Madagascar Movie Stimulating Travel Demand to Country  6/6/05

iExplore Launches New Safari to Madagascar to Meet Needs

CHICAGO, June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Raking in $101 million since its debut, the animated film "Madagascar" is not only driving box office sales, it is stimulating new travel demand to Madagascar, the island nation located of the southeastern coast of Africa. This is based on actual sales trends seen by iExplore (http://www.iExplore.com), a leading seller of adventure and experiential travel, who specializes in African safaris. 

iExplore Founder and CEO, George Deeb, said, "The minute the movie hit the theaters, we started getting calls for safaris to Madagascar and designed a trip to meet consumer demand." Deeb continued, "This is not dissimilar to the increased demand we saw for New Zealand when the Lord of the Rings movies were playing in theatres." 

Priced from $3199 per person, based on double occupancy, the iExplore Madagascar tour is an eight-day guided tour that takes travelers to the Berenty Reserve, Perinet Nature Reserve, Saiadi Botanical Gardens, Fort Dauphin and much more. Travelers can either simply take in the sites on nature tours or can participate in more adventurous activities, like snorkeling, diving and cycling. Madagascar boasts seven lemur species (including the ringtail, crowned and the brown lemur), Sifaka, Indri Call, exotic butterflies, paradise flycatchers and diverse reptile and amphibian life. Birdwatchers will not be disappointed as 73 species of birds have been recorded throughout the various parks. Although the lions, giraffes and hippos from the movie are not found in Madagascar, this tour can be combined with a wildlife safari in South Africa, Tanzania or Kenya at an extra charge. For reservations and more information visit http://www.iExplore.com or call 1-800-iExplore.

About iExplore, Inc. Founded in 1999, iExplore is the leading online seller of adventure and experiential travel. iExplore offers hundreds of made-to-order, guided tours that visit the farthest corners of the earth, particularly the man-made and natural wonders of the world. iExplore services its clients through an expert staff of adventure consultants at 1-800-IEXPLORE and online at http://www.iExplore.com. iExplore has been named the "Best Adventure Travel Website" by Forbes Magazine for five years in a row.