Responsible Travel in Madagascar

Asisten Travel combine a commitment to the preservation of the incredible natural environment with proactive efforts towards the local communitities, through investment, employment and empowerment.

Before Asisten Travel started operation in 2009 all options for visitors to Madagascar were owned or operated by people who were not from Madagascar. It was crucial to Njaka and Haja that Asisten Travel was 100% Malagasy, empowering, training and promoting Malagasy colleagues, and supporting local independent guides and organisations that shared that vision.

Asisten Travel continues to be a 100% Malagasy DMC, pledging that:

Their business is registered in Madagascar.

Their business is entirely owned and operated by Malagasy nationals.

They have hired an extensive team of full-time local guides, training them in-house and over the past few years they have run a guide exchange program with Angama Mara, the Kenyan lodge. They have also brought in expert trainers to ensure that their guides are trained to an international level. Their network of local independent guides are included on these training so they can also benefit from that training and further develop their skills.

These local guides have been carefully sourced and Asisten Travel ensure they are supported, properly paid and that they helped to further support the communities around them.

Having offices on both the mainland area and in Nosy Be, and owning the vehicles they use for the guests means they are able to maintain control and guarantee their emissions and standards.

There are a number of fantastic lodges in Madagascar which are coming up with creative and highly effective sustainable practices, and Asisten Travel is dedicated to supporting them and promoting them to their guests – these include:

Time + Tide Miavana and the Time + Tide Foundation.

Tsara Komba and its support of the local Antrema village community and links to Des Villages Et Des Hommes, as well as their commitment to become carbon neutral.

Anjajavy Le Lodge with their Anjajavy Le Lodge Initiative and their Centre For Nature Conservation And Interpretation.

Princesse Bora Lodge and Spa with their support and links with CétaMada and the Anjaranay Community Center.

Asisten Travel will not bring guests to areas where the native environment is more fragile, but where they do bring guests they are constantly looking for options where their visits can contribute to protecting the environment and to the communities, such as the V.O.I.M.M.A. Reserve, the Mitsinjo reserve and Anja Reserve.

Madagascar is a destination where the environment is so central to its image and the communities also benefit from the right type of support. Asisten Travel have created simple processes to ensure they support the right partners in each area, and they make donations to Teach For Madagascar with every booking, if you would like to know more, or learn how you can support some of their partners, we would be happy to tell you more.