Hi there !

I'm Maëlle, french, and working as a travel creator/adviser for the local travel agency Détours Madagascar, in Antananarivo Madagascar, specializing in Sustainable Tourism. I'm originally from near Angers, west of France, but I have had trouble staying in the same place for more than a year those past years, until I reached the coasts of Madagascar, where I have been living since March 2018.

After graduating, I spent a year in New Zealand doing some Wwoofing, which was a most fulfilling experience. Back to France, I studied Sustainable and Responsible Tourism for three years between Angers, Sevilla (Spain) in Erasmus, and Avignon, completing a Bachelor Degree in Sustainable Tourism and Social/Solidarity Economy, where we also organized the 6th edition of a film/travel festival called "Youth without Borders".

I ended up in Madagascar to do an internship for the end of my studies, at the same travel agency I'm still working for up to this day : loved the place, the people, the cultural offer in Antananarivo... and decided to stay !

A few (more) words about me :
Very easy-going and friendly person, love to meet new people from all over the world.
Love travelling, discovering new cultures, and languages. Music is something that is driving me most days.
Play the piano and sing a bit, mostly under the shower and while driving my car !
Also love nature, food, and most things dealing with sustainability and alternative lifestyle.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

As I already said, travelling is something I love more than anything else (except maybe for music), and Couchsurfing is I think the ideal way of doing it : you get to meet awesome people from the 4 corners of the Earth, who even may become friends for life. If you welcome them you feel like you're travelling by discovering their culture, and if you stay with a host you get to experience the real local lifestyle. Also, it kinds of reminds me of Wwoofing, as you meet and stay with the locals and share a great cultural experience.

Interests

Travelling
Playing the piano ; singing
Reading
Animals and nature in general
Practising Yoga
Music

• animals
• dogs
• culture
• singing
• yoga
• reading
• traveling
• music
• piano
• languages
• tourism
• food

Music, Movies, and Books

Music : pretty much everything : folk, pop, rock, blues, jazz, chill out electro, indi, world music, trip-hop, even classical ...
I believe there's a kind of music for every mood and every moment !
From Arctic Monkeys to Morcheeba, Angus & Julia Stone to Lou Reed, Woodkid to Pink Floyd, Ibrahim Maalouf to Ludovico Einaudi, Nina Simons to Balkan Beat Box...

My Favorite book : I have many ones, but loved The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova), and Dan Brown's and Stieg Larsson's novels are also part of my all-time favorites. I usually like to read anything from thrillers to historical novels, as well as some fantasy.

Movies : Snatch, Inglorious Bastards, Quentin Tarantino in general, Hayao Miyazaki's movies too

Series : Good Omens, Breaking Bad, Sherlock, Peaky Blinders, Dexter, Game of Thrones, Vikings, Orange is the New Black, Narcos, The Blacklist, How I Met Your Mother, Misfits, The Americans.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Before Uni I took a gap year to go Wwoofing to New Zealand for 8 months. That was so far the best experience I've ever had. I got to meet so many great people, learn lots of new skills, and discover this incredible country. Lord of the Rings' fans, you have to go there !

Teach, Learn, Share

I'm a pretty decent cook, so I'm always happy to share the recipes I know and to try some new ones ! I love good food, so I can enjoy a nice evening with some good vibes, good conversation and a nice meal !

Also, when I stay at someone's home, I try to be as useful as I can. One thing I hate is feeling useless, so I always do my best to help out by cooking, cleaning or doing whatever I can do to make things easier for my hosts.

Countries I’ve Visited

England, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Madagascar, New Zealand, Spain