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Travel Advisory July 31, 2023

Madagascar - level 2: exercise increased caution.

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed, and updates to crime information in the Tsaratanana, Tsiroanomandidy, Maintirano, and Betroka areas.

Exercise increased caution in Madagascar due to crime and civil unrest.   Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Reconsider travel to the following areas due to violent crime and banditry:

• The area in and around the city of Tsaratanana in the Betsiboka Region;
• The area along the unnamed road connecting the city of Tsiroanomandidy in the Bongolava Region with the coastal city of Maintirano in the Melaky Region; and
• The area in and around the city of Betroka in the Anosy Region.

Country Summary :  Most criminal activity is non-violent petty theft, pickpocketing, and other crimes of opportunity predominately in urban areas and in crowded markets.  Violent crime, such as armed robbery and assault, occurs throughout Madagascar, particularly after dark, in remote areas, and along major national roads in the south and western areas of the country.

Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Madagascar.

If you decide to travel to Madagascar:

• Avoid walking alone, especially after dark.
• Do not travel on the roads between cities after dark. [SJ3]
• Be aware of your surroundings.  Thefts of items from vehicles is common and may involve ruses or distraction, particularly when stuck in traffic.
• Stay alert in locations frequented by tourists.
• Do not display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive jewelry or watches.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program ( STEP ) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter .
• Review the Country Security Report for Madagascar.
• U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergency situations.  Review the Traveler’s Checklist .
• Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel.   

Mid-Sized Urban Areas   – Level 3: Reconsider Travel

Violent crime, such as armed carjacking, banditry, mugging, home invasion, and kidnapping can occur at any time.  Local police often lack the resources and training to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents in these areas:

Visit our website for  Travel to High-Risk Areas .

Embassy Messages

View Alerts and Messages Archive

Quick Facts

6 months at the time of entry

Yes, available upon arrival

Yellow fever, if traveler has been in a yellow fever endemic country within 6 months of arrival

Embassies and Consulates

U.s. embassy antananarivo.

Lot 207 A, Point Liberty Andranoro, Antehiroka 105 Antananarivo Madagascar Telephone: +(261) (20) 23-480-00 (Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +(261) (20) 23-480-00 Fax: +(261) (20) 23-480-35 Email:   [email protected]

Destination Description

Learn about the U.S. relationship to countries around the world.

Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements

Requirements for Entry:

• Passport, valid for six months from your date of entry and with three blank pages
• Visa, obtain before traveling, or purchase at port of entry if staying less than three months. Visas may be purchased with U.S. dollars, euros, or Malagasy ariary, but credit cards are not accepted.
• Evidence of onward/return travel
• Proof of sufficient funds
• World Health Organization (WHO) card with yellow fever vaccination if traveler has been in a yellow fever endemic area within six months of arrival

Visit the Embassy of Madagascar website or the nearest Malagasy embassy or consulate for visa information, including how to obtain a visa before traveling if you will stay longer than three months, and documents required for visa extensions. The U.S. Embassy in Antananarivo cannot help you extend your visa.

Screening for Ebola infection may be conducted at the airports.

The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Madagascar.

Minor children:

According to Malagasy law, residents of Madagascar with minor children traveling without both parents are required to have a notarized letter of consent to travel from the absent parent, preferably in French. This requirement does not apply to tourists visiting Madagascar. Please check neighboring countries’ country information for requirements for traveling with minor children.

Find information on dual nationality , prevention of international child abduction , and customs information  on our websites.

Special Note:  Overseas departments and territories of France (e.g., Mayotte) are not included in the Schengen Agreement. See the  Embassy of France  website for further information.

Safety and Security

Civil unrest, such as protests, is common in Madagascar. Be especially vigilant in the vicinity of downtown Antananarivo especially near government buildings, the national stadium, and historical monuments, where violent incidents have occurred.

Violent confrontations between the dahalo (criminal gangs that steal cattle) and security forces have increased in several regions of Madagascar, particularly in areas south and west of the capital.

Often precipitated by rumors or allegations of injuries to local citizens especially in areas where there are minimal security forces, mob violence and “popular justice” continues but is rarely directed toward foreign nationals. Street altercations and traffic accidents often quickly draw large and sometimes unruly crowds. Exercise caution and remain calm if you find yourself in a dispute, particularly in a public place. If you feel threatened by large crowds, immediately leave the scene, seek the direct intervention of local law enforcement, and contact the U.S. Embassy.

The cyclone season in Madagascar occurs between December and April. Please monitor media reports, the RSMC Tropical Cyclone Center , and follow all official instructions.

Exercise Increased Caution Due to Possible Protests and Civil Unrest Related to Presidential Election

The official campaign season for Madagascar’s presidential election has begun. The first round of voting is scheduled for November 16. A second round, if necessary, is scheduled for December 20. Opposition candidates have already called for and staged large-scale protests in the capital, Antananarivo, resulting in violent confrontations with law enforcement. Such protests may continue throughout the election period and may escalate and expand geographically as the candidates begin to campaign throughout the country. Given the increased possibility of protests and civil unrest, we urge U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution and enroll in STEP to ensure access to security alerts sent by the Embassy.

We also advise U.S. citizens that domestic flights in Madagascar are frequently subject to last-minute cancellations that can leave travelers stranded in remote areas without assistance. Tsaradia, Madagascar’s state-owned domestic airline, has a monopoly on domestic commercial flights and is notorious for last-minute cancellations and rescheduling, with no recourse for stranded travelers. Those who book Tsaradia flights through a third-party may not receive any advance notice of such cancellations and rescheduling. Regional airports in Madagascar receive little traffic and will close completely if the Tsaradia flight(s) for the day is cancelled. In such an event, there are no airline personnel present to assist stranded travelers. We recommend that travelers make contingency plans for lodging and local transportation in case their flight is cancelled or rescheduled at the last minute.

CRIME: Petty crime in Madagascar is common in urban areas. Skilled pickpockets are very active in downtown Antananarivo, and they primarily target jewelry, purses, and mobile phones. Additionally, criminals have stolen luggage from baggage claim areas at Antananarivo’s Ivato International Airport by simply grabbing items off the conveyor belt and exiting the airport.

Serious crimes, including home invasions, armed attacks, robberies, and assaults, are common in Madagascar. U.S. Embassy personnel are instructed not to use taxi-bes (minibuses which operate within urban centers) and taxi-brousses (which travel to outlying regions) due to the risk of carjacking and highway robbery. The majority of reported crimes were directed at Malagasy nationals but Westerners have likewise been targeted.

• Avoid walking alone especially after dark.
• Do not display cash and valuables.
• Drive with doors locked and windows closed.
• Always carry a color photocopy of your U.S. passport and visa. Keep original documents in a secure location. Most Malagasy authorities will accept a color photo copy, but you may be requested to present the original.

Violent crime, such as armed robbery and assaults, is common in:

• Toamasina and Mahajanga
• Ankarana and Montagne d’Ambre National Parks adjacent to Diego
• area surrounding Tolagnaro (Ft. Dauphin)
• Batteie Beach, north of Toliara (Tuléar)

Visiting remote sites: While the government has increased the number of dedicated police units at popular tourist sites, only visit remote sites in large groups guided by reputable tour operators.

Exercise caution when traveling through these designated areas due to violent highway robberies:

• The general area south of the National Route (RN) 7 and RN 27 including the RN 10, RN 13, and the surrounding areas. Except the tourist area on the coastal roads between Ambovombe and Farafangana, including Fort Dauphin/Tolagnaro area.
• The RN 1B, which is located to the west of Antananarivo between Tsiroanomandidy and Maintirano.

See the  Department of State  and the  FBI  pages for information on scams.

Victims of Crime:

Report crimes to the local police at 117, 22-227-35, or 22-357-09/10. U.S. citizens can also call the U.S. Embassy at (261) 20-23-480-00 if assistance is needed in communicating with law enforcement officials.

Remember that local authorities are responsible for investigating and prosecuting the crime.

See our webpage on help for U.S. victims of crime overseas .

• help you find appropriate medical care
• assist you in reporting a crime to the police
• contact relatives or friends with your written consent
• explain the local criminal justice process in general terms
• provide a list of local attorneys
• provide our information on victim’s compensation programs in the U.S.
• provide an emergency loan for repatriation to the United States and/or limited medical support in cases of destitution
• help you find accommodation and arrange flights home
• replace a stolen or lost passport

Domestic Violence: U.S. citizen victims of domestic violence may contact the Embassy for assistance.

Tourism : The tourism industry is unevenly regulated, and safety inspections for equipment and facilities do not commonly occur.  Hazardous areas/activities are not always identified with appropriate signage, and staff may not be trained or certified either by the host government or by recognized authorities in the field.  In the event of an injury, appropriate medical treatment is typically available only in/near major cities.  First responders are generally unable to access areas outside of major cities and to provide urgent medical treatment.  U.S. citizens are encouraged to purchase medical evacuation insurance.  See our webpage for more information on insurance providers for overseas coverage.

Local Laws & Special Circumstances

Criminal Penalties: You are subject to local laws. If you violate local laws, even unknowingly, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned.

Furthermore, some laws are also prosecutable in the U.S., regardless of local law. For examples, see our website on crimes against minors abroad and the Department of Justice website.

Arrest Notification: If you are arrested or detained, ask police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy immediately. See our webpage for further information.

Drugs: Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Madagascar are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Visa overstays are a violation of local laws and U.S. citizens who overstay their visas will be subject to fines and potential prosecution.

Exporting Gemstones/Precious Materials: The Government of Madagascar restricts the export of precious gems. Before purchasing or transporting gemstones, seek clarification of the applicable laws. Any precious materials should be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a certificate to allow for exportation from Madagascar.

Currency: Madagascar is primarily a cash economy. Although some high-end establishments accept credit cards (normally only Visa-network cards), most shops and restaurants are cash only.

Although the government changed the local currency from the Malagasy franc (FMG) to the ariary in 2005, many Malagasy still think in terms of FMG. When discussing prices, you should quantify whether the price is in ariary or FMG (1 Ariary = 5 FMG). ATMs, which generally accept Visa-network cards only, are available in large cities. Dollars are not widely accepted, and $100 bills are frequently refused at banks and local businesses.

Faith-Based Travelers: See our following webpages for details:

• Faith-Based Travel Information
• International Religious Freedom Report – see country reports
• Human Rights Report – see country reports
• Hajj Fact Sheet for Travelers
• Best Practices for Volunteering Abroad

LGBTI Travelers: Consensual same-sex sexual relations are criminalized in Madagascar with and between persons under the age of 21, and Malagasy law contains no anti-discrimination protections for LGBTI persons. Penalties can include imprisonment and fines.

See our LGBTI Travel Information page and section 6 of our Human Rights report for further details.

Travelers Who Require Accessibility Assistance: There is ample public transportation, but entering and exiting vehicles is precarious, and they are not equipped to accommodate passengers with disabilities. Vehicles are often still in motion as passengers enter and exit. There are no sidewalks in the vast majority of the country, and the roads are hazardous for foot travel with swerving vehicles and uneven surfaces. There are no pedestrian crossing signs or designated pathways, and crossing any street involves an element of risk. Pedestrian injuries are common. Public spaces are not wheelchair-accessible.

Students: See our Students Abroad page and FBI travel tips .

Women Travelers: See our travel tips for Women Travelers .

Consult the  CDC website for Madagascar  prior to travel.

Plague is endemic on the island, where outbreaks have resurfaced nearly every year since 1980. U.S. citizens visiting Madagascar are urged to monitor public health announcements from the Ministry of Public Health and the World Health Organization, and to follow public health guidelines and recommendations. Plague can be successfully treated with antibiotics, but it is crucial to seek medical treatment immediately, if you experience any plague signs or symptoms.

See the List of Health Care Providers on the Embassy Antananarivo web page.

You are responsible for all medical costs. U.S. Medicare does not cover you overseas.

Medical Insurance: If your health insurance plan does not provide coverage overseas, we strongly recommend  supplemental medical insurance and medical evacuation plans .

Carry prescription medication in original packaging, along with your doctor’s prescription.

The following diseases are prevalent:

• Dengue Fever
• Chikungunya
• Diarrheal illness
• Tuberculosis

Vaccinations: Be up-to-date on all vaccinations recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Further health information:

• World Health Organization
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   (CDC)

Travel and Transportation

Road Conditions and Safety:  Road conditions range from minimally acceptable to very poor. There are few pedestrian crosswalks and no working traffic signals.

U.S. Embassy personnel are prohibited from driving outside of major cities after dark. Certain roads in Antananarivo have restrictions on tractor trailers during the day, so trucks use the roads at night and do not always follow the traffic rules. Street lighting is limited, and it is difficult to see pedestrians, carts, and livestock. Additional risks include excessive speeding and drivers that do not use headlights

There are random police vehicle checkpoints throughout Madagascar, so carry photo identification (residency card, U.S. passport) in the event of police questioning. These checkpoints are routine in nature and should not result in vehicle and/or person searches as long as valid identification and visas are shown. However, travelers have reported harassment and bribe solicitation.

If you are stopped at a checkpoint:

• Comply with the officers’ requests. Remain courteous and calm.
• Stay inside your vehicle with doors locked and open the window slightly to communicate. Turn on your interior vehicle light at night.
• Tell the officer you are a U.S. citizen and display your U.S. passport color photo copy through the window.
• Do not leave until instructed to do so.
• Report harassment to the U.S. Embassy.

Please note:

• Local practice is to blow the horn before going around a curve, to let others know of one's presence.
• Seatbelt use is mandatory.
• The use of cell phones while driving, even with a hands-free attachment, is illegal.
• Child safety seats are not mandatory, but highly recommended.
• You are required to wear a helmet when on a motorcycle.

Public Transportation:  Public transportation is unreliable and vehicles are poorly maintained. Rail services are extremely limited and unreliable.

Domestic and international air services operate regularly but are subject to delays and occasional breakdowns. Air Madagascar often changes in-country flight schedules based on demand; flights that are not full may be cancelled with little or no prior warning to passengers. Overbooking is also common. Reconfirmation of tickets prior to flight day is recommended, especially when flying from provincial airports.

See our  Road Safety page  for more information. The Ministry of Public Works, telephone (20) 22-318-02, is responsible for road safety.

Aviation Safety Oversight:   As there is no direct commercial air service to the United States by carriers registered in Madagascar, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed the Government of Madagascar’s Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. Further information may be found on the  FAA's safety assessment page .

Maritime Travel:  Mariners planning travel to Madagascar should check for U.S. maritime advisories and alerts at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s  Maritime Security Communications with Industry WebPortal . Information may also be posted to the U.S. Coast Guard homeport website  and as a broadcast warning on the  National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s website .

Port Security:  The Commandant of the Coast Guard has determined that effective anti-terrorism measures are not in place in Madagascar ports and has imposed conditions of entry on vessels that arrive in U.S. ports having visited ports in Madagascar. Mariners and passengers on commercial vessels traveling through the ports of Madagascar should exercise increased caution.

For additional travel information

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Call us in Washington, D.C. at 1-888-407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1-202-501-4444 (from all other countries) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
• See the  State Department’s travel website  for the  Worldwide Caution  and  Travel Advisories .
• Follow us on  Twitter  and  Facebook .
• See  traveling safely abroad  for useful travel tips.

For additional IPCA-related information, please see the  International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act (ICAPRA)  report.

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Check passport expiration dates carefully for all travelers! Children’s passports are issued for 5 years, adult passports for 10 years.

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Madagascar Travel: 33 Things You Need to Know Before You Go

33 tips that will help you travel in Madagascar and make your time in this unique country so much more enjoyable. 

Table of Contents

These travel tips are aimed to help you prepare for an unforgettable journey to this bizarre “ Red Island !” Written by an adventurer who’s spent more than a year in Madagascar, it’s the real deal. 

The 33 recommendations below ( in violet ) are divided into 11 main sections ( in green ). This will make it easier for you to find the answers to a specific question.

HEALTH  AND  WELLNESS IN MADAGASCAR

Vaccinations to get before visiting madagascar.

• Visit a travel doctor well in advance. There are vaccinations you may need to be administered. These may take weeks to become effective. Refer to your vaccination records. Make sure you are up to date on the following: Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Meningitis, Polio, MMR, Tuberculosis (BCG) and/or Tetanus (DTP).
• You don’t need the Yellow Fever vaccine for Madagascar. However,  if you plan to travel in mainland Africa on your way there, you DO need it. You will also need to provide proof of administration upon entering Madagascar if they see African countries stamped into your passport within the past 6 months.

Malaria Prevention

• You should discuss a Malaria prophylaxis prescription with your doctor. This is especially true if you are travelling between September and May. This is Madagascar’s warmer, rainier season.
• Take every day – tetracycline antibiotic.
• Pros : Least expensive, used to treat many bacterial infections (ex: urinary tract infections) and tick-borne infections. A double dose can be used to treat Malaria if someone in your group contracts it.
• Cons : Side effects may include sensitivity to the sun, increased likelihood of vaginal yeast infections, and weakened gut microbial health.
• Suggestions : Doxycycline is the prophylaxis I prefer.  I just prepare for the side effects. I bring and use plenty of sunscreen and take probiotics to help my gut microbiome recover. Additionally, my doctor writes me a prescription for a burn cream (in case of sunburn), and treatment for yeast infections ( Fluconazole ).
• Take every day. It prevents the growth of parasites in red blood cells.
• Pros : Specific for malaria and also may be used for treatment.
• Cons : Relatively expensive. Its side effects may include mild stomach pain and diarrhea, headaches, difficulty sleeping, and vivid dreams.
• Take once a week. It prevents the growth of parasites in red blood cells.
• Pros : Don’t have to remember to take it every day.
• Cons : It. Has the most serious side effects. They include dizziness, severe anxiety, violent dreams, paranoia, hallucinations, depression. These nerve and psychiatric effects can sometimes last long after you stop the medication.
•  Insect repellents. In addition to long pants/sleeves, they are the obvious methods of limiting mosquito bites. But they also help prevent flea bites. The bubonic plague is still present in Madagascar. It’s seasonal and rare but is transmitted through flea bites.

First Aid and Medications While Travelling in Madagascar

• You should have antibiotics , such as Ciprofloxacin. It will be useful in the event that you get a bacterial infection.
• If your burps begin smelling like sulphur and rotten eggs, you likely contracted Giardia parasites. Otherwise known as traveller’s diarrhea from contaminated water or food. Acquiring a Flagyl (metronidazole) prescription and taking this treatment once the burps start can prevent Giardia from becoming much of a problem.
• Useful over-the-counter medications – antibacterial ointment (ex: Neosporin / bacitracin), Anti-diarrheal drugs (ex: Imodium A-D / loperamide), allergy medication (ex: Benadryl ), anti-inflammatory drugs / pain relievers (ex: Ibuprofen ), antacids (ex: TUMS or Pepto-Bismol ) and rehydration tablets. Most cities will have pharmacies, but drug names and doses will likely be in French. It’s much easier to bring your own.
• You can never bring too much hand sanitizer ! Sometimes there won’t be soap available. Or you may make a bathroom stop on the side of the road.  I also suggest rolls of toilet paper for the car. Our bodies aren’t familiar with the microbes in Madagascar. That makes it easier for us to get sick if we don’t remain mindful.
• Pack sunscreen and bug spray but check the ingredients list for harmful chemicals. If you’re planning to swim or snorkel in the ocean, please bring waterproof and “reef-safe” sunscreens that don’t include oxybenzone, butylparaben, or octinoxate that can bleach the corals!
• Menstrual supplies are limited and expensive in Madagascar. Women should bring their own.

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Travel Insurance

• Invest in travel insurance. Be sure that it doesn’t just cover cancelled flights, lost or stolen items, and unexpected medical expenses. But also includes emergency medical evacuation . Madagascar’s road conditions are poor. And the health care isn’t generally what Westerners are accustomed to. Typically, being medevacked is your best option if it’s something serious.

TRANSPORTATION TO AND IN MADAGASCAR

Flights to madagascar.

• If travelling from the United States: Air France and South African Air are usually the best airlines to limit the number of layovers. However, I have also used Etihad Airways, Turkish Air, and Ethiopian Air. They typically cost significantly less money. However, expect multiple and longer layovers. Check out Skyscanner to compare prices.
• You will more than likely fly into Ivato Airport (TNR). It’s located 20 km north of the capital, Antananarivo (Tana).
• Air Madagascar is the domestic airline. It can save you a lot of driving time for long distance, internal travel.

Personal Vehicles in Madagascar

• If you don’t want to fuss with the scheduling and frequent discomfort of public transportation, it’s easy to hire a driver and guide for your entire stay.
• I don’t suggest driving yourself. However, if you have an International Driver’s License and nerves of steel, it’s possible to rent a car.
• You will not need a 4WD vehicle if you are going south on RN7. However, you will need a 4 wheel drive for travelling west on RN5 and north.
• Make playlists, download podcasts, charge your Kindle, and be ready to spend a lot of time in the car. Even though Madagascar is almost twice the size of the UK, it has only 1% of the paved road length that the UK has.
• Bring motion sickness medication , such as Dramamine (dimenhydrinate), if you have even the slightest tendency to get car sick! The roads can be quite twisty and bumpy.
• It’s not advisable to travel at night. Many drivers will refuse to continue much past sunset. Listen to your drivers. Bandits only strike at night for the most part.

