Masoala

OK so a lot of people ask us about Masoala and we want to send you there.  It is with no doubt one of the most spectacular places in Madagascar and a total immersion in wildlife.  We tend to try to send people to Masoala Forest Lodge because it is a highly superior experience, compared to anywhere else in the region, and, it is a superior experience compared to just about anything available in Madagascar.  It is however camping (in luxury tents) and, it is not inexpensive.  But we encourage you to consider it, we know you will love it and we hope you will choose Masoala Forest Lodge.  There is a less expensive option, and we will talk about that option in another episode on another day, or, if you are convinced that you really just have to visit Masoala, please just be in touch with us and we will arrange your Masoala adventure either by private charter to the Masoala Forest Lodge, or by a commercial flight with Madagascar Airlines staying at another hotel.  Please note that if you choose to go with Madagascar Airlines, you have to stay one week, because the flights are only once per week.   Thanks and thanks for being patient with me... I know my publishing schedule is slow...  

Next episode, we are going to talk all about Andasibe Mantadia, the most popular destination in Madagascar.

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to another edition of the Madagascar Travel Show. This is Brett from Dadamonga, and I'm here talking about traveling to Madagascar. So, look, we have got through the logistics of getting a visa and landing in Madagascar, and now I have to start really delving into where to go. I'm going to start today kind of a little bit out of the way. I'm going to talk about Masuala. It's a very common request from our clients. People want to visit Masuala because it is one of the biggest rainforests in the country. People come to Madagascar to see wildlife, and Madagascar certainly has plenty of wildlife up in the Masuala rainforest. So, Masuala actually is one of the hardest places in Madagascar to get to. In practical terms, you have to get to a small town called Marawan Setra. Marawan Setra is a fairly small village, coconut fringed, and to be honest with you, without any great redeeming features of its own. It's a transit point to get to Masawala National Park. Masawala National Park itself, now mainly I'm going to talk about the Masuala Forest Lodge. To get to the Masawala Forest Lodge, you can only travel by charter flight. So their charters leave Antonanarivo only on Sundays and Wednesdays for your information. If you're booking this through an agent, you will pay around about 510 euros per person per leg for your charter flights. You um will also have to pay a surcharge of around 90 euros per person per leg, which is for taxes and things like that at the airport. Now the Masoala Forest Lodge itself is extraordinary, nestled between really pristine rainforest and a very coral-rich sea. The hotel itself is accessible only by boat. It is entirely designed to be an eco haven, touching lightly on earth, intimate experience. It's a unique environment for all of the diverse species that call it home. It really gives you a sense of adventure and conservation. So your journey begins with the flight to the small town of Marawancetra, as I've described, where you board the motorboat for the journey across the Antongeil Bay, which is in itself a World Heritage Site and breeding ground for the humpback whales across to the Masuala Peninsula. The densely forested peninsula contains the last remaining block of protected rainforest in the northeast and harbors an important part of the fauna and flora of Madagascar, including an incredible wealth of rare and endangered species. Now the lodge itself is uh is camping. There are seven palm thatched treehouses which are elevated on wooden platforms. Um they give you views into the forest canopy and the sea. Um it's really quite beautiful. They've used uh their um indigenous plants like uh Ravanala, the traveler's tree, and bamboo, to build the buildings. And inside the tent, the furniture and layout is um an exercise in let's call it restrained luxury. It's quite sophisticated, provides all of the creature comforts. Um without any great excess, we must acknowledge that the entire place is solar powered, so there are limitations. Then there's a communal beach house which sits right on the edge of the ocean, which is the communal dining room and lounge room. It's really spectacular sitting on rocks overhanging the sea with wraparound views. Um, it's where you go for breakfast, uh, sundowners, you can relax in a hammock down there. And uh every stay at Masuala Forest Lodge is all inclusive. Three course meals are provided that cater to everyone: organic produce from the lodge's own gardens, uh, fresh fruit, seafood provided by the local community, they bake their own bread, they make their own fruit juice, they provide local teas and infusions, and locally grown and locally roasted coffee. It's a very, very special place. The small village of Ambudifura, um you need to get used to being confused by how to pronounce Malagasy names, and don't worry if you get it wrong. So the book, the village of Ambudifura is uh is a short walk away. There's lovely rice fields, friendly people. Um the people in the north there from around that area are called the Beitsi Misharaka. Um I suppose you could translate that directly as um we won't split up or we will stay together. Misharaka is divide, tsi misharaka is not divide, bay is many, so the many who don't divide. The Masuala Forest Lodge is uh engaged with various community programs working with the local people, and they only use local people to do the construction and the furnishing of the lodge. And the lodge in itself, in a way, serves as a bit of a cultural museum. There are traditional artifacts and objects provided by the local community on display and in daily use, in fact, giving you an insight into local cultural information. It gives the community a sense of pride and ownership in the resort itself. So uh being