Available
25 April–1 May 2027
Hosted arrival night + five photography days + final Relais night.
Available to configure now
Private Madagascar Photography Expeditions
Your Madagascar. Built around you.
A genuinely private photography expedition in the Andasibe rainforests: dedicated tuition with Eduard Niga, private transport, experienced Malagasy wildlife guides and a field programme shaped around your photography, your pace and your own travelling party.
From £7,500solo photographer · five photography days · land-only
Four private slots each year2027 and 2028 dates are already available to configure
Travel alone, as a couple, with a non-photographing partner, with children or as your own private party.
No unrelated photographers are added to your booking.
Not a smaller group tour
A photography expedition that starts with you.
There is no unrelated group timetable to keep up with and no need to abandon a productive subject because somebody else is ready to move on.
Your expedition can lean heavily into macro, mix close-up work with reptiles and amphibians, make nocturnal photography a major priority, or deliberately build in lemurs and wider rainforest wildlife. Eduard works beside you on the photographic problem while experienced local guides bring the forest knowledge.
Private means we can slow down when the photograph demands it.
Your expedition leader
Why photograph Madagascar with Eduard Niga?
Eduard 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 you 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 reserves, trails, wildlife, behaviour, access and changing local conditions.
Photographic expertise
Eduard stays with the photograph.
Once a 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.” — Eduard Niga
Professional macro photographer
Author · Ants: Workers of the World
1-to-1 photography educator
Previous Madagascar field experience
Personally leads the 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 your private expedition dates
Four private windows each year.
The dates are deliberately positioned around Eduard’s Madagascar field seasons. Each slot includes the arrival night in Antananarivo, five photography days and the final Antananarivo night. Live availability is confirmed inside the expedition builder.
Available
11–17 May 2027
Hosted arrival night + five photography days + final Relais night.
Available to configure now
Available
21–27 November 2027
Hosted arrival night + five photography days + final Relais night.
Available to configure now
Available
7–13 December 2027
Hosted arrival night + five photography days + final Relais night.
Available to configure now
Available
23–29 April 2028
Hosted arrival night + five photography days + final Relais night.
Available to configure now
Available
9–15 May 2028
Hosted arrival night + five photography days + final Relais night.
Available to configure now
Available
19–25 November 2028
Hosted arrival night + five photography days + final Relais night.
Available to configure now
Available
5–11 December 2028
Hosted arrival night + five photography days + final Relais night.
Available to configure now
Private means your people
Solo, couple, family or your own party.
The booking is configured around the people who are actually travelling rather than forcing every guest into the same adult-photographer template.
Solo
One serious photographer.
Maximum freedom, dedicated tuition and a field programme built around a single photographer’s priorities.
Couple
Two photographers — or photographer + partner.
A non-photographing companion is priced differently from a second photographer, and rooming is built around your preference.
Family
Children are part of the plan.
Ages, child photographers, walking rhythm, rooms and suitability are captured before the itinerary is proposed.
Private party
Travel only with people you know.
Friends, photographers and mixed companions can share one private booking without unrelated guests being added later.
Choose the photographic emphasis
Macro is the speciality. Madagascar is the canvas.
Eduard’s specialist field is macro photography, but the private expedition is not limited to insects. The builder lets you decide which subjects and techniques deserve the greatest weight.
The point of the private format is not to promise every wildlife category at once.
It is to give the subjects you care about enough time to become photographs rather than sightings.
Specialist strength
Macro & the overlooked
Insects, spiders, camouflage, texture and the extraordinary small life most general wildlife itineraries pass by — given enough time to work properly.
Patient fieldwork
Technique & tuition
Lighting, diffusion, working distance, focusing, perspective and magnification worked through beside you in the field.
Wider opportunities
Beyond macro
Reptiles, amphibians, lemurs, rainforest detail and other wildlife can be deliberately built into the balance of the expedition.
Beyond the small world
Macro may lead. It does not have to define every frame.
If lemurs and wider rainforest photography matter to you, they can be built into the same private programme rather than treated as an afterthought.
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 ambition into the same private expedition.
Private family expeditions
A family trip can still be serious photography.
Children should influence the rhythm of the expedition, not make it impossible. A private booking allows the programme to account for ages, interests, walking tolerance and room arrangements from the beginning.
Children are priced separately.Under-12s and 12–17-year-olds have their own pricing rather than being treated as another adult photographer.
Young photographers can be included properly.The builder records how many children will actively take part in photography and what sort of family rhythm is likely to work.
Walking can be moderated.Shorter sessions, more variety and easier routes can be prioritised where practical.
Camping stays optional.The Ambalahorina high-forest night is included only if you deliberately select it and it is considered suitable.
Extra vehicle support is optional.A second private vehicle with its own driver/guide and additional local support can be requested for space or flexibility.
Guided control
You make the important choices.
The builder gives you control over the things that genuinely change the trip, without expecting you to become your own tour operator.
