Lemur Express 2024
| When: | 7th October 2024 |
| Price: | £6,450.00 |
| Expeditons leader: | Andy Rouse |
| Group Size: | 6 |
| Terms & Conditions | |
Lemur Express 2024
Introduction
Come with Andy to experience the highlights of Madagascar wildlife in a 9 night whistle stop tour. The emphasis will be on spending quality time getting quality photographs and memories with the most iconic of Madagascar's species. There are many many places to visit in Madagascar, but for the serious photographer there are just a few that yield consistently good encounters without getting a sore neck! There are no fillers on our tour! Come with us to see amazing dancing Sifakas, meet playful ring tailed lemurs of movie fame and stunning chameleons amoungst a wealth of other species! Hear the incredible song of the Indri Lemur reverberate through the morning mist that hangs in the forest and wonder at the bizarre aye aye!
The basic idea for this tour is to get great pictures of the most iconic species rather than record shots of the complete fauna and flora of Madagascar. We are travelling only as much as we need to, instead spending quality time with the camera. Unashamedly this trip concentrates on lemurs and smaller species rather than birds... but we never know what we will find!
Our trip is called Express because we only visit the out of the way gems that I have visited before. We don't goto the usual places everyone else does, we goto where the opportunities for wildlife photography are the best that I have worked in many times before. Because of this there will be no destinations given in this brochure as I keep my knowledge for the clients that want to come with me on this great adventure. There will be internal flights, drives in a minibus, boat transfers, you name it we will do it and all will be included in this great adventure!
We will also contribute to a local forest conservation project by running this tour, which will be great!
There will be two tours running back to back owing to demand, both are exactly the same and there is no difference!
Lemur 1
Date: October 7th to 17th 2024
Availability: FULL
Lemur 2
Date: October 16th to 26th 2024
Availability: 3 / 6 places available
Guides: Andy Rouse plus experienced local guide
Price: £6450 including all land costs (accomodation, food, internal flights) - we can also do an international flight package, see details at end of brochure
If you want to come with Andy and get images that you can be proud of then read on.....
Marvellous Madagascar
Madagascar is an amazing country and home to some of the world's most endearing wildlife - lemurs. It's also home to many endemic species such as stunning chameleons, the weird leaf tailed gecko and colourful tomato frogs to name but a few. Every step inside the rainforest yields more wildlife, it's a country where every footstep is one of discovery. Madagascar draws photographers from the world over. No matter what your interest in photography, fauna or flora, long lens or macro, Madagascar provides a wonderful canvas for you to photograph your own story.
October is the peak time for seeing young lemurs with their mothers and we will be concentrating a lot on lemur species. Our focus will be on three lemur species, the verreaux "dancing" sifaka, the ring-tailed lemur and the incredible Indri. We should see mouse lemurs, brown lemurs, ruffed lemurs and diademed sifakas too. Reptile wise expect to see several species of chameleons, frogs and of course leaf tailed geckos.
We will be concentrating on three different habitats for lemurs. Our rainforest habitat is the home of the amazing Indri Lemur plus leaf tailed geckos and chameleons. Our first coastal habitat gives us a lovely place for dancing Sifakas and Ring Tailed Lemurs (noty Berenty as I hate it there) in a lovely grass / forest environment where you will get very close. Our final habitat is again coastal and will give us more sifakas, more Indri, Aye Aye and a wealth of other stuff. Macro work will be everywhere and our local guides will always find us chameleons / geckos and frogs to photograph.
We will visit a couple of captive collections too. One has an amazing array of chameleon species, leaf tailed geckos and other endemic wildlife in natural settings and the second is an island where you can get very close to black and white ruffed lemurs. They may be captive but all will be in the right habitats, although our focus will always be to shoot wild species of course.
Photographic Indulgence
Madagascar is a wonderful place for nature photography and you will learn a lot of new skills from Andy. It is a not a country for long lens 500mm shooters, it is perfect for those with a 100-400mm, some wide angles and a macro lens. We will get you very close when we can! At every step there is a potential picture, from stunning forests to engaging wildlife. Here's some images that Andy took in all of the locations that you will be visiting during this trip, as you see it's an incredible variety....
Experience = Preparation
When the tour gets closer Andy will send out regular newsletters to all delegates, with full details of what photographic gear to take, clothing recommendations and full travel hints and tips. At this stage he will also start to reveal what you will be doing at each location and what pictures you can expect to get.
On the travel side award winning tour operator Wildlife & Wilderness will be taking all the hassle out of the travel too!
Accommodation and Food
You are coming to Madagascar for the wildlife and the rainforest, not the hotels or the cuisine. Whilst the standard of hotels and food is perfectly acceptable, and has been to previous groups, you should not expect international standard 5 star luxury. Saying that however in the rainforest we will be staying in a very swish eco lodge and on the southern coast in a resort that looks like it should be in the Caribbean complete with a spa and swimming pool! At our eastern location the accommodation will be more basic and you will be in rustic yet clean bungalows.
