Soul of Madagascar tours head office
Soul Of Madagascar Tours
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $1,549 to $8,606 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email M and C | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
terrible vehicle
We had worked for months with Soul of Madagascar for this holiday. We had quick and efficient responses from the office employees of Soul of Madagascar. We especially were impressed with Theresia. She was quick and efficient with her responses. We were expecting a wonderful holiday because of Theresia’s thoroughness. She sent us a picture of the Soul of Madagascar rep that was meeting us at the airport and a picture of the vehicle we would be using.
The lodges we requested were reserved by Soul of Madagascar. All were what we expected and met our needs. A few of the lodges exceeded our expectations. Bakuba Lodge was absolutely wonderful. It is a very unique lodge and would recommend this lodge. Bakuba Lodge and Le Soleil de Tsingy were the best lodges we stayed. We would not recommend Radisson Waterfront rooms 19, 20 or 21. They are in the basement. We would not recommend Gaspard Hotel in Ranomafana, the food was not good at all.
Our guide, Joushia, and the original driver, Rivo, were not very punctual. In fact, they were late over 95% of the time. We had to contact Theresia midway through our holiday because of Joushia’s attitude and the vehicle issues we had.
Oh, the vehicle issues we had!! Not one, not two, not even three, but five issues with the original vehicle. Then the second vehicle was a bit better but we still had no working air conditioning and ROACHES in the vehicle. We booked higher end hotels as we expected great service and a quality experience. Because of the service we received from Theresia, we thought we would receive excellent service from everyone at Soul of Madagascar. We also thought we would have had a higher end vehicle because of the higher end hotel choices we had made. Well, that was not the case. We had never experienced such bad service between the guide, driver and the vehicle like this. The best vehicle was the one that transported us to/from the hotel/airport and the one from Bekopaka to Morandava, which was not from Soul of Madagascar. Out of 14 days we have been with a vehicle, we had air condition for 4 days. Two of these days were transfer to/from the International Airport. Taking the total time we spent in a vehicle without air conditioning, it would be over 95% that we had NO air conditioning. We understand things happen. Maybe even twice, but five different things happened with the same vehicle. The first time, on the way to Kirindy Forest, the fan belt broke. It took about 2.5 hours to get back to where the fan belt broke. The next day, driving to Bekopa the air conditioner broke. We had to drive 5 hours on the dirt road with the windows down. It was SO hot and SO dusty. Our luggage, ourselves and everything was DIRTY. I mean DIRTY. Joushia and Rivo did not even seem to care that we were filthy. The next time the vehicle had an issue was on the way to Antsirabe. We stopped once for 15 minutes, then another time for 20 minutes and then an extra hour at lunch because the power steering pipe had a hole. And the air conditioning was not working. We had told Joushia we needed a different vehicle in Antsirabe. But he did NOT listen to us.
We were heading to Ranomafana the day after Antsirabe. We had told Joushia we absolutely wanted to do a night walk in Ranomafana as this was planned on our itinerary. Joushia said we had to insure we were on the road very early to arrive in Ranomafana for the night walk. We opted to not do Antsirabe city tour and the zebu factory to insure we had enough time to get to Ranomafana. We ended up paying the price for not getting a different vehicle in Antsirable as the vehicle broke down on the side of the road. We also noticed the power steering wasn't working, even though we were told everything was fine with the vehicle and of course the air conditioning was not work. That day the fan belt broke again, the same fan belt. We sat at least two hours at the side of the road while the vehicle was repaired. We repeated that we wanted to do one tonight but because of the vehicle breaking down for the fourth time, we could not. Rivo's reply was "This is life in Madagascar." WOW, what customer service is this?!?! We have not seen any other tourist's vehicles broken down on the side of the road. Obviously, it isn't life in Madagascar. We also have not seen any other tourist vehicles with their windows down! So many lies! Joushia lied to us! Finally, we got a different vehicle, but again, it had no air conditioning, and it had roaches crawling on the floor and on us!! This whole situation was unacceptable.
