Leaf-mimicking insect · Madagascar
Specialist strength
Macro & the overlooked
Insects, spiders, camouflage, texture and the extraordinary small life most general wildlife itineraries pass by.
Private Madagascar Photography Expeditions
Your Madagascar.
Built around you.
Choose when you travel, what you want to photograph and the pace at which you experience it. A genuinely private photography expedition with dedicated tuition, private transport and experienced local wildlife guides.
No fixed public departure dates. No unrelated photographers added to your booking.
Entirely privateYour booking remains your booking
Dedicated tuitionPhotography guidance with Eduard
Your datesChoose when you would like to travel
Your paceThe field programme adapts to you
Your prioritiesMacro, wider wildlife, or both
Not a smaller group tour
A photography expedition that starts with you.
There is no group timetable to keep up with and no need to leave a productive subject because somebody else is ready to move on.
If the photography is working, we can give it time.
Your expedition can be shaped around serious macro work, reptiles and amphibians, nocturnal wildlife, lemurs and the wider rainforest — with the balance chosen around your interests.
I work alongside you as your dedicated photography tutor while experienced Madagascar wildlife guides help us find, understand and work responsibly with the wildlife.
Assassin spider · Eriauchenus workmani
The infamous assassin spider.
Photographed in situ during a previous Madagascar trip in Andasibe.
Private means we can slow down when the photograph demands it.
The itinerary gives us structure. The private format gives us freedom.
Your expedition leader
Photograph Madagascar with Eduard Niga.
Eduard Niga is a professional macro photographer, educator and author specialising in insects and the hidden natural world.
He is the photographer and author of Ants: Workers of the World, published by Abrams, New York, and teaches macro photography through private one-to-one tuition. His work centres on the technical and observational challenges of photographing very small subjects — lighting and diffusion, magnification, working distance, sharpness, focus stacking, composition and the patience required to make a strong image rather than simply record a species.
Madagascar is not somewhere Eduard is selling from a desk. He has photographed in the forests around Andasibe himself, working in the same rainforest environment in which these private expeditions are based. He accompanies the client throughout the photographic programme and works alongside experienced Malagasy wildlife guides.
Local expertise
The guides know the forest.
Experienced Malagasy wildlife guides bring the essential knowledge of the reserves, trails, wildlife, behaviour, access and changing local conditions.
Photographic expertise
Eduard stays with the photograph.
Once the subject is found, Eduard works beside you on lighting, perspective, magnification, working distance, focusing, backgrounds and when it is worth slowing down rather than moving on.
“When I photograph in Madagascar, I don’t want to race from species to species. I want enough time to understand the subject, solve the lighting and composition, and make the photograph properly. That is how I want these private expeditions to work for you.”
Professional macro photographer
Author of Ants: Workers of the World
1-to-1 photography educator
Previous Madagascar field experience
Personally leads the private expedition
You are not simply booking transport, accommodation and wildlife guiding. You are booking a private photography expedition personally led by Eduard Niga, with specialist photographic tuition working alongside local Malagasy wildlife expertise.
Choose the photographic emphasis
Macro is the speciality. Madagascar is the canvas.
My specialist field is macro photography, but the private expedition is not limited to insects. The builder lets you choose the subjects and techniques that matter most to you.
Leafhopper · Cicadellidae gen. sp.
Patient fieldwork
Technique & tuition
Lighting, diffusion, working distance, focusing, perspective, magnification and field decisions worked through beside you.
Leaf-tailed gecko · Uroplatus sp.
Wider opportunities
Beyond macro
Reptiles, amphibians, lemurs, rainforest detail and other wildlife can be built into the balance of your expedition.
Beyond the small world
Macro may lead the expedition. It does not have to define every frame.
The Andasibe forests also hold some of Madagascar’s most extraordinary larger wildlife. If lemurs and wider rainforest photography matter to you, they can be deliberately built into the same private programme rather than treated as an afterthought.
One of the larger photographic possibilities that can be incorporated when your priorities extend beyond macro.
Your private itinerary can make room for the iconic wildlife of the forest without turning the expedition into a generic wildlife tour.
The balance is yours. A client who wants intensive macro can keep the emphasis there. A client who also wants sifakas, indri, reptiles, amphibians or birds can build that wider photographic ambition into the same private expedition.
Guided control
You make the important choices.
The expedition builder is designed to give you real control without forcing you to become your own tour operator. You choose the things that affect your experience; the itinerary engine turns them into a workable private expedition.
01
Your travel window
Choose your arrival evening in Antananarivo and the morning your hosted private trip ends. Availability is checked discreetly against Eduard\’s private calendar.
02
Your private party
Travel alone, as two adults, as a family with children or as your own private group, with room arrangements built around the people actually travelling.
03
Your photography
Rank macro, reptiles and amphibians, nocturnal wildlife, lemurs, birds and rainforest photography according to what matters most.
04
Your pace
Tell us how much walking is comfortable, whether steep or uneven trails should be avoided, and how much recovery time you prefer.