The food can be quite basic but it will be tasty and filling. We can cater for very simple dietary requests such a veggie or vegan but anything more specific will be impossible to guarantee sorry.
A Word about Fitness
You do not need to be super fit for this tour but you will need to be able to hike over gently undulating terrain with your kit without help. The Indri will be the longest walk, probably 2km but along a decent track until we get close, then it can be very steep. Luckily we only travel light anyway with our kit but you need to be aware of this. At our other locations there is no real exertion needed and we will not be at altitude so no worries there.
Managing Expectations
This is extremely important so please read carefully, do NOT just skip this bit!
You need to manage your expectations about what you can see in Madagascar, the wildlife is there and we know where to find it but it can also hide from us! That is why we are spending at least two sessions in each location, so you get a double chance of the iconic species. We cannot help the weather, if it rains that's not our fault!!
Also you need to realise that Madagascar is a very very poor country so standards may not be what you are used to. They are a very friendly and proud people and will do everything to make our stay a fun and productive one. Travel might incur delays, flights may be cancelled, you have to be able to take this in your stride without stress or complaint. We have a great local ground agent working with us and will have a local "foxer" with us at all times so we will handle any issues. Hopefully there will bit be any but this is Madagascar and you have to be prepared!!!
Itinerary
Since this tour visits some locations that are not commonly known the itinerary here will only mention approximate locations. Just trust us that AndyR knows exactly where to go to get the best images for you. This also assumes a UK departure but don't worry we can deal with you coming from anywhere as long as you arrive when we ask you to (see below for details). Here is the current itineraries the arrival departure details are fixed but everything in between can change at a moments notice!!!
Lemur 1
October 7th - leave UK
8th - Arrive Antanarivo early am, fly Fort Dauphin 7am, hotel check in, sleep, Lemur shoot with ring tails and verreaux sifakas
9th - Two photo sessions with the lemurs (to catch early / late light) and lunch in between
10th - Two photo sessions with the lemurs (to catch early / late light) and lunch in between
11th - Flight to Tana: 0935h – 1135h. Continue to Andasibe. O/n lodge
12th - Full day with Indri in a very special location, search for leaf tailed geckos and chameleons, afternoon with black ruffed lemurs
13th - Morning Indri session, drive / boat transfer to coast lodge, optional evening Aye Aye lemur session
14th - Full day with the lemurs / chameleons / landscapes in this reserve, optional evening Aye Aye session
15th - Drive back to Andasibe, afternoon macro and lemurs, optional night walk
16th - Morning at the chameleon / frog centre then drive to Tana, dinner, day hotel, transfer to hotel for flight home
17th - early morning departure for flight home arriving UK 1615pm
Lemur 2
October 16th - leave UK
October 17th - Arrive Antanarivo early am, fly Fort Dauphin 7am, hotel check in, sleep, Lemur shoot with ring tails and verreaux sifakas
18th - Two photo sessions with the lemurs (to catch early / late light) and lunch in between
19th - Two photo sessions with the lemurs (to catch early / late light) and lunch in between
20th - Flight to Tana: 0935h – 1135h. Continue to Andasibe. O/n lodge
21st - Full day with Indri in a very special location, search for leaf tailed geckos and chameleons, afternoon with black ruffed lemurs
22nd - Morning Indri session, drive / boat transfer to coast lodge, optional evening Aye Aye lemur session
23rd - Full day with the lemurs / chameleons / landscapes in this reserve, optional evening Aye Aye lemur session
24th - Drive back to Andasibe, afternoon macro and lemurs, optional night walk
25th - Morning at the chameleon / frog centre then drive to Tana, dinner, day hotel, transfer to hotel for flight home
26th - early morning departure for flight home arriving UK 1615pm
Miscellaneous
So here are a few vital bits of other info you might wanna know:
Climate - It's the hot time of the year with daily highs upto 35C, nights are warm and balmy. It can be humid in the rainforest.
Rain - It can rain at anytime of the year so always bring a rain jacket with you and also protection for your cameras.
Pre-Departure Info - Of course I will ensure that everyone single one of you is prepared fully for this trip with a series of informative newsletters before the trip (usually starting 4-5 months before). This will deal with simply everything you need to know ranging from visas to clothing to photo kit. Then when we are in country you will get regular help and advice, both when we are shooting and in-between safaris.
Social side - my trips are conducted on a very social basis and the evenings are a chance to have a nice drink with good food and chat.
Privacy - All my tours have a strict "what goes on tour stays on tour" rule. Therefore there will be no daily BLOGS published or images of anyone on the trip before the groups agrees to it at the end of the trip. Therefore by signing up you agree to this! Under Data Protection laws you will not know the names of other participants before the trip either. This is to maintain my client's privacy at all times, which is very important to me.
Insurance - it is essential that you get comprehensive travel insurance, including if possible cancellation due to Covid restrictions. At the very least get cover for cancellation and every other eventuality you can think of. It would also pay to get emergency medical repatriation cover, all decent policies should have this but please check!