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Public Transportation in Madagascar

• Hired Taxi – like most cities across the globe, there will always be a taxi cab eager to assist you. The fare is negotiable and you should haggle. The taxi drivers are known to charge tourists highly inflated rates. 
• Taxi-Brousse are large vans with designated routes to almost anywhere in the country. They are the least expensive method of getting around. However, they generally aren’t comfortable, efficient, or particularly safe. It’s not uncommon to end up with a child or chicken in your lap. And if you’re carrying anything larger than a backpack, it will be tied to the roof. 
• Taxi-Be are almost identical to taxi-brousse, except taxi-be is the term used for the organized minibusses within major cities. Whereas taxi-brousse are generally used for travel between cities. 
• Cotisse – a transport company with minibusses similar to taxi-brousse. However, it’s higher end and much more comfortable. They always leave when scheduled instead of waiting until the car is full and packed. They also drive more carefully. And if you’re really lucky, you can connect to free WiFi. 
• Trains – there are over 1000 km of railroads tracks in the RNCFM Malagasy rail system. But it’s primarily used to transport cargo. There are only 6 routes with passenger trains. While travelling by train in Madagascar is a lovely way to see the country, they run notoriously late. 
• Cyclo-Pousse – a covered rickshaw cart fastened to a bicycle. They’re used in most major cities (though, not the capital). Pay the bike ‘driver’ a small fare (Ar 5000 or less), and they’ll bring you to your destination. With frequent traffic jams in major cities, they are often faster than a car .
• Tuk-Tuk – motorized three-wheeled rickshaws that hold three people and are almost always yellow. It is usually a flat fare, but the prices are quite reasonable (similar to cyclo-pousse).
• Charette – a wooden cart pulled by zebu cattle is the most common way of getting around in rural areas. There is no set price. Haggle for what you are willing to pay.
• In some coastal areas, especially the southwest and the northeast, the primary means of transportation is by cargo boats. Avoid them during rough seas and cyclone season (Jan-Mar).

Dugout canoes called pirogues are common for crossing rivers or for getting to the best snorkelling areas.

8. Flexibility is KEY When Travelling in Madagascar

Please remember to be flexible, patient, and respectful to your drivers and other Malagasy people you encounter.

Most Malagasy don’t like rushing. And in a country with limited resources, it’s easier to just go with the flow .

The Malagasy have a saying, “Mora Mora,” which translates to slow living and no worries.

They are going to be relaxed, and I promise that you will have much more fun if you relax too!

FOOD AND WATER IN MADAGASCAR

Filtered water.

• Lifestraw Go water filter bottles are legitimately a life saver. Especially if you are environmentally conscious or an avid hiker. If you don’t want to constantly be buying water bottles, you can fill your LifeStraw up with unfiltered tap water. Or if you’re on the trails … anywhere !This allows you to avoid starting hikes with 3+ litres of heavy water. I have even filled my Lifestraw in a warm and murky rice paddy during desperate times. I never felt any signs of sickness. Lifestraws are relatively prone to leaking and should be kept upright. But they are 100% worth the small investment!
• Avoid ice in your drinks unless you can guarantee that it was made with filtered water.

Food and Drink in Madagascar

• Sometimes there isn’t much variety in the cuisine. On the plus side, meals come at a fantastic value! The capital – Antananarivo – and touristy areas, especially along the coasts, will have more to offer. I’ve had some of the best meals of my life in Madagascar. Just be flexible during monotonous periods.
• Like with ice, avoid uncooked vegetables unless you’re certain they were washed with filtered water.
• I encourage everyone to try the “Ranonapango.” It’s essentially burnt rice tea. Although it’s not actual tea, it’s comforting and reminds me of popcorn… Rice is the cornerstone of the Malagasy diet. It’s the base of every meal, including breakfast.
• “Toka-gasy” is a Malagasy moonshine made with sugar cane. You could be offered a drink by a village King. It’s considered rude not to accept. However, do be aware that it is technically illegal. Though, not enforced because the alcohol content cannot be controlled. Some batches seem weak and others will knock you on your feet!
• It’s a good idea to bring protein bars . Especially if you have dietary restrictions (such as vegetarian or vegan) and/or plan on long hikes.
• Here’s some additional info on local food and what to expect.

LANGUAGE IN MADAGASCAR

• Brush up on your French.  Madagascar was once a French colony.  French is still one of the official languages.
• Many signs and restaurant menus will be in French.
• Most prices will be told to you in French. It will be beneficial to at least learn your numbers .
• Try learning simple Malagasy phrases. The locals sincerely appreciate when you invest time and interest in their native language. For starters, “ Salama ” means hello.  “ Veloma ” means goodbye!
• Malagasy people are more inclined to be open and friendly with people who aren’t from France. So don’t feel like you should become fluent in French!
• There are a few Malagasy/English handbooks available if you’re interested in languages. Malagasy is a tough language to learn until you’re immersed, especially the pronunciations! This short video of a few keywords in Malagasy with pronunciations will get you started. 

MONEY IN MADAGASCAR

Malagasy currency.

• The currency in Madagascar is called Ariary (MGA)
• Ar 4000 = 1 EUR
• Ar 4600 = 1 GBP
• Ar 2500 = 1 AUD
• Ar 250 =  1 ZAR
• The largest bill – Ar 20,000 – is equivalent to less than 6 USD. However, it’s considered substantial to most Malagasy. You’ll want a safe money bag or belt because you will be carrying many more bills than you are used to.
• The Ariary notes changed in 2017. Therefore, there are two designs for every bill, excluding the Ar 20,000. The Ar10,000 was the largest bill until 2017.

Access to Cash and Using Credit Cards in Madagascar

• To exchange your currency into Ariary, bring relatively large and new bills. They shouldn’t be older than 2010. It will be easiest for you to exchange your currency right at the airport. That way you’ll avoid the long lines and limited hours of banks. I find this to be the easiest way to access money.
• Credit and Debit cards. Some places in cities accept cards, but only VISA is reliable. Other networks like MasterCard and AmEx often won’t work. Honestly, it is best to carry cash !
• ATMs are only available in big cities. And there’s a limit to how much you can take out. Also, it’s not uncommon for ATMs to be out of order or empty.

Begging in Madagascar

• You will have people begging you for money. Especially children, mothers, the elderly, and the disabled. I would be lying if I said it wasn’t difficult to witness. But it’s unavoidable, especially in big cities.
• Everyone is entitled to their own opinions on how to handle these situations. But do acknowledge that your actions will impact more than just the beggar. Begging is not a sustainable way to make a living.
• If you decide to give, be tactful about it. Don’t flash large wads of cash. And understand that successful beggars often return with friends. To avoid being surrounded and causing a scene, wait until you are about to get back into your vehicle.
• I generally only give to those performing – sometimes people sing, dance, or play an instrument. And I never give to overly pushy people. I don’t want them thinking that’s the way they should approach all tourists.
• When giving money, I keep it discrete and politely urge them to use it for food.

Tipping in Madagascar

• Tips are generally well received and deeply appreciated. They’re sometimes it’s your biggest daily expenditures. Especially if you’re on a guided tour where most expenses are paid for ahead of time.
• When you can break large bills into smaller bills for tipping. Keep these tips in a separate pocket from the majority of your cash.
• To offer you a perspective, Malagasy people who are fortunate enough to be employed typically don’t make more than Ar 200,000 (~$56 USD) a month .
• If you want to keep your tips within the average range of other tourists, roughly follow the guide below. However, you are welcome to give more. Especially with guides and drivers. But only if they exceeded your expectations.
• Taxis and bars : Not expected or small bills.
• Porters : small bills, likely not over Ar 1000.
• Restaurants : 5% of the bill or less.
• Guides : 10% of the fee.
• Personal Drivers : Ar 5000 – Ar 20000 a day.

PACKING FOR MADAGASCAR

• Bring more warm clothes than you would think necessary. This includes thermals, hat, gloves, and fleece. Especially if you are travelling during Madagascar’s winter months (May – September).
• However, the climate throughout Madagascar changes rapidly . While the cool rainforest fog may send shivers down your spine in the morning, you can jump in the car and find yourself in a desert ecosystem by late afternoon. Therefore, you will want to pack a variety of clothing. Be sure to bring shorts, T-shirts, and durable sandals.
• If you plan on hiking , you should pack quick-drying field pants, sturdy hiking boots , wool socks, a baseball cap, and a rain jacket. While hiking in rainforests, I advise tucking your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants to minimize leech bites. Leeches don’t transmit diseases, their bites don’t hurt, and they only remain attached for about half an hour. However, they do have an anticoagulant in their saliva. This causes you to continue bleeding even after they drop off. And these bites can itch worse than mosquito bites. Take precautions but don’t panic if you get a leech.
• I also recommend a substantial daypack with a supportive waist belt and chest strap. This could double as your carry-on luggage for the flight!
• Don’t forget bathing suits ! Beaches aren’t the only places to swim; some parks have natural swimming holes you can hike to.

Travel Documents For Madagascar

• Your passport cannot expire within 6 months of entry and must have at least 3 blank pages. They are strict about this!
• Carry your immunization records. They may not be requested if you haven’t been in countries with Yellow Fever.
• If you’re travelling with a large group, it’s beneficial to obtain your Madagascar VISA within your home country. Otherwise, it’s easy to purchase a tourist VISA upon arrival at the airport for 30, 60, or 90 days.
• I prefer to have paper photocopies of my passport and tourist Visa. The police will occasionally ask to see your passport, especially in cities and on the road, but I don’t like carrying it wherever I go.

Power in Madagascar

• Bring European plug adaptors if necessary: 220 Volt, 50Hz AC (Two circular metal pins).
• Charged power banks are invaluable, especially considering the amount of travel time. If you need your phone to stay alive for the entire day, I would bring a power bank or two.

General Equipment

• Pack binoculars for lemur and bird watching! If you’re concerned about them occupying souvenir space in your suitcase, donate them to a deserving park guide near the end of your journey. Malagasy guides are often in need of functioning binoculars.
• Bring a bright headlamp and/or flashlight for night hikes. There are nocturnal lemurs, chameleons, frogs, snakes, geckos and so many other creatures you don’t want to miss!
• Wristwatches are convenient for checking the time. I t might not always be a good time to pull out your phone.
• All sizes of Ziplock bags are precious. Smaller bags can organize your medications and chargers; medium bags can keep your electronics and books dry; large bags are perfect for wet or dirty laundry.
• I recommend silica gel packets and dry bags for your electronics and camera if you’re spending an extended time in humid, rainforest environments.
• Remember the items mentioned in previous sections : medications, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, LifeStraw water bottle , protein bars, bills to exchange, designated money bag, VISA credit/debit cards, etc.

THINGS TO BE  MINDFUL  OF IN MADAGASCAR…

Internet and phones.

• Most hotels have complimentary WiFi. However, even luxury hotels don’t always have internet or outlets in individual rooms/bungalows. Sometimes you have to sit in the reception area for internet access and charging. WiFi is available in some restaurants, but you will need to ask for the password.
• If you have an unlocked GSM cellphone, you may want to buy a local SIM card (Airtel, Orange, or Telma) and a 3G package. You can do this at the airport. If you don’t want to purchase a plan, you can buy phone credit at virtually any shop.  

Cultural Awareness in Madagascar

• Avoid pointing with only your index finger extended. While it’s not considered offensive everywhere in Madagascar, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Pointing with your index finger is considered a “ fady ” or taboo in many regions of Madagascar. Especially when pointing directly at a tomb or grave. You can either gesture with your whole hand open, or bend your finger as you point.
• It is expected to haggle prices unless the price is already established, such as in tourist shops, restaurants, and hotels. It’s part of the culture.
• It’s respectful to dress fairly modestly . You’ll see everything in tourist areas. However,  I personally avoid low cut tops, short skirts and shorts. And I only wear one-piece swimsuits.
• While difficult to ignore their puppy-dog stares, don’t feed street dogs . Malagasy people can view it as highly offensive that you took the time and money to feed a dog, but not their family.
• Most Malagasy actively avoid confrontation, especially with foreigners. Don’t take advantage of this.

Saying “Thank You” in Madagascar

• In Malagasy, “ Misaotra ” means thank you. Add “betsaka” if you want to say, “thank you very much.”  
• If you anticipate any village visits, a gift that would be appreciated by everyone is a high-quality soccer ball . I always bring several deflated soccer balls and an air pump from the States.
• You’ll probably become close with your driver and guide. In addition to a tip, you may want to thank them with foreign gifts . A T-shirt representing your city or country, candy from abroad, or something else they wouldn’t find in Madagascar are the most cherished gifts.

PHOTOGRAPHY IN MADAGASCAR

Keep your camera close.

• If you have a DSLR camera, keep is safe, but don’t be afraid to bring it . There are countless sites and creatures to document that small cameras and phones just can’t capture.
• Keep all valuables close, especially in big cities like the capital of Antananarivo (Tana). I wouldn’t worry about being attacked. However, there are some skilled pick-pocketers. They can swipe your cash, phone, or other items without you even noticing.
• Just as you would back home, ask before taking someone’s picture. If you don’t speak French, saying “ Sary? ” (pronounced similarly to the English, “sorry”) – which means “Picture?” in Malagasy, should sufficiently get the point across.
• Adults will occasionally wave you off, but kids love to pose. You should show them their picture. But remember to wipe down your camera with a disinfectant afterward. The kids may excitedly grab your camera for a closer look with their cute, but dirty little hands.  

Selfies in Madagascar

• NEVER pay to take pictures with wildlife kept at restaurants or hotels.
• Paying for these photos encourages the illegal and devastating pet trade. One of the reasons lemurs are endangered .
• Many of these animals, especially lemurs, don’t survive these conditions. If they don’t die from a poor diet, they may be killed when they display aggression as they become sexually mature. The “Magic of Madagascar Ecotour” will take you to one of the only rescue centers in Madagascar that confiscates pet lemurs and teaches them how to survive the wild.

SOUVENIR SHOPPING IN MADAGASCAR

Avoid purchasing….

• Carvings made from precious woods like Rosewood and Palisander
• Butterflies and other preserved insects
• Sea turtle shells
• Sapphires, other precious gemstones, and gold

    28. Ethical Shopping

• Aim for sustainable gifts that don’t negatively impact wildlife or people while simultaneously expressing Malagasy culture.
• My main suggestions include… hand-dyed and spun silk scarves woven from sustainably farmed silk, items made out of recycled aluminium, and art constructed from repurposed zebu horns.

EXCLUSIVE  TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN MADAGASCAR

Places to visit in madagascar.

• RN7 is your best friend.  This route starts at the capital and works its way south, then slowly west. It is accessible year-round and brings you through every incredible ecosystem Madagascar has to offer! That’s the route that we take on our Ecotour through Madagascar from July 1st – 12th, 2019!  
• RN5 takes you west to see the “ Alley of Baobabs ” or possibly even the limestone forest of Tsingy ! This road is more difficult to navigate. It’s comical that it can even be considered a national route.
• The north is also beautiful, but similar to the west, the roads are very poor, especially as you work your way west. 
• There are stunning places that are easiest to fly to, such as the rainforest peninsula of Masoala and the island of scuba-divers dreams – Nosy Be .

   30. Wildlife You CANNOT Miss in Madagascar!

• “The Magic of Madagascar Ecotour” brings you to the largest species of lemur (indri) and the smallest lemur (mouse lemur), with many lemur species and sizes in between!

If you love Madagascar as much as we do, you’ll love our lemur t-shirts:

This meditating lemur t-shirt is the perfect gift for the animal lover in your life whether it be your wife, husband, sister, brother, best friend, son or daughter. It looks great with jeans and is perfect for a casual day out.

This t-shirt with words about lemurs is perfect for animal lovers – who want to show their love for ring-tailed lemurs and to raise awareness about this endangered species – see how many words related to lemurs you can find.

This ring-tailed lemur t-shirt will be a hit with animal lovers who want to show their love for these unique creatures while raising awareness about these critters from Madagascar who need our help.

ADDITIONAL  MADAGASCAR  INFORMATION

• Films and Books about Madagascar
• If you are keen to learn more about the creatures and culture before going or booking a ticket to Madagascar, I recommend either of the following  films :  Planet Earth II  (on Netflix) and  Island of Lemurs: Madagascar  (IMAX) .  
• Additionally, I recommend the following  books :  For the Love of Lemurs  (Patricia Wright);  Thank You, Madagascar  (Alison Jolly);  The Aye-Aye and I   (Gerald Durrell); and  Madagascar – The Eighth Continent   (Peter Tyson).
• Field Guides for Madagascar
• There are good field guides available for most  taxonomic groups  in Madagascar. I have personally had the best luck with  Lemurs of Madagascar: Third Edition  and  Birds of Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands . Note: if you can’t find that check out  Lemurs of Madagascar: Tropical Field Guide Series .
• For travel guides, the  Bradt Guides   are probably the best guide I have come across. The author has been travelling to Madagascar for over 30 years!  The Lonely Planet – Madagascar: 8 th  Edition  is also quite thorough.
• Online Info on Travel in Madagascar
• While this article provides a comprehensive list, you can’t fit everything into a single post! I recommend perusing additional online resources that can provide even more information about Madagascar. Be sure to check out   28 Interesting Facts About Madagascar ! 
• Continue researching and reading! The more you know, the better you can prepare for  culture shock.  And the more you will appreciate all the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Madagascar!

The long-ground roller is a bird species endemic to the spiny forests of Madagascar; Photo: Alicia Lamb.

Best of luck with your travels in Madagascar! Take care and enjoy, or as they say in Madagascar, “Mazotoa!”

©Dennis van de Water/Shutterstock

Lemurs, baobabs, rainforest, desert, hiking and diving: Madagascar is a dream destination for outdoors enthusiasts – half the fun is getting to all these incredible attractions.

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Attractions

Must-see attractions.

Allée des Baobabs

Western Madagascar

One of Madagascar's most recognisable images, this small stretch of the RN8 between Morondava and Belo-sur-Tsiribihina is flanked on both sides by…

Musée de la Photo

Antananarivo

Opened in early 2018, this fabulous photography museum is Antananarivo's best museum. There are four small rooms showing films (in French, English or…

Parc National Isalo

Southern Madagascar

Isalo is one of Madagascar's most beautiful parks. It contains sculpted buttes, vertical rock walls and, best of all, deep canyon floors shot through with…

Parc National Bemaraha

If you visit one place in western Madagascar, make it Parc National Bemaraha. A Unesco World Heritage Site, its highlights are the jagged, limestone…

Poised atop Ambohimanga hill is the Rova, the fortress-palace. The walls of the compounds were constructed using cement made from sand, shells and egg…

Tana’s rova (fortified palace), known as Manjakamiadana (A Fine Place to Rule), is the imposing structure that crowns the city's highest hill. Gutted in a…

Parc National Masoala-Nosy Mangabe

Eastern Madagascar

This 2100-sq-km national park contains one of the best primary rainforests in the country. It is famous for its vegetation, which includes rare hardwoods,…

Parc National Analamazaotra

This is the most popular park within Parc National Andasibe Mantadia. The real draw of this reserve is the rare indri, Madagascar’s largest lemur, whose…

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Madagascar and beyond

Madagascar   Travel Guide

Courtesy of Pierre-Yves Babelon | Getty Images

Why Go To Madagascar

Dreaming of a tropical getaway spent lounging on idyllic islands, trekking through verdant rainforests, hiking around jaw-dropping rock formations and spotting unique wildlife? Then set your sights on Madagascar. Located in the Indian Ocean, about 743 miles east of Mozambique, this African paradise is the fourth largest island in the world. Approximately 19,000 types of plants can be found in the country's 47 national parks and reserves, but its one-of-a-kind animals are the main draw for nature lovers. All of the world's 100-plus lemur species call this island nation home, as do more than 340 kinds of chameleons and a variety of birds.

Though you'll likely spend some time in populous areas like Antananarivo (the country's capital) and Nosy Be (a small island off the mainland's northwest coast), Madagascar is filled with regions ripe for exploration. Travelers can head offshore to snorkel around Nosy Sakatia or swim at The Three Bays , and photography enthusiasts can snap breathtaking pictures of the sun rising or setting over Morondava's Avenue of the Baobabs . Fitness buffs, meanwhile, have access to hiking trails at Anja Community Reserve , plus Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve 's towering limestone pinnacles, which are ideal for climbing. If you'd rather have a more quintessential Malagasy vacation, travel deep into national parks like Isalo and Mantadia to watch lemurs, boa constrictors and more lingering in the trees.

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Best of Madagascar

Best hotels in madagascar.

• in Carlton Hotel

Best Things to Do in Madagascar

• # 1 in Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve
• # 2 in Avenue of the Baobabs
• # 3 in Mantadia National Park (Parc National Mantadia)

Popular Tours

Tsingy Tour 04 Days

(13 reviews)

from $ 754.19

Madagascar Wildlife Tour for 02 days

(7 reviews)

from $ 648.78

Two days wildlife tour to Andasibe NP

(4 reviews)

from $ 307.90

Madagascar Travel Tips

Best months to visit.

The best time to visit Madagascar is from April to October. This dry season brings fewer rain showers, meaning optimal conditions for observing animals, hiking and participating in water sports activities. Although accommodation rates are higher at this time, properties will be easier to access due to the country's roads being clear. Temperatures will also be more comfortable than they are during the wet season.

Weather in Madagascar

Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center

What You Need to Know

• Beaches are not guarded  Lifeguards and security personnel are rarely stationed at beaches. If you plan on visiting a beach, do not leave your belongings unattended at any time, and keep a close eye on children.
• Bottled water is a must Tap water is not safe to drink at hotels, restaurants and all other locales in Madagascar, meaning you'll need to drink bottled water at all times. You'll also want to avoid ice in drinks unless it's been made from filtered water.
• Malaria is prevalent  Local mosquitoes may carry malaria, so bring long-sleeved clothing, insect repellent with DEET (a chemical that limits mosquitoes' ability to smell you) and anti-malarial medication, which can be obtained from your doctor.
• Cash reigns supreme  Few restaurants, shops and hotels accept credit cards in Madagascar, so bring Malagasy ariary with you or withdraw some from a local ATM to pay for goods and services.

How to Save Money in Madagascar

• Use taxis-brousse Though this mode of transportation is notoriously slow, taxis-brousse are one of the country's most affordable ways to travel long distances.
• Be mindful of trail fees Some paths, such as those found at Isalo National Park and Mantadia National Park , can only be accessed after paying park admissions, plus a trail fee. To save money, choose to explore paths where there is no additional fee, such as Lokobe National Park 's Circuit Kindro and Circuit Ramy trails.
• Pitch a tent High-end accommodations in Madagascar can cost more than $500 per night, so consider camping at a protected area like Anja Community Reserve or Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve . Campsite spaces are generally $2 to $12 per night to reserve.

