AKA… The land of the lemur…

I haven’t been so excited for a trip in a while. Might I say, my hyped excitement for this trip to Madagascar definitely did not disappoint. When I found out about a dive trip to Madagascar, I basically booked my flight immediately, with and without permission. Hey, I’m 21, I can do what I want… love you mum and dad…….

I am not going to lie, I feel bad for the amount of questions and emails I sent through to the dive centre in order to arrange the finalised trip but not regretting any of it. It helped convince my parents that it was good to send their little blind angel. I was happy to wave goodbye to South Africa’s winter and step onto the Island’s landing strip with the sun blazing. I had no idea what to expect from Madagascar other than to expect the most amazing beach vibes. That definitely did not disappoint.

Madagascar, I can say, was the place where I was privileged to do my first night dive. I was glad to get to see how this was going to go down as I felt that it would not be too different in terms of what I could see under the water. I was slightly right and also slightly surprised by what I experienced down there. During this night dive, we stayed around ten meters under and it was about an hour long dive. The thing that surprised me the most about this is that the complete loss of a light source messed up my sense of direction completely. I could not get my buoyancy  under control most of the time for some annoying reason. The reef sounded slightly the same although it was quieter than I thought it would be. Not a shock though as most of the reef is sleeping. I had a torch hooked to my BCD but it didn’t really help. When I shined it on the reef, I just saw a bright white circle but I’m hoping that I made something visible to my buddy anyways. The ride back to shore however was really relaxing. Everyone pointed out how clear and bright the stars were. Some of them even saw a shooting star, insane!

When it came to the usual day time dives, according to the signs of my buddy, the sea life was quite similar to the dives we have done in Sodwana and Mozambique. It’s the same ocean waters so it adds up. The coral however was so different. We spoke on the boat after each dive about all the different types of coral the Madagascar water had compared to back home. Sometimes it was like we were in a completely different ocean. Seeing sea cucumbers and fan coral and the occasional weird slug that we have never seen before. Super cool. Along with the dives, we got to do excursions where we saw the prettiest beaches made with many shades of blue. Visiting different beach bars and restaurants. Getting to hold the great King Julian!  Or at least I think it was his cousin, not the same breed. Making adventurous hikes around small little Islands that we made quick stops to, walking through their jungles and finding a few chameleons and giant spiders. It’s incredible to see what beauty is hidden within such small tropical places.

My fellow divers got some pretty cool footage on their underwater cameras of some wrecks where the number of fish was literally unbelievable. Thousands of fish swarming the wrecks even though there was not actual reef for them. That got me thinking about how all different type of creatures get by and we don’t even take note. Such life existing in such an unusual place. The thing that got me the most, was the amount of coral bleaching in the reefs where we dived. The idea of so much life dying just out of view of so many people. This concerns me to the fact of how many people have no idea of how serious it is to look after our planet. The earth is trying to speak out and hardly anyone is listening, pretty crushing…

Other than the dives we got to do, we did a LOAD of eating. I think we had a crepe at least once a day, minimum. The food was just so good. They seem to have the best chefs on the planet and I am extremely jealous that they are not sharing them with the rest of us. I made sure to try new food that is not really found here in South Africa.  I tried their local meat choice, zeeboo. Not really something I would be interested in eating often but the fish…. That is a whole other level of tasty. The fruit and veg is so fresh to the point where I think they grow and pick them as they are ordered. The most amazing thing I found was the constant smell of vanilla in the air. I knew my nose was good but when I was sitting out at sea in-between dives, the breeze would carry the scent of vanilla across the water from the land. Madagascar is the place known for their pure vanilla and that was most definitely prominent when it was all you could smell.  It was so refreshing in the beginning of the trip and I was contemplating bringing some home. By the end of the trip though, I could not really stand the smell that much. I like to use all my senses when I am enjoying new experiences like my taste and smell so when it’s like one of your senses is on repeat constantly… it can be a bit much…

Now to the amazing people I got the greatest opportunity to spend this trip with… man it was like a strange little family by the end. I went in there not really knowing anyone except my two dive buddies. It was so awesome getting to make new friends and getting to know each person’s back story. This had to be some of the most interesting people I have met. I loved listening to their stories sitting around the table waiting for dinner or such things. I was so grateful when each person made an effort to assist me walking around town, navigating the boat or even the lodge.  This was one of the things concerning me the most before we left. I don’t want people to find me a drag to have to help around all the time. I always have this guilty feeling when the same people help me, as I feel like they could be getting fatigued by having to worry about me. The staff at the lodge was even kind enough to offer to help me around when they saw me walking to the pool or breakfast table alone. It put a real smile on my face when I knew I was with people who actually wanted to help. When you have a constant worry about these things, it’s a huge relief to have a conversation with the people concerned and know everyone is on the same page.

This trip was definitely one to remember. Meeting new and interesting people from around the world. Hearing their travel stories of backpacking around the world or just their different adventures around the globe, makes you put into perspective all that is still out there to be seen. I can’t wait to see what adventure presents itself to me, I am SO ready to take it on.

P.S  Madagascar taught me one lesson, sometimes you just got to take it slow.  Follow their local saying, “Mora, Mora” which is basically the equivalent of  Hakuna Matata.