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We really excel at tailor-making your trip to your needs. You may want to see certain species or visit particular parks, reserves or lodges. You may want a private plane or helicopter and high class car, or need to travel at a certain time of year. Tailor-making works whether you are an experienced traveler or trying out a wildlife holiday for the first time, wanting to enjoy a wildlife experiences as part of an occasion like a birthday, honeymoon or anniversary, or a busy executive in search of a short wildlife fix.
Have you always wanted to design your own tour but let someone else handle all the nitty gritty of organizing it? Do you run specialized tours where you'd like us to put them together for you? Keen birders, scuba divers, conservationists, volunteers, photographers, surfers, medical adventurers, hikers, bikers, historians and geologists – no matter what your specialty is, we can tailormake accordingly! We also offer unique tours which you're more than welcome to join us on!
Do you have a large family or group of friends that you would like to travel? Does your company want to run its own set of branded series tours? The NDAO-i-Travel tailormade services and charter team can do organize all of this for you, and more! Whether it be in an air-conditioned bus, a minivan or a 4 x 4 vehicle, we will tailor a tour for you to ensure that your dream holiday takes in everything you're expecting from it.
Our team of well-travelled and dedicated individuals will provide you with a detailed itinerary, suggested accommodation, professional, friendly service and all the support you need to make travelling in Madagascar an absolute pleasure.
Whether your party is made up of two or two hundred travelers, we'll pull something special out of the bag, just for you!
You can enjoy complete flexibility in planning and booking on all our tours for a truly customized Madagascar holiday that is in your budget and personal style. Traveling around a theme or exploring something in particular? Our tailor-made holiday experts are eager to assist in planning an experience that fits your requirements putting you in complete control of your next Madagascar holiday.
Sea Trip the Saint Augustin’s bay and the Sarodrano peninsula
The Saint Augustin’s bay is located near of Tulear and benefits from a geostrategic location at the mouth of the Onilahy river. Due to its practical aspects, the region was historically a preferred location for spice traders and slavers. Sailors from all over Europe made the bay their landing zone. Nowadays, Saint Augustin is a quiet Vezo fishing village and is disturbed only by divers and submarine hunting enthusiasts.
DID YOU KNOW? Hundreds of pink flamingos live in the area all year long. They are found near the mangrove swamp that boards the mouth of the Onilahy River, and it is quite a unique picture to see in Madagascar.
Boat departures are mainly only possible in the early morning. As soon as the boat leaves the polluted waters of Toliara’s harbour, water surface becomes clearer and clearer. A large wrecked cargo ship warns about the dangers of both tides and reef. We pass a dense mangrove area and reach finally the small Vezo-village of Sarondrano with its legendary cave and its beach lined with brightly colored pirogues and covered with meter-high white dunes. Here we will begin this incredible journey.
Before even reaching Saint-Augustin by the sea, the crossing gives already a first impression of what awaits you at the village. The beauty of the ocean with a turquoise sea mixed with the green emerald tickling of the coastal landscape of sand embellished by the rare thickets and of coconuts… The traversed coast is swept quasi-constantly by the “tsiokatimo” – southern wind.
Not far from the coast, on the level of the lagoon of Saint-Augustin, you cross the coral barrier and his wall of silver plated scum. You appreciates the place where the Onilahy River meets by the lullaby of its lapping the sea of the Channel of Mozambique. Per moment, a ballet of dolphins escorts the crossing of the sea. As one moves ahead, one sees travelling the coast with its landscape of mangroves, white sand dunes, specific forests which dissimulate in its center some fishermen dwellings; before it let appear only high cliffs dominating the bay of Saint-Augustin.
ENJOY THESE… moments:
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Sarodrano peninsula. This circuit will give you the opportunity to discover the area’s underground network. The circuit is divided in 3 courses during which you will learn more about the Sarodrano and Binabe’s caves as well as the animistic rites typical of the region. The route will conduct you through forests, beaches and underground caves, surely an interesting experience! You will discover the luxuriant vegetation where an endemic fauna took shelter. Ornithology enthusiasts will be delighted due to certain bird species being endemic of this region.
The Sarodrano cave is one basin filled with clear, blue fresh water, under a rocky overhang. The path there leads up through spiny forest where wild ring-tailed lemurs and southern endemic birds can be seen. There is a story about this cave which tells about a fisherman who once had the unexpected visit of a tromba (spirit). The spirit told him to join all villagers in the cave and celebrate the tromba rite there. When the feast was over, a white cow with a black head and her black calf with white head appeared at the bottom of the cave, that were the fisherman’s reward for having obeyed the instructions of the spirit. Since then villagers still come here to make wishes. Nearby are several springs and a natural swimming pool, where bathing is fady, so do not get tempted! The source of the water comes from a place called “seven lakes”, which is 70 kilometers away.
We will visit a plantation of enormous cactuses. The trip by canoe will allow us to discover a vast plantation of algae. On the route Moringa, we will discover beautiful species Moringaceae and admire a beautiful view of the peninsula Sarodrano. Sarodrano peninsula, with a shape of an arrowhead, offers an endless white sand beach. It is a relaxing moment alongside the local Vezo-fishermen. The scenery is guaranteed, you will enjoy visiting, the swim and picnic.
Bay Saint Augustin. The visit is divided into 3 parts, one hour to discover the village and its mangrove, 1-30 to 2 hours for the circuit Bara Hill and about 2 hours and about 2 hours to visit the local rum factory. Saint Augustin is a small village, located in a bay inlaid between two huge rocky walls that plunge vertically into the waves. Here, in the perfect circle formed by the surrounding cliffs, the Onilahy River, one of the most majestic of Madagascar, flow into the sea. The wonderful bay was sought as shelter by pirates and slaves traders, and Daniel Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe, found inspiration in this fabulous setting for several of his writings. As soon as we arrive at Saint-Augustin, explore the river in a kayak and then swim in the natural pool. Then we cross the mangroves to discover its fauna and the lemur’s cave. Thereafter we trek up a small hill with a lot of baobabs in sight and other plants endemic to area. Then we again arrive at a natural pool and simply relax in the water. After the natural pool, we follow the river to Saint-Augustin village where a meal will be served (drinks are not inclusive). After a break: we visit a local rum factory, it is a two-hour tour. Starting from Saint Augustin, the path leads you to sugarcane fields, and eventually we arrive at the village where they make the local brew. The production process will be explained and there will be also an opportunity to taste and buy the rum.