Culture & Customs

Home to 18 main ethnic groups, Madagascar is a diverse island nation. Malagasy and French are the country's official languages, the latter of which was introduced when the French colonized the region from 1896 to 1960. You may also find a few Malagasy people who speak English, but it is best to use Malagasy or French when possible. Of the two primary languages, Malagasy is more commonly used. Some key Malagasy and French terms and phrases to use while traveling in Madagascar include "manao ahoana e" and "bonjour" (hello), "Manao ahoana ny fahasalamanao?" and "Comment allez-vous?" (How are you?), "Tsy azoko" and "Je ne comprend pas" (I don't understand), "Mahay miteny angisy ve ianao?" and "Parlez-vous anglais?" (Do you speak English?), and "veloma" and "au revoir" (goodbye).

Although Madagascar's capital city of Antananarivo has a population of more than 1.3 million people, the majority of Malagasy people live in rural areas, where traditional customs and practices are the norm. Men and women who live in the countryside, for example, mainly wear locally made garments like dresses with gathered skirts and oversized shirts with long pants, while wealthier individuals and those living in cities often wear a mix of Western attire and traditional items like lambas (shawls) and raffia hats. Many Malagasy people will also celebrate family-focused ceremonies, such as Famadihana (a sacred ritual that involves removing the bones of loved ones from an ancestral crypt to rewrap with fresh garments).

Music is an integral part of Malagasy culture. Western dances, lyrics and instruments are blended with Malagasy rhythms to create the bulk of the country's contemporary music. Western musical styles like rock, jazz and hip-hop can also be heard here, but one of Madagascar's most popular genres is salegy , an energetic style that features electric guitars, accordions, drums and call-and-response vocals. Salegy and other genres are played at various bars and clubs throughout Antananarivo, including the Hotel Glacier , Pandora Station and Espace Dera, but prostitution – which is illegal in Madagascar – occasionally takes place in entertainment venues, so exercise caution when enjoying Malagasy nightlife.

The official currency in Madagascar is the Malagasy ariary (MGA). One Malagasy ariary equals approximately $0.0003, or less than one American penny, but you'll want to check the latest exchange rate before visiting. Euros are easiest to convert to Malagasy ariary in-country, but some currency exchange vendors will take dollars. Credit cards are not accepted at most Malagasy locales, so plan on using cash; if you need additional currency, ATMs are available in most major towns.

Visitors are expected to tip for tourism-related services, but tips are not required for taxi services. It is customary to tip 5 to 10 percent of your food bill at restaurants that do not list service charges on receipts, while hotel employees (think: bellhops and housekeepers) should receive about 2,000 Malagasy ariary (less than $1) each per stay. Tour guides generally expect 10,000 to 20,000 Malagasy ariary (or $3 to $6) per day, and you should allot about 5,000 to 10,000 Malagasy ariary (or $1.50 to $3) per day for drivers.

What to Eat

The predominant cuisines in Madagascar are Malagasy and French, with French fare generally being more expensive. Antananarivo and Nosy Be are considered the best cities for fine dining and house many of the country's most popular restaurants. For a quintessential French meal, travelers suggest La Rhum Riz - Chez Nono on Nosy Be and Le Restaurant La Varangue , KUDéTA and Restaurant Sakamanga in Antananarivo. Nosy Be's Chez Loulou and Chez Mama are also highly regarded for their authentic Malagasy dishes, such as ravitoto (a pork and cassava leaf entree that's commonly served with white rice) and romazava (a stew made with beef, chicken or pork and leafy greens).

If you're willing to trek outside Madagascar's culinary meccas, try grabbing a bite to eat at Le Restaurant Mad-Zébu de Belo , which is in the small town of Belo Tsiribihina. Though service is sometimes slow, visitors say the European-inspired dishes are as tasty as those served in many Michelin-starred restaurants.  L'Idylle Beach , on Nosy Boraha (also known as Île Sainte-Marie), is also recommended for French cuisine and panoramic ocean views.

For more affordable meals, consider savoring some of the country's street fare. By Antsirabe's daily market, you'll find hawkers selling fried finger foods like nem (eggrolls) and sambosa (similar to samosas, or triangular pastries stuffed with potatoes and ground beef). Antananarivo's Analakely market, meanwhile, boasts an array of fresh fruit (think: lychees, bananas and papayas), plus fresh fish and grilled meat dishes.

Pickpocketing and stealing luggage from Ivato International Airport's baggage claim occurs regularly in Antananarivo. Additionally, violent assaults against travelers occasionally takes place in areas like Nosy Be and Tamatave, and remote highways are frequently targeted for robberies. What's more, street altercations and traffic accidents designed to draw a scene and incite violence against a foreigner is becoming increasingly more common. As a result, it is best to be aware of your belongings and surroundings at all times and to avoid unpopulated roads and public disputes.

Since a democratic government was elected in 2014, violent political events have been rare. However, deadly incidents do occur from time to time, so it's best to avoid or stay alert when visiting government buildings, national sports arenas and historic monuments in Antananarivo.

Malaria can be contracted from Malagasy mosquitoes carrying the disease. To protect yourself while staying in the country, wear long-sleeved clothing and insect repellent with DEET (a chemical that makes it difficult for mosquitoes to smell you). You'll also want to speak with your doctor before your trip to obtain an anti-malarial medication and go over possible drug side effects.

The U.S. State Department strongly advises all Americans who plan on vacationing in Madagascar to sign up for the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program , which notifies the nearest embassy or consulate of your travels. Additional security concerns and safety tips for Madagascar can be found on the U.S. State Department's website .

Getting Around Madagascar

The best way to get around Madagascar is to hire a car with a driver or join an organized tour. Car rentals commonly come with a driver as part of their rates and give you the most flexibility with your itinerary. Tours, however, generally cover the cost of accommodations and some or all meals, but you'll have to stick to a set schedule and travel with other visitors. Limited public transportation options are also available, but these affordable services are slow and often uncomfortable and unsafe. For longer trips between select towns, traveling by plane can be arranged. Getting to the island will require flying into Ivato International Airport (TNR) in Antananarivo or arriving by cruise ship to various Malagasy locales, including Antsiranana, Nosy Be and Tamatave, via cruise operators like Costa Cruises  and MSC Cruises .

Entry & Exit Requirements

To enter Madagascar, you will need a U.S. passport that is valid for six months past your arrival date and has three blank visa pages. A tourist visa is required for all stays less than 90 days, which can be purchased at the Embassy of Madagascar in Washington, D.C. , or any port of entry in Madagascar. Visas cost $28.70 for stays lasting up to 30 days; $35.88 for stays lasting between 30 and 60 days; and $50.23 for stays lasting 61 to 90 days. For visas purchased upon arrival, only dollars, euros and Malagasy ariary are accepted. A valid World Health Organization-approved International Certificate of Vaccination (also known as a "yellow card") is also required if you have visited or had a stopover in a country where yellow fever is present up to six months before your arrival. Additional information about entry and exit requirements can be found on the Embassy of Madagascar's website and the U.S. State Department's website .

Madagascar is the only country in the world where wild lemurs reside. You'll find 97 species of this one-of-a-kind primate living throughout the island.

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Madagascar Travel Guide: Essential Facts and Information

Madagascar is undoubtedly one of Africa's most fascinating countries, and certainly one of the continent's most unique. An island nation surrounded by the crystalline waters of the Indian Ocean , it's most famous for its incredible flora and fauna - from its charismatic lemurs to its towering baobab trees. Much of the country's wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth, and as such eco-tourism is one of Madagascar's key attractions. It is also home to unspoiled beaches, breathtaking dive sites and a colorful kaleidoscope of local Malagasy culture and cuisine. 

The fourth-largest island on the planet, Madagascar is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and situated off the east coast of Africa. The country's closest mainland neighbor is Mozambique , while other islands in the nearby vicinity include Réunion, the Comoros and Mauritius. 

Madagascar has a total area of 226,660 square miles/587,041 square kilometers. To put that into perspective, it's just less than twice the size of Arizona and similar in size to France. 

Capital City:

Antananarivo

Population:

In July 2017, the CIA World Factbook estimated Madagascar's population at just over 25 million people. 

French and Malagasy are the official languages of Madagascar, with various different dialects of Malagasy spoken throughout the island. French is generally spoken only by the educated classes.

The majority of Madagascans practice either Christian or indigenous beliefs, while a small minority of the population (around 7%) are Muslim. 

The official currency of Madagascar is the Malagasy ariary. For up-to-date exchange rates, check out this helpful conversion site . 

Madagascar's weather changes dramatically from region to region. The east coast is tropical, with hot temperatures and plenty of rain. The highlands of the central interior are cooler and less humid, while the south is the driest region of all. Generally speaking, Madagascar has a cool, dry season (May to October) and a hot, rainy season (November to April). The latter brings frequent cyclones. 

When to Go:

The best time to visit Madagascar is during the May to October dry season, when temperatures are pleasant and precipitation is at its lowest. During the rainy season, cyclones can be a threat to visitor safety. 

Key Attractions

Parc National de L'Isalo

Parc National de L'Isalo offers more than 315 square miles/800 square kilometers of breathtaking arid scenery, complete with fantastic sandstone rock formations, canyons and crystal clear pools perfect for swimming. It is one of Madagascar's most rewarding destinations for hiking. 

The shores of this idyllic island are washed by clear turquoise waters and the air is fragrant with the scent of exotic blooms. It's home to many of Madagascar's most exclusive hotels, and is the destination of choice for wealthy beachgoers wishing to go snorkeling, sailing and scuba-diving. Nosy Be is also one of the best places in Africa to swim with whale sharks .

Avenue of the Baobabs

In Western Madagascar, the dirt road that connects Morondava and Belon'i Tsiribihina is home to a rare botanical spectacle, comprised of dozens of giant baobab trees. Many of these magnificent roadside trees are several hundred years old and over 100 feet/30 meters high. Because the avenue isn't yet part of a national park, you can view the trees for free.

Parc National d'Andasibe-Mantadia

Parc National d'Andasibe-Mantadia combines two separate parks, which together provide one of the best opportunities for a close encounter with Madagascar's largest lemur species, the indri. A total of 13 lemur species live in the park, as well as over 100 bird species, many of them endemic (including the Madagascar yellowbrow and the Madagascar serpent eagle).

Fondly referred to as "Tana", Madagascar's capital city is busy, chaotic and well worth a few days' visit at the beginning or end of your trip. It is a hub of Malagasy culture, known for its colonial architecture, vibrant art scene and surprising number of high-quality gourmet restaurants. Top attractions include the Rova palace complex and Analakely Market.

Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

Located in the remote northwest, Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park is famous for its astonishing karstic plateaus. These petrified forests are crafted from razor-sharp spires of limestone and can be explored via a series of suspension bridges. Keep an eye out for 11 species of lemur or endemic mammals such as the fossa and falanouc.

Getting There

Madagascar's main airport is Ivato International Airport, located 10 miles/16 kilometers northwest of Antananarivo. The airport is home to Madagascar's national airline, Air Madagascar. From the United States, most flights connect via Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo Airport or Paris, France.  

Non-nationals need a tourist visa to enter Madagascar; however, these can be purchased upon arrival at all international airports or harbors. It is also possible to organize a visa in advance at the Madagascan embassy or consulate in your home country. Check the government's visa information page for more information. 

Medical Requirements

There are no compulsory vaccinations for travelers to Madagascar, however the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends certain vaccines including hepatitis A, typhoid and polio. Depending on the region you plan to visit, anti-malaria medication may be necessary, while visitors travelling from a yellow fever country will need to carry proof of vaccination with them. 

This article was updated by Jessica Macdonald on August 27th 2018. 

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Madagascar Travel Guide: Planning a Trip to Madagascar [EPIC Guide!]

I went to Madagascar in 2014 not really knowing what to expect except that I would find lemurs there. It’s a destination that’s not as widely covered on the Internet and I didn’t know anyone who’d actually visited the country. That made me even more excited to to visit somewhere off-the-beaten-path that hasn’t become overrun with tourists and jetsetting influencers.

One of the reasons Madagascar isn’t as visited by tourists is because it can be a fairly expensive place to get to and due to the infrastructure it’s not as easy to travel around. If you do go, the easiest way to get around is by booking a tour, which I’ll discuss in the guide. It’s the kind of destination that’s popular with middle aged travelers who have a bit more cash to spend and are happy staying in resorts and taking organized tours. The island is definitely not geared towards backpackers who stay in hostels.

I was fortunate enough to be invited there by Air France , who were looking to promote their flight routes to Madagascar from the UK via Paris. We flew into Antananarivo, took an internal flight to Morondava with Air Madagascar and then visited the Kirindy Reserve to spot dancing lemurs. We then flew back to Antananarivo to explore Andasibe National Park and the tropical rainforest Reserve of Analamazaotra. Aside from a terrible bout of food poisoning (which I actually got from the food at a high-end hotel and not from all the delicious street food I tried) I had a mostly wonderful time in Madagascar.

It was certainly not like the animated movie Madagascar , although I would advise you to watch it to get in the mood before your trip! However, we did see so many lemurs, including actual dancing ones! The beaches we saw were beautiful and the scenery at the Avenue of the Baobabs was like nothing I’d seen before. A lot of the trip centered around nature and wildlife, and of course, white sandy beaches.

What I wasn’t prepared for perhaps was the extent of poverty in Madagascar, particularly in Antananarivo. I’ll explain more as we get deeper into the guide but let’s just say, I wouldn’t advise walking around the city at night, even in a group.

Planning a trip to Madagascar takes a little more effort than most destinations but it’s still possible. Read on for more information about things to do in Madagascar, how to get there and how to get around.

Domestic flights

G adventures, tips for staying safe in madagascar, what is madagascar like.

Located in the Indian Ocean around 400km off the coast of East Africa, the Republic of Madagascar is the world’s second largest island country. At 592,800 square kilometres the island is big and it’s difficult to get around, with very bumpy roads. Sadly, the country is ravaged by poverty and corruption.

It is, however, one of the most biodiverse places in the world due to the fact that the island split off from the Indian subcontinent around 88 million years ago. Most of the plants and animals evolved in isolation and today over 90% of Madagascar’s wildlife can’t be found anywhere else on Earth! Visiting Madagascar is like stepping into a David Attenborough documentary, with so many weird and wonderful creatures to meet.

Although Madagascar is geographically close to Africa, its culture is quite unique. The country’s first settlers were Austronesian peoples, arriving from what is now Indonesia. They were later joined by Bantu migrants from East Africa who crossed the Mozambique Channel around the 9th century AD. Over the years other groups continued to migrate to Madagascar, each one contributing to the Malagasy culture that you see today.  

The island has a diverse and beautiful landscape; in the south you’ll find a dry desert landscape with baobab trees, while in the East you’ll find humid, tropical rainforests. The Central Highlands are characterized by terraced, rice-growing valleys lying between grassy hills and patches of subhumid forests.

Planning a trip to Madagascar: How to get there

In order to get to Madagascar you’ll need to fly there to either Antananarivo or Fascene. Antananarivo is the country’s capital and where you’ll most likely fly into. Most visitors are granted a 30-day visa on arrival when landing in the country.

Getting to Madagascar from the UK:

I flew to Madagascar with Air France from Manchester, via Paris. Air France flies to Antananarivo in Madagascar from 14 UK Airports, via Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Return fares start from £818, including taxes and fees.

Travel to Madagascar from the US:

Below you can see I did a random search on Google Flights for round-trip flights from New York to Antananarivo. In July the price would be $1,779 round trip with Delta/Air France (they are codeshare partners) and the journey takes around 20 hours. The flight has 1 stop at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Cheapest fares I’ve seen from NYC to Antananarivo are about $1239 round-trip.

To travel from the US to Madagascar you’ll most likely fly Air France/Delta to get to Paris and then onwards to Antananarivo. If flights are too expensive, you could look at flying any budget airline to Paris and then booking a separate ticket on Air France from Paris to Antananarivo. French Bee for example offers very cheap flights from New York and San Francisco to Paris Orly, then you could spend a night in Paris and fly out of Charles de Gaulle.

You’ll also find a multitude of full-service airlines that fly direct from the U.S to Paris Charles de Gaulle, including United, American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Lufthansa and Finnair. If you’re flexible with dates and book in advance, you can snag a cheap flight to Paris for as low as $340 round-trip.

From Paris, round-trip fares to Antananarivo with Air France start at around $628 but can run much higher depending on the time of year.

If you’re a travel hacker like me, I’d recommend signing up for one of the the Delta Skymiles Credit Cards , which allows you to earn Delta miles every time you spend using the card at grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and when you do your online shopping. If you use it for your everyday spending and use the Delta Skymiles shopping Chrome extension, you can earn even earn bonus points that can all be used to redeem for free flights (minus taxes). Since Delta partners with Air France, you could easily collect enough miles to fly to Madagascar from the U.S.

Getting around Madagascar

One of the most convenient ways to get around Madagascar is by taking a tour (I’ll discuss some options below), or alternatively, you could rent a car or hire a driver. Public transportation exists and is very cheap but it’s not very reliable so I wouldn’t really suggest that as an option. The public taxis called  taxis brousse or taxi-be are small minivans that run a regular service but whether they stick to the timetable is another story. Often they only depart when they are completely crammed with people or sometimes they don’t even show up at all.

Driving in Madagascar

Madagascar is known for having a poor infrastructure with bumpy roads that have lots of potholes. It can take forever to get from A to B, even if the distance looks short on the map. However, things are improving and several of the major routes (RN2, RN7 for example) have a tarmac surface in reasonable shape. Once you get off the major routes, be prepared for narrow dirt roads that link the towns and villages together. Also keep in mind that roads can get flooded in rainy season due to the heavy rainfall. If you’re a fearless driver, you can rent a car to get you around the island – just remember if you’re from the UK, cars in Madagascar go on the right-hand side of the road. Carjacking though is an issue, so you’d need to be particularly careful, especially when driving at night.

Hiring a driver

If you don’t want to drive but you also don’t really enjoy the feeling of being herded around in a tour group, you can hire a driver. This is what most people do and often car rental companies will only give you a car that comes with a driver.

You’ll have the flexibility to stop where you want, when you want, but you won’t have to deal with the anxiety of driving in a foreign country. If you’re traveling in a group, hiring a driver can actually be a very cost effective way of doing things. You’d usually rent the car and the driver from a local tour operator and agree on a specific route.

The other option for getting around is by flying. We flew Air Madagascar between Antananarivo and Morondava because the we only had a few days and the driving time is over 11 hours. Our outbound flight was on-time but the return flight was heavily delayed.

Be aware that domestic airlines often delay or cancel flights and flights are often around $250 one-way, so keep that in mind if you’re on a budget.

Best Madagascar Tours

Around 80% of tourists usually travel around Madagascar by organized tour. There are numerous companies you can book tours with but Intrepid Travel and G Adventures are probably the best known tour companies. Madagascar tour prices cost roughly between $2200 and $4950 depending on the length of your trip and include accommodation and meals, as well as activities and transportation.

Intrepid Travel

Intrepid Travel runs a variety of Madagascar tours including 11 day, 14 day and 24 day options.

As an example, their 14-day Madagascar Adventure Tour includes visits to:

Andasibe National Park

• Fianarantsoa
• Isalo National Park

On the trip you’ll:

• See how many species of lemur you can spot in Isalo, Anadsibe and Ranomafana national parks
• Stay in a cottage deep within Ranomafana National Park , surrounded by lush flora and fauna
• Learn about the important Malagasy process of silk production in Ambositra
• Explore the sandstone formations, deep canyons, palm-lined oases and vast grasslands of Isalo National Park
• Chill out at Anakao – an Indian Ocean beachside paradise surrounded by reefs

G Adventures runs two tours in Madagascar – “Highlights of Madagascar” and “Highlights of Madagascar – Plus”

Highlights of Madagascar is a 14 day trip starting and ending in Antananarivo. The tour includes visits to:

• Antananarivo
• Ambatonikolahy

Places to visit and things to do in Madagascar

Madagascar is a large island and therefore there are lots of different places to explore. It’s probably best to focus your itinerary on a couple of different regions as opposed to trying to do everything. Highlights include:

Avenue of the Baobabs

Avenue of the Baobabs is a famous spot where Baobabs are lined up along the roadside between Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina. This striking landscape makes for some incredible photos and looks particularly spectacular at sunset. It’s one of the most visited attractions in Madagascar and is a natural monument under conservation.. Baobab trees are endemic to Madagascar and have an unusual appearance, with wide trunks and compact broccoli-like crowns. The trees here date up to 2,800 years old.

Discover Morondava

Capital of the Menabe region of Madagascar, Morondava is visited by tourists as a base for exploring the Kirindy Reserve and Avenue of the Baobabs. While we were there we visited a local market where Malagasy people buy and sell vegetables, meat and other foods. We also visited a funerary art workshop, where craftsmen make figural sculptures that are placed with the deceased of the Sakalava people. Typically the figures are birds or representations of men and women who are often depicted undressed and erotically embracing.

Betany/Betania Fishing Village

Perhaps one of my favorite experiences of Madagascar was our visit to Betany fishing village, which is a short canoe ride across the water from Morondava. It was interesting to discover the way of life for Malagasy people living on the coast. People here were very friendly and we got to see their homes and the way they fish and live off the water.

Kirindy Reserve

The Kirindy Reserve is a dry, deciduous forest that shelters lemurs such as Brown lemurs and the Verreaux’s Sifaka. It’s also home to many species of reptiles and birds, as well as the fossa – Madagascar’s largest carnivore. Located on the west coast of Madagascar, this reserve is one of the best spots to see the Sifaka “dancing” lemur. The lemur jumps upright on two feet as it moves from tree to tree, making it look like it’s dancing.

Most Madagascar tours include a visit to Andasibe National Park due to its close proximity to the capital of Antananarivo. This 55 square kilometre protected area features dense forest and lush vegetation such as moss and fern trees, as well as beautiful orchids that bloom between September and January. Tourists mainly come here to catch a glimpse of the Indri lemurs although the park is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including 15 species of mammals, over 100 species of birds and 50 species of reptiles, including chameleons and leaf-tailed geckos.

