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Dear Thorsten,

It has been a while since our fantastic photo travel “Return to the island of dragons” in the northwestern part of the fourth biggest island of the World. And there has been no week that I did not think of this paradise with its unique and spectacular “inhabitants”.


Since my childhood I hardly missed an animal documentary on tv, especially if it showed flora and fauna of Madagascar. But experiencing this world of dreams from one day to the next in reality and be eyeball to eyeball with colourful chameleons, wonderful geckos, impressing snakes, fascinating frogs, bizarre insects, bouncy lemurs as well as hundreds of other outstanding creatures, was an ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT for me as an animal lover!


I was not only impressed by animals, plants and great landscapes, but the travel in total. The whole Tanalahorizon team cared for us guests devotedly for as long as three weeks, they indeed anticipated us every wish. For example, they cooked for us excellently during camping, chauffeured us through the country in comfortable, as new jeeps, very experienced guides draw our attention to (camouflaged) animals in the rainforests and the team gave us helpful tipps and suggestions for photography, and much more. Moreover, mood was always cheerful and the team members were always ready for a good joke.


Again my heartfelt thanks, Thorsten, for this amazing and really successfull travel. My expectations were not only fulfilled, but ABSOLUTELY EXCEEDED! I will gladly recommend you for Madagascar travels.

Treasure island found!

Madagascar, alone the name cries for unknown and mysterious discoveries. And indeed. Never before I stepped on a stretch of land on Earth with such an unbelievable colourful diversity of animals, plants and landscapes. Never before I met such a simpley lifestyle of people and at the same time saw so much satisfaction in their eyes. A country of extremes, and I mean it in its positive sense.


Thorsten and his local crew let me immerse into the wonderful, but also threatened world of Madagascar. His cooperation and working with local people has deeply impressed me. Also while looking for and watching animals, I always felt the travel crew had a lot of respect for nature, which spread to me, too. At any moment, the travel appealed very relaxed, had a certain ease, we laughed a lot in the grup, Thorsten’s humour is contagious – always at the back of his mind what it means to do a travel in such a country – simply professional.

I was on tour the second time with Thorsten and his crew, this year at “return to the island of dragons”, it was a pleasure!

Salama to all,

Since we rubbed down the dirt, our thoughts are in Madagascar every day. The experiences were dreamlike, gorgeous, adventurous, funny, but also gave food for thoughts.

Of cause the many lemurs, sifakas and drooly mouse lemurs are unforgettable. It was amazing to be able to watch them in such a close distance. Well, and let alone those fantastic chameleons, from the smallest of the world to the colourful panther chameleons! It was unbelievable to discover so many different primordial beings. The night walks were breath taking, we never knew how many animals are active at night. A nice variety was hiking to colourful Ambalabongo canyon and red Tsingys, a real treat for the eyes.

Our biggest thank you to you, Thorsten, and the complete team! The travel and all accommodations were chosen at best. We liked most the camping. It was amazing to be so close to nature! You all steadily tried to implement our wishes. And it was always enough time to discover everything in detail. All the guides were top!!! It often inconceivable for us what they discover in the rainforest. We’re really blind! We also noticed that they really had fun looking for the animals. The drivers are very skilled and mighty artists to manoeuvre the jeeps through metre deep potholes. The offroad drive was genious! Also the cookers were great. Our diners in the rainforest were four stars rating suspicious – totally delicious! A big thanks to you all, that we could learn to know this wonderful, but also very poor country, so intensively. Thank you!

Hello Tanala and team,

It is astonishing how the Madagascan greeting – Salama – conveys conjures a big smile into the faces of the Madagascan people. And as big as this or even bigger was our smile and our joy during this gorgeous travel “return to the island of dragons”. Each stage, each destination had something special and was unique. The organization was top, the cookers excellent, the drivers of the all terrain vehicles experienced. This travel is absolutely recommendable! We are now at home again for more than one week and no day passes without us talking about this fantastic travel. We learned a lot about Madagascar’s fauna and flora, but also about photography, of cause.

Many thanks to Thorsten and his super team for this well-made travel!
For us the best tour operator for Madagascar.

Salama!

Three weeks full of new impressions and experiences are over. The travel exceeded my expectations concerning cool photo motives by far. Madagascar’s animal kingdom is unbelievable rich in variety, the different landscapes simply breath taking. I have learned extremely much new especially in macro photography and photographing with flash. The probably best local guides inside the national parks and our extraordinary nature experts in the team enables us the best motives, beginning from colourful chameleons, well camouflaged geckos and other reptiles to rare birds and different lemurs. With our convoy consisting of four jeeps, we were perfectly equipped for the poor road conditions and driving was very comfortable and funny. Our local drivers were fabulous, always humorous and in good mood. But at the same time very professional, reliable and always with an eye for interesting animal sights, especially in chameleons. Despite my former opinion, I now know that a flash of certain power is usable even in 10-15 m distance, but does not disturb the animals if used sensibly.