01
Your private slot
Choose only from the fixed private windows that fit Eduard’s Madagascar field seasons.
02
Your private party
Solo, couple, family or your own private group — including the ages of children and who will actually photograph.
03
Your photography
Rank the wildlife and techniques that deserve the greatest weight in the field programme.
04
Your pace
Longer trails, moderate walking, shorter routes and practical access considerations can influence the itinerary.
05
Your daily rhythm
Early starts, night work, gentler family timing or protected periods for calls can be considered.
06
Your practical requirements
Rooms, dietary needs, optional camping and any second-vehicle request are captured before booking.
A considered beginning — and ending
Arrive rested. Finish rested.
The private structure begins and ends at Relais des Plateaux in Antananarivo, so international travel is not squeezed against the long road journey to or from Andasibe.
Arrival night
Relais des Plateaux
Your requested room arrangement, dinner and breakfast are included. Eduard meets you before the field programme begins.
Photography day 1
Private transfer to Andasibe + first field session
Travel east after breakfast, settle into the Andasibe base and begin photography later in the day, with a night session where appropriate.
Core field days
The photography becomes the schedule.
Locations are chosen around wildlife activity, trail conditions, your photographic priorities, your walking preference and local-guide knowledge.
Photography day 5
Final field work + private return
Use the final field day where it offers the greatest value, then return privately to Antananarivo later in the day.
Final night
Relais des Plateaux + portfolio review
Dinner, final hotel night, breakfast and an informal portfolio review with Eduard are included before onward travel.
Clear private pricing
Bespoke should not mean mysterious.
The final quote depends on your party and rooms, but the pricing architecture is visible before you start the builder.
Standard private expedition
£7,500 solo photographer · total
Includes the hosted arrival and final nights, five photography days, private vehicle, driver/guide, local wildlife-guide support, agreed accommodation, meals, park fees and photography tuition.
Additional adult photographer+£2,250
Adult non-photographing companion+£1,000
Child 12–17+£800
Child under 12+£600
Each additional guest room+£750
High-forest camping+£850
Photographer + partner
£8,500 total when sharing one room. Requesting a second room brings the standard calculated total to £9,250.
Two photographers
£9,750 total when sharing one room. Separate rooms bring the standard calculated total to £10,500.
Second private vehicle
Quoted separately because it includes the additional vehicle, its driver/guide and extra local wildlife-guide/support rather than simply another rental car.
Accommodation
The private trip should feel different before the first photograph.
The working private structure uses Relais des Plateaux at both ends and Mantadia Lodge as the standard Andasibe base, subject to availability and confirmation in the final quotation.
Arrival + final night
Relais des Plateaux
Your requested room arrangement, dinner and breakfast are included at both ends, with airport transfer arranged where required.
- proper recovery after international travel;
- no pressure to connect to a flight after the Andasibe road journey;
- final evening portfolio review with Eduard.
Andasibe base
Mantadia Lodge
A more premium working base for the private product. The builder calculates the number of guest rooms around the actual party rather than imposing group-sharing rules.
- working standard private base, subject to availability;
- meals shown in the final quotation;
- extra private rooms priced transparently.
Optional additions
Add what improves the trip. Leave out what does not.
Build your expedition
Your choices become the proposed itinerary.
Choose the fixed slot, tell the builder who is travelling, what matters photographically, how the field days should feel and any practical requirements that matter before booking.
Family-aware.Children, ages, child photographers and family rhythm are captured properly.
Country and phone handled properly.Start typing the country and enter the phone number as normally used locally; the builder handles the international formatting.
Privacy and planning consent remain inside the builder.You do not lose your selections to read the Privacy Policy or booking terms.
No payment before confirmation.Your request is saved first; availability and any manual options are checked before payment details are supplied.
Clear from the beginning
What the standard private expedition is designed to cover.
Included in the agreed itinerary
- airport transfer to Relais des Plateaux where required
- arrival night at Relais des Plateaux, with dinner and breakfast
- five dedicated photography days
- photography tuition with Eduard
- one private vehicle with driver/guide and fuel
- experienced local wildlife-guide support
- Andasibe accommodation stated in the quotation
- meals stated in the quotation
- park and reserve entrance fees for the agreed programme
- required photography permissions for the agreed programme
- day and night sessions shown in the itinerary
- private return to Antananarivo
- final Relais night, dinner, portfolio review and breakfast
- airport transfer for onward travel where required
- tailored pre-trip equipment guidance
Not included unless specifically stated
- international flights
- personal travel insurance
- passport, visa or entry requirements
- alcoholic drinks and personal extras
- camera equipment
- high-forest camping unless selected
- second private vehicle/support team unless selected
- extra accommodation or transport outside the agreed itinerary
Quotation, booking and payment
The builder creates a proposed itinerary and calculated package from the information you supply.