Meet Chameleons at the reserve of Peyreiras

If I’m being honest, while lemurs are cute I had the most fun meeting the chameleons of Madagascar! When I visited Tunisia a man would come to the beach with a chameleon and I found it so cute that I fell in love with these little reptiles. At Peyreiras Reptile Reserve you can meet the largest Chameleon in the world – the Parsons Chameleon – as well as ultra tiny Chameleons like the Madagascar Dwarf. There are certain creatures in the world that look so colorful and peculiar that you can’t help but think – “ God was having some fun when he made this one! ” The reserve is a popular pitstop for tourists traveling between Antananarivo and Andasibe National Park and is owned by the French entomologist and naturalist André Peyriéras, hence the name. I loved seeing the large collection of chameleons, iguanas, geckos, frogs and butterflies here. I think you will too.

Lemur Island and Vakona Forest Lodge

Located in the Vakona forest, Lemur Island is – you guessed it – a river island inhabited by lemurs including the bamboo lemur, the black & white ruffed lemur, brown lemur and one diademed sifaka. We were told that these lemurs are rescued from the captive wildlife trade, and as they’ve been in the presence of humans so much, they can’t be fully released into the wild. The difference between this place and the reserves we visited is that we actually got to actually touch and hold the Lemurs.

The concept of keeping animals in captivity and allowing tourists to take photos with them is a contentious topic, but I will say the lemurs seemed very healthy and they do have hectares of space to roam around (just not as much as they would in the wild). Lemurs are very cute and they’re very soft, moving through the forest like trapeze artists. They appear out of nowhere too and will suddenly dangle upside down from the trees right above you or jump on your shoulder. If you want to stay here, you can stay at the nearby Vakona Forest Lodge .

Visit of the Reserve of Analamazaotra

Part of Andasibe National Park, Analamazaotra is a rainforest of mid altitude where you can observe specific fauna such as the Indri-Indri (the largest lemur) and flora such as orchids and ferns. We took a guided walk through the rainforest, where our guide told us all about the Indri-Indri that live here. You can recognize these lemurs by their distinctive wail, which echoes for miles through the forest. These tree-dwellers live in family groups and there are roughly 60 resident family groups within the reserve.

General Madagascar Travel Tips

Is madagascar safe.

Here’s my personal experience. Most people would advise you to only travel the country with an organized tour operator or to hire a guide, and I am inclined to agree. During my tour I never felt unsafe.

But then at the end of the trip we went to Antananarivo where we stayed in the city. By this point me and my fellow journalists had decided wanted to explore on our own a bit – after all, it’s in our nature to wander. Instead of dining inside the hotel we wanted to walk to a nearby French restaurant called Cafe de la Gare, which was housed inside an old train station. Our guide looked at us cautiously and told us to be careful of our valuables but for some reason, we barely paid attention to his warning.

By this time it was dark, there are few street lights and there’s extreme poverty in Antananarivo. The streets were lined with homeless people sleeping on the streets. People and kids circled around us and tried to put their hands in our pockets. At this point we ran fairly quickly to the restaurant, but there was something else to contend with – enormous, deep potholes in the streets. And when it’s dark it’s really hard to see them.

It was a sobering experience because when we arrived at the restaurant there were expensive cars parked outside and I couldn’t help but notice the stark economic gap between the very rich and the very poor.

At the time of writing this, 70% of people live below the poverty line in Madagascar and there have been repeated bouts of political instability, including coups and violent unrest.

Crime such as robbery and theft are rife in Madagascar and there have been robbery incidents involving tourists. That’s not to say you shouldn’t travel to Madagascar (tourism is a major industry for them and many survive off money from tourists) but you should be aware of your surroundings.

Don’t take your valuables out with you – Leave any valuables in a safe at your hotel. Don’t wear expensive jewelry or look like you’re rich.

Don’t walk around after dark – Just don’t make the mistake we did. Stick to daylight hours.

If you’re carrying a DSRL, use a sling – When you’re in Madagascar you’ll want to take photos of the lemurs and other wildlife, so it’s likely you’ll have DSLR equipment with you. If you do, purchase a sling so you can keep your camera close to you and easily put it away.

Don’t take photos without permission – Our guide told us to ask for permission when taking pictures of locals. The last thing you want to do is offend everybody.

Purchase travel insurance – Always make sure you travel insured. I recommend SafetyWing for long-term travelers, or World Nomads for shorter trips.

What is the food like in Madagascar?

Malagasy cuisine reflects the mix of Southeast Asian, African, Indian, Chinese and European influences present in Madagascar. Rice is a staple here and locals often eat it two or three times a day. This is not surprising, since in the highlands of Madagascar the landscape is filled with green rice fields as far as the eye can see. The rice is usually accompanied by some mix of protein and vegetables, often in a sauce containing ingredients such as tomatoes, garlic, onion, ginger and herbs.

Common foods to be found on the island:

Zebu – Zebu, which is a breed of humped cow in Madagascar, is on nearly every menu. It usually comes as a steak, on skewers or in stews.

Seafood – Since Madagascar is an island, fresh seafood readily available when you’re staying on the coast. If you enjoy things like squid, fish, shrimp and lobster, you’ll find plenty of it in Madagascar.

Fritters – By the side of the road you’ll often see locals with stalls selling fried fritters called mofo. Try Mofo Anana, which are bread fritters containing leafy greens and spices. You’ll also often see Sambusa, which are similar to Indian samosas.

Ramazava:  This dish consists of meat (pork or beef) stewed with leaves, herbs and spices, usually served over rice.

Foza sy hena-kisoa : A dish consisting of stir-fried pork, crab and lobster seasoned with lime juice and ginger, served with rice.

There’s also a heavy French influence in Madagascar, and many tourist restaurants serve a combination of French and Malagasy dishes. You’ll often see:

Foie Gras – The French delicacy foie gras (duck liver pate) is served on some menus in Madagascar. It is however generally a very controversial dish, due to concerns over force-feeding of ducks to enlarge their livers.

Duck confit – Duck confit is a classic French preparation that ensures the duck comes out tender and moist, falling off the bone.

Zebu au Poivre – Zebu is often paired with a creamy peppercorn sauce, just like Steak au Poivre.

Where to Stay in Madagascar

Below is a list of all the places I stayed on my trip to Madagascar:

Relais des Plateaux hotel, Antananarivo – Located 5 minutes from the airport, the Relais des Plateaux hotel offers a free airport shuttle and features and outdoor pool. The hotel is set amongst lush grounds and each room has a view of the garden. Book your stay at Relais des Plateaux here .

Le Louvre Hotel, Antananarivo – Dating back to 1930, Le Louvre Hotel was built by the engineers of Gustave Eiffel, aka the man who engineered the Eiffel Tower. Located in the business district of Antaninarenina, the hotel features a restaurant, bar, tea room and indoor garden. Book your stay at Le Louvre Hotel here .

Palissandre Côte Ouest hotel, Morondava – Perhaps one of the most relaxing hotels I’ve ever stayed at, the Palissandre Côte Ouest is located right on the beach. I had my own bungalow on the beach and it was so nice falling asleep to the sound of the ocean. Located in Morondava, the hotel is just a 30 minute drive from the Alley of the Baobabs. The bungalows are built using materials from Madagascar and the hotel features a pool plus beachside bar and restaurant. Book your stay at Palissandre Côte Ouest here .

Hotel Colbert, Antananarivo – The Hotel Colbert in Antananarivo boasts a casino, where you’ll find visiting businessmen playing blackjack and other casino games. The vibe here is very James Bond-esque. In addition to the casino, this cozy boutique hotel offers 109 rooms and 8 suites, plus 3 restaurants and a balneotherapy spa. Book your stay at Hotel Colbert here .

Indri Lodge, Andasibe – In Andasibe we stayed at the Indri Lodge, which is about 15 minutes drive from the National Park. The lodge offers 21 spacious bungalows, a small pool and a restaurant serving Malagasy and French cuisine. Book your stay at Indri Lodge here .

About The Author

1 thought on “Madagascar Travel Guide: Planning a Trip to Madagascar [EPIC Guide!]”

Hey, I loved your Madagascar trip on Pommie Travels. Lemurs, Baobabs, and your insights on Antananarivo – awesome! Planning a trip now, and your safety tips are noted. Excited for the unique culture and landscapes! Cheers for the Madagascar guide!

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How to Travel Around Madagascar

Madagascar . It’s more than an inaccurate (but fun) DreamWorks movie.

Located off the eastern coast of Africa, this island, nearly the size of France and the third-largest in the world, has a population over 26 million but sees less than 300,000 tourists a year.

I spent two weeks here with Intrepid Travel and was surprised by how few tourists there were as well as by just how difficult the country was to travel around. (The roads are so bad it can take up to eight hours to go 250 kilometers (155 miles)!)

There’s many reasons why more people don’t visit: getting to the country is expensive, there’s very little information about it online, few organized activities, and only a couple hostels, tourism information centers, helpful signs, or anything that would be considered a “tourist infrastructure” (and sadly, very little infrastructure at all).

Madagascar’s tourism caters to older Europeans who visit expensive beach resorts or take organized tours and move around the country in a little bubble. Nary a backpacker did I see on my trip.

Moreover, it’s a country ravaged by poverty, corruption, and natural disaster . Travelers unwilling to get off the beaten path (which is most people) usually don’t end up here.

Yet Madagascar is a raw and beautiful destination that blew me away in so many ways. It’s cheap once you get there, and your tourist dollars can create a really positive impact. There are few crowds, and instead the country is filled with many cute lemurs and majestic landscapes , which you get virtually to yourself!  

How to Get to Madagascar

Additionally, most of these destinations only offer a limited amount of flights per week.

When I went, I jumped on a flight deal to Johannesburg, thinking it’d be cheaper to hop over to Madagascar from there. That ended up being a stupid thing to do because, given the high price of flights from Johannesburg to Madagascar (I paid $800 USD round-trip), it ended costing me more than just booking a direct ticket from New York to Madagascar.

For a round-trip flight to Madagascar, you can generally expect to pay:

• U.S. (East Coast): $1,450-$1,750 USD
• Canada (East Coast): $1,100 USD-$1,400 USD
• Western Europe: $900 USD-$1,350 USD
• Johannesburg, South Africa: $500-700 USD

However, it’s not all bad news. If you’ve got points and miles to spend , with some planning, you can find a reward flight. Both Air France and United have decent award availability.

It takes some work to get there, but if you can string together some flight deals as well as mile opportunities, you can lower the cost to an affordable(ish) level. Here are some websites you can use to find cheap flight deals:

• Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights)
• The Flight Deal
• Holiday Pirates

How to Get Around Madagascar

I think that many younger travelers stay away because getting to the country or booking a tour is so expensive. Plus, there’s just not much free information available on Madagascar.

But let’s change that and talk about how to visit the country.

Organized Tours A 14-day tour costs around $2,200–3,600 USD. You’ll stay in mid-range hotels (private bathrooms, hot water, breakfast, and maybe even a pool) and have your own bus with a driver and local guide. You’ll also get private guides at each park who will explain what you’re seeing, help spot animals, and give some added context on the destination.

Most of the tours follow the same route, hitting all the big parks and destinations in the center of the country, with added paid add-ons to other parts of the country.

I went with Intrepid Travel on their Experience Madagascar tour as part of my former partnership with them. Our guide Patrick was a phenomenal resource, answering all my questions, providing advice, and giving tips on what to see and do in this country that lacks a lot of resources to research.

If it were up to me, I would have focused the trip’s itinerary more. I think Intrepid sometimes tries to do too much. While I liked everything we did, I wish there had been more time visiting each place and less time driving (though if Madagascar had proper infrastructure that wouldn’t have been an issue).

Independent Travel Madagascar is a difficult place to visit solo. There’s little tourist infrastructure or hostels (which makes sense given how inexpensive hotels and guesthouses are here) and public buses don’t go to many cities and national parks. You’ll need to know French, too, as English is barely spoken (even though English is an official language).

In my opinion, this makes it rather arduous to get around without any assistance.

But could you travel around on your own? Sure! But I think you’d need to be an experienced traveler, really OK being pushed out of your comfort zone, and in absolutely no rush, because getting around on a budget will take time.

Since the roads are really bad, getting from point A to B is a challenge. In a public taxi brouse (small van packed to the gills with people), you’ll move slowly. Buses go when they are full. There’s no set timetable. Sometimes they show up; more often than not, they don’t.

However, seeing the condition of the buses and how many people they cram in there, plus the number of accidents on the road, I’m not sure I’d even get in one. I wouldn’t want to spend 24 hours packed like a chicken in a van with no air conditioning (and sometimes not even windows).

Renting a car and driver costs $75 USD a day (or slightly more if you want 4WD) and is the most popular option for people looking to go on their own (and not wanting to wait for the buses). While you could drive on your own, most rental companies require that a driver accompany you.

You can also fly around the island, but there’s only one airline (Air Madagascar), and most tickets cost at least $250-300 USD, so if you’re on a budget, flying just isn’t feasible. Plus, they cancel flights often without notice.

So, What Should You Do? If you’re really looking for some rugged, old-school independent travel, Madagascar is the place to do it. If you have lots of time, are up for a real challenge, and know French then go solo! (I really can’t stress the need to know French. Outside the big towns and a few tourist areas, English is barely spoken.)

You’ll cover slightly more ground and have a lot more freedom if you rent a car and driver. There’s plenty of cheap guesthouses and restaurants around so you won’t need to look far and wide for a place to stay or a meal.

If you aren’t looking for that kind of rugged experience and would like something more organized, a tour is the best — and really only — option. I wanted a tour to help me get the lay of the land and answer all my questions about the country. I don’t speak French nor had a lot of time. A tour was a great orientation to a country that was an enigma to me. It was a wonderful way to meet people in a destination with few independent travelers.

(One thing to remember is that the clientele of the tours here is older and the tours cater to that in their itineraries, activities, and accommodation. The tours here aren’t designed for active backpackers.)

If I went back, I’d go by myself and explore with a car but I’m glad I went with a tour on my first visit.  

Is Madagascar Safe?

That said, crime is rife throughout the country and not one local I knew recommended going out after dark. They don’t even do it. In fact, many hotels in the capital of Antananarivo hire escorts to take people from the hotel to bars or restaurants.

During the day and, especially in smaller villages, walking around is perfectly fine. At night, I would use a lot more caution, especially in the capital.  

What are Prices Like in Madagascar?

Even when you are eating at the hotel restaurants the tours go to, most meals aren’t more than the equivalent of a few US dollars. In regular, local restaurants, they are half that price.

Madagascar food is mostly chicken, zebu (a type of cattle), pork, stews, and rice. LOTS OF RICE. (Get the zebu in a stew. It’s better that way.) There’s also a lot of surprisingly good pizza in this country. You’ll definitely need to know French if you go into the non-international places (or travel outside of the cities).

Here are some typical prices:

• Meals at restaurants that cater to tourists – 20,000-30,000 MGA
• Meals at regular restaurants – 6,500-7,500 MGA
• Street snacks – 10-200 MGA (Be sure to try nem (spring rolls). They are incredible!)
• Accommodation – 65,000-200,000 MGA per night (you can easily find accommodation on Booking.com )
• Car with a driver – 350,000 MGA a day
• Grocery prices – 11,000-20,000 MGA (This would get you a kilo of rice, some zebu, and a variety of vegetables. Cooking your own food won’t really save you any money since restaurants here are so cheap.)
• SIM Card – 3,000 MGA, or 30,000 MGA for a 30-day, 4.5 GB data package (get Orange as it has the best network overall)
• Park entrance fees – 65,000-90,000 MGA plus 50,000-75,000 MGA for a guide
• Local mini buses – 10,000-20,000 MGA

Madagascar is a beautiful, raw, and enchanting country. There’s no place like it on earth. Far off the tourist trail, this a destination where your inner Anthony Bourdain can be set free to explore. I’m so glad I went, and though the old traveler adage is “I can’t wait to go back,” I suspect that my visit to Madagascar will be the only one in my lifetime. I hope I’m wrong though.

Book Your Trip to Madagascar: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• Safety Wing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.

Want More Information on Madagascar? Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Madagascar for even more planning tips!

  Note: I went to Madagascar with Intrepid Travel as part of our partnership. They paid for the tour and my expenses during the trip. I paid for my flights to and from Madagascar.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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The Ultimate Guide to Traveling Madagascar, The Red Island

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• Last Updated On: March 17, 2023

Adrift in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is a country few know much about, and even fewer have traveled to. Being the size of France, but with only 10 main roads, Madagascar is truly one of the last undiscovered areas of the world where one can really escape the influences of the modern age and escape to places hardly touched by the outside world. With otherworldly landscapes, thousands of endemic species of animals, and some of the world’s most beautiful and isolated beaches, Madagascar is a dream destination for the devoted traveler.

Of all the places I traveled to in Africa, Madagascar is at the very top in terms of untouched. I spent over a month traveling through this Madagascar and I made sure to write as much detail as possible in this post to make it your ultimate Madagascar travel guide!

History of Madagascar

Madagascar’s history is key to its development. The island split from Gondwanaland, modern day Africa, long before big predators had developed. Instead of primates, Madagascar developed lemurs, a gentle, unaggressive near-monkey, whose nearest relative lives in South America. There are more than 50 species now, but all have gentle hands and intense eyes.

A stunning 90% of Madagascar’s flora and fauna are endemic, found nowhere else in the world. Even the great Amazon in South America can’t compare to the diversity of life found in Madagascar. This is truly a place unlike anything else.

Its isolation also shaped the island’s culture. The human gene pool arrived by boat around 500BC, when settlers came from modern day Borneo (Indonesia) by canoe. These settlers were then joined by Bantu migrants from Mozambique around 1000AD. Here they blended and divided into numerous tribes, each with its own language and beliefs. Due to the history, the people of Madagascar, also known as the Malagasy , are a very curious blend of modern day Southeast Asian and African.

Arab traders came later on, followed by the French who would eventually colonize the island and also influence the culture and language of this island.

Getting to Madagascar

Madagascar is not an easy place to get to. Flights are expensive and long. All international flights arrive in Antananarivo, the country’s capital. There are just a few airlines that fly to Madagascar:

• Air France from Paris
• Kenyan Airways from Nairobi
• South African Airways/Airlink from Johannesburg
• Air Mauritius from Port Louis
• Air Madagascar from Paris and Johannesburg

Air Madagascar is the national airline and all domestic flights go through this company. They are known to be extremely unreliable and have terrible service. Domestic flights are expensive as well with some of the worst on-time records out there. Because of all the negative reviews I read about this airline, I opted to fly SAA from Johannesburg to Antananarivo instead, paying an extra 300$.

Flights from Johannesburg are 3.5 hours, and are 750-900$ on SAA! Again, not a cheap place to get to and perhaps one of the reasons there is such little tourism here, especially from their closest neighbors, South Africa. Flights on Air Madagascar are ~$600.

Madagascar Visas

Madagascar is one of the few African countries that do not require money for Visas. All citizens from the US, Canada, EU, UK, AU etc. DO NOT  need to get a visa before arrival, and  DO NOT need to buy a visa if the visit is less than 30 days.

Taxi Brousse and Cotisse Bus

For those that do not want to rent a car with a driver, the taxi brousse is the preferred budget backpacker route of getting around the island. Taxi brousses are well connected throughout the island with routes regularly running from town to town for a very cheap price. However, like the rest of Africa, group travel for locals is unreliable and uncomfortable. Be prepare to be jammed in to one of those hippie vans with way more people than it’s meant to fit. Pro tip? Buy two seats so you have more space.

In recent years, a company called Cotisse Transport has helped fill the void for those looking for more comfortable mass transport. Cotisse buses are much more comfortable and run on set schedules. They are of course more expensive, but I would much rather take these than a taxi brousse. Although one trip on a taxi brousse is worth the experience!

Tourism in Madagascar

Tourism in Madagascar is still a young industry. The locals like to think they get a lot of tourists but if only they knew. This country does NOT see much tourism, even during its high season. As it is a former colony of France and French is still widely spoken, the majority of tourists hail from France. I would say that 75% of the tourists we came across were older French people. Nevertheless, we were in Madagascar for a month and we could go a whole day without seeing a single foreigner. Beaches are isolated, restaurants are empty, and national parks are spacious. A very welcome change of pace from all the other African countries I’ve visited where tourism is so developed.

There are many ways to plan a trip here. Numerous tour agencies exist in Antananarivo. I  googled “Madagascar Tours” and there’s at least a dozen websites that do tours of the country. Many options exist.

Getting around Madagascar

You can book a fully planned tour, where one price is quoted including your transportation, park entrance fees, hotels, and food. If you’re feeling more adventurous and want flexibility, then you can also rent a 4×4 with a driver and create your own itinerary.

We ended up with the latter option, and rented a 4×4 with a driver for 20 days. This is the most common way to see Madagascar as the roads are in awful conditions and driving is the only way to get to many of the top attractions. I contacted numerous tour agencies and 50 euros a day seemed to be the going rate but I managed to bargain my way down to 40 euros a day. A steal in my opinion for the car AND a driver.

This price INCLUDES the driver’s accommodation and food. I was so confused by this at first.  Where the hell does the driver sleep? He can’t possibly afford the places we’re staying at. Turns out, most of the hotels have sleeping quarters for drivers, and if not, there are hotels for the “locals” for less than $5 a night. Foreigners are allowed to stay in these hotels as well. Consider them the extreme budget options.

Planning our own Madagascar trip with help

We went with  GMT+3 Tours ,  who were incredibly helpful. I told them the amount of time I had, and the sights I wanted to see, and they planned a whole itinerary for us and reserved our hotels after I gave them our budget. They hire freelance tourism drivers and our drivers name was Serge. He was a great driver and had so many great stories of Madagascar. He’s traveled around the entire island numerous times and knows everything about it. I would highly recommend him! If you’re just looking for a driver and are okay planning everything on your own, please email him at  [email protected]

Tourism is cheap in this country. A high end budget for a hotel is 40 euros a night! Split between two people, this isn’t much compared to the rest of Africa. There didn’t seem to be many traditional hostels in this country as again, tourism is small, and the tourists that come here are old Frenchmen that wouldn’t stay at a hostel anyhow. Food is cheap, beer is cheap, fruit is incredibly cheap. It’s easy to live well here.

