pork. Real Malagassy meals can be found in a hotely, small semi-restaurants. The menu is usually displayed on a large chalkboard that ends with the words "mazotoa homana" (bon appetit). Henan-omby (or Hen'omby) = beef Henan-Borona (or Hen'akoho) = chicken Henan-kisoa = pork Henan-Drano (or Hazan-Drano) = fish In hotely's you can visit for snacks such as tsaramasy (rice with beans and pork), vary sosoa (rice pudding), mofo boule (sweet rolls), koba (rice and banana served in a leaf and sliced). Furthermore, you can also always get yogurt (yaourt). On the street samosas are often offered, with meat and/or vegetables, stuffed into a dough pastry jacket. Western meals you can find in the big cities. Further along the coast you can always find delicious fish and seafood dishes and you can also get fries almost everywhere. Chinese restaurants exist in most larger cities and the food is tasty and reasonably priced. Soupe Chinoise is widely available. Tropical fruits that you can find in Madagascar are coconut, voasary (oranges), akondro (bananas), pineapples, lychees, mangoes and tapia (small red berries). In the cooler highlands apples, pears, peaches and apricots are grown. Tap water is not drinkable. You rely on bottled water. The most famous brand is Eau Vive but there are other cheaper brands like Olympiko and La Source. Mineral water is relatively expensive. When purchasing make sure there's a good seal on the bottle. Ice cubes will only be safe at good restaurants but leave them if in doubt. At temperatures of 35 º C or more the fluid requirement increases. With effort, the intake needs to increase to more than five liters per day. Part of it is in the eating, the rest should be drunk. Lost salts need to be replaced. Make it a habit to take soup as a starter. Coca Cola, Sprite and Fanta are available everywhere. In supermarkets they sell cartons of orange juice and other fruit juices such as Tiko fruit juice. Furthermore, in restaurants juices are available (depends on the season as to which) like orange juice, mango juice and pineapple juice, but mango (juice) and pineapple (juice) are sometimes poorly tolerated and it is better to consume a small quantity. You can also leave open a coconut and drink the juice. Coffee is not of high quality. The milk in the coffee will be mostly condensed milk. Local tea is very weak. Lemon Tea is available everywhere. Three Horses Beer is the most popular beer in Madagascar. Other brands are Queens and Gold. It's strange that the beers are named in English when everything else is named in French! Madagascar has its own wine region near Fianarantsoa. L'Azani Betsileo is recommended. Rum (toaka gasy) is cheap and available everywhere and the best cocktail punch is au coco.

10 Tipping In Europe, tipping in most cases is seen as a token of appreciation, a perk of thanks for services rendered. In Madagascar, it accounts for more than a perk: the tip is for people who work in tourism, an indispensable addition to a low local salary. These people are often unskilled or low-skilled. Work in the tourism sector is often seasonal, and salaries are paid only for the period worked. Moreover, it is likely that a family is living on an income from tourism. A tip therefore usually lands directly in the hands of people who need it the most and they are their families will benefit. Begging is uncommon in Madagascar, with the exception of large cities Antananarivo, Antsirabe and Fianarantsoa. You may think that giving money to beggars helps solve their problems but the reality is different as all to often they start to rely on these donations. You may be approached by children asking for pens or manga taka "(gifts). Do not go in for this as it can distrurb relationships and lead to quarrels and problem with levels of respect between locals and tourists. The brief feeling of joy to a child does not outweigh the negative long-term effects. If you really want to help you are better going through a recognized development organization or supporting a local development. The driver expects a tip for the time he was driving the group around, at least when he has done his job satisfactorily. For the tour guide and the driver a sum of 1 euro per passenger per day is a reasonable tip. Weather and climate Climate: Madagascar has a tropical climate that is largely determined by the southeast trade winds. In general it can be said that the summer lasts from November to March and that it is very hot and it can rain a lot. The winter season lasts from April until October and then it is dryer with somewhat lower temperatures. In the dry season, a steady east wind blows. The southwest of the country has a very dry climate and there is very little rain. The months of November and December are the "wet months" but even then it rains very little. The day and night temperatures vary more as you move south. In the Central Plateau, temperature and rainfall are influenced by the altitude. Thus the day and night temperatures in the capital Antananarivo can differ by as much as 14 C. On the plateau the temperature rarely rises above 23 C. In the northeast and central regions there is no real dry period. The southeast has drier, more stable weather. In February and March, the heavy rain and the risk of cyclones is greatest. Relatively drier months are May, September, October and November. Best time: The best time to visit is from April to October, although the rainy season seems to happen later. November is often a good travel month also. Population Madagascar has over 15 ½ million inhabitants. The population density is about 26 inhabitants per km ². To the west it is just 2 inhabitants per km ². The average population growth is about 3% per year. This means that the population doubles approximately once every 22 years. This high growth rate is due to the fact that the average parent gets 5.84 children and families with more than 10 children are quite normal. The average life expectancy is not very high, almost 55 years. Almost 80% of the population still lives in rural areas, around 20% live in the cities. The migration to the big cities is large and it is expected that in 2015 about 40% of the population will live in the cities. The capital Antananarivo currently has nearly 1.1 million residents. The entire metropolitan area has about 3.6 million inhabitants. Other large cities are Toamasina (127,000 inhabitants), Fianarantsoa (130,000) and Antsirabe (120,000). The Madagassiër are predominantly of Malay-Indonesian origin and to a much lesser extent, black and Arab elements are present. Approximately 1% of the population consists mainly French, Comorezen, Indians, Pakistanis and Chinese. The traditional Malagasy population is divided into 18 tribes, mainly based on the borders of the former kingdoms rather than ethnic traits. Although some strains are clearly of Asian or African descent, the Malagasy population is generally a mix of different strains.

