Mauritius, Madagascar & Seychelles

[kpc]

@kpc unless you’re set on visiting SEZ and Mahe island in general, consider the short hop flight, or the ferry, over to Praslin or La Digue islands to experience that part of the Seychelles.
We stayed 4 nights on Praslin and then 3 on the main island: caught the Air Seychelles Twotter over to Praslin, after arrival at SEZ, because we were already at the airport. On return trip we caught the ferry.
Praslin is spectacular.

After today's bit of research, at this stage, planning to stay 3 nights in Praslin, 1 night in La Digue and 4 nights in Mahe. What do you think? We land at Sez (from Doh) at 0830am and like your idea of flying straight to Praslin until I saw the price $300 each for the 15-20 min flight...if we do so, how much later after landing at Sez to we book....3 hours? 4 hours?. Then ferry to La Digue and then ferry back to Mahe...we leave Sez at 1500 for Madagascar after 8 nights in Seychelles.

 

[Scarlett]

After today's bit of research, at this stage, planning to stay 3 nights in Praslin, 1 night in La Digue and 4 nights in Mahe. What do you think? We land at Sez (from Doh) at 0830am and like your idea of flying straight to Praslin until I saw the price $300 each for the 15-20 min flight...if we do so, how much later after landing at Sez to we book....3 hours? 4 hours?. Then ferry to La Digue and then ferry back to Mahe...we leave Sez at 1500 for Madagascar after 8 nights in Seychelles.

Our flights were in 2018 and we had our international arrival at 0435 and I booked the 0705 Air Seychelles flight over to PRI. The tix cost SCR982 each which (exchange rate looks similar now) was just over AUD100. Can’t remember if there was a plan for delayed arrival - maybe class of ticket just had a nominal fee to go on a later flight SEZ-PRI as they were every hour or even more regular. (found the tix in email - we were in V class which cost 25% of fare for changes, so for $25 per person I as happy to wear that risk)
I recall we were through with bags from the Intl terminal inside an hour and had to stop at a (actually the - only one) cafe to wait for the domestic terminal to open at what must have been 0600.
Air Seychelles are/were EY partners, so if you have any Guest miles, maybe see if that’s a cheaper way to cover flights? Or maybe ours were cheap because they were early in the day and maybe not peak?

Didn’t go to La Digue so can’t comment there. I’d have Praslin and Mahe round the other way with longer on Praslin. Ferries seemed easy to use and ran on time.

The hotel we stayed at just south of Victoria on Mahe actually had some giant tortoises on the property so was cool to go and watch them and sometimes feed them after breakfast.

 

[kpc]

Our flights were in 2018 and we had our international arrival at 0435 and I booked the 0705 Air Seychelles flight over to PRI. The tix cost SCR982 each which (exchange rate looks similar now) was just over AUD100. Can’t remember if there was a plan for delayed arrival - maybe class of ticket just had a nominal fee to go on a later flight SEZ-PRI as they were every hour or even more regular. (found the tix in email - we were in V class which cost 25% of fare for changes, so for $25 per person I as happy to wear that risk)

Unfortunately the air fare is 3x that now! Edit: the first flight or 2 in am can be 1/2 this price, hence why your airfare was so much cheaper!

Air Seychelles are/were EY partners, so if you have any Guest miles, maybe see if that’s a cheaper way to cover flights?

trying to remember my Eithad acct password ...if bookable, I'm sure I can TF some miles in from one of my credit cards!

 

[JohnM]

Now to look at Madagascar.

I'd suggest an organised tour. Madagascar is not the easiest place for independent travel.

I did an Exodus tour way back in 2016: Meandering in Madagascar & a little more ambling in Africa…via the Hunter Valley

 

[kpc]

I think you did a 2 week tour. we have 7 days...I intend to give our arrival and departure dates to a tour agency to create an itinerary for us. @Fruitloop50 who just did a great TR including Madagascar give me the name of her tour agency as well

As a foot note our longterm AFFer, @Flashback just got mugged in Antananarivo, Madagascar!