How many days is necessary to see Madagascar

Madagascar is a special place. It is also the most undeveloped country I’ve ever seen and this is from someone that’s seen much of Africa. The main highways are 1.5 lanes, pothole infested, questionable roads with no markings on it whatsoever.

It takes awhile to get places, even if you have your own car. We spent almost 4 weeks here, visiting the Tsingy Stone Forest, Morondava, Ranomafana Forest, Isalo National Park, Andasibe Park, and Ile Ste Marie. I’d say 10 days is the minimum amount of days to do this country any sort of justice. Three weeks is more ideal and one could easily spend 3 months here and have plenty to do.

The official languages in Madagascar are French and Malagasy. The former is the language left behind from colonial times and used primarily among the more educated and those working in tourism. Malagasy is the more commonly spoken language. Everyone speaks Malagasy, with only about 15% of the people able to speak fluent French. Miraculously, all 20 million people in Madagascar speak various dialects of Malagasy, and everyone can understand each other. This is a farcry from other African countries where there are dozens of languages in just one country that are completely unrelated to each other.

After visiting Madagascar, being able to speak French is highly useful. I’d recommend learning some basic phrases just to get around as the English spoken in this country is very poor. Thankfully, my French is serviceable and this was a savior in getting by.

The lack of education in this country is alarming and if someone does not work in the tourism industry, or live in a big city, there is a good chance they will not speak French either. Thanks to modern day technology, make sure to download the offline French language pack with the Google Translate app before coming here!

Money in Madagascar

The only expensive part of Madagascar is getting there. After that, this country is likely one of the cheapest places you’ll ever visit. Madagascar uses the  Ariary  as the official currency. It was traded 2,500 Ariary to 1 USD when I visited in Sep 2014, and is trading around 2,700 Ariary to 1 USD upon the completion of this blog post in December. Ariary’s come in 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10000 notes. Yes, the biggest bill in Madagascar is the 10,000 ariary note, or ~$4!!

Since Madagascar is a former colony, the majority of its visitors are French and the Euro is commonly used by tour operators’ in quotinge prices for tours. Many tourism operators recommend taking Euros to the country and exchanging it at the airport. This is a good move but if you have a bank card that does not charge you ATM fees, this is not necessary as the ATMs in this country dispense cash just fine.

Exchanging Money

Long answer short, exchange all money at the airport. Euros are the preferred currency but dollars and pounds are readily available. The exchange rates given at the airport are good, close to market spot rate.

ATMs in Madagascar

As Madagascar’s tourism industry flourishes, so will the availability of ATMs. During my time in the country, ATMs were available in all the bigger cities ONLY . ATMs accept Visa and BNI accepts Mastercard as well (but best to go with Visa to be safe). The ATMs had a single withdrawal limit of 400,000 Ariary when we went (160$)

Cash is king

Cash is the only method of payment in 95% of Madagascar. Only the ultra high end hotels and restaurants accept credit card. We were able to use our credit card just twice during our month in the country, once at a high end hotel in Isalo National Park, and the other at a hotel in Antananarivo (but they wanted to charge us a fee so we ended up paying cash). Even the gas stations do not take credit cards!

Prepare to visit the ATM frequently and prepare to carry around huge wads of cash. 400,000 Ariary is 40 bills and a full tank refill on a 4×4 is more than half of that so money goes quickly!

Food in Madagascar

Most of Africa has pretty bland, uninspired food. With the Southeast Asian influence in Madagascar, I thought the food would be more flavorful. Right and wrong. Madagascar has the potential to create good food. There are a lot of spices, vegetables, and fruits to be had here but the country has not developed its cuisine for tourism yet.

There is a fine line between food cooked for the locals, and food cooked for tourists. The latter is more French inspired than Malagasy. The former consists of rice (biggest part of Malagasy diet), a meat, and maybe some stew for flavoring.

Street food is available everywhere and although dirt cheap (1-2$ a meal), we found local cuisine to be lacking in flavor. The French style cuisine meant for tourists run usually $5-8 a plate and is a bit better, although still nothing like the delicious food you can find in Southeast Asia.

Zebu, Madagascar’s version of the cow, and the locals feverishly vocalize the distinction between zebus and cows, is one of the staple dishes in Madagascar. Considered the most sacred of animals, we ate Zebu almost all every meal when there wasn’t seafood. It’s tasty, especially with some Madagascan Green Peppercorn sauce and Sakay chilies!

Fresh fruit is a staple in Madagascar and can be found on the side of the street, in the market, or pretty much anywhere. Depending on the time of year, different fruits will be available. In September, we found an abundance of pineapples, oranges, mangoes, strawberries, and raspberries. Prices are incredibly cheap. I could buy a whole pineapple cut into small pieces for 1,500 Ariary ($0.60). Madagascar is also the world’s largest lychee exporter and during the month of December, lychee can be had in huge quantities for dirt cheap.

When to visit Madagascar

Madagascar is a country the size of France but has the geological diversity of a country the size of America. There are many different climates throughout the country.

• The area surrounding Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital, is surrounded by mountains giving a climate that is cool at night
• The east coast is subtropical with beautiful beaches and abundant rain
• The west coast is drier than either the east coast or the central highlands because the trade winds lose their humidity by the time they reach this region
• The deep south is semi-desert, with very little rain falling here

The rainy reason runs December-March, and it is best to avoid visiting during this time. Violent cyclones can hit the country at this time and the roads leading up to tourist attractions like the Tsingy Stone Forest, can be completely washed away. May-October are driest, coolest months, and the best time to visit.

Madagascar weather is beautiful all year around. But when is the best time to visit Madagascar? Find out on  Sunheron , a website that provides you with all kinds of weather information and helps you to find the best holiday based on criteria you choose!

And finally, my Madagascar itinerary

And finally, my four week itinerary for Madagascar. I spent weeks planning this out so hopefully this will help whomever’s reading this in the future. Again, it was good to have a tour agent to help me plan this as I could only do so much research from the internet. He gave me helpful tips like don’t bother visiting Tulear at the end of the RN7 as you’re going to Ile Sainte Marie anyway.

Read my detailed Madagascar Itinerary

Further Reading

To read more detailed accounts of my travels through the Red Island, click on the following posts:

• Morondava and the Avenue of the Baobabs
• Tsingy Stone Forest
• Ranomafana National Park
• Isalo National Park
• Ile Sainte Marie and Ile Aux Nattes

Continue Reading:

• The Perfect Travel Itinerary For Madagascar
• Guide To Visiting Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar
• Guide To Visiting Andasibe National Park And Lemur Island, Madagascar
• The Ultimate Mozambique Travel Guide
• The Best Of Johnny Africa – Top Moments Traveling Through Africa
• The Ultimate Guide to Ile Sainte Marie and Ile Aux Nattes
• Guide To Hiking The Tsingy Stone Forest, Madagascar
• Ultimate Guide To Visiting Isalo National Park, Madagascar
• The Perfect Travel Itinerary For Mozambique
• What I’ve Learned After Traveling To 50 Countries
• Guide to Visiting Morondava and Avenue Of The Baobabs
• The Ultimate One Week and Two Week Travel Itinerary for Uganda
• Why South Africa Is The Perfect Destination To Learn English
• The Ultimate Maldives Budget Travel Guide – Paradise For Cheap

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Brilliant article – stunning country !!

Thank you and glad you liked mada!

did your rate of 40 per day per person for car +driver include petrol?

Cheers Miomir

Not petrol. I would also expect these prices to be higher now as this post was written in 2015.

What a great article! We’re currently dreaming of going to Madagascar again – we’ve been there before and we love, love love it! Here’s to a year with loads of travel plans and new experiences!

I just found your site – and I love it. What great pics and usefulll info. Thank you Benny // https://danmarkmedposten.dk/

I agree with every factor that you have pointed out. Thank you for sharing your beautiful thoughts on this.

Please see my blog, The Ultimate Guide to Writing an Interesting Travel Book Hope this will help, Thank you!

What a great article! We’re currently dreaming of going to Madagascar again – we’ve been there before and we love, love love it! Here’s to hoping for a better 2021 and 2022 with loads of travel plans and new experiences!

– Cirkeline // RejsRejsRejs

If you want even more tips for your trip to Madagascar, you’re welcome to read our article on it here

John!! It’s Annie from college. Googled Madagascar and this page came up haha! Now I really want to go! Hope you are well.

Thanks for sharing this great article Johnny! Very well-written! Hope this will help, Thank you!

I will be travelling to Madagascar from the 7 – 27 of January. It seems that hiring a car with a driver is the best method of transportation, just wondering how this works when you spend days not driving? I read in one of your other posts that the daily price of the vehicle includes the drivers lodging, wondering how this works if you spend multiple days in one place not driving (hiking or relaxing at the beach for a few days) but then would need the vehicle again.

Any information would be helpful, and if you have any suggestions for an itinerary that would be great!

Hi SJ, this was a perplexing question for me as well when I first started planning my trip. The per day price almost always pays for the drivers lodging and food. He does not stay with you but rather at a nearby hotel for locals (much cheaper). If you’re in one place for a long time but you will need the car later, you’ll still need to pay for him to stay. For us, we had the driver for most of our trip but at the end when we went to Ile Sainte Marie, we parted ways there because we were going to the beach. However, you won’t have to pay for the gas since he’s not doing much during that time. As for itineraries, make sure to read my Madagascar itinerary for ideas!

My beautiful Madagascar !!! Thanks for sharing. I share some tips on how to prepare your trips to Madagascar on my Blog https://www.tsiky-tour.com/blog

“Most of Africa has pretty bland, uninspired food.” There is no way this statement is true but carry on………

I should rephrase it to Most of the Africa I’ve been to. Outside of South Africa, Mozambique, and Zanzibar, I’ve not been a big fan of the food I’ve tried. Don’t get me wrong, I still ate all the food and in abundance but it’s just not as flavorful as other cuisines. Just personal opinion

i am very thankful for such an informations i’ve got from the article and comments.

I will go to Madagascar 9th of September for 3 weeks and really can’t think about the best route to choose (and what type of transport to choose). Can you help me with just cue points?

Regards Martin

Hi martin, it really depends on what you want to see! I always recommend the western parts (baobabs and Tsingy stone forest). That will take a week. from there, you can do the RN7 down to the other big parks. Do you want to go to beaches? Then, perhaps spend less time along the RN7 and then fly to Ile Sainte Marie or Nosy Be. Transport for a 3 week trip I’d highly recommend the 4×4 with a driver. Three weeks is not much to see anything with the Taxi Brousse. Have fun!

Hi Johnny, we would like to see the best what madagascar offer.

So Antananarivo -> RN7 -> Ranomafana National Park, Isalo National Park … From there somehow baobabs and Tsingy.

From there is possible to flight close to Sainte Marie,

What are the prices for 4×4 with driver? May you recommend company (some more budget / mid price)?

Thank you very much! 🙂 (we will have a fun mostly because we can’t speak french :D)

Yes that sounds like a good itinerary. you can fly from Tana to ISM and that will save you a few days of traveling. When I went in 2014, car + driver is 40 euros. Nowadays it’s probably closer to 50-60 euros a day. You also hav eto pay for the gas. Contact GMT + 3 as they are the ones that sorted me out with my driver!

Thank you for sharing this insightful post on Madagascar. My significant other and I are medical residents planning to work in Antsirabe for 1 month this October. We are planning on traveling for 2 weeks prior to our work assignment. It would be difficult to cover all the sites an we do not wish to rush our itinerary. What are your “must see” sites in Madagascar that we should incorporate into our 2 week road trip? Did you do any diving in Madagascar, if so where, and was the equipment safe (we are both advanced certified). Lastly, as we will be based in Ansirabe for 1 month, which sites do you think we could save for weekend trips? Thanks for your help in advance!!

Hi Phyllis, since you will be based out of Antsirabe, I’d recommend you save the parks along the RN7 for your “weekend” trips. For your two weeks, i’d definitely spend 1 week visiting the west (the Baobabs and the Tsingy Stone forest), and spend the other one on one of the islands, either Ile Sainte Marie or Nosy Be. I did dive on Ile sainte Marie (you can read about it on my ISM post), and the quality of the shop is top notch as it belongs to the nicest resort on that island. I heard the diving in Nosy Be is better however! Enjoy your trip, you will have a blast!

Hi Johnny, Thanks for the info! Makes my decision easier! Its funny the quotes I got vary from $1600 to $270o per person. Madagascar Natural tour quoted $1600 per person and Ortour $1900 with all inclusive except domestic flight. Gassitour quoted $35/day x 19 days for car and driver only. Ramantour quoted $2700 all inclusive including flight. And GMT quoted $1650 for car/driver and helping us book hotels for 19 days. It seems very inconvenient to me to have to carry a large sum of cash around for 3 weeks since ATMs are not easily accessible so I might go with the Madagascar Natural tour. Thanks again Johnny!

Thanks for all those data points! Gassitour is only charging $35/day for the car and driver? That is incredibly cheap. Too cheap in fact. nevertheless, carrying around large sums of cash is annoying for sure. Enjoy your trip!!

Hi Johnny, Phyllis again. Im in midst of planning my trip thats coming up in 3 weeks and am deciding between renting just driver vs package provided by travel agency. One company quoted $2200 for driver, 4×4 car, fuel, all hotels, 3 day andringitra trekking, Park entrance and guide, and 1 one way domestic flight back to tana for 19 days. I know you only rented the driver and car and sorted out the rest yourself. If you dont mind me asking, how much did u spend total on your trip in total so I have something to compare it to. Also, do you think the convenience of everything prearrange outweighs the cost esp if we dont speak French?

Hi Phyllis, is that price for per person or for two people? If for two, that seems like a great deal. Almost too good to be true.

I had my driver for just over 3 weeks. Each day was 40 EUROS which at the time was 50 USD. Plus the gas was at least another $400-500 as we were constantly filling up. A general breakdown of my expenses

Car for 3+ weeks: $1100 Gas: $500 Hotels: ~$40/night average Entrance fees + Guide: $30-50 per park for two (Tsingy was more)

Just that alone is more than much more than $2200! What company are you using if I may ask??

I’m currently planning to visit Madagascar 2 weeks & Ile Ste MarieMarie 2 weeks in February 2018 – I will be flying to JNB to TNR, i am wondering if you can book just the driver for around two weeks on GMT +3 and how much that would cost? Then after that i will fly to Ile Ste Marie from TNR and stay here for a further two weeks do you have any tips at all on where to stay in the first two weeks and also can you get around on just a rented scooter in Ile Ste Marie?

I will be traveling alone which i why i will be flying to Ile Ste Marie.

Hi Jordan, When I went I paid 40 euros for a car + driver. It is probably at least 50 euros now per day so I would budget around that (note that this does not include the cost of gas). As for ISM, there are plenty of places to stay so it depends on your budget but I really enjoyoed my time on Ile Aux Nattes (just south of ISM)! And yes a scooter is more than enough for getting around ISM!

https://johnnyafrica.com/madagascar-ile-sainte-marie/

Thanks for the swift reply Johnny! I think I will plan Madagascar properly first then and visit ISM, scootering around a pirate island sounds likes the one for me!

Hey Johnny.. Thanks for the great information. Am considering a trip to Madagascar also.. Just wondering if there are places to chill at night there, I know it’s hot a huge party place but is it safe for tourists to go to bars, or are there bars? Thanks, Christine

Hi Christine, aside from the larger cities that receive more tourists (Morondava, Ile Sainte Marie, Tana, Tamatave etc), there aren’t many Western style bars to speak of. We went out one night in Antsirabe and saw perhaps 5 foreigners the entire night. There aren’t many “bars” to speak of. It seems that most peopel just congregate in the streets, drinking and eating all night which is what we did!

Thank you for such an informative post. We are planning/considering a month-long visit to Madagascar in June. The cost is a shocker, getting there from the US, assuming crazy man Trump doesn’t shut us down. We love travel to all places on this earth, and are trying to fill our budget for such a splurge. I’m curious as to what was your favorite part of your experience in Madagascar?

Hi Ron, I know what you mean about Trump. At least you won’t have to fly back from the Middle East if you come to Madagascar. It’s really hard to pick a favorite part of Madagasar. Just being in a place that is so remote and so rustic with landscapes I’ve never seen before made it so special for me.

If I absolutely had to pick a favorite place, I think I would choose the Western area with the Tsingy Stone Forest + Avenue of the Baobabs. Followed closely by the beaches of Ile Aux Nattes and Ile Sainte Marie. You can’t go wrong with any part of the island in my opinion!

Hi Johnny, Thanks for all the info. I am trying to plan a trip going to all of the same places as you minus Mahambo and Sainte Marie! I know you rented a 4×4, but I just want to clarify that you didn’t take any flights within the country to get to your destinations? I don’t like the idea of flying Madagascar Air, but your itinerary (and the one I am trying to plan) seems to include so much driving. Did you feel like you had to spend too much time cooped up in the car, and that it wasted a lot of time, or was there good scenery to look at along the way and a nice break from all the hiking in the heat? Also, did you ever try taking a taxi brousse? Thanks!

Hi Sarah, the Madagascar landscape is nothign short of breathtaking. It’s certainly some of the most otherworldly terrains I’ve seen. I will admit, even with that said, it did get monotonous at times because. The roads are terrible so you ARE in the car for long periods of time but that is honestly the best way to get around in Madagascar and it’s all part of the adventure :). You can take flights from say Tana to Morondava, but you’ll need to have a car once again to get to say Tsingy NP.

We did sort of take a taxi brousse. On the way back from Ile Sainte Marie, the ferry we were originally planning on taking just left 4 hours earlier without us knowing. We had a car picking us up from Toamasina to take us to Tana the same day (as our flight was the next day). Since we were so late, the guy already left and we were on our own. There are regular taxi brousse’s that leave from Toamasina to Tana but we were impatient so we ended up just paying for the whole van, like a private taxi brousse back to Tana!

Great blog…thanks.

Me any my wife travel to Madagascar in early September for three weeks, can’t wait. Doing a similar route than yours from Tana to ISM via Andisibe and Palmaruim, but traveling along the Pangalanes to Tamatave. Decided to use GMT+3 who have already been a great help.

Been on many holidays but are virgin travellers so got a couple of questions if that’s OK

How bad are the mosquitoes as the wife is freaking out about them? Backpacking so any tips on clothing and footwear, how cold are evenings etc? Any tips on key French phrases, its been a while since school and I was rubbish then

Cheers mate

Dean (Leeds, England)

Hi Dean, thanks for the comments and awesome that you are visiting Mada!

1. Would say the mosquitoes are not that bad where we went. Obviously Mada is a very geographically diverse place so there could be places where it’s a bit of an issue. I know Malaria is something to be aware of but I didn’t take any pills during my month there.

2. Mada is warm for the most part. Antsirabe was the only place I felt a bit cold in. As it’s up in the mountains, the temps can drop to the teens at night. But nothing a light jumper didn’t solve (still wearing shorts). Everywhere else I was pretty much wearing a tank top and shorts.

3. Definitely some basic french will help! Most people don’t even speak French but just knowing how to count, and how to order basic food should be helpful.

Enjoy your trip!

Glad I found your travel blog. This is the best travel blog I have read with such detailed agenda with restaurants, hotels, and sightseeing recommendations with prices and websites. We plan to go to Madagascar in July to August 2017. We have 17 or possibly 18 days for the trip. What are “must see” places for Madagascar? We love culture but not too much into the beach scene (not beach worshippers). We are a couple in our 50’s.We definitely are there for the lemurs. Also, regarding the company you hired for the driver-guide with the 4 x 4 jeep, was there any problems during the trip? Was the driver flexible in taking you where you wanted to go?

HI Silvana! thanks for the comments and awesome that you’re headed to Madagascar!

It’s hard to pinpoint my highlights of Madagascar. It’s cliche i know, but honestly everywhere that I visited was one amazing thing after another. I think it’s just the whole package of visiting a place that is so remote and so isolated from developed society which made me appreciate every moment of it.

However, if I had to choose, I would definitely say the Avenue of the Baobabs, Tsingy Stone Forest, Isalo National Park, and Ile Aux Nattes. I know you said you’re not into the beach scene but the beaches here are not just stunningly beautiful but completely isolated from society. https://johnnyafrica.com/madagascar-ile-sainte-marie/

As for the driver, aside from his lack of English speaking ability (I speak enough French to get around), everything was perfect. We came up with the itinerary beforehand and he just drove us to our respective guesthouses, teaching us about Madagascar and Malagasy culture along the way!

talking about the tour operator… so you asked for a english speaker driver and they provide you with a basic english speaker? do the driver tell you about culture and stuff or he just drive?

Hi Axel, yes we specifically asked for an English driver because my friend didn’t speak English. He could speak a few works in but relaly not enough to converse.

Thankfully, I speak enoguh French and had Google Translate so I could talk to the guy. But he was more than inclined to teach me about the culture and customs of the country. He had been a driver for decades and visited all parts of Madagascar so it was extremely interesting getting his perspective on things!

I stumbled upon your blog while researching about a living cost in Cape Town and read about your travels in Madagascar. I was just there in April and had Serge from GMT as my driver for 7 days while traveling solo from Tana to Morondava. My amazing experience of exploring the beautiful Madagascar was made unforgettable because of the incredible service from the kind hearted driver and travel companion, Serge who made me feel at ease as a young woman alone in a foreign country. It was so good to see his picture from someone else’s experience 🙂 and I love reading about your travels! Very informative and helpful. Thank you for sharing 🙂

Hi Yenni, what a coincidence! Small world for sure and I’m glad to see Serge is still doing his thing. He was incredibly helpful with us too and definitely made our trip. I actually just sent your comment to my friend who traveled with me and oh what good memories Madagascar was :). Glad you got to see that amazing place. I still rave about it whenever people ask me what my favorite places are.

thanks for great and useful sites. Me and my fiance are planning our honeymoon in June this year and we are thinking about pretty much same itinerary. Can you tell me tell me approximately the total amount spent during your trip (excluding international flights)?

Thank you very much

Hi Omar! We spent just under a month there. With how difficult it is to get around everywhere, I think the more time the better especially if you want to see a good amount of the island.