The final booking information confirms the agreed private slot, travelling party, rooms, accommodation, meals, transport, guiding, photography tuition,
planned activities and any optional additions.
No payment is required simply to configure or enquire.
Once Eduard has confirmed availability and the final arrangements, a booking made more than 120 days before the hosted package begins requires a 20% deposit,
with the remaining 80% due 120 days before the hosted package begins.
At 120 days or fewer, the full agreed expedition price is due when booking.
A booking is confirmed only when the required payment has been received and written confirmation has been issued.
Bank-transfer instructions are supplied privately.
Cancellation by you
Written cancellation is effective from the date Eduard receives it. The following standard charges apply to the total agreed private expedition price:
| Written cancellation received | Standard cancellation charge |
|---|---|
| 61 days or more before the hosted package begins | 50% |
| 31–60 days before the hosted package begins | 70% |
| 15–30 days before the hosted package begins | 85% |
| 8–14 days before the hosted package begins | 90% |
| 7 days or fewer before the hosted package begins | 100% |
| No-show or voluntary cancellation after the trip has begun | 100% |
Where applicable, the amount retained will take account of supplier refunds or credits, costs genuinely saved and other sums recovered. If the applicable cancellation charge exceeds the amount already paid, the unpaid balance of that charge may remain payable, subject to applicable law. Illness, injury, work commitments, family circumstances, passport or visa issues or missed transport are normally dealt with under this cancellation schedule, which is why suitable cancellation insurance should be arranged promptly after booking.
Nothing here limits statutory rights, including rights that may arise from unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances where those rights apply.
Families and children
Parents or accompanying adults remain responsible for the supervision and conduct of children throughout the expedition.
Child participation in individual walks, night sessions or the optional high-forest camp remains subject to age, suitability, conditions and local-guide advice.
Where the itinerary needs to be moderated for children, those requirements should be raised in the builder before booking so that the proposed programme can be designed responsibly.
Transfer of a booking
If one or more travellers cannot travel, you may request in writing to substitute another suitable traveller who satisfies the requirements of the expedition.
Please make the request as early as possible. Where the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 apply,
notice given at least seven days before departure is considered reasonable.
Reasonable additional supplier or administrative costs caused by a transfer may be charged where permitted by law.
Travel insurance
Travellers are responsible for arranging comprehensive insurance appropriate for Madagascar and the activities in the agreed private itinerary.
Consider cover for medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation, cancellation, disruption, personal belongings and photographic equipment.
Insurance should be arranged promptly after booking. Families should ensure that every travelling family member is appropriately covered.
Walking, mobility and suitability
Madagascar forest photography involves genuine outdoor conditions including uneven, muddy or slippery trails, humidity, night work and weather-affected access.
The advantage of a private expedition is that route choice, walking distance and pace can be adapted where practical.
Relevant functional requirements should be supplied before booking so that the itinerary can be designed responsibly.
The optional high-forest camp involves a steady ascent of roughly two hours from Ambalahorina and is included only when selected, suitable and confirmed.
Dietary requirements and food allergies
Reasonable dietary requests will be discussed with accommodation and local providers in advance.
Serious allergies or requirements where cross-contamination could create significant risk must be raised clearly before booking.
Remote and local kitchens may not 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. Routes, timings, reserves or activities may change because of wildlife activity, weather, access, trail conditions,
local circumstances, guide recommendations or safety considerations.
Flexibility is part of the private format: if conditions change, the objective is to make the best photographic use of the available time 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 any handling or repositioning appropriate, guests must follow the guide’s direction.
Animal welfare takes priority over obtaining a photograph.
Managed or captive wildlife
If the final itinerary includes an established reserve, wildlife park or managed collection where some animals are maintained in managed or captive conditions,
that circumstance will be described transparently rather than presented as a wild encounter.
Unused services and voluntary early departure
If you voluntarily do not use an included service or activity that remains available, or 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 caused by a voluntary early departure are normally the traveller’s responsibility.
If the expedition is cancelled by the organiser
If the private expedition is cancelled by the organiser before departure, any refund or other entitlement will be handled under the booking contract and applicable law.
Nothing in these terms limits statutory rights or any statutory refund timeframe that applies.
Passports, visas and international flights
International flights, passports, visas and entry requirements are not included unless the final quotation expressly states otherwise.
Each traveller is responsible for valid travel documents and entry arrangements.
Privacy and traveller information
Information supplied through the builder is used to respond to the enquiry, prepare the proposed itinerary and quotation, and administer the booking if you proceed.
Accessibility, dietary and allergy information is used only where relevant to planning and delivering the trip.
Only information reasonably needed for those purposes should be supplied.
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 respecting those realities produces a better expedition than pretending they do not exist.
Your dates. Your pace. Your photography.
Build the private expedition you actually want to photograph.
Start with the fixed slot and the people who are travelling. The builder turns those choices into a proposed private itinerary and quotation before you are asked to book.