With this cognition and more technical information concerning photography, many new impressions of a country from another world and many new gained friends, I want to cordially thank Thorsten and his whole team for this unforgettable adventure at the island of dragons and lemurs.

Dear Mister Negro,

in the aftermath of our travel we would like to thank you for the extraordinary guides (Patrick and Daddy). Both are pronouncedly competent concerning Madagascar as a country as well as flora and fauna (including scientifical species names). We found them very congenial on a human level and courteous, which is quite important if one spent two weeks together without knowing each other before. This was supported by their good English skills, which made it easy to talk with them about very various topics. They organized the travel very well and covered any from time to time needed improvisation (due to uncertainties of Madagascar or due to surprising wishes from us) with much flexibility and always after consulting us.

It was especially conspicious for us how well Patrick is interconnected with hotels and local guides to ensure always the best travel experience for us – indeed in contrast to guides of other travel groups, who where on the road parallely to us. Last but not least we realized how much both cared to keep the car eminently clean and in very well condition, despite the adverse circumstances. It is our aim to recommend both as guides for other travel groups of you strongly.

Hello Mister Negro,

now we are back from our Madagascar travel and still full of impressions! First of all, cordially thank you for your good tips in advance and also for the assembly of this great travel. From our point of view, it was a perfect mixture of nature, culture and “leave all your cares behind”. We’re deeply impressed by the country and its people. Unbelievable impressive, everything there. This indeed whets my appetite for more ;o).

We were very satisfied with our guide and driver, we really felt comfortable about ourselves with them and had the privilege to get and experience informations and local attitudes at first hand. Awesome! Also concerning organization, everything went perfectly.

Hello Thorsten,

I wanted to cordially thank you for the well-made round trip highlands-eastcoast.


The individual and familial concept of Tanalahorizon together with the Madagascan openness and hospitality made this country grow dear to our hearts. We especially liked to see the differences between central highlands, rural and suburban areas, the national parks with adjacent population, the are to the West in direction of Ampefy with people celebration the national day as well as the life at the coast and Nosy Nato, with eager soccers, too. The highlight for my 15 years old son was the nest of dreams, where we could experience lemurs and other animals at close distance with their different characters. For me, it was fascinating how well we could watch the lemurs, chameleons and even the Aye-aye thanks to our guides. Many thanks to Dimby, who was a great help in photographing for me. A very various travel.

My son will not eat rice for one year now. But I would like to with you to Madagascar again, especially in photo travels.

Dear Thorsten,

I would like to give you a feedback to this travel.


Madagascar was “hot”, in the truest sense of the word. To experience one of the world’s hot spots of species diversity was not only fascinating, that would be far too less. No, it was overwhelming for me!

Watching and photographing a foreign animal and plant world at every turn – even the camera’s releaser run hot within a short time. And even on a Herpeto Research tour, interdisciplinary nature friends will get their money worth: Botanists, entomologists, ornithologists, mycologist – no matter how they might call themselves.

Furthermore, camaraderie and team spirit went hand in hand with extraordinary nature experiences – which was a crucial factor of such a travel for me. In attachement some photographic impressions, have fun watching them.

Hello Thorsten,

now it’s four years ago that I faced the decision to choose a photo travel. Brazil with its rainforests or Madagascar were available. I mainly wanted to watch animals and address myself to macro photography. I made a decision and with a thrill of anticipation, I traveled to Brazil in 2012. Well, the tour operator’s descriptions were strongly relativized by reality and it became a calm vacation, at least for my camera.

One year later the first contact to TANALAHORIZON. After all, the website looked good, the testimonials were all very positive. A certain Mister Negro was on the phone then. Professional photographer, tour operator and Madagascar lover from Duisburg. Wow, this man could talk! His passion for this country came literally crawling through the phone and infected me. After detailed, competent consultation, I decided to do the Herpeto Research Expedition Part II. In my deepest mind, I was still a little sceptically whether the travel would be even to some extent like told before. But it was time for traveling. Our first destination, Andasibe, uncovered the whole truth. Without any exaggeration, we’ve seen there in one day more animals than during a complete vacation in Brazil. And the travel continued like this. Supported by your photo tricks, my memory cards glew during the whole travel and left a flood of several thousand pictures of people, animals and landscapes on my home screen.


My special thanks to the local crew, who really deserves the term “team” and made this gorgeous vacation possible. No matter who, cookers, drivers, guides or tour leader – I always had the feeling to be welcome and in good hands. The travel organization was perfect. Madagascar and TANALAHORIZON are a strong combination and a real recommendation.

Hello Thorsten, hello team Tanalahorizon,

with mixed feelings I started on this journey to Madagascar. Can I get along with the climate, am I fit enough for these holidays, will I get some pictures on the card in these difficult lightning conditions at all? Questions upon questions.