Hi Johnny, Thanks soooo much for this info, I am desperately trying to organise myself for a solo trip for about a month at a budget. I’m an experienced traveller who just wants to do my own specific iteniary, and get to the National Parks and hike and see wildlife really, so I’m looking at your account and thinking it could be done by hiring a driver to get me around and then at the parks get some experienced guides as I believe each park has them available for hire upon arrival. Can you confirm this? My problem is, all the peeps I contact regarding a car hire are quoting me for a guide, hotels, foods, blah blah etc and seriously like it is turning into a multi- million dollar luxury tour which is not what I am after! Can you suggest where I look to find just the drivers? I suspect they think as a female I would want this, but no, I am an ecologist so I am used to camping in the bush and I kind of like it! Any way, your blogs are awesome, Thanks again, Nicola

Hi Nicola! I actually had a single female friend travel through Madagascar for a month. She used GMT+3 like I did and rented JUST the driver. She pretty much emulated my itinerary and booked almost the same accomodations as me and it was fine. Try contacting GMT+3 and ask for just the driver.

I agree, the tours are a complete rip off, especially after you see how cheap of a country Madagascar is to travel through. THey are just taking advantage of your unfamiliarity and naivety with the country. Definitely just be persistent and ask for the driver only.

First , I would like to mention that your information is very interesting for the tourist with wonderful pictures . I am an American in Madagascar and resident for 15 years and also a New York City street rat way back when I was a boy.

Also the ariary is now 3,290 as of 11/11/2015 for the dollar but in terms of the local economy they do not see the rise in prices because Madagascar is for the most part a closed society. The Vasaha might- because we buy imported products like refrigerators so we see the reflected prices. I spent less money than I did 10 years ago even though the Ariary back is less than half of what it is today on local products.

Also the locals will use FMG much of the time unless they see you as a Vasaha then it is the ariary so be sure it is one or the other or you could be paying 5 times the amount.

On wards to the real issue I am concerned about and to understand your thinking…….

I read on another travel Blog that you and your friend tip your driver $10 a day and by the end of the trip the tip came to about what the average Malagasy for their position makes in 5 months and that does not include their Salary from the tour company. Would you tip that much money to a driver back in New York City? You did notice that in your travels that Madagascar is a non-tipping society for very special reasons related to customs and culture. You may be interested in this Sustainable & Responsible tourism is the concept of visiting a place as a tourist and trying to make only a positive impact on the environment, society and economy by acting like a local.. Tourism can involve primary transportation to the general location, local transportation, accommodations, entertainment, recreation, nourishment and shopping. Much as we try to improve the benefits of tourism to local people and conservation, many of our holidays require an international flight with its associated CO2 emissions. For more details on about Global ethics of travel read the following.

This is a group effort that includes not only travelers but also hoteliers, tour agencies, guides, …etc

For more details of these code of ethics then visit

Global code for tourism http://www.unwto.org/ethics/index.php

…unwto.org/sites/all/files/docpdf/responsibl…

Responsible is a heavy word and acting in a respectable manner of the culture and customs will leave a positive footprint for others who follow

Hi I did not know about the tipping part of Madagascar! Most third world countries I’ve visited, I just naturally tip because it’s money they need far more than me. I never tipped at the hotel restaurants because they just added it to my final bill when we checked out.

Sadly enough, we tip our taxi drivers in New York City about 15-20%. It’s not even because they provided any special service but something that’s ingrained into the heads of people in America. Terrible actually, but it’s just how things are. But it is good to know that Madagascar is not a tipping society!

Firstly, thanks for the excellent website! My fiancé and I are planning on taking our honeymoon in Madagascar and this site has already been really useful.

I was wondering how safe Madagascar felt in comparison to other countries in Southern Africa? We have read a few things saying that tourists should keep a very low profile, far more so than other places we have been to. How did you feel while you were there?

Also, do you have any suggested companies to provide a car/driver? We would be happy to pay extra for a reliable, English speaking guide.

Thanks! Richard

Hi Richard! THanks for the comment. WHere are you reading those claims? I was there about a year ago and I couldn’t have felt more safe. My friend and I actually walked around Antsirabe at night to join in on some Malagasy concert that was taking place and we had a great time. I’d say it’s no different than your standard African country. I found the people to be incredibly friendly and curious.

Obviously you just need to be aware of your surroundings but that is every country in teh world, your home country included :).

As for English guides, I don’t have any that I know of. I specifically requestsed from the tour operator I organized my tour from that it MUST be an English speaker and he assured me it would be. I show up at the airport, meet the guy, and he spoke maybe 100 English words, hence he is an “English Speaker”. hah, thankfully I speak enough French to get by but yes it would have been difficult otherwise.

Thanks Johnny, very reassuring.

It was something we read on a few travel forums, especially violent robberies in Nosy Be and on the Tsiribihina river. But like you say, everywhere in the world requires a little bit of care. We are just finalising our plans before we go ahead and book our honeymoon for May!

Thanks Richard

Thanks firstly for the excellent website, my fiance and I have been organising our honeymoon in Madagascar and these posts have already been really useful.

I was wondering how safe Madagascar feels in comparison to other countries in Southern Africa? We have read a few reports online advising tourists to keep a low profile, more so than other places we have been to. Is it any worse than South Africa or Mozambique say?

Also, do you have any recommendations for companies which could provide a car and driver? We would be happy to pay the extra for a reliable, English speaking guide.

Hi Johnny – thanks for this post – so useful! One quick question, how easy is it to find a driver on short notice? Is this something hotels can arrange for you? Thanks!

Hi Rebecca! Thanks for the comments. Yes finding a driver on short notice is easy. There are plenty of drivers especially in antananarivo, and any hotel will be able to recommend you a driver. They might not have the most competitive rates however is the problem.

You truly have an awesome blog. I wish I had the time to post such stories and pictures of my travels. I am also a young man in my twenties who lives to travel.

My girlfriend and I are actually planning to go to Madagascar for three weeks, but we’re not sure how to travel around there. Do you think it’s wise and easy to hire a 4×4 ourselves there? If so, would it save a lot of money to do so instead of hiring a 4×4+driver?

Thanks again for your wonderful blog.

Hi Faraz! I definitley do NOT recommend renting a car on your own. I always read about people that want to drive themselves around Madagascar but I just don’t understand why. The roads are probably the worst roads I’ve ever seen from a tourist ready country. If you hire a driver with a guide, they cater 100% to your itinerary so you’re in complete control. They are there to drive whenever wherever you want them to. Most of them have also traveled extgensively through Madagascar so they’ll be able to teach you about the history and offer any personal touches on the sights that you would never get traveling on your own. Being as undeveloped as Mada is, things can go wrong very quickly, and the last thing you’ll want to have happen is to have a tire go out and not be able to speak to any of the locals to get help. And it’s not even that much cheaper! Not worth saving the 15 euros a day in my opinion.

So to sum it up, I think you and your girlfriend should definitely rent a car with a driver 🙂

Johnny, thanks for the helpful and funny info. I’m planning a trip for late November and will likely reach out with questions.

Madagascar still my favorite place in Africa! You will love it. Keep the questions flowing!

Hi It’s am planning trip to Madagascar. Only have 15 days though. What highlights/region could you recommend? Like to end in Ile St Marie….so maybe head East but would like to see some of highlands down South too if possible.

Hey Andy, I think 15 days is enough to a southern circuit, and then either drive to ISM or fly to ISM. From Tana, head on the RN7 which is the country’s main tourist road, down to Ranomafana, and Isalo Park. Then drive back up, visit Andasibe NP for 2 nights and then drive to the ferry to ISM. This might be too agressive of an itinerary because it just takes forever to get anywhere in Mada so you might consider skipping Andasibe and going straight to ISM!

Hi It’s been fun reading your posts and am planning trip to Madagascar. Only have 15 days though. What highlights/region could you recommend? Like to end in Ile St Marie….so maybe head East but would like to see some of highlands down South too if possible.

Hi It’s been fun reading your posts and am planning trip to Madagascar. Only have 15 days though. What highlights/region could you recommend? Like to end in Ile St Marie….so maybe head East but would like to see some of highlands down South too if possible. Thanks

Hi Jonny, I’ve read about your trip in Mada and I’ve found it very interesting! I’m going there next August and I’ll need to rent a car + driver. Could you pls suggest me your driver?

thanks a lot! claudio

HI Claudio! There are a lot of drivers in Madagascar but I had a great experience iwth my guide. He didn’t speak very good English though so I’d only recommend him if you can have basic conversation in French.

Serge – [email protected]

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

I read your posts on Madagascar, all really inspiring. My boyfriend and I are going to Madagascar in August 2015 and we have actually planned to do almost the same tour as you did. I was wondering how much money you spend in total (without plane tickets)? And where did you find you driver? We are planning on renting a 4×4 car most of the time if we can find someone not too expensive.

Thank you for a very nice blog and hope you have time to answer!

Best regards, Sofie (Denmark)

Hi Sofie! Awesome to hear you’re headed to Madagascar! I was there for about 4 weeks and we ended up spending about $2k a person. Half of that cost went to paying for the car (about 40 euros a day which I think is very reasonable), and gas, which we would have to fill up frequently sinc ewe traveled long distances and it was a old gas guzzler of a 4×4.

We also stayed at a higher end place in the Isalo just to see what it was all about so that added to the costs. We did a few dives on Ile Sainte Marie that weren’t cheap either!

It all sounds really amazing! Do you remember how long time it took for you to get from Fianarantsoa to Morondava? I read somewhere that someone said the road between Antsirabe and Morondava is considered dangerous – did you have any troubles there?

And is it possible to get from Antananarivo to Ile sainte Marie/Ile aux nattes in one day?

Sorry for all the questions, it is just really difficult to get much information about the transportation and what is best to do there! And I think it is nice to know before we get there so we can make the most out of it 🙂

Hey again! We went to Morondava first so from antsirabe to Morondava and back to antsirabe and to Ranomafana and Fianarantsoa. From morondava to antsirabe we didn’t experience any problems at all, just a bumpy ride like the rest of Madagascar 🙂

As for tana to Ile Sainte marie, it’s definitely not possible in a day. To go from tana to toamasina is like 8 hours and then the ferry to ism is actually in Soanierana Ivango, about 3 hours North of tamatave and the ferry only leaves to ism in the morning. I’d do what we did and stay in a place like Mahambo, a really chilled out beachside Town in between toamasina and soanierana ivango for a night and then catch the ferry the next morning!

Awesome post! Thanks so much for the detailed info. Currently living in Cape Town and trying to plan my own trip to Madagascar so this is super helpful!

Find cheap flights to Madagascar from $799

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Good to know

Faqs - booking madagascar flights, i'm traveling to madagascar to visit ranomafana national park. where should i fly into.

Ivato International Airport is the main airport where such flights fly into. It is the biggest airport and the one with numerous arriving international flights in Madagascar. It is situated 9.9 miles northwest of the city center and 3.1 miles north of the RN4 road to northwest Madagascar. The airport has international departures and arrivals situated on the left side of the airport while domestic services on the right. Antananarivo has amenities like baggage carousels, waiting areas, check-in counters, screening equipment, and several other amenities found at international airports.

How do I fly from the UK and Ireland to Madagascar?

You're not likely to enjoy direct flights from the UK and Ireland to Madagascar. However, you can take a flight to Nairobi (NBO) from London Heathrow (LHR) and then connect to Madagascar through TNR. You could also take a flight to Paris (CDG) and then fly Air France to Madagascar.

Are there direct flights to Madagascar?

There are limited flights to Madagascar. However, the most convenient way to visit Madagascar from the US is via Paris or Bangkok. Ivato International Airport's main airlines include Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Delta, KLM, and Air France.

Which airlines fly to Madagascar from Australia and New Zealand?

The majority of flights from Australia and New Zealand to Madagascar are run by Air Austral and Air Mauritius. These offer no direct flights to Madagascar, but you can fly through Bangkok (BKK), Johannesburg (JNB), or Nairobi (NBO) and then to TNR.

Do I need a visa to visit Madagascar?

Currently, tourists visiting Madagascar must produce tourist visas that are valid for six months past their arrival date. Although you can get your visa at Antananarivo Airport, it is imperative to obtain one before traveling to Madagascar. Visas bought upon arrival can only be bought using dollars, euros, and Malagasy ariary only.

Can I rent a car at Ivato International Airport (TNR)?

Yes, you can easily rent a car at TNR and leave the airport in style. We recommend booking your car rental in advance when booking the flight. Some car rental brands to consider at TNR include Budget, Firefly, Alamo, Dolla, Hertz, Avis, and National.

Which airport is near Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park?

Antananarivo is the closest airport to Tsingy de Bermaraha National Park. It is located approximately 178 miles to the National Park with the entire voyage taking approximately 4h 47min, including layovers. To get to the National Park, you can rent a car or take a tour bus.

What are the kid's seat rules for getting out of TNR with kids on board?

Child safety seats are not mandatory in Madagascar; however, it is recommended for the safety of the children in the car. To stay safe, passengers in a car must be buckled up and therefore you can ask for a kid's seat from the rental counter.

Which lounges are available at Ivato International Airport (TNR)?

There are several lounges located right at TNR. These include Air Madagascar Business Class Lounge found in the Main Terminal and Air France Lounge located in the International Terminal. These lounges are accessible if you fly first or business class.

What is the best public transportation option for leaving TNR?

You can easily travel out of TNR with a special shuttle offered by ADEMA Navettes. This service will quickly transport you between the airport and multiple popular destinations in Antananarivo, including offering you door-to-door service to your destination. You can also choose an economical shared-ride minibus, also known locally as 'Taxi-Be', for your trip from TNR. Although these vehicles tend to be crowded and make several stops along the way, you can end up saving in fare costs compared to taking a traditional taxi.

How long is the flight to Madagascar?

An average nonstop flight from the United States to Madagascar takes 31h 34m, covering a distance of 9570 miles. The most popular route is New York - Antananarivo with an average flight time of 24h 45m.

What is the cheapest flight to Madagascar?

The cheapest ticket to Madagascar from the United States found in the last 72 hours was $1,047. The most popular route is New York John F Kennedy Intl to Antananarivo and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $1,047.

What are the most popular destinations in Madagascar?

The next most popular destination is Nosy Be (3%).

How does KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy?

KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a given destination and date is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Madagascar

• Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Madagascar flight deals.
• If you are planning to visit multiple cities in Madagascar, you can fly to Antananarivo as it is the main city in Madagascar. Antananarivo is the primary entry point for Madagascar and is situated in the island’s Central Highlands. From Antananarivo, you can conveniently travel to the neighboring cities such as Moramanga, Fenoarivo, Fandriana, Faratsiho, Betafo, Anjozorobe, Arivonimamo, Soavinandriana and others. For instance, you can conveniently fly from Antananarivo to a city like Fandriana as the entire voyage covers approximately 91 miles.
• International travelers can fly to Madagascar on several airlines, such as Turkish Airlines, Delta, and Ethiopian Air. Additionally, Air Madagascar is the national flag carrier of the island country. The airline features an expansive domestic route network and connections to both Asia and Europe and most of Africa and the Indian Ocean islands.
• Since there is no direct flight from New York to Madagascar, you can first land in Paris, France, and then fly via an Air France or Air Madagascar flight.
• If flying from America to Madagascar, you will need a multi-destination itinerary. You can begin your route with either KLM, Air France, or Kenya Airways, both of which offer direct flights to European hubs such as London or Paris. From there, you can use various subsequent options to arrive in Madagascar.
• To skip congestion, avoid flying to Madagascar when the major festivals are taking place. For instance, the Easter festival takes place around March or April, the Santabary Festival is held in April or early May, Donia Music Festival is held in September, and Christmas and New Year’s festivals take place in December. Other minor festivals include Feria Oramena, Famadihana, and Hiragasy, all held between June and July.
• When visiting Madagascar as a foreigner, you will show your passport at the port of entry, which needs to be valid for at least 6 months. Your passport should also feature two clear visa pages. Although you will require a visa to get into Madagascar, you can obtain a 3-month single-entry tourist visa upon arriving at the airport.
• Madagascar has ten airports. Ivato International Airport is a hub for international flights from Johannesburg, Paris, and Bangkok. It is home to Madagascar's national airline, Air Madagascar. Therefore, you can find a flight there from any state.
• Most airlines have flights to Sainte–Marie Island, and Sainte Marie Airport is a hub for northeast Madagascar flights. So, you wouldn't have any problem flying to this destination.

Top 5 airlines flying to Madagascar

Carly the flight attendant was extremely helpful and very accommodating to passengers on the flight from what I noticed. Couldn't be more satisfied with the service and assistance from Delta's flight attendant, Thanks again Carly!!

I didn’t not like that I could not select my seat and ended up with the worse seat.

I didn’t like that I could not select my seat and was assigned a seat when I checked in at LAX

Delta did an awful job w logistics at DTW. Missed connection. We were there an hour early. SUCKED

Inflight entertainment stopped working as we taxi to runway and never worked again until landing and taxi to gate. Grrrr

Had to run to make it only to have the flight delayed to wait for all the late connectors Second drink service skipped up

Boarding was a sh!t show. JFK BOARDING was awful. The agent called three sections at a time Clogging the area then yelling at people to not block the walk way. How are you going to call delta one , premium select and comfort plus at once and the yell at highest paying passengers. Need to do a lot better and the flight attendants in the galley need to understand that their voices travel. They were talking about others and everyone in the cabin heard them

Uncomfortable seats on 14 hour flight. Mediocre food. On time and great crew.

Please see my lengthy description on MSP to Atlanta survey. Tailbone is killing me from old hard seats. Seat would not recline and were not near exit row. Entertainment did not work properly and couldn’t use. No audio and touch screen failed. 3 plus hours of discomfort in narrower seats than previous flight not in comfort plus. Very dissatisfied and deserve comfort plus charges refunds, at the very least, for both my wife and I. The plane needs to be retired. Please feel free to contact me directly for further details.

MSP to Atlanta was much better than Atlanta to St. Kitts. Paid $180 each for myself and wife for Delta comfort from Atlanta to St. Kitts. Seats were more narrow and obviously old and worn out. Tailbone is killing me. Seat would not recline. Seats behind reclined and we were not an exit row or in front of an exit row. Entertainment did not work in that the movie jumped forward and back and there was no audio. The plug in the arm rest was loose. Flight attendant tried “resetting” the video for my seat but no good. She never checked back. Someone else near me had the same issue. Touch screen was unresponsive. No where near as comfortable as MSP to Atlanta flight. 3 plus hrs. flight time without the basic amenities and not even remotely close to comfortable but paid for Comfort plus. I will be very disappointed if I have the same on my return “Comfort Plus” flight St. Kitts to Atlanta. At the very least my wife and I should be refunded for round trip “Comfort Plus” charges. Please feel free to contact me directly for more details.

They wanted to close counter although they did not provide the wheelchair requested which ended by going alone to transit security and lost long time and they did not want to wait .

They charge me for luggage which is was included on the ticket

Business class in the second leg - CDG-EVN was a disaster.

Everything went smoothly with Air France. There was a delay in departure which seemed to relate to the immigration services being short staffed.

worst experience ever i choose my seat in advance and also have my seat selected in my boarding and the they told me that my seat has been changed without notify me

No birding was given for next trip on same carrier, food was very moderate.

We transited through Chad and what was supposed to be a 1hr 20 minutes transit time lasted over 4hrs. We didn't get regular updates until we complained. After a 10hr flight from Paris no form of refreshment given and finally arrived Abuja over 6hrs later and none of my bags came

The line at boarding was not well organized and managed

Crew was professional. Boarding has few seats . Since the plane was not full would have been nice to change seat on the internet

The crew was great and handled our unexpected detour with proactive communication.

Quality of service on board was very inconsistent. FA service primarily seemed robotic and they barely engaged with passengers

I’m unclear why I had to pay extra for assigned seats as Turkish airlines did not honor the seating. We were placed across the aisle from each other on TK 34, and were seated behind one another on TK 694. Because my name was misspelled on e-ticket (Klawiter, instead of Klawitter) I could not log onto website to get the connection gate number in Istanbul. The monitors in the airport were a jumbled mess 1/2 Arabic and 1/2 English.

On line check in needs a lot of improvement. I tried and gave up.

Food not good, flight attendants not the best, not accommodating very ruff

the female flight attendant was racist towards me. I could tell she treated the two other passengers next to me with more softness.

Oh my god! For an13 hour flight they serve you food just one time. Also don’t be thirsty they give you a little small cup of soda to drink. They seem like their goal is to feed you one so they don’t have to be bothered with you. It quite surprise for such a long flight there are several times to eat at least three and the food was well lackluster. The food and lack of offering drinks which were always hot no ice provided.

We were traveling first class. Checkin counter lady and her manager, both were in bad mood and did not treat us well about checking in the handbag. The gate agent took care of it right away. I travel Turkish twice a year in first class. No one has ever refused to check in the hand bag. Not sure, why this agent and her manager refused. Everything else was excellent.

The 787 economy was a disaster for long haul. The space was too little compared to 777 or 747. Also the extremely low tray table behind the seat made any dining effort a nightmare. However, the movies were up to date, and the food taste was good, despite of terrible serving process caused by small space.

A little bit more comfort. It’s tight space around the seats. But all else is great and a smooth flight!

0ur assigned seats were given to other individuals when we boarded the plane. We were given new boarding passes with new seats all the way at the back of the plane. The reason given to us was that there were issues with the seats. We found out that there were no issues, and someone else's were seated on those.

Seat in front of my wife was broken so it reclined further than normal and without having to push the recline button so my wife had absolutely no room the entire 17 hour flight. My seat was broken and wouldn't recline at all. Also.. my tray table was sticky and dirty right away before I even used it. Also...the floor in the back of the plane from our row of seats on back was totally soaked and both times we landed water came rushing out of the food/servant area like a flood onto the same already wet carpet. It got everything wet that was placed around our feet...including our shoes and socks.

Flight was smooth but unnecessary long because we had to refuel at FCO Rome. Air hostesses service and response to call light could be better. Both planes were old with broken seat arms and toilets. Why Africans had to be given the farthest Gates is what baffles me and why we have to pay for Aisle seats I found really strange. Is there ever an end to ripping people off even after paying over $2300 for one seat.

it was a nice tripe but they need to work on the serving of soda,they should be abled to serve cain soda not on cup.At least each passenger should be entitled to one cain of soda not serving on cup.thanks.

