ASISTEN Travel - Tour Operator

I traveled throughout Madagascar from 05-09-2019 until 06-10-2019 with Asisten Travel and my experience could not have been better. Here are some aspects: 1/ Communication with the central office was fluent, they provided accurate information, they showed a good understanding of my interests, needs and expectations, as well as a lot of patience until we built the perfect combination of tours for me. Payment was easy, with no hidden costs or unexpected trouble. 2/ Most of the time I traveled with 4X4, with several internal flights and a few boat trips: all the vehicles were modern, well kept and comfortable, although several roads were just earth tracks. Due to a storm, a ferry I was supposed to take stopped working for a few days: Asisten Travel solved the problem by providing a private small plane just for me, at no additional cost. 3/ Drivers were really professional, something very important when travelling on roads as those of Madagascar. Guides were excellent, not only because of their knowledge about nature, history and society, but also because of their love of their country and their wish to share experiences with visitors - a better word than just tourists. 4/ Accommodation was very good in general, with several fantastic hotels and a couple of simpler places, however, comfortable enough. Every lodge had an en-suite bathroom with warm water and a good shower. In some hotels, there was electrical light only during some specific hours because they use solar panels, but they had torches in case you need to get up in the middle of the night. 5/ Food was healthy, plentiful and sometimes really tasty. I have dietary limitations, but this was no problem for Asisten Travel, that took care to inform all the restaurants about my special needs beforehand. As a conclusion, I warmly recommend Asisten Travel if you intend to visit Madagascar, a beautiful country with unique flora and fauna, excellent beaches and some incredible social uses - but these you have to discover by yourselves !

What makes Assisten so great is that they are service oriented. Most travel agents can plan a trip for you and line up your guide or vehicle or park permits but what is different with Assiten is the execution. This is Africa - so there will be glitches and it’s part of the experience. However, to make the experience smoother you will need someone like Assiten by your side. Are they steep? Yes. Are they worth the money ? Totally ! Will I go with anyone else for even half the money? Never. Special shoutout to Rova - she is epic! She understood what we wanted and helped us figure out every step of the trip with enormous details! Ta our guide was warm. Our only advice to you would be to not have Mary (a guide recommended by Assiten) for the Andasibe leg or the trip if you are going. But again, it’s something we escalated to Assiten and they were quick to fix it. Thank you for all the help and here’s hoping we come back to see the north west Madagascar soon!

Vola (Volaniaina) and Rija, our driver, and the entire team at ASISTEN Travel were outstanding. The whole team did everything possible to please us. Vola put together an excellent itinerary based on our priorities and wishes and we could not have been happier. All communications from start to finish were prompt, clear and complete. The hotels she recommended were top notch, the guides in the many National Parks we visited (especialy Nirina in Isalo NP), were all excellent. Our flight to Antananarivo was delayed (12 hours) and Vola organized on the spot an alternative plan (squeezed two days into one, changed the hotel to another one that was close to the airport - enabled us to rest some hours before starting our trip). From that moment everything went according to plan. We had confidence that no matter what will happen, we are in good hands. A nice feeling! Our tour in Madagascar was a great experience. We are pleased to give them our highest recommendation.

Best tailor made tour operator

Would love the opportunity to see such wonderful landscapes