:: Where we go - Madagascar

Scenery, an array of environments from the bright green rice paddy fields in the highlands and magnificent granite mountains to a variety of rainforests at different altitudes, from desert-like southern areas to idyllic tropical beaches, from the awesome limestone pinnacles in the west to avenues of baobabs

Lemurs, 51 varieties, 35 million years' worth of evolution, some nocturnal, some easy to find, others very shy, but all amazing to see

Chameleons, with one eye in the future and one eye in the past, their slowness of movement enables you to observe them with ease

Whales, for another close encounter, just off the coast of Ile Sainte Marie between July and September when the humpback whales arrive to calve

Fady, Vintana, Tody and Tsiny, a whole system of taboos and beliefs, and a complex sense of destiny and 'kharma', all manifested in the Malagasy daily life and making a rich cultural experience for the traveller

Tropical climate with regional variations, but basically November to March is hot with variable rain, and April to October is mainly dry and mild. In the west rainfall decreases from north to south with the southwest being the driest part of the country. In the centre altitude plays an important role, and in the east there are no months entirely without rain with the possibility of cyclones between January and March.

Exploring Madagascar's diverse habitats, with the help of local guides, each of its National Parks and Reserves offers great opportunities to get close to the unique wildlife

Experiencing the culture, the variety of architecture, the different lifestyles in villages throughout the country, the unusual styles and structures of the tombs and funerary art, and perhaps even witness famadihana, the exhumation and 'turning of the bones' before second burial

Relaxing on palm-fringed beaches, some on small, tropical islands

Watersports include excellent snorkelling and scuba diving