Same but worse than international. The inter African flights are worse.

The entertainment (movies) blockbuster and classics never change. I am a frequent Ethiopian flyer and this should be addressed. Not much changed from my summer flight and my December flight. It is annoying - surely you can update the selections more often. Same with food options. It becomes extremely boring to be offered the same exact meals from Washington to Addis to Maputo every trip, each time. AS

Entertainment was very poor. Couldn’t watch anything. Ear pieces were the wrong type .

Food was horrible. Our flight was not comfortable due to turbulence, seats was not comfortable, Very tight barely can not move anywhere.

The check in staff was amazing. Best customer service! The plane was old! My entertainment on the first flight didn't work at all, in my seat or in the seat next to me. The bathroom doors were old and troublesome. One of the bathrooms, the whole sink panel was broken. Everything felt old and falling apart. The airline stewardesses were amazing and quite hospitable. When there were delays, they kept us well informed. Transit was GREAT! I wasn't sure how I would make it to my next flight in 1 1/2 hours but the security lines were short and efficient. The C gates in Addis Ababa were CROWDED! That whole space downstairs was too crowded and challenging to manuever. I usually fly Ethiopian within Africa and was interested to see how the experience would be intercontinental. Overall, I would choose it again if it was cheaper than Delta/Air France or Lufthansa/KLM. I wouldn't make it a first choice if the prices were the same because the planes are so old! The food and entertainment also weren't as good. Good selection of movies but as I mentioned, on the first flight they didn't work at all (I slept so it was okay) and the 2nd flight it was glitchy. All in all, I didn't hate it but it would be a first choice only if it's cheaper.

The seats were quite uncomfortable despite having good legroom. The 350s are quite nice but the problem is on the old 777 aircraft. Special meal requests are not catered for as they should. They never had any ice for drinks.

Entertainment system poor - couldn't hear, no flight info etc.

Front section of economy cabin is better than rear. Paid for seats selected.

Flight was delayed for 9 hours. We finally arrived ved at 0435hrs instead of 1950hrs the previous day. No compensation was provided.

Apart from delay of 3 hrs in Nairobi for onward flight to Dar all fine. Looked like operational issues caused it.

The flight staff were not very kind. I went back to get a drink, 4 of them back there chatting. They all looked at me continued to talk then they started doing stuff and one finally asked after I was standing there awhile what I needed. This happened multiple times. The movies were not the great and seemed dated. My seat squeaked every time I moved and it moved around a bit.

My flight from Nairobi to nyc. My seat made noise and moved around. The two toilets in the back didn’t work well cause you didn’t know if someone was in there cause the light didn’t work. The bathroom doors didn’t lock well either, so I walked in on someone. The crew wasn’t quick or super helpful. When I went to get something they were chatting and they would look at me, continue on with their conversation and finally I would interrupt to get a drink.

The flight attendants on this flight were incredible! One even gave me her own dinner when my special meal order wasn’t transferred due to a flight delay! She insisted and I was so grateful. That is going above and beyond! The issue I had with the flight was with Lufthansa support. I missed my connection due to a flight delay and they wouldn’t rebook online, only in person. This took a lot of time and visits to the airport waiting for a Lufthansa agent to arrive 5 hours later than posted and almost paying full-fare price for the new flights and refusal to add my special meal orders. It made for a challenging journey home and I didn’t feel valued as a customer.

If my flight from Heathrow to Nairobi had not been cancelled I would’ve been in kisumu to fly back! And I have still not had my refund! So you have my cash and I’ve got nothing in return. Wonderful!

Great job in making sure that the customer is always having a great time

The flight never took off. We sat on the tarmac for over two hours due to an electrical fault and finally the flight was cancelled. We were told that hotels would be organised but there was no further communication. In the end I retrieved my baggage and went to the car park to pick up my car and drive home. It cost me over £150 to park the car for two weeks, plus of course petrol, and over £600 for the four flights and £50 for the travel visa. All gone up in my smoke. I’m bitterly disappointed that my business Trip was cancelled and have been told I will get a “partial refund” within three months!!! What a way to treat a customer.

Few movies to choose from. They did not board by zone

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The Ultimate Madagascar Travel Guide

Published: March 5, 2021

Modified: August 24, 2021

by Hillary Anne

If you to go to Africa, make sure to devote a few days or weeks to create the perfect Madagascar travel itinerary. Being one of the gems of the Indian Ocean, Madagascar offers pristine beaches, diverse landscapes, impressive natural wonders, unique plants, and endemic animals. For sure, your Madagascar travel itinerary will include various outdoor activities, such as visiting royal complexes, crossing crocodile-infested rivers and, of course, exploring the famous Isalo National Park .

However, before your trip and to freely enjoy your Madagascar travel adventure with fewer worries, make sure to pack water shoes  for your exotic tours as well as repellents to avoid sand fleas . 

Photo by Duleyrie from Adobe Stock

How to get to Madagascar

There are various airports in the U.S. that will take you to Ivato International Airport (TNR). But frequent flights come from California and New York. The cheapest flights are from Los Angeles. On average, a roundtrip flight operated by Delta Airlines starts at US$723 per adult. The flight also runs from 25 to 27 hours per way with one to two layovers.

Ivato International Airport (TNR) is located around 20 km away from the capital, Antananarivo. Before, there used to be a shuttle bus that will take you from the airport to the capital. But the only way you can reach Antananarivo is by taking a cab or a private car. Usually, it will only take you only around 30 minutes. But you can get stuck for 40 minutes to two hours if you are unlucky. 

Is Madagascar safe?

While most African countries had the reputation of having high crime rates, you can spare Madagascar. Despite experiencing continuous political turmoil, most of the crimes are only petty crimes. So, overall, we can say that it is safe to travel to Madagascar.

Be vigilant

However, just like when you are traveling to other countries, you still have to be careful. One of the most important Madagascar travel rules is to be vigilant. Avoid walking alone at night or driving late. There are cases of armed robberies and vehicle ambush around Antananarivo, Toliara, and Fianarantsoa.

Make thorough research

Also, be skeptical when you are booking accommodation or tour, renting a vehicle, or getting a guide. Make thorough research for credible local tour operators, and preferably only book those with more than five years of experience. When paying, you can also ask if you can pay only 30% to reserve your spot. Then pay the remaining when you get there. Watch out for credit card surcharges or any foreign exchange differences. Ask for their business credentials but research on how to find out if the documents are authentic. Constantly checking the travel advisory to Madagascar can also help you enjoy your travel to Madagascar.

Get Travel Insurance!

Most of all, get travel insurance for extra safety. Accidents are called accidents because you don’t expect them to happen. In case you get into an accident, having travel insurance will ensure that you will have someone to rely on. So, make sure to get travel insurance to enjoy your Madagascar travel itinerary to the fullest!

Things to do in Madagascar

1. marvel at the avenue of baobabs.

Photo by Rod Waddington from Wikimedia Common

One of the things that you can’t miss in your Madagascar travel itinerary is seeing Baobabs. Although you might have probably seen Baobabs in other countries, the ones in Madagascar are unique. Many tourists brave the 12 hours road trip from the capital just to see the Avenue of Baobabs in real life.

The Avenue of Baobabs is literally a line of Baobab trees at the Route Nationale N8. It is a national highway between Morondava and Belon’i Tsiribihina. Here, you will come across a series of 98 feet tall and 36 feet wide baobabs. If you can’t visualize it, well it is just similar to an eight-story building! These trees also grow wide because they store thousands of gallons of water. This helps them strive in Madagascar’s very dry climate. But that’s not everything that makes it impressive. Most of the baobabs you will see are still considered “baby baobabs”. They have only been there for only a thousand years. Surprisingly, the bigger ones are as old as 400 years old!

2. Visit the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

Photo by CPO from Adobe Stock

Another must in your Madagascar travel itinerary is visiting the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage site stretches to 1,500 square meters of rugged cliffs, spiky limestone karst, and undisturbed forest. This national park is considered to be remote and it is a challenge to visit. From the capital, you will have to take a 12 hour trip to Morondava. From there you will take another exciting 10-hour trip, which includes crossing two crocodile-infested rivers: the Tsiribihina and the Manambolo. If you are fond of watching adventure films like Jumanji or Avatar , you will enjoy this great escapade!

At Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, you will experience adventurous Madagascar travel. There will be guides that will lead you to the pinnacles of the spiky limestone karst. They will attach your harness to a rope and they will instruct you on the easiest footholds. Just when you thought this is already testing your boldness and surging your adrenaline, you will also be clipped in a wobbly hanging bridge with the spikes below you. Yes, it will be challenging but it will definitely be one of the highlights in your Madagascar travel journal !

3. Hike the Isalo National Park

Photo by Luis from Adobe Stock

Another wonder carved by nature, Isalo National Park offers you another Jurassic-themed adventure. When you hike through the park, you will see arid deserts and waterfalls leading you to the deep canyons. In the desert, you will be surrounded by enormous massifs that will remind you of Colorado. With the impressive rock formations, hues, and landscapes, hiking the Isalo National Park will surely make you feel like you are in cowboy films. Apart from this, you will also see unique plants like mini baobab and resembling Elephant’s foot plants! However, unlike most parks in Madagascar, Isalo National Park has the least number of animals. In fact, most of the things you will see here are only small animals, such as mouse lemur and praying mantises.

4. Enjoy water activities at Nosy Be

Photo by Sandy Manoa from Unsplash

In the northern off coast of Madagascar, you will find Nosy Be which is one of its treasured beaches. With its powdery sands, clear waters, and all-year sunny weather, it is your picture-perfect subject! Since it is one of the world’s oldest islands, you will find a lot of bizarre animals and plants here. Most of them can’t be found anywhere else. Another thing that garnered the attention of most tourists is how it offers such a laid-back ambiance. Despite being considered expensive among the beaches in Madagascar. Tourists are willing to pay more for the tranquility it offers.

Apart from beach lounging and sunbathing, you can also explore the undisturbed waters of Nosy Be. If you happen to be in Madagascar in late August, don’t miss the opportunity to see migrating humpback whales. Meanwhile, if you are in Madagascar in October, you can also swim with the gentle giants, whale sharks. You can check out Safari Baleine for your tours.

5. See the Pirate’s Cemetery at Sainte Marie Island

Photo by ste67 from Adobe Stock

Locally known as Nosy Boraha, Sainte Marie Island is not your typical island beach. While it offers a lot of pristine beaches away from mass tourism, it also serves as a historical setting. Long ago, this 60 kilometers long island used to be the pirate’s hideout. In fact, you can find the world’s only pirate cemetery on this island! With the island’s lush vegetation, quality seabed, and location, no wonder it ticked off all your Madagascar travel preferences.

Although it still offers the remoteness that pirates used to enjoy, locals also inhabited this long strip of island and hotels dot its shore. Hence, you can still enjoy a comfortable vacation with access to most of your needs.

6. Explore the Ranomafana National Park

Photo by dennisvdwater from Adobe Stock

Ranomafana National Park is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Madagascar. It covers almost 41,600 hectares of rainforest and is surrounded by mountain ranges covered with lush vegetation. You will see various trees, plants, and flowers that you will not find anywhere else. As you hike the mountain ranges, you will experience impressive landscapes. Enjoy its mighty waterfalls, cascading rivers, as well as thermal pools. You can also hire a guide so you can learn more about the endemic species inhabiting the park, which include Henst goshawk and Rufous-headed ground roller.

7. Swim at Toliara

Photo by Frank from Adobe Stock

Toliara used to be the southern paradise of Madagascar. Many enjoy this picturesque location filled with Nipa huts, coconut trees, and boats. With little to no rainfall per year, it is a favorite holiday destination for both tourists and locals. It has a fair share of pristine beaches, tidal pools, and shallow frontal reefs. However, after experiencing excessive fishing and silting, its seabed suffered. But don’t worry because your trip is not wasted.  There is a nearby diving location at Massif de Roses, which is only an hour away from Toliara. Apart from this, outdoor aficionados can explore caves and mangrove forests. Meanwhile, animal lovers can also meet animals unique to the south, such as long-tailed ground rollers, sub-desert mesites, and lemurs.

8. Get to know Madagascar at Musée Andafiavaratra

Photo by Z thomas from Wikimedia Commons

Musée Andafiavaratra was a palace that was once the residence of Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony. Apart from its striking pink exterior and turrets, a lot of tourists come here to know more about Madagascar. After the Rova Palace Complex caught fire in 1995, the saved items were placed in Musée Andafiavaratra. So here, you will marvel at the portraits of the royalties of the Kingdom of Madagascar as well as snapshots of their lives during the Merina monarchs.

If you have time, you can also drop by the walled village of Ambohimanga. This is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Madagascar that preserved the traditional and spiritual identity of the Malagasy. The site successfully preserved the 15-century old residences and graves of the Merina royal family.

9. Live like a local at Analakely Market

Photo by Irina84 from Adobe Stock

Antananarivo already has a reputation for being chaotic. But to have a more authentic Madagascar experience, you should also get a glimpse of this scene. There will be no better way to experience it than hitting the local market of Analakely. Here, you will get the chance to see how aggressive vendors can get. They will try to sell you fabrics, household items, as well as exotic fruits and local delicacies — mostly things you will probably not need, but you would just end up buying. In general, most of the things you can buy here are marked down. But if you can speak French or Malagasy, you can score greater deals!

Remember not to bring a lot of valuables when you come here. Keep your electronics when walking and don’t bring so much money. Although it’s generally safe in Madagascar, being vigilant will still help you go a long way.

10. Shop for Souvenirs at La Digue Market

Photo by Lubo Ivanko from Adobe Stock

Opening Hours: 9 AM to 5:30 PM (Monday to Sunday)

Remember your trip to Madagascar by buying a souvenir at La Digue Market. Since it is located near Ivato International Airport, you will have no reason not to drop by for quick shopping. You can find hundreds of stalls selling various goods. You have locally-made wood carvings, embroidered fabrics, as well as spices that will remind you of Madagascar at home. Just make sure to go around first to know the best price. Although haggling is possible, don’t haggle too much if you can pay the price.

Best Time to Visit Madagascar

Visit Madagascar in balmy weather. The dry season is from April to October. During these months, it’s usually bright and sunny all day with fewer chances of rain. So you will be able to enjoy all the activities for your Madagascar travel itinerary!

Where to stay in Madagascar

Budget: tsanga tsanga hotel.

Photo from the Tsanga Tsanga Hotel website

Room Rate: starts at US$48 per night

Ideally located at the business center of Antananarivo, Tsanga Tsanga Hotel is one of the affordable hotels in Madagascar. Although its price only ranges below US$100, it still offers neat and comfortable rooms. Their rooms are equipped with air conditioning units, a fridge, and a private bathroom complete with a hairdryer and toiletries. While there is no swimming pool, you can also enjoy lounging on the spacious rooftop. There you can get a panoramic view of the city. When you book a room, a continental breakfast is already included. This will get you going on a day of Madagascar travel adventure!

Luxury: Hôtel Colbert – Spa & Casino

Photo from the Booking website

Room rate: starts at US$111 per night

Hotel Colbert is a four-star hotel and casino in Antananarivo. It exhibits a classic interior wherein their rooms will make you feel like royalty. Apart from that, the hotel is also known for its outstanding service and state-of-the-art facilities. You will be able to access the sauna, hammam, and fitness center. Let’s also not forget the casino and the spa with an indoor pool. Then, for breakfast, you will be served in a buffet dining at La Fougerie. Make sure to fill your stomachs to prepare you for your day’s itinerary! If you feel like taking a staycation for a day, don’t worry because you don’t have to go anywhere else. The hotel has an in-house restaurant, La Taverne, and a wine cellar, Le Cellier, that will satisfy your palate.

Let’s Travel to Madagascar!

Come to Madagascar for an authentic island experience! Being the second-largest island country in the world, it is surrounded by pristine waters and natural wonders. So, you can expect that most of the things to do in Madagascar are outdoor activities. From hiking and swimming to strolling around the tourist spots, you will surely fill in your Madagascar travel itinerary with various exciting activities. Don’t miss out on this paradise, and plan your trip ahead!

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Madagascar is one of the world’s cheaper countries for travellers. Prices for hotels, transport, meals and basic commodities are low and more comparable with Southeast Asia than with continental Africa.

Crime and personal safety

Electricity, entry requirements, opening hours, photography, tourist information, travellers with disabilities, health advice for madagascar, culture in madagascar, travelling with children in madagascar, tailor-made travel itineraries for madagascar, created by local experts.

18 days  / from 3663 USD

Wild Madagascar

This trip is a tour of Wild Madagascar: discover dusty desert canyons, lush rainforests teeming with wildlife and trek through national parks. Explore the bustling capital Tana, then stop by the beach at Ifaty where you'll encounter forests of baobab trees and wandering tribesmen.

11 days  / from 2417 USD

Dreaming of Madagascar

Tropical island beaches, lush rainforest, stunning wildlife, and the bright red clay houses of Antananarivo await you as you arrive on the beautiful island of Madagascar. Get your fill of culture in the capital Tana, snap beguiling wildlife, and revive and reboot on stunning white-sand beaches.

6 days  / from 1280 USD

A Taste of Madagascar

An unforgettable journey through Madagascar's enchanting landscapes and cultural treasures. From the lush rainforests of Andasibe to the vibrant streets of Antananarivo, this adventure combines wildlife encounters with rich history, creating a diverse and immersive experience.

Travelling on a shoestring budget with a companion and a flexible schedule, largely using taxis brousse, staying in budget hotels, and visiting national parks, you could manage between you easily enough on £60/€80/US$90 per day (a little more than 260,000ar). If you were doing the same thing, but planning the occasional splurge in a nicer hotel, with some days of vehicle-and-driver rental, you would need to at least double this. And if you want to travel by private vehicle and stay in comfortable-to- luxury hotels throughout, a daily budget of £200/€270/US$300 (around 900,000ar) for the two of you should suffice. You would still need to factor in any internal flights.

Despite some official government travel advisories about Madagascar, it is not a dangerous country and crime affecting tourists is generally quite limited. On the contrary, you may well come back wondering how anyone could get anything but a wonderful impression of friendly locals and a safe, hospitable island. Madagascar, however, does have its dark side: short-term visitors are rarely impacted, but you should certainly heed the warnings about night-time travel and avoid it if you can. Most private drivers never drive at night, especially in certain areas. The RN7 has police controls outside some towns to partly enforce this, while some of the lonely dirt roads in the south are prone to banditry , partly as a result of traditional Bara cattle raiders or dahalo (if there are no convenient zebus to rustle, flag down a taxi brousse and rob the passengers…).

Urban and tourist resort crime is also an undercurrent that you should be aware of: pickpocketing, muggings and hotel thefts (especially if your room is not very secure or the hotel doesn’t have a secure compound) could all spoil your trip, and are most likely to happen before you have had time to survey your location. Avoid late arrivals in towns, and if arriving at night always have a destination to go to, and take a taxi.

Lastly, natural disasters in the form of huge cyclones batter the island with relentless frequency. The cyclone season, from December to March, usually includes at least one whopper that can inflict enormous damage, particularly on eastern coastal regions. If you happen to be in a cyclone area when a storm is forecast, cancel that boat trip, get yourself as far inland as possible and take shelter on the ground floor of a solid building.

The electricity grid in Madagascar provides 220V AC current and uses two-pin Continental-style plugs, either a “Type E” or “Type F” Schuko or a flat, “Type C” Europlug. Many hotels have backup generators to fill in during frequent blackouts. In remote areas, solar panels feeding to inverters and big storage batteries are used to provide power, in which case there may not always be power points in your room. Battery- and mobile-charging can usually be done in the office or central area.

Visas are required by all nationalities. Non-immigrant visas are currently granted free on arrival for most nationalities at Ivato airport for stays of up to thirty days, and it’s generally easier to get one there than in advance (which usually requires photos and possibly a processing fee). Your passport should have at least six months’ validity from your date of arrival and contain at least two blank pages. If you want to stay longer, the fees are €55 for up to 60 days or €77 for up to 90 days. Longer than that, you’ll need to leave the country in order to re-enter (Réunion is the cheapest place to fly to and an overseas French département so part of the EU and the Eurozone). Extending your visa within the 90-day limit is possible, but overstaying your agreed term and then leaving is not advisable, and can result in a fine. The only health requirement is a yellow fever certificate if you’ve been visiting a country in the yellow fever transmission zone.

While internet cafés are still around, and offer very cheap online access, the spread of free wi-fi hotspots continues apace in restaurants and hotels, and these are likely to be more useful for most travellers. Only in very small towns are you likely to have to resort to the local cyber , with its usually rather old computers with azerty rather than qwerty keyboards. Expect to pay around 5000ar/hr.

For unlimited Wi-Fi on the go whilst travelling Madagascar, buy a Skyroam Solis , which works in 130+ countries at one flat daily rate, paid for on a pay-as-you-go basis. You can connect up to five devices at once. Prices start from as little as €5 a day.

Most hotels will happily do your laundry, and usually have a sheet of charges per item. Cheaper places will probably suggest a flat price of 3000ar or something similar. Remember that it may take longer than expected for clothes to dry.

Most towns have a post office , but with the decline in the volume of traditional airmail, postal services tend to be limited and cards and letters may take weeks to reach their destination. To send any object of value, always use a courier service such as DHL . As for incoming mail, it’s best to forget it: use friends and family as couriers or, again, a courier service.

By far the best general map of Madagascar is published by the German travel guide publisher Reise Know-How in their World Mapping Project series. Printed on virtually indestructible Polyart synthetic paper Madagaskar 1:1,200,000 shows the whole country on two sides at a scale of 12km:1cm, clearly marking roads, national parks, relief and other features in French. Best of all it can be folded any which way and will survive many taxi brousse journeys. As a backup, try Google Maps and Google Earth, which show satellite imagery of the whole country at quite high resolution: if you’re using a smartphone while in Madagascar, you will often be able to find your way or follow your route, just as you would with a satnav at home – quite handy when that taxi brousse journey really begins to pall. For larger-scale topographical maps , the national mapping body, Foiben-Taosarintanin’ i Madagasikara in Tana (FTM, www. ftm.mg ), is your best bet.