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/threads/member-chit-chat.89120/page-2690#post-2730659

 

[Flashback]

I think you did a 2 week tour. we have 7 days...I intend to give our arrival and departure dates to a tour agency to create an itinerary for us. @Fruitloop50 who just did a great TR including Madagascar give me the name of her tour agency as well

As a foot note our longterm AFFer, @Flashback just got mugged in Antananarivo, Madagascar!

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/threads/member-chit-chat.89120/page-2690#post-2730659

I knew better, but didn't heed advice to not walk the streets at night, alone. Mea culpa. What happened next though, could not have been imagined and can only be attributed to the amount of cash I was carrying and watch I was wearing. I really should have known better but chose not to. Just to add, I know I have somewhat of a reputation and form, but for once this wasn't anything like that and it was just wrong place wrong time.

 

[Flashback]

Pro tip ... if you're being driven around Tana in the evening, whether it be a taxi, private driver etc. carry your passport. If you choose not to, then carry a decent amount of cash (make of that what you will).

 

[RooFlyer]

@kpc what time of year are you going? I'm targeting October next year; April would have been my other pick, but a conflict already.

Don't think I'll be doing Seychelles (have another plan for that).

 

[kpc]

@kpc what time of year are you going? I'm targeting October next year; April would have been my other pick, but a conflict already.

Don't think I'll be doing Seychelles (have another plan for that).

Late May and most of June 2025. Avoiding the rainy and cyclone seasons.

 

[RooFlyer]

Oh my goodness. Spent a day researching ... Going to be 3+ weeks, in September next year, aeroplan miles from Perth for main flights. Am using @Fruitloop50 's agency in Madagascar as well (asked for an itinerary). Maybe a one-way trip there, Tana eastwards to the east coast, including Akanin'ny Nofy, flying out from Toamasina to Reunion . Very much regret probably won't see the baobabs.

Reunion ... 10 days?

 

[kpc]

Very much regret probably won't see the baobabs.

You HAVE to see the baobabs!!. Starting to think that 7 days in Madagascar is not enough...watching some You Tube videos to have some idea what we want to see before I flick @Fruitloop50 's travel agent an enquiry for a 7 day itinerary

 

[JohnM]

Baobab alley at sunset is a must IMHO.

 

[Flashback]

Baobab alley at sunset is a must IMHO.

View attachment 398879View attachment 398880

I see plenty of them on my drives from Tulear... get sick of them after a while

My current view, speaking of Tulear.

 

[JohnM]

I see plenty of them on my drives from Tulear... get sick of them after a while

There is certainly no shortage of them - but some are unique, so keep an eye out.

 

[Flashback]

Pro tip also, on arrival in Tana go around to departures and find the red MCB ATM. Fee free. SocGen in arrivals charges 9,500 per transaction. You can only take out 40 notes at a time, so if there is only 10k MGA notes then 400k MGA. Otherwise if 20k notes 800k MGA. Multiple tx works fine, I just did 8 in a row.

 

[kpc]

Bit the bullet and booked for 2 pax:

(Syd-Adl to be booked)
Adl-Doh-Sez on Qr J with AA miles
Sez-Tnr on EK Y with Aeroplan mies
Tnr-Mru on Mk J with Aeroplan mies
(Mru-Run rtn on Mk Y to be booked)
Mru-Per on Mk J with Aeroplan mies
(Per-Syd to be booked.)

Will have 8 days in Seychelles, 7 days in Madagascar, 6 days in Mauritius and 6 days in Reunion Island....

Edit: trip will look like this:

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

www.gcmap.com

Time to use some LSL

And booked Per-Syd on Va J with Velocity points today to help complete the loop.