05
Your daily rhythm
Early starts, night work, relaxed mornings and periods reserved for business calls or other commitments can be considered in the plan.
06
Your practical requirements
Dietary requirements, room arrangements, contact details and other important needs are captured before the proposed itinerary and quotation are generated. Your photographic choices also give Eduard the basis for tailored equipment guidance before travel.
A considered beginning — and ending
Arrive rested. Finish rested.
The standard private structure begins and ends at Relais des Plateaux in Antananarivo. That removes the pressure of starting with a long road transfer after an international flight — and avoids rushing from Andasibe straight to the airport at the end.
Arrival night
Relais des Plateaux — meet Eduard, settle in and rest.
You are met on arrival in Antananarivo and transferred privately to Relais des Plateaux. Your own/requested room is arranged, Eduard meets you there personally that evening, and dinner and breakfast are included before the field programme begins.
Photography Day 1
Private transfer to Andasibe and the first field session.
After breakfast, depart privately for Andasibe. The road journey normally takes around 4–4½ hours depending on traffic and road conditions. After check-in and time to settle, photography begins later in the day, with a guided night walk where appropriate.
Core field days
The photography becomes the schedule.
Locations and timing are selected around your subjects, your pace, wildlife activity, conditions and local-guide knowledge. If one forest is producing exceptional subjects, the private format allows us to return and work more deeply.
Final photography day
Andasibe to Antananarivo — with a worthwhile wildlife stop where practical.
After a leisurely breakfast, begin the private return journey. The direct drive is normally around 4–4½ hours before stops. Where timing and opening arrangements allow, Madagascar Exotic / Peyrieras Reserve near Marozevo can provide further reptile and wildlife photography before continuing to Antananarivo.
Final night
Relais des Plateaux — dinner, portfolio review and a proper night’s rest.
Rather than rushing from the road to an international departure, return to Relais des Plateaux for your included final night. Dinner is followed by a relaxed portfolio review and photography debrief with Eduard. Breakfast is included the following morning before your airport transfer or onward arrangements.
Build your expedition
Your choices become your itinerary.
Complete the private expedition builder to choose your travel window, private party, photographic priorities, pace and practical requirements. Once complete, the system will generate your proposed itinerary and private quotation. Your photographic choices also give Eduard the information needed to prepare tailored pre-trip equipment guidance around the kit you already own.
Private Madagascar Expedition Builder
Save your choices · speak to Eduard or continue to booking
Private expedition builder
Build your Madagascar photography expedition.
Choose an available private expedition slot, travelling party, photographic priorities and pace in a dedicated full-screen workspace. Your choices stay in place while you continue browsing this page.
Clear from the beginning
What the private expedition is designed to cover.
The exact arrangements appear again in the personalised quotation generated from your selections. Nothing important should be hidden behind the word “bespoke”.
Included in the agreed private itinerary
✓ Airport pickup and private transfer to Relais des Plateaux
✓ Arrival night at Relais des Plateaux, with dinner and breakfast
✓ Dedicated photography tuition with Eduard
✓ Private vehicle, driver and fuel for the agreed itinerary
✓ Experienced local wildlife guides
✓ Andasibe accommodation specified in your quotation
✓ Meals specified in your quotation
✓ Park and reserve entrance fees for the agreed programme
✓ Required photography permissions for the agreed programme
✓ Day and night field sessions included in the proposed itinerary
✓ Private return transport to Antananarivo
✓ Final night at Relais des Plateaux, dinner, portfolio review and breakfast
✓ Airport transfer arranged around onward travel where required
✓ Tailored pre-trip equipment guidance based on your photographic priorities
Not included unless specifically stated
× International flights
× Personal travel insurance
× Visa, passport or entry requirements
× Alcoholic drinks and personal extras
× Camera equipment
× Extra accommodation or transport outside the agreed itinerary
× Optional experiences not shown in the final quotation
Private should also mean considered
Your pace, food and practical needs matter before we reach the forest.
These questions sit inside the expedition builder so they can influence the itinerary before you are asked to book. We ask only for information that is genuinely useful for planning your trip.
Walking & mobility
Choose longer trails, moderate walking or shorter, slower routes with frequent stops. You can tell us if steep climbs, uneven ground, long periods on your feet or particular access considerations need to be avoided or discussed.
Dietary requirements
Vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, halal, gluten-free, dairy-free and other requirements can be raised in advance. Food allergies and medically important dietary restrictions should be identified clearly so that what can reasonably be arranged can be confirmed before travel.
Work & daily rhythm
If you need protected time for calls or work, tell us while building the expedition. The programme can be shaped around specific commitments where the field conditions and logistics allow.
Before you confirm
Clear arrangements. No surprises.
Your final quotation and proposed itinerary form part of the booking information. Please read the points below before payment. Nothing in these terms removes any statutory rights that apply to your booking.
Booking, quotation and payment
The expedition builder creates a proposed itinerary and quotation from the information you provide. Your booking is confirmed only when the final booking information has been accepted and the required payment has been received.
