Why Madagascar?

The “Eighth Continent”?

Madagascar is so different from the rest of the world that it almost deserves to be considered as its own continent! As Russell Mittermeier says in The Eighth Continent, by Peter Tyson : “Madagascar is a living laboratory unlike anyplace else on Earth…In simple terms, most of Madagascar’s wonderfully unique species are found nowhere else…”

Unique species?

The lemurs make up a whole sub-order of primates, and are only found here. The most popular lemurs are Ring-tailed Lemur, and the Indri indri, which is like a big black-and-white teddy bear that sings whale songs! But lemurs aren’t the whole story… there is a bounty of unique birds, bizarre reptiles, various other small critters that will surprise you by their unicity. Only in Madagascar can you find tenrecs ... And added to all that … 2/3 of the world’s species of baobabs, thousands of species of orchids, and plants such as the Octopus tree and the Pachypodiums are only found in Madagascar.

It is better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.

Asian Proverb

Not all who wander are lost.

JRR Tolkien

Once a year, go some place you’ve never been before.

The Dalai Lama

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.

Saint Augustine

Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

Confucius

We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.

Robyn Yong

Expeditions in Madagascar

Below are some sample itineraries to give you an idea of how certain destinations can be combined into an enjoyable expedition. Of course, multiple itineraries can be combined, and we are very flexible depending on your interests.

Remote Southwest

Central-Western Madagascar

Diego to Sambava

Majunga Area

Classic Eastern

Sainte Marie

Masoala

ROAD Trip

Northern Madagascar

The Famous RN7

Antananarivo

About Madagascar

Types of expeditions

One of the first questions to ask yourself when considering a Madagascar trip is: “what do I most want to see”? The categories below can serve as a starting point in answering this question.

Build your own tour

We would love to work with you to construct the perfect Madagascar trip, no matter what your interests or budget. The pages linked here provide some information that can help you begin your Madagascar dreaming and planning.

Who we are

The most important thing for us is that when you leave Madagascar, you feel sad and happy at the same time. We want you to remember our country for both the good and bad things, hopefully more good ones than bad ones, but we want you to see the true face of the ‘eighth continent’.

We hope that you will go home with memories of beauty and smiles, and your heart full of happiness and satisfaction.

In their younger days...

Rojo Johnarson

Rojo Johnarson is the founder of 8TH CONTINENT EXPEDITIONS. She started to work as a tour guide in 2004, and became well known within the guides’ association she then joined, as the “English-speaking guide”. Guiding helped her learn more about her own country, and about people’s needs while travelling.

In their younger days...

Linjo Johnarson

Linjo Johnarson stays busy, both working in the office and guiding tours. She is based in Tana. Linjo started to work in tourism soon after she finished her master’s degree in geography. She loves adventure, has a great sense of humor, and is always eager to help and assist, and to make your travels feel like a real holiday.

Lala Raharimino

Lala Raharimino is our main office receptionist and secretary, and sometimes courier. The office would probably stop working without her amazing organizational skills!

How we work

Quality and Excellent Value

Our tours are not just glossy products that are appealing but empty in reality. We offer quality tours that are a good value for money. You only pay for what you want, and what you need. We are able to work with people of all budgets, and are happy to communicate frankly about tradeoffs between cost and luxury. We do not “sell tours”; we help you travel in the way you enjoy and can afford.

Professional

We never do things halfway! We give professional service both prior to your trip, in planning, quoting, and when you are “on the ground” until you leave. Madagascar can be a logistically challenging place to travel, especially for first-time visitors. We do our best to smooth out the bumps and allow you to enjoy the best of this amazing country.

Timely Correspondence

We strive to answer your inquiries quickly and completely. Most messages are answered within 48 hours.

Responsible Tourism

Poverty is the greatest challenge in the conservation of Madagascar’s people and wild places. Tourism provides a vital source of income for local people, and a strong rationale for the protection of the remaining forests. We also believe that showing visitors the realities of life here, both good and bad, is essential. People who travel with us and want to “give something back” to local communities are encouraged to do so. We are happy to advise about worthy projects along your itinerary. This can be the most meaningful and memorable experience of our expeditions! For our part, we “re-invest” some of our profits in a library for local people who might otherwise lack access to books.

Personalized

Each person has different goals in travelling. Regardless of your approach, we want to help you discover Madagascar in your own way. We listen to you and learn about you in order to deliver the best fit tour for you.