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The Year of Return  |  The Malagasy Maafa: Unearthing the Narratives of Enslaved Malagasy People & Their Journeys Into the New World
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Spread across 6 towns and 2100 km, this journey will unearth the seldom - if ever - talked about story of enslaved Malagasy people and their migration to the new world.

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Against the panorama of red clay dunes, a deciduous "spiny" desert forest, baobabs, azure reefs and the rock formations that predate the Jurassic age, we will learn about the Malagasy Maafa from University Professor Dr. Balzac.

 

In addition to an academic understanding of the historical events surrounding the event of slavery, we will have the privilege to bear witness to oral stories and recollections passed down from generation to generation.  In tandem with these narratives, we will visit sites that played a pivotal role in the business of slavery in Madagascar.   

 

Our experience reaches a crescendo with a visit to Madagascar's unofficial "door of no return," where locals gather annually to commemorate the Malagasy freedom fighters who stood up to - and died - combatting slavery.

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This Trip Includes:

-14 night accommodations

-14 breakfasts

-14 dinners

-Intimate humpback whale-watching

-Horseback ride through Isalo

-Pirogue (traditional boat) to sacred island

-Kilalaky music & dance dinner

-Boat transfer to Anakao

-Guided tour of Tsimanampetsotse National Park

-Shopping at artisanal sapphire mine

-Visit to Antaimoro (papyrus) workshop

-Visit to recycled aluminum foundry

-Visit to Lamba Landy (silk) workshop

-All ground transportation

-Admissions to tours and site visits

 

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Visa Requirements:

All visitors need a visa to enter Madagascar.  You can purchase the visa at the airport upon arrival or at the Malagasy Embassy in Washington D.C.

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Whether you purchase your visa at the airport or at the Malagasy Embassy, please print and fill out the visa application.

Itinerary Teaser

 

Day 1

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-Breakfast at hotel

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-Pirogue (traditional boat) ride with Vezo fishermen to a sacred island

 

-Intimate whale-watching (from the pirogue) 

 

-Guided eco-walk into the interior of the sacred island

 

-Commemoration & libation pouring for Malagasy freedom fighters

 

-Freshly caught grilled seafood lunch with sauteed veggies

 

-Relaxation with an option for massages & masonjaony face-painting

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-Pirogue ride back

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-Optional walk to the Vezo village's marketplace

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-Three-course dinner 

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