Health - since we are in a rainforest environment you will need to take anti-malarial precautions as a minimum. We will provide more comprehensive info nearer to the time. Travel will be safe and we will be with experienced locals.
Kit - so this is not a trip for a big fixed 500 / 600mm lens, they are a waste of time here. A 100-400, 100-500, 40-150 with a converter that kind of lens with wide angles and macro will be essential. At two locations we will be working in low light so you need to be able to shoot at high ISO and you may need a flash or two as well. We are looking at using a continuous light for the Aye Aye to avoid excessive disturbance. You can take a tripod if you like but the emphasis will be on travelling light.
Working alone - in the rainforest we will be working as a tight group. At the other locations we will have a mixture of working together and working independently and you must be comfortable doing this!
Cost and Booking
The cost for this amazing trip is £6450 per person, which is based on sharing a twin room. This includes all accommodation and meals, the internal flights, all transfers and the services of Andy Rouse and his team of english speaking guides.
Single supplement £500.
The itinerary above is costed based on using a Kenya Airways flight from the UK due to the arrival / departure timings. If you choose a different flight and need additional hotel accomodation then it will be at your own cost.
Flight package - this tour is in partnership with bonded tour operator Wildlife & Wilderness. They can get excellent competitive rates for both economy and business class travel on Kenya Airways to Madagascar, taking the hassle out of the booking for you. Going it alone may see the best option but when things go wrong and flights get cancelled then W&W have been excellent in getting us to and from destinations without any hassle on our part. We can deal with this after booking as airline rates are not available yet for 2024.
To secure your place on this tour we require a non refundable deposit of £1500 per person.
If you want to come then please email Andy on andyrouse@mac.com
Terms and Conditions
ARWP LTD
- The meaning of some words used in these Terms and Conditions.
- We, us or our is a reference to ARWP Ltd.
- You or your is a reference to the person to whom we are providing our services and who is required to pay for the services we provide.
- Services means the trips, tours, tuition or workshops we will organise. The precise services we will be providing to you will be started in the literature including website(s) and newsletters advertising the services on offer and as we may agree from time to time
- Legally binding contract
- A legally binding contract between you and us will come into being when you accept the offer of services from us by booking your place.
- We suggest that before you accept the offer and book your place you read through these Terms and Conditions. If you have any questions concerning them please contact us.
- You should keep a copy of these Terms and Conditions for your records.
- Providing the Services
- Our aim is to always provide you with the Services using reasonable care and skill.
- There are certain situations or events which occur such as but not limited to adverse weather, non or poor appearance or wildlife, Acts of God, war, acts of terrorism, riot or civil commotion, fire, strike and government or other official intervention which are not within our reasonable control and will affect our ability to provide the services. Where this occurs we will where possible attempt to recommence performing the services as soon as we are able to. In such circumstances there may be a delay before we can start or continue performing the services. Sometimes we might have to bring the start time for the services forward. If we are able to start or continue performing the services or bring the start time forward but you choose not to participate for any reason you will not receive any refund.
- Expulsion from Services
You agree to act in a suitable and proper manner whilst participating in the services with particular reference to the safety and welfare of wildlife and the enjoyment of the service by other participants and their safety. Should you be in breach of this we reserve the right to expel you from the services and in those circumstances you would not receive any refund. - Cancellation by us
If we cancel the services you will receive a full refund. If Andy Rouse is not able to lead the tour for reasons of health or any other unforeseeable event then the tour will still take place and a suitable guide replacement will be provided of the same quality and experience. - Cancellation by you
- Once we and you enter into a binding contract you will not be able to cancel the contract. This is so that the services we are providing can continue for the benefit of other clients. Any money paid by you will not be refunded whereas paid as a deposit or in full payment.
- Insurance
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have adequate travel or other insurance to cover all eventualities where you do not receive a refund from us. - Restrictions and Assumptions
We will assume that all information and facts that you provide are accurate and true such as your level of fitness or health if this is relevant to the particular services. It is your responsibility to draw to our attention anything which may be relevant or which may affect you from participating in the services we provide before booking and making your payment to us. - Exclusion and Limitation of Liability
- We do not exclude or limit liability for our negligence or negligence omission which causes you personal injury or death.
- We will not accept liability for any loss of or damage to photographic or any other equipment no matter how caused during or as a consequence of the services we provide.
- It is your responsibility to ensure that you have adequate insurance to cover loss or damage to photographic or any other equipment before participating in the services.
- In circumstances where we may be liable for any loss or damage suffered by you which is a reasonably foreseeable consequence of a breach by us of this Agreement, our maximum liability will be the amount of payment received from you for this particular service.
- Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999
For the purposes of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 this Agreement is not intended to, and does not, give any person who is not a party to it any right to enforce any of its provisions. - Entire Agreement
These Terms and Conditions of Business constitute the entire Agreement between us and you and shall apply to all services provided by us. The invalidity or un-enforceability of any particular term of this Agreement shall not affect the other provisions herein. - Law and Jurisdiction
This Agreement shall be governed and construed by the Law of England and you and we agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.
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