But know, hardly a week after return, I can say: It was the best decision to travel with you. All my doubts vanished into thin air. I met a great team, that organized the travel in all parts perfectly and brought us to beautiful places. The team around Thorsten gave us with the day trips in three weeks an insight into this wonderful nature and the people of Madagascar. Thanks to you, Thorsten, and your tricks, I could take home nice pictures. This travel became an unforgettable experience due to the great team spirit with nice talks and photographic assistance.


To get to know Madagascar, I can strongly recommend Thorsten and his team to every nature lover, who wants to get himself into an adventure.

Dear Mister Negro,

after our return from Madagascar, I want to cordially thank your for the successful travel. This was not least due to Mister Dimby’s high knowledgeable expertise and perfect organization.

With circumspection and sincere inner commitment he met his obligations.

I hope to fall back on your knowledge concerning classification of reptile and amphibian pictures later on.

Hello,

I just wanted to say thank you with all my heart to you and your team!!!

This travel was the best I’ve ever experienced in my life! I could take so many great experiences with me, and pictures of cause. 😉 I will be grateful for this forever.

Now I have seen five of nine sifaka species, four species still lack – like other lemur species on my list. I hope you will take me on some more travels, since I don’t think I can see all lacking four sifaka species in only one travel. Again, 1000 thanks!

Hi Tanala + Team,

even one week after my return I have not recalled all impressions… not all photos seen… not all thoughts assorted.

The travel “return to the island of dragons” was for me as chameleon fan the ideal entrance to learn to know this juwel of the Indian Ocean called Madagascar. And Thorsten and his whole Tanalahorizon team did everything to make this travel an absolutely unforgettable experience.

This travel offers a various insight into different habitats of reptiles and amphibians, but lemur friends and insect lovers will get their money worth.

To make it short (because the single tours are described thoroughly on the website of Tanalahorizon): Who once fell prey to the magic of Madagascar and could discover the country with Thorsten and his professional team, will come back… for sure!

Salama Thorsten,

since early childhood I have been dreaming of traveling to Madagascar. Sadly, this travel stayed a dream due to lack of tour operators, who offered exactly what I was looking for. My life should change dramatically as I found you in 2012. There was no need to talk a lot, you already had convinced me. Shortly afterwards, you sent me an offer and I booked the travel. One year passed until I could set forth on a journey; months of uncertainty what I’m actually expecting. Sadly I trusted the media, which made me rather fear the travel. But I hardly had time for thoughts as I sat in the airplane to Madagascar.


Arrived in Tana, the airplane’s door opened and for me a door into a new, unknown world. I was first beaten by Madagascar’s scent… a mixture of various tasty spices. I could not get rid of this scent during the whole travel, but I also couldn’t smell my fill. The days went by in a flash. It was not before weeks after that I could realized what I’ve experienced. I’ve seen so many animals, so many landscapes, learned to know new people and found new friends, but I also was often stretched to my limits, succeeded them and reached more than I ever dared to. I became addicted to the drug Madagascar. I wasn’t even home again, as it was clear for me that I need more, I need more Madagascar.

Since I’m in Germany again, I miss the island day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute. I consume every information about Madagascar I can get, but I need more. Thus I booked again for 2014. I’m looking forward to 2014, to the same island, my old friends and new ones. Thank you so much for the best three weeks of my life! Misaotra ary mandra-pihaona, Madagasikara!

Hello Thorsten, Salama Tanala,

After three weeks Madagascar we want to say THANK YOU for the great organization and the beautiful time with Patrick and his son Fabian. Since we’ve been on the road in West Africa with our own vehicle for years, it was not easy for us to put ourselves in the hands of a tour operator. But this is absolutely recommendable for Madagascar. After few phone calls with Thorsten, we threw our cautions to the wind and entrusted ourselves to Thorsten and his team. We were not disappointed, it was the exactly right decision. No wish remained unfulfilled and Patrick tried everything to discover the most beautiful chameleons, snakes, frogs, geckos and so on for us. Patrick is a really nice, engaged and sympathetic tour guide. Our son is 11 years old and had a lot of fun together with Fabian during our holidays. A great idea from Patrick to bring his sonny! Both grew dear to our heart in these three weeks and became friends.

The travel itself was well organized, the car (a Toyota Landcruiser) was in a perfectly technical condition and Patrick was a very careful driver. Even the arrangement of activities and the chosen destinations and accommodations were irreproachably concerning quality and timeframe. Most accommodations were super locations, directly at the edge of the forest or at the beach. Each accommodation had something special. It was always enough time for animal encounters, photography and relaxation. Finally, Patrick had a surprise for us and did the transfer to the airport himself with his bright yellow Whillis Jeep. Thank you again and we wish you more beautiful moments in Madagascar! We’ll come back!