The final quotation will identify the agreed duration, accommodation, included meals, transport, guiding, photography tuition, planned activities and any optional elements that have been added.
Cancellation and refund policy
If you need to cancel, please notify Eduard in writing by email. The cancellation date is the date on which the written notice is received. Accommodation, transport, guides, permits and other local arrangements may be committed in advance.
| Written cancellation received | Standard cancellation charge |
|---|---|
| 61 days or more before departure | 50% of the expedition price |
| 31–60 days before departure | 70% of the expedition price |
| 15–30 days before departure | 85% of the expedition price |
| 8–14 days before departure | 90% of the expedition price |
| 7 days or fewer before departure | 100% of the expedition price |
| No-show or voluntary cancellation on/after departure | 100% of the expedition price |
Where applicable, any amount retained will take account of costs genuinely saved, supplier refunds or credits obtained and other amounts recovered. Personal circumstances such as illness, injury, work commitments, family circumstances, passport or visa problems or missed transport will normally be dealt with under the cancellation terms, subject to applicable law.
Nothing in this policy limits rights that may arise under applicable law, including rights relating to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances where those rights apply.
Travel insurance
Travellers are responsible for arranging comprehensive travel insurance appropriate for Madagascar and the activities in their agreed itinerary. Cover should be considered for medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation, cancellation, travel disruption, personal belongings and photographic equipment.
Insurance should be arranged promptly after booking so that cancellation cover is in place as early as possible.
Walking, mobility and suitability
Madagascar forest photography involves genuine outdoor conditions. Trails may be uneven, muddy, slippery, steep or affected by weather. Night sessions and periods in humid rainforest conditions may also form part of the agreed itinerary.
The advantage of a private expedition is that walking distance, pace and route choice can be adapted where practical. Please describe any functional requirements that may affect trail choice or the time you can comfortably spend in the field before booking so that the proposed itinerary can be designed responsibly.
Dietary requirements and food allergies
Please identify dietary requirements during the expedition-building process. Reasonable requests will be discussed with the relevant accommodation and local providers in advance.
If you have a serious food allergy or a requirement where cross-contamination could create a significant risk, please raise this clearly before booking. Remote and local kitchens may not be able to provide the same allergen-control environment as specialist facilities, so important requirements must be individually discussed and confirmed.
Wildlife, weather and itinerary changes
Wildlife encounters cannot be guaranteed. The proposed itinerary provides the framework for the expedition, but routes, timings, reserves or individual activities may need to change because of wildlife activity, weather, access, trail conditions, local circumstances, guide recommendations or safety considerations.
Flexibility is part of the private format: where conditions change, the objective is to make the best photographic use of the time available rather than follow an unsuitable schedule simply because it was written in advance.
Wildlife welfare and handling
Wildlife is photographed in situ wherever possible. Guests must not independently handle, move or reposition animals or insects. If an experienced local wildlife guide considers that any handling or repositioning is appropriate, guests must follow the guide’s direction. The welfare of the animal takes priority over obtaining a photograph.
Unused services and voluntary early departure
If you voluntarily choose not to use an included service or activity that remains available, or choose to leave the expedition early for personal reasons, no refund will normally be due for the unused element, subject to applicable statutory rights.
Additional transport, accommodation or other arrangements required because of a voluntary early departure will normally be the traveller’s responsibility.
Transfer of a booking
If you are unable to travel, you may request to transfer the booking to another person who satisfies the requirements of the expedition. Please make the request in writing as early as possible. Any reasonable additional supplier or administrative cost caused by the transfer may be charged where permitted by law.
If the expedition is cancelled by the organiser
If the expedition is cancelled by the organiser before departure, any refund or other entitlement will be dealt with in accordance with the booking contract and applicable law. Nothing in these terms limits statutory rights.
Passports, visas and entry requirements
International flights, passports, visas and entry requirements are not included in the private expedition price unless the final quotation expressly states otherwise. Each traveller remains responsible for ensuring that their travel documents and entry arrangements are valid for the journey.
Privacy and traveller information
Information provided through the expedition builder is used to respond to the enquiry, prepare the proposed itinerary and quotation, and administer a booking if you choose to proceed. Only information reasonably needed for those purposes should be requested.
Detailed health or emergency information should not be collected simply for marketing purposes. Where information about accessibility, food allergies or other needs is necessary to plan or deliver the expedition, it should be handled in accordance with the website Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection law.
Wildlife comes first
The photograph never outranks the animal.
We work under the guidance of experienced local wildlife guides. Subjects are photographed in situ wherever possible, and guests do not independently handle or reposition wildlife. The itinerary itself remains flexible because weather, access and animal behaviour are real — and because respecting those realities produces a better expedition than pretending they do not exist.
Your dates. Your pace. Your photography.
Build the expedition you actually want to photograph.
Start with your preferred dates and photographic priorities. The private expedition builder will turn them into a proposed itinerary and quotation, with the option to speak to Eduard before you book.