In all her travels across the globe, Lydia Laube had always wanted to visit the intriguing island of Madagascar and meet its famous residents, the lemurs. So she hops aboard a French cargo ship, replete with cleaver-wielding cook, to begin a wayward journey. After escapades in Singapore, Egypt, Malta and Italy, Lydia eventually lands on the place Arab sailors called the Island of the Moon. Here she meets the friendly locals, attempts to familiarise herself with their tricky language, and sets off to sample the country's food, accommodation, sights, and sounds - and to find her lemurs.