11 Landscape Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, located southeast of the African continent. The area covers 587,041 km ² and Madagascar is thus about as large as France and Belgium. From north to south the longest distance is 1580 km and from east to west the longest distance is 579 km. Madagascar is also called the "red island", a reference to the red-brown earth. The central ridge which runs across the island of Madagascar has a varied landscape. To the north lies the mountain Montagne d'ambre with forests filled with ferns, palms and other huge trees. A little further south is largely Ankarantra volcanic mountains with caves, caverns, limestone formations and underground rivers. The entire east coast is tropical and humid and is where you will find the tropical rainforests. These forests are home to a huge variety of wildlife. The southwestern tip of Madagascar is a very dry desert area with huge hedgerows and other vegetation such as the bizarre pachipodiums and baobabs. Between the savannah landscape in the northwest and the desert in the southwest is another area with a steppe landscape. In the northwest coast are many deep bays with many islands. The largest rivers are the Manambdo and Tsiribihina. The island belongs to Africa, but you can not really call it 'African'. Its rice terraces especially, make the central highlands more reminiscent of Asia. It is a succession of fertile rice fields, mountains and valleys with the occasional village consisting of mud huts or the typical red houses of several floors. The dry landscape of the south is however typically African. PRACTICAL INFORMATION Arrival information Spend the first day in Madagascar quietly adjusting. Take time to acclimatise. The change of climate, culture and food can be quite profound. Let it slowly take its course... welcome to Madagascar! Time differences Standard time zone:utc/gmt +3 hours No daylight saving time in 2013 Luggage and clothing Proper dress is appreciated when you are invited by people into religious buildings. Otherwise shorts and T-shirts/tops can easily be worn. Summer clothing for daytime, plus something warm for the evenings is enough. For the evening, a thin turtleneck with long sleeves is a good weapon against mosquito bites. In the winter months (so our summer months), it is recommended to take a warm fleece, sweater or jacket with you. You definitely need a raincoat for the rainforest. There are other important items too: Slippers, sunglasses, sleeping bag (not mandatory) or sleeping bag liner, possibly a mosquito net, sunscreen, a hat, toiletries, travel pharmacy, photo or film equipment and enough film / memory, spare batteries, flashlight, pocket knife (not in your hand luggage during flight), alarm clock, stationery, books, passport with valid visa, sufficient cheques and money, copies of your passport and visa, a list with the numbers of your cheques and proof of purchase, a card from your travel insurance that includes the emergency number, diary with important addresses, booking papers for this trip. Possible, further items to bring: dictionary; Your language - French, binoculars, maps, games. In addition, a small backpack or shoulder bag is handy for daily hand luggage. For storing valuables, it's best to buy a thin money belt that you can wear under your clothes. Do not take too much luggage. More than 12 kg is not usually needed. Ideally, bring a frameless backpack or other soft luggage and not a hard case because it is difficult to transport. Do not take sharp items in your hand luggage like a pocket knife or nail file. Communication Telephone: Country code: 261. For cheap calls its best to buy a telephone card and use a public telephone booth. Cards can be purchased at post offices and most hotels. Mobile coverage reaches major cities and roads only. Internet: Public Internet access is available in large cities; there are a few Internet cafés in Antananarivo but the connections tend to be slow.