Madagascar has more than 300 radio and TV stations and more than a dozen newspapers that appear daily, at least in theory. All media broadcast or print in either Malagasy or French. For many years, press freedom has frequently been curtailed by the government for political reasons, though there are signs that the government is showing a more mature, law-abiding approach. Probably the most informative of the local newspapers is L’Express de Madagascar ( lexpressmada.com ). There is some limited regular tourist information published in Antananarivo – notably No Comment , a fat, monthly booklet of lifestyle articles and countrywide hotel and restaurant listings well padded by advertising. You can pick copies up in many hotel lobbies. Finding international English-language magazines or newspapers is very difficult now that most of the market for Time , the Financial Times or the International New York Times has migrated online.

You can listen to the BBC World Service in Antananarivo on its FM relay on 89.2 FM and rebroadcast on the following FM local partners on 99.3 FM: Ambatondrazaka, Antsirabe, Diego Suarez, Fianarantsoa, Fort Dauphin, Majunga, Tamatave and Tuléar.

The Malagasy currency, the ariary (ar) was introduced in 2005 to replace the Franc Malgache (fmg) at a rate of 1000ar to 5000fmg. Unfortunately, nobody seems to have told the Malagasy, especially in markets and rural areas, who still say “cinq mille” (5000) when they mean 1000ar (the notes in fact still have the fmg value in small print beneath the ariary value). The extraordinary speed at which people compute their five-times table has to be heard to be believed, but do be careful: sharp operators sometimes take advantage of slow-witted visitors, especially with prices so low in the first place. The other local currency issue to be prepared for is the very low value of Malagasy notes. The largest note is 10,000ar, currently worth around £2.25, €3.10 or US$3.50, and the smallest note is 100ar, worth around £0.02p, €0.03 or US$0.04 (there are no coins). So a handful of low-denomination notes is worth no more than one small coin in hard currency, while a modest 200,000ar hotel bill (value £45/€60/US$70) would require twenty of the highest denomination notes.

While the official currency is the ariary, which is steadily declining in value, prices for hotels and tourist services are often quoted in euros , based on an approximate conversion rate. The actual price in ariary will be adjusted accordingly, depending on the current rate, and usually turns out to be lower than expected.

Cash, cards and ATMs

Madagascar is largely a cash-based economy. Credit cards can be used to settle bills for some services, but most business are not set up to accept them. Travellers’ cheques are rarely carried and very hard to change as banks are not familiar with them. The best strategy is to carry a Visa debit card to withdraw local currency from ATMs and to keep a separate cache of high-denomination euro notes to pay for airfares and the like, securely stashed about your person.

Most towns have one or more ATMs ( GAB ) and you can usually withdraw up to forty notes (ie, a maximum of 400,000ar, worth about £90/€120/US$140). This is quite a sizeable pile of money, and you may need to make two or more withdrawals if you’re paying for vehicle rental or a tour. So it’s a good idea to take a purse or pouch specifically for carrying your local currency, tucking away the 10,000ar notes in separate bundles and keeping smaller denominations to hand for buying street food, paying for taxis and the like. It does take some getting used to, and it’s a good idea to be prepared in advance when you have to make any payment.

Business hours in Madagascar are notoriously fickle, but places tend to open roughly 8am–noon and 2–6pm Monday to Friday, with a short morning on Saturday (around 8–11am).

Like most countries in the developing world, Madagascar has embraced mobile phone technology enthusiastically. Most people have a cell phone; many of them are smart phones; and airtime/data credit can be purchased on any street corner, even in rural areas. Cell phone masts are fairly well distributed, and 3G quite widely available, so you will rarely be unconnected for long – if that’s what you want. And it is certainly useful to be able to call hotels, your driver or a national park. Telephone landlines , by contrast, often don’t work.

Malagasy landlines start with (0)20 for Telecom Madagascar, followed by 7 numbers, while mobile lines start (0)32 for Orange, (0)33 for Airtel and (0)34 for Telma, also followed by 7 digits. Most businesses rely on Orange and Airtel lines, which generally have better coverage. It’s common for hotels, for example, to have a mobile at reception, rather than an unreliable landline phone. Network-to-network calls are cheapest.

Using mobiles

If you bring your mobile to Madagascar, the chances are that as soon as it is turned on it will automatically search for the partner network of your phone provider and enable you to make calls and download data – on an extremely expensive roaming tariff. Unless someone else is paying, that isn’t a great option. However, as long as your phone is “unlocked” (usable by another network, once you’ve switched your main SIM card for the SIM card of the other network provider) you will be able to make and receive calls and use the internet using one of the inexpensive Malagasy 3G networks. You can check if your phone is unlocked by trying another SIM card in it before you leave: if not, you will need to ask your provider to unlock it.

On arrival at Ivato airport, you’ll find desks for all three networks and the staff will register a new SIM for you and load airtime and data on it as you require. You will have a temporary Malagasy number, and your usual number will be unobtainable while that SIM is out of your phone, but all your email and internet usage will be seamless. Expect the whole set-up to cost around £20/€25/€30 for around three weeks of average-usage airtime including 1GB of data. Further top-ups, if necessary, can either be done by buying a scratch card (they’ll talk you through it or do it for you) or by “tele-charging” from a sales person’s phone to yours. In remote areas, top-up cards will invariably be low-value (1000ar or 2000ar), and usually sold for higher than the face value.

If all this sounds like too much trouble, remember you can still use your phone’s wi-fi function to stay in touch by email, social media or apps wherever there is a wi-fi hotspot, though remember that you won’t be able to make or receive calls or SMS texts unless you turn on your own provider’s roaming function.

You might also consider buying a cheap local phone to use for your trip: you can always leave it behind with someone. Prices start at around 60,000ar.

Madagascar is a paradise for keen photographers. Not only is it scenically stunning, and bursting with fascinating and colourful animals that very often show little fear of humans, but the Malagasy people themselves generally have no objection to being photographed, and even more so now that so many locals have their own cameraphones. You can wander along the beach in Diego Suarez, Île Sainte Marie or Morondava and photograph the fishermen bringing in their catch, the boats on the shore, and an old gentleman wobbling past on his bicycle and nobody will bat an eyelid. This doesn’t mean that you should snap away regardless: there are occasions, around private events, including famadihana ceremonies and other rituals, near tombs and sacred sites, and in cities, when you may incur someone’s displeasure if you take a photo. Use your judgement of the people around you: take some innocuous shots before aiming at your intended target, giving them the chance to say no in advance. What you will rarely find is someone holding out their hand for payment: more often people, especially children, will line up to pose for you.

Getting a little technical : firstly, be aware that at least some of the time you are likely to be taking photos in quite low light. All the rainforest parks and even the dry deciduous parks involve walking on footpaths though dense vegetation. If you’re using a DSLR, then the first consideration should be to have lenses that are as fast as possible, with the largest maximum aperture you can afford. An f/5.6–f/6.3 kit zoom lens won’t hack it and your shutter speeds will be way too slow to capture leaping lemurs and fluttering birds. If you have to compromise on focal length to get a fast lens, you might even find that something like a 105mm or 135mm macro, with an aperture of f/2 would serve you much better, and give you wonderful close-up insect options as well. Ideally of course, you’d also have a 200mm or 300mm lens that opens up to f/2.8. The investment would be major, but the photos will be far better.

The other item that’s more or less essential for good photos in the forest is a sturdy tripod . Lemurs are often practically overhead, so get a ballhead tripod that doesn’t weigh too much and be prepared to get a cricked neck. The Manfrotto BeFree isn’t too expensive and works well. As well as the tripod, it’s very useful to have a little remote controller for your shutter.

Madagascar’s time zone is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (UTC) all year round, so it’s 3pm in Madagascar when it’s noon GMT or 2pm in Madagascar when it’s noon British Summer Time. It’s eight hours ahead of North American Eastern Standard Time, and eleven hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. Take off an hour from these (ie seven hours and ten hours ahead respectively) during summer daylight saving time. Madagascar is seven hours behind Sydney and nine hours behind New Zealand; add an hour to these during summer daylight saving time. And it’s one hour ahead of South Africa.

Sunrise in December comes at roughly between 5am and 5.30am and sunset at between 6.15pm and 7pm. In June the sun comes up between 6am and 7am, and sets between 5.15pm and 5.30pm. Dawn arrives earliest on the east coast and the sun sets latest in the southwest. There is therefore a small variation in day length throughout the year, greatest in the far south which sees Madagascar’s shortest winter days in June and July (10hr 30min) and its longest summer days in December and January (13hr 30min).

The main sources of official visitor information about Madagascar are the various regional tourist offices in every large town around the country reporting to the Office National du Tourisme de Madagascar ( madagascar-tourisme.com ; addresses in the relevant town listings throughout this guide). These range from fairly dopey and unhelpful to efficient and responsive. They often have useful leaflets and maps, and sometimes further magazines and other items for sale. There are no Madagascar tourist offices abroad.

Travelling in Madagascar with restricted mobility is a major challenge – as any Malagasy wheelchair ( fauteuil roulant ) user would be likely to tell you. Although Madagascar has a coordinating body for relevant organizations, La Plateforme des Fédérations des Handicapés de Madagascar, it doesn’t have a website and there is very little support for disabled people outside of specific health campaigns driven by overseas NGOs.

But if you are prepared for a considerable amount of lifting and bumping, as wheelchair-using Malagasy people have to be, and already have some experience of this kind of thing, then there are few truly insurmountable hurdles. Assuming you’re not contemplating a solo independent journey, you could start by contacting our recommended tour operators and see if they can help with your specific requirements. While there are one or two African safari operators who specialize in trips for wheelchair users, for example Go Africa ( go-africa-safaris.com ), Madagascar isn’t on offer. It is likely to come down to what adapted vehicles are available on the island and how accessible the most convenient rooms are at each place you want to visit. Air Madagascar’s internal flights all require passengers to board via the plane’s steps; for advice on assistance when flying with Air Mad call the helpful people at Aviareps.

Exploring the more rugged parks may prove to be impossible – though with enough time and flexibility there’s no absolute barrier to getting at least to the gates, and possibly driving inside for a way. Parc National Montagne d’Ambre has drivable routes within the park, as do Ankarana and Ankarafantsika. Other possible venues offering a less circumscribed visit would be some of the private reserves, such as Berenty and Nahampoana, near Fort Dauphin, and Kirindy and the Avenue of the Baobabs near Morondava. All of these smaller protected areas feature reasonably flat, hard terrain and the odd well-graded path, where a wheelchair and helper would be able to move around relatively easily.

Tipping isn’t deeply established in Madagascar. When you’re living and travelling among Malagasy people, you’ll be unlikely to feel the need to tip anyone: cheap hotels and restaurants are often run by their owners, using family staff, and when travelling by taxi brousse, it’s more a matter of ensuring you’re not paying over the odds for your seat or bag than of considering leaving any extra. The idea of a payment for services rendered is quite common, however, so any kind of assistance, such as someone showing you the way or helping with luggage (notoriously, when arriving at the airport and fending off unwanted “porters”) would normally demand some kind of recompense. Keep some small notes (200ar, 500ar) handy for this kind of thing.

When travelling more as a wealthy tourist, staying at expensive resort-style hotels for example, it’s best to leave a common tip at the end of your stay with reception or in the tip box in the foyer. You would probably also do the same when parting company with your driver at the end of a tour. Guides in national parks don’t always expect tips, but an extra 5000ar after a few hours of trekking and lemur-watching is a very acceptable way of offering thanks.

Madagascar is one of the world’s poorest countries, and for locals it’s their poverty that largely determines general health and life chances. For visitors, staying healthy should not be a big issue. You need to be aware of malaria but generally, so long as you take sensible precautions – including taking care of cuts and scrapes and avoiding food that has been left out after cooking – you should have no problems beyond the occasional stomach upset. Beware of the strong sunlight: brightness rather than heat is the damaging element, so wear a hat and use high-factor sun block, especially in your first two weeks. Check that your travel insurance (which is essential for Madagascar) covers medical care, including emergency evacuation, and all the activities you might want to do, including diving. If you’re going to Madagascar for several months, get a thorough dental checkup before leaving home. Be aware that sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, are rife: using condoms will help to protect you – though abstinence is even more effective.

Vaccinations

For arrivals by air direct from Europe, Madagascar has no required inoculations, though if you’re stopping over in an African country that is within the yellow fever transmission zone (bit.ly/YellowFeverRules),you may well be required to show an International Vaccination Certificate for yellow fever. A yellow fever certificate only becomes valid ten days after you’ve had the jab, but is then valid for life. You should ensure that you’re up to date with your childhood tetanus and polio protection: boosters are necessary every ten years for tetanus and once as an adult for polio. If you’re going to be living for some time in unhygienic conditions, doctors will usually recommend jabs for typhoid, hepatitis A and hepatitis B – although these are not necessary for an ordinary holiday. Depending on the health service provision in your area, or your personal circumstances, some of these jabs may be free, but be prepared to pay.

The whole of Madagascar below about 2000m is a malaria zone, though the parasite (transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito, which habitually only bites after dark) is much more easily picked up in crowded urban areas and struggles to survive much above 1700m. You need to be most careful when in coastal towns, especially in the northern half of the island, where you should use mosquito repellent on exposed skin in the evening, sleep under a good mosquito net and of course take your malaria tablets diligently.

The commonly recommended preventatives are the antibiotic doxycycline (doxy), taken daily, or atovaquone-with-proguanil, taken daily (sold as Malarone), which, while expensive, has few side effects. These drugs are often available only on prescription, though in some countries you can buy them over the counter. It’s important to maintain a careful routine and keep taking the tablets after your trip. If you’re going to be staying in Madagascar for some time, it’s worth knowing you can buy doxy and other tablets much more cheaply from pharmacies in-country.

Even if you have been taking tablets, if you come down rapidly over the course of a day with severe, flu-like symptoms (aching joints, temperature) you may have caught malaria and should get yourself to a doctor as fast as possible for a blood test and treatment.

Water, food and stomach upsets

While some of Madagascar’s piped water supply is safe to drink, it’s probably safer to rely on the local plastic-bottled Eau Vive, sold absolutely everywhere in 1.5-litre bottles. As for picking up bugs from food, there’s really no evidence that the meals emerging from the hidden kitchens of fine hotels and restaurants are any less likely to give you a stomach upset than street food freshly prepared in front of you. That said, it’s easy to find yourself tucking into street food immediately after handling another bunch of filthy low-value bank notes, so it’s useful to keep a small flask of sanitizer gel to hand.

Happily, the tummies of most short-term visitors, at both ends of the budget spectrum, survive unscathed. Should you go down with diarrhoea, it will probably clear up without treatment within 48 hours. While you’re battling the bug, it’s essential to replace the fluids and salts lost, so drink plenty of water with oral rehydration salts, which most pharmacies carry. If you can’t get these sachets, make your own solution by dissolving half a teaspoon of salt and eight teaspoons of sugar in a litre of water.

Bugs and wildlife

Madagascar’s native fauna is not only beautiful and often unique but largely quite harmless. With the exception of the rarely seen fossa, there are no threatening large animals here, nor dangerous snakes (some snakes are rear-fanged but can’t deliver a dangerous bite to humans unless offered a little finger to chew on). Various invertebrates – scorpions, ants, bees, centipedes, biting flies and the odd spider – can give a painful sting or bite, and you should always be wary of touching hairy caterpillars (or plants for that matter: ask your guide first), but there are no mortally dangerous bugs on the island. While hiking in the national parks, you should be prepared to be occasionally assailed by biting flies, mosquitoes and ticks, and it can be useful to carry mossie spray, liquid or impregnated wipes with you into the forest. In damp, rainforest areas, leeches can be an unpleasant pest, but as their attacks are painless you often don’t realize you have one hanging from your ankle until it’s filled itself with your blood. Use a fingernail to break the seal then flick the leech off.

Health care in Madagascar

Madagascar’s government health system is challenged on all sides, with the treatment of childhood diarrhoea and malaria absorbing much of its limited resources, and occasional outbreaks of cholera (treatable) and bubonic plague (spread by rat fleas) not uncommon – though neither disease is likely to be of any concern to travellers who are not living in squalid conditions in the affected locations. Pharmacies usually have professionally trained staff and are a useful first port of call if you are unwell. Local hospitals and clinics may be able to help, but if you need treatment for serious illness or injury, flying to Réunion (part of the European Union) might be a better plan: it’s what many affluent Malagasy do if they need private treatment.

Madagascar’s cultural heritage is fascinating, and completely unexpected if you have any experience of travelling on the African continent: this is not Africa. Traditional Malagasy culture derives in large part from the other side of the Indian Ocean, blended with strong influences from the African mainland, and more recently with the traces of the French colonial experience and with the Creole culture of the Mascarene Islands – Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues. There are distinct variations among the various ethnic regions of Madagascar, but on the whole, it’s an informal, welcoming society, and relations with vazaha (foreigners) are usually relaxed and uncomplicated.

In counterpoint to the surface gaiety of street life, traditional culture is infested with the deeply woven threads of rigorous and often seemingly bizarre restrictions, known as fady. Fady are traditional injunctions and mandates regulating everyday life. Mostly not as strong as taboos, they are believed to derive from the wishes of the ancestors, or razana, and people believe they bring bad luck if disobeyed. The razana include not just the long dead of the distant past but recently deceased relatives – whose remains, in the central highlands region, are regularly exhumed and paraded at famadihana ceremonies. The personalities, habits and whims of the ancestors are transmuted into the fears and desires of their descendants and their extended families. Over time, certain fady have become widespread across districts and entire ethnic regions.

On the whole, fady don’t impact greatly on short-term visitors, and most Malagasy understand that vazaha don’t know about their local fady. Educated and westernized Malagasy fear them much less, and at their mildest they are little more than superstitions, like not walking under a ladder. Many fady relate to the hunting of certain animals and how to behave in forest areas which often have spiritual significance: national park guides may explain certain rules of behaviour to you before you start your walk, which might include not smoking or eating, or avoiding amorous contact.

Fady become much more significant if you’re living in Madagascar, when you’ll discover that there are places you can and can’t go, depending on circumstances, actions you can’t perform on certain days, colours you must avoid wearing in certain conditions, and so on. The only way you’ll come to understand your area’s fady is to talk to locals: you won’t get a uniform response, but you can soon build up a picture of how much the fady control people’s lives.

Greetings and body language

Greetings are fairly straightforward, with handshaking the norm especially between men, and in an urban setting or in a Western context such as an office, between both sexes. French-style cheek-to-cheek greetings are also de rigueur among people who know each other. As a vazaha, you’re not likely to be made to feel uncomfortable by any minor gaffes in social etiquette. Watch what others do, and take note of the following general rules: the left hand is reserved for unclean acts, at least in theory, so don’t use it to pass things or eat with; avoid pointing with an outstretched finger, but crook your finger instead; and beckon with the palm down, not up.

A century and a half of Christian mission work across the island has had a major impact on religious beliefs. Around twenty percent of the population are Roman Catholics and a quarter follow various Protestant churches, including the largest, the Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (Fiangonan’i Jesoa Kristy eto Madagasikara or FJKM), with perhaps eight percent being Muslims. But people everywhere tend also to adhere to traditional beliefs, for example happily mixing the practice of confession with planning the next exhumation ceremony. Only the more extreme evangelical churches have pushed hard against traditional practices.

Dress and modesty

Every Malagasy tribe has its traditional dress, hair and hat styles, but these are often hard to discern as people move, intermarry and follow global fashion trends rather than traditional styles. Modern Malagasy dress styles tend to split along rural and urban lines for women, although there isn’t a lot of difference as far as men are concerned, calf-length trousers and loose shirts being the norm, along with a good solid hat. Older rural women typically wear long cotton dresses or lamba wraps, often with straw hats. However, their younger counterparts, and the majority of women in towns, are often strikingly attired in tight, brightly coloured leggings or shorts, and skinny T-shirts. It’s an outfit that looks more fit for the dancefloor than walking to market, and dramatically reveals an absence of traditional restraint. And it means that as a visitor, refreshingly enough, your own choice of dress is not apt to faze the locals. This informality extends to relations between the sexes: physical contact between men and women is relatively unrestrained, and you’ll often see couples out for a stroll, arm in arm.

Malagasy sexual attitudes are less conservative than you might expect. Sex outside marriage, divorce and remarriage are common, and casual sex and informal prostitution are very widespread. Parts of Madagascar, particularly Nosy Be, have acquired notoriety for sex tourism – not in any organized sense, simply as a result of women heading to the bars to make some extra money, or possibly even to find a husband. In turn, many European men, drawn by the allure of what they perceive to be Madagascar’s uncluttered mores, end up trying to establish a business with a Malagasy business partner (a legal requirement) who is their girlfriend. These relationships often end badly and many Malagasy are offended and deeply uncomfortable about the widespread exploitation of young people. There is strong support for efforts to eradicate child sexual exploitation (sex workers have to be 18 and carry ID cards).

Unlike many countries in the region, Madagascar has never had any laws governing male or female homosexual relationships, and gay couples are unlikely to experience any problems here. That said, there is no gay or lesbian scene to speak of.

Alcohol and other drugs

Rum and other spirits, beer and local wine are cheap and available throughout the country, and alcoholism is a serious problem. Most Malagasy are tolerant of booze, even if in the case of strict Muslims and some Christians they don’t touch it themselves. However, public drunkenness and associated misbehaviour is strongly disapproved of: people are expected to behave decently and that includes visitors.

The main illegal drug is marijuana, smoked in herbal form, and grown all over the country. While it is illegal on the statute books, discreet use in private is usually tolerated. Don’t make any assumptions however, or buy or smoke pot without being very sure of your surroundings: if you fall on the wrong side of the law you will get no sympathy from your embassy.

The herbal stimulant khat is legal and quite popular in the north – but something of an acquired taste that there is no special reason to acquire. Other illegal narcotics circulate in Tana and other cities: stay well clear.

Most Malagasy burials are simple: the corpse is tied in a white cotton shroud, wrapped in a raffia mat and placed inside a sealed tomb or in a secure dry cave or a cleft in the rocks traditionally reserved for the purpose. That