After over 100 countries and territories visited, Africa remains the least explored continent for me. That is why I jumped at an opportunity to have one more African country under my belt when I saw an ad about a group going to Madagascar in August. I usually spend summers in Bulgaria rather than at home in dry and hot Colorado. It is easier and quicker to fly to Africa from Europe than from the US. Turkish Airlines flies non-stop from Istanbul to Antananarivo. Although this flight is 12.5 hours, it would have taken me twice longer to travel to Madagascar from Colorado. Also, Bulgaria and Madagascar are in the same time zone which meant no jetlag for me. I simply had to go.
In the past 3 years, I mostly traveled solo and had to organize everything myself. This time, I had the luxury of not thinking about the trip’s logistics. I did not even bother to read much about Madagascar. All I knew was that it is the fourth largest island on Earth, it is a home to many endemic species, baobab trees grow there, the country is a former French colony and it is one of the poorest in the world.
Our group was 12 people from different countries plus 2 guides. All group members were well-travelled and experienced, a motley crowd but tolerant of the others, optimistic and with a sense of humor which was crucially important at the end of a tiring day.
The group got together in Madagascar’s capital city, Antananarivo. Its name in Malagasy means “City of the Thousand”. Almost everyone was on a separate flight.
It is better not to leave the hotel late at night and be alert during the day. Thieves snatch handbags and phones from hands of unsuspecting visitors even through an open car window. However, our hotel Nosy Manga was excellent – modern and beautifully decorated, even bathrobes were provided.
While riding the bus for several hours, we got to know each other a little and got our first impressions of Madagascar.
In the evening, we arrived in Antsirabe, the third largest city in Madagascar. It is just an overnight stop for us on the way to the interesting places. After dinner, everyone went to bed. On the following morning, we should get up at 5.15 a.m., so we had enough time to get to our next destination.