We travel the world as we have visited 95 different countries. Most of these travels has been on induvial tours such as this one. Never have had anything like this. We talked to other tourists while on our holiday in Madagascar; French, Hungarian, Dutch, English, Australian, Canadian, South African and Americans. None have experienced even one issue like we had. All we ever heard from Theresia was “Thank you for understanding”. Well, that is one thing, but it does not make the facts change. If we experienced any small issue on a previous holiday, we would have been compensated for any issues. It would have been a nice gesture, indicating these issues were understood, if a small refund or possibly including meals at several of the hotels. But no compensation was ever made. We paid a lot of money for this holiday and expected great service. Other than Theresia, we did not receive good service from Soul of Madagascar. We felt as if we were a nuisance and not a client.
We had communicated with Theresia during the trip for her to try to understand our situation. Her response was “my apologies” and she was grateful for our understanding. She also stated she did not know about all the issues with the vehicle until we had told her. Joushia did not tell her about the vehicle?? Upon our arrived home, we sent a lengthy email detailing all our issues we experienced on our trip to Theresia. This is her response, “I would like to apologize for the inconvenience you experienced during your trip. As a representative of our agency, I will take all your feedback seriously. I will take the time to carefully observe the people I will work with in the future. Once again, I offer you my most sincere apologies.” Apologies are one thing, but it is as if no one from Soul of Madagascar understood that we paid good money for a tour that was far below satisfactory conditions. We honestly cannot recommend Soul of Madagascar.
Email Elena | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Lemur Viewing Trip
Planning a trip to Madagascar can be daunting, but Theresia, our guide Michael, and driver, Ambinintsoa, provided a level of attentiveness that truly stands out. Having traveled to over 50 countries, I was incredibly impressed by their care.
Before we arrived, Theresia was highly responsive, which helped ease the stress of planning. Once on the ground, Ambinintsoa did everything he could to make the journey smooth.
Madagascar's road conditions are famously brutal, but he navigated the rough terrain carefully and always tried to park as close as possible to our stops to maximize our comfort.
Our guide, Michael, is excellent at what he does. He genuinely loves and respects local wildlife. We saw 13 different types of lemurs. He proactively coordinated with park rangers to track animals, communicated what we had already seen and what would be interesting to spot next and worked with the rangers to keep the more dominant species occupied so the shyer species could come closer. He also handles logistics well. When an unrelated tourist group delayed our boat, Michael stepped in to resolve the situation and get us moving.
Michael and Ambinintsoa also pay attention to small, personal details. When we mentioned wanting to try local lychees, which were out of season, they managed to treat us with fresh rambutan which were delicious.
The team also handles unexpected issues very professionally. On our final day, Ambinintsoa was called away to assist with a broken-down company vehicle. Even while managing that operational headache, Michael and Ambinintsoa made sure to arrange a substitute private airport transfer for us. They are a deeply dedicated team that genuinely cares about your experience. I can't recommend them enough!
PH
Email Jeff | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Souls of Madagascar made our Madagascar trip unforgettable and completely stress free.
I spent my Christmas holidays in Madagascar and booked my trip with Souls of Madagascar, and I’m so glad I did. Everything was incredibly well organized, from the airport pick up to the transfers, drivers, tour guides, and accommodations. I visited Antananarivo, Andasibe, Morondava, and Kirindy, and every part of the journey felt safe and memorable.
A very special thanks goes to Theresia, who was always accommodating and easy to communicate with. Before deciding, I reached out to more than five tour companies, and Theresia stood out by a long mile. Her professionalism and kindness truly made a difference.
Madagascar is a country full of treasures and untapped potential, and Souls of Madagascar helped me experience it in the best possible way. I highly recommend them to anyone planning a trip here. Thank you for helping us create such unforgettable memories 🥰
DK
Email Camilla G. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great!
