On November 30, 2019, my daughter Anita (27) and I (65) began a four-week trip to Madagascar. We chose the destination because of its unique attributes. It’s home to lemurs, chameleons and some interesting geological formations.
It’s also a long way from Victoria BC, on the west coast of Canada. Fortunately, we were able to make it in three flights: Victoria to Seattle, Seattle to Paris, and Paris to Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. The flight there was 26 hours, including four hours in airports, excluding the time we had to be at the airport before the flight. The return journey had a long layover in Seattle, and a two-hour stopover in Paris.
For previous long flights (though none as long as these), I’ve had a long layover midway. It’s definitely preferable to have plenty of time to stretch my legs between flights, and to breathe more natural air. Airport air is preferable to airplane air.
On previous trips, we’ve run into difficulties arranging transportation. This trip, Anita contacted a Madagascar-based tour company and arranged a private tour. Our transportation and accommodation was prepaid. We’d always have a driver who spoke English. The fluency was not what we expected, but we managed.
If you’re thinking of a similar trip, I encourage you to brush up on your French. It’ll make life easier. I also recommend using a Madagascar-based tour company. We found the service and services of Madagascar Mosaic to be stellar.
Juliette Knits 