The island of Madagascar, in the Indian
Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa, is starting to appear
on the radar of adventurous U.S. travelers.
While there are a
number of tour operators in the U.K. who offer tours to Madagascar,
the idea of offering tours to U.S. travelers has not yet gotten
very far. Few operators offer the destination.
But there are signs
that may be changing.
Terra Incognita
Ecotours, a 2-year-old niche operator, has introduced a tour to
Madagascar with wildlife photographer Kevin Schafer, whose
photography has appeared in National Geographic, Smithsonian,
Natural History and National Wildlife magazines. Schafer gives
lectures and instruction on wildlife photography during the
trip.
"I think people are
looking for more experiential adventures off the beaten path,
unusual itineraries with a learning component," said Gerard "Ged"
Caddick president and CEO of Terra Incognita. "Some of the people
enrolled are photography enthusiasts, and some are just coming
because we're going to a cool place and they want to improve their
photography."
Although Madagascar
has not yet found a place in its regular brochure product,
Abercrombie & Kent has offered the destination as an
independent travel option for years.
This year, A&K has organized a trip to
Madagascar for its Marco Polo Club, an exclusive group of the
operator's experienced, repeat customers.
"There is a lot of
interest," said Pamela Lassers, A&K's director of media
relations, "especially among our clients who have been gorilla
trekking, on safaris and Galapagos cruises."
A&K often uses
its Marco Polo members to test new destinations, and according to
Lassers, Madagascar is a hit.
"Our first
small-group, escorted journey to Madagascar sold out within days of
being announced," she said. "While some travelers are thrilled just
to see another country, members of the Marco Polo Club seek a
deeper knowledge and appreciation, an experience of a more profound
nature that expands their understanding of the world."
Travcoa, too, is
getting the Madagascar bug.
"Starting in 2007,
we have a new program to Madagascar," said Louis Shumbris, director
of product operations and development for Travcoa. "We've gone
there before, but only as a custom FIT. It's truly a new
destination for our escorted tours."
Adventures Abroad
Worldwide Travel, a Canadian tour operator with an office in
Blaine, Wash., is an exception: It has been running tours to
Madagascar for the past 15 years.
Martin Charlton,
the company's assistant manager, said Adventures Abroad offers
about three Madagascar trips a year, with roughly 14 to 16
travelers in each group.
"Most are drawn by
the fact that most of the flora and fauna is unique to the island,"
said Charlton. "The plant, insect and animal life you encounter
there is found nowhere else."
With its relative
isolation and temperate climate, Madagascar has developed a rich
and unique array of wildlife. Of its 200,000 species, about 150,000
are endemic.
Madagascar is home
to half the world's chameleons and 170 species of frogs.
It is the only
natural habitat of the lemur, a small, tree-dwelling primate. Most
species of lemurs are endangered.
"One of the
advantages of Madagascar is that the lemur population, for whatever
reason, is incredibly accustomed to human beings, so you can get
very close to them, almost face to face," said Charlton.
Visitors are
attracted to the charms of the creatures, added
Charlton.
"They are very
animated, full of character and personality," he said. "People are
drawn to them with affection."
Despite its natural
attractions, Madagascar is not likely to be overrun with tourists
in the near future.
"It's one of those
places where there is a very limited infrastructure," said
Shumbris. "And the society and culture there is not in perfect
alignment with Western business practices, so it's a
challenge.
"It's a great
place, but operationally it's a lot of work. You have to fly to
many of the different places because there is limited access to the
different areas by road. And if there were roads, it would take you
so long."
Travcoa and A&K
use charter flights to move from place to place in Madagascar, the
fifth-largest island in the world, following Australia, Greenland,
New Guinea and Borneo. At 226,657 square miles, the island is
almost the size of Texas.
Adventures Abroad
keeps costs down by using scheduled air.
"You need charter
flights to visit some of the places in northern Madagascar, but the
places we visit are accessible by scheduled air," he
said.
To
contact reporter David Cogswell, send e-mail to [email protected].