I loved Soul Of Madagascar! It was easy to communicate with them, and got good answers, and updates. The drivers and the tour guide we got was so good! Pretty hotels that got booked, even on a budget. I have nothing bad to say about this company, they did a great job!
Email Myrna | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Choose Soul of Madagascar for an excellent tour
I booked our tour with Soul of Madagascar for the four of us. Theresia was my contact and organized everything. She was so efficient, always getting back to me quickly and providing excellent and thoughtful answers and recommendations, customizing our trip to fit what we were looking for. It made planning for our 14-day tour easy.
Our guide Joushia is my all-time favorite tour guide. He loves nature and culture and was always there to explain and answer our questions. He watched out for anything we needed. And BTW his English is perfect and we hope to see him in the States soon 😄. Our driver Ambinintsoa has a difficult job navigating city traffic and potholed roads, but he’s a careful driver that makes you feel safe on the road.
The tour included hikes in national parks, lemurs and more lemurs, Baobabs, an unforgettable 3 day 2-night river trip with tent camping on the Tsiribihina (highly recommended), a four star restaurant that you need a ferry to get to, and a day trip with a conservation project village leader in the mangroves on the west coast. Our accommodations were all nice with excellent meals — we took the half board plan.
Overall I was really impressed with Madagascar. Many more people speak English more than I expected and they are wonderful people. The food was better I than expected too. Having traveled in 54 countries, I’m very happy to recommend this tour operator and staff— they are topnotch and live up to their name; will help you glimpse the “soul of Madagascar.”
Email Diana | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I’d like to clone this tour operator for all my international travel!
I can’t imagine a better travel ambassador for Madagascar! Our 14-day adventure included a delightful mix of hotel accommodations, restaurants, jungle tours, wildlife sitings, cultural and historical education, shopping experiences, and even a 2-day riverboat ride with tent camping and a refreshing swim under a waterfall! Tour Guide Joushia was an invaluable resource along the way with his translation help, cultural knowledge, unflagging enthusiasm, and accommodation of our several schedule-change requests. Driver Ambinintsoa skillfully negotiated the rural roads and city congestion, and faithfully safeguarded our group and our belongings. I can’t imagine a more positive introduction to this beautiful island nation!
BE
Email Hedwig en Christine | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Very well organized.
Teresia and Eric gave us an unforgettable trip.
CA
Email Marie-Soleil | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best tour operator!
The planning of the trip was seamless, Theresia made a very detailed plan, and answered any questions I had.
The itinerary was amazing : all activities and hotels were great. Especially Isalo national park and relais de la reine.
Our guide Jules and our driver Haja were the absolute best. They were very resourceful when it came to questions about their country or any other requests. They really exceeded our expectations!
Thank you so much for the amazing experience. I would love to go back to Madagascar one day with Soul of Madagascar!
MX
Email Julia | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
“Exceptional team made our 19 days in Madagascar smooth, safe, and unforgettable.”
We had an amazing 19-day journey through Madagascar with our guide Joshuiá and driver Manoa. The itinerary was extensive—over 1,000 miles on rough roads and 650 miles by plane—covering seven national parks, nature reserves, charming towns, and two west coast beaches.
Joshuiá coordinated everything seamlessly. His enthusiasm, deep knowledge, and pride in his country made every experience special. He was also very attentive and flexible, adjusting activities to match our pace and interests.
Manoa was an exceptional driver who navigated Madagascar’s challenging roads with patience, skill, and good humor. Despite long travel days, his cheerful attitude and smile never wavered.
Together, they ensured our trip was smooth, safe, and truly unforgettable. We highly recommend them to anyone planning to explore Madagascar!
DE
Email Ralf | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Adventure
Amazing adventure and perfect organisation of our Safari trip by Soul of Madagascar. Everything from the very first request until the last day we felt in good hands. We also got a wonderful itinerary PDF with all information upon the trips, daily activities and included services. Even my request for change of meals was fulfilled instantly. I can recommend the service of Soul of Madagascar and especially of oir guide Tahiry and our driver Tody.