12 Information for people at home Sorry, this information is not available at this moment. Please check back later. General information Tour leader Our tours are led by trained, local English speaking tour leaders. We know that our travellers appreciate being accompanied by these local tour leaders who, compared to their counterparts (living outside of the destination) have more detailed knowledge of their country. He/she knows the area well, can provide background information and ensure that the trip goes smoothly. He/she knows what to do if something were to go wrong, but is not a "walking encyclopedia". Therefore we would like to refer you to study a good travel guide (book) in advance of travel. Your tour leader understandably expects a tip at the end, if she/he has completed the job well. Shoestring pay the tour guides a wage which is higher than that of most adventurous travel companies. Our guideline for tipping is between 1, - and 2, - per passenger per day (the equivalent thereof). Sustainability We know that travelling to remote corners of this planet has its effects. At Shoestring we really try to make an effort to keep our impact to a minimum. We try to avoid the use of plastic water bottles on our treks through Nepal and we do not dump our litter during our trips through Africa. All of our staff have been trained to take special care to ensure we make as little impact on the environment as possible. Furthermore we support a lot of local projects which are mostly related to clean drinking water or making sure that children get vaccinated against illnesses such as tuberculosis. On most tours you will be able to visit some of the projects we support through our local agents. Find out more about the different projects Shoestring are involved with, how you can make a difference and our environmental policies here Further important info...

13 We recommend preparing well before you go on this trip so please read about your destination and carefully check which vaccinations and other medications you might need. Here are a few important points. Prior to the trip After making your booking, if you have not heard whether your trip is definitely going ahead then it is safe to assume that this is the case. If we unexpectedly have to cancel the trip, we will let you know no later than three weeks prior to your departure. It is not common for a trip to be cancelled, so please do not worry unduly. Incidentally, even if the minimum number of participants is not reached, Shoestring can still choose to let the trip proceed anyway. Guarantee Shoestring offers a unique guarantee, but what does a "guaranteed price" mean? It simply means that you pay the price that appears on the website at the time of booking. We guarantee that price. Any price increases made later will not be passed on to you! Personal Information Make sure when completing your booking to fill all details in correctly. This includes your passport and personal information (such as gender, date of birth and first and last name as stated in your passport). These details are necessary for confirming any domestic flights or transportation tickets and at some hotels that form part of your itinerary. Check your (digital) receipt of your booking confirmation details to make sure they are listed correctly. You are responsible for providing correct information. Incorrect information can lead to you not being admitted onto a train or into a hotel! Further information for your trip No later than one week prior to departure you will find your departure letter on your personal myshoestring site. Any tickets for local flights/other transportation will be controlled by your tour leader and provided locally. Single travellers About a third of our travellers are single travellers. This does not have to cost more as you can share with one of the other travellers in your group. We of course keep in mind to pair you with someone of the same sex. If you would prefer a room to yourself then this is usually possible. Please indicate this when booking and the applicable supplement will be added. Feedback While we put a lot of effort into the execution of your trip, it still occurs that travellers have comments about various aspects. To ensure that these observations can be addressed immediately we ask that they are notified to the tour leader in writing whilst on tour. If comments are not communicated in writing to the tour leader during the trip then this will affect how we are able to handle any potential complaint after the trip has concluded. Newsletter We regularly send out a digital newsletter, our E -zine. Here you can read stories, offers, tips and latest news about our travels. Do you receive this newsletter? Sign up easily through this link. Kuoni Specialists Ltd Shoestring is part of Kuoni Specialists Ltd, a group of adventure travel companies that interact in various ways to ensure that the traveller gets true value for his/her money. Behind the scenes, there is cooperation in the field of purchasing and handling of the trips and for the traveller, it means that we have an enormous amount of extra resources behind us, in the event they should be required. Have fun with the preparations for your trip! Insurance

14 Travel insurance, including medical repatriation insurance, is mandatory. It is not included with our packages and it is your responsibility to purchase suitable travel insurance. Make sure that it covers all the activities that you are likely to undertake, such as rafting and trekking. Many free insurances that come with banking packages, credit cards etc, are quite often inadequate to cover you on our tours, so make sure you check the policy before you travel. You should enter your travel insurance details via your my.shoestring account and you are required to give a copy of your insurance policy to your tour leader upon arrival. Without proper insurance like this, you will not be allowed to join the tour as we will not be able to respond adequately in case of an emergency if you do not have the right insurance. Address Shoestring International Entrada AA Amsterdam-Duivendrecht, The Netherlands. You can call us on number or +44 (0) and us at info@shoestring.com Opening hours Monday to Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM (Local times in Netherlands).