Who are we ? 

Madagascar Expedition Agency, also known as MEA, started when three individuals teamed up to design a company that will help to bring tourism benefits directly to the ground in Madagascar, a country with unique cultural attractions and biological assets that are under severe threat.

To make tourism support conservation in a country where poverty is threatening to spiral out of control, its benefits to local people have to be optimised, in particular those that live near or inside protected areas. At the same time, in order to attract those who care to practise responsible tourism it would be necessary to provide superb services and a level of access that can only be had through local people that have an intimate knowledge of this astonishing country.

MEA started when Naina Raharijaona, an experienced tour Malagasy guide working for a large tour company teamed up with Francois Odendaal, a zoologist deeply concerned about the future of Madagascar’s natural wealth, who at the time was working closely with communities and coastal resources on the Masoala Peninsula in the North-east of the country.

Together with Bodo Ralantoarilolona, an economic planning analyst who was designing poverty alleviation strategies for national government, they created a small company that is closely linked to local Guide Associations around key protected areas. MEA aims to funnel discerning tourists directly from the developing countries to some of the most special areas in Madagascar so that the tourist’s financial contribution to alleviating poverty and bringing benefits to local people can be maximized without involving often unscrupulous brokers and other parties that position themselves between the tourists and the local people that can benefit from tourism in their country and region.

Today MEA is ready to reconcile “World’s Apart”, namely those who want to visit Madagascar for an informative, tailor-made and unique experience, and those local people who effectively are the custodians of Madagascar’s natural wealth. MEA is a fully Malagasy-owned company and consists of a highly dedicated team of professionals that share the belief that well-applied income from tourists will contribute to the conservation of this country’s natural and cultural wealth. The MEA Team wants to offer tourists the best possible experience in Madagascar, no only in terms of where you will go and what you will see, but by taking care of all your needs and working closely with you in helping you choose or design a trip that will make sure we see you again in our county soon.

MEA gratefully acknowledges the support of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) for the construction of this website. CEPF is a joint initiative of Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.