 

[Pele]

After today's bit of research, at this stage, planning to stay 3 nights in Praslin, 1 night in La Digue and 4 nights in Mahe. What do you think? We land at Sez (from Doh) at 0830am and like your idea of flying straight to Praslin until I saw the price $300 each for the 15-20 min flight...if we do so, how much later after landing at Sez to we book....3 hours? 4 hours?. Then ferry to La Digue and then ferry back to Mahe...we leave Sez at 1500 for Madagascar after 8 nights in Seychelles.

I have been to the Seychelles and contrary to what someone said upthread i believe it is one of the few places on the world that has beaches that can measure up to Aussie ones.

Also for your itinerary, if you can't extend the overall Seychelles portion, I would spend more time in la digue at the expense of time in Mahe. It is a gem. Enjoy your holiday it looks looks a ripper.

 

[Myrna]

Neighbour kpc and I have been exchanging tour quotes for Madagascar. We are going in April and they are going a month later.
We have read about the (lack of) infrastructure (roads) in Madagascar, and we are not fancy in doing daily road trips from 8 to 10 hours to get from A to B, so hubby has been considering chartered / private flights which increase the costs 3 x to 4 x
In terms of payments to tour companies in Madagascar, how did you pay for yours? The tour company which we have been in dialogue with, outlined 3 different methods:
1. Pay with Revolut. Has anyone used this method?
2. Pay with card thru a French based platform called Vanilla Pay, fee 6%! Anyone?
3. Pay by Bank Wire to their bank account. Anyone, and how? I have a Wise account, but Wise does not transfer money to Madagascar!
Please share your payment experience. Many Thanks!

The itinerary which we have been considering involves 2 charter flights - duration 2 to 3 hours each, and one commercial flight with Madagascar Air (2 hours duration) which I have read they tend to cancel flights at the last minutes and many months for refunds.

[OTP: When we visited Costa Rica in August last year we took 3 short domestic flights - duration 30 min to an hour - with Sansa Airlines. Initially I was anxious as there were many bad TA reviews. However, we were pleasantly surprised they delivered and flights were very good - small planes, good views over Costa Rica.]

 

[Flashback]

Neighbour kpc and I have been exchanging tour quotes for Madagascar. We are going in April and they are going a month later.
We have read about the (lack of) infrastructure (roads) in Madagascar, and we are not fancy in doing daily road trips from 8 to 10 hours to get from A to B, so hubby has been considering chartered / private flights which increase the costs 3 x to 4 x
In terms of payments to tour companies in Madagascar, how did you pay for yours? The tour company which we have been in dialogue with, outlined 3 different methods:
1. Pay with Revolut. Has anyone used this method?
2. Pay with card thru a French based platform called Vanilla Pay, fee 6%! Anyone?
3. Pay by Bank Wire to their bank account. Anyone, and how? I have a Wise account, but Wise does not transfer money to Madagascar!
Please share your payment experience. Many Thanks!

The itinerary which we have been considering involves 2 charter flights - duration 2 to 3 hours each, and one commercial flight with Madagascar Air (2 hours duration) which I have read they tend to cancel flights at the last minutes and many months for refunds.

[OTP: When we visited Costa Rica in August last year we took 3 short domestic flights - duration 30 min to an hour - with Sansa Airlines. Initially I was anxious as there were many bad TA reviews. However, we were pleasantly surprised they delivered and flights were very good - small planes, good views over Costa Rica.]

I have great experience in that area ... which charter company? MTA?

I assume for the commercial flights, it's Tsaradia? I only had an issue with cancellation once out of 6 times, but it also depends on what time of the year too. Flights can be booked solid for weeks at a time.

 

[Myrna]

I have great experience in that area ... which charter company? MTA?

I assume for the commercial flights, it's Tsaradia? I only had an issue with cancellation once out of 6 times, but it also depends on what time of the year too. Flights can be booked solid for weeks at a time.

Thanks, Flashback.

Not sure which charter company the tour company will use. Should I ask them? Is MTA a good one? Are all charter flights OK - 2 to 3 hours seem to be long flights!

I think it is Tsaradia - a subs of Madagascar Airlines. The airline code is MD.