in a biodiversity hotspot, the lodge obviously is involved in conservation. And the the rainforest around the lodge is home to primates, carnivores, birds, reptiles, uh, extraordinary flora, and with an endemicity rate of about 90%. So most of what you'll see there only occurs there. Um you know, having resorts like this in extraordinary wild places like Masuala is a great way of protecting forests because local people earn a living, local people are employed, local people act as guides, and also the resort itself uh acts, I guess, in some ways as a bit of security. Um the things that you might see at night, so night walks, you're likely to see um mouse lemurs, which you can be seen regularly in just about anywhere in Madagascar, um, chameleons, um of the smallest chameleons in the world, and some of the largest. Fantastic birding. Um, one of the places to see scaly and short-legged ground rollers. There are all sorts of uh vangars. Um the helmet vanga is uh something that you can see in Masuala, and the much rarer Burniers vanga is also a possibility. Um there are brown mesites, Madagascar wood rail, rufous vanga, red-breasted kuar, uh you may see serpent eagles, um, which was thought to be extinct until rediscovered in Masuala, and blue kua, green pigeons, vaza parrots, sparrow hawks, owls. These can be seen around the lodge grounds. Um there's also amazing snorkeling that can be done from Maswala Forest Lodge. Um there's uh reefs right in front of the lodge where you can find a selection of hard and soft corals, reef fishes, and lots of other marine life. Green turtles, bottlenose dolphins are often seen. During months of July and August, you will see humpback whales. Um there are also extraordinary, I like I can't even get into the flora, it would take me forever. The flora of Masuala is really quite extraordinary. The palm flora is amazing with some of the rarest palms on earth being found in the forests there. It really is a beautiful spot. Um, there are a number of activities that you can do that are uh part of your uh stay at Maswala Forest Lodge. Um they have uh their itinerary is really well planned out, and they will give you uh recommendations of what to do and what to see. Um, they have kayak outings, you can take uh a tour to a sacred island, you can take a tour up the mangrove river, they have a full-day marine reserve exploration tour, um walking and kayaking, they have guided night walks, they can take you on a sunset cruise in a traditional boat. Um, there is a Tampulu River canoe trip. Um then they have their private reserve. So the private reserve around the hotel consists of 40 hectares and it surrounds the hotel itself. You can wander off on the trails inside the 40 hectares by yourself or accompanied by your guide. Now, when you stay at Masawala, you have a private guide allocated to you. So this is private land. So, you know, in Madagascar, night walks are not really possible. Madagascar National Parks are closed, but because this is private land, Masawala Forest Lodge offers night walks which are possible every evening after dinner. Um, there are a number of trails that are all marked, and as I said, you can go on your own or you can take a guide. They offer uh some basic spa facilities such as massage, and uh you can also book private dinner down on the sea deck or on the beach. They're very friendly, you can ask them for special favors. They can also organize other tours such as a boat trip around the Masuala Peninsula, um, early morning guided birding tours, um, a trip around Cap Masuala for the day, um whale watching tours, uh a cultural tour, learning basket weaving, day trip to Nosimanga Bay. Now, Nosimanga Bay is a place where if you are there at night, you can maybe see I, and they can do a fireplace on the beach for you if you'd like to do that. There's all sorts of extraordinary things. Now, look, it's a beautiful place, it really is. Everyone who we've ever sent there has absolutely loved it, but it's not exactly inexpensive. So, as I have previously mentioned, it's about 510 euros per person per leg for the flights, private charter flights, and then their packages depend on how long you stay. So they have a three-night adventure, um which is about 1,750 euros per person if you're a couple. A four-night adventure €2090 per person if you're a couple. A seven night adventure, 2,700 euros per person if you're a couple. 10 nights for €3,550 per person if you're a couple, and it goes up to an 11-night adventure for 4,190 euros per person if you are a couple. They all have uh single supplements, so those prices uh are slightly different if you're going by yourself. They also offer a seven-night honeymoon adventure from either Wednesday to Wednesday or Sunday to Sunday for $24.40 per person. If you're going as a couple, and obviously, if it's a honeymoon adventure, you're going as a couple. Um, look, we highly recommend this place. It's a spectacular way to see Madagascar, but it it isn't inexpensive. So today I've talked about one of the sort of higher end places in Madagascar, and next time I get around to speaking to you, I'll talk about one of the lower end places to give you some comparison. Now look, I'm I've decided that I'm not going to bother with being fancy about this um podcast anymore. People are listening to it, and I don't have time to do it and edit it and attach music, so I'm not going to attach music anymore. It's just going to be me coming on, talking about a subject and then closing off. So, look, that's me for today. If you would like to know more about us, I will put uh all of our links in the description below. You can find us on our website, you can find us on Facebook. We are publishing really regularly on Instagram and TikTok these days. And if you're in Fortophan, here in the south of Madagascar, you can come into our office and say hello. All right, that's me, Brett from Dadamanga saying bye bye. And that was the Madagascar Travel Show. Until next time, when I have a spare 20 minutes to get online and make a recording. Wishing everyone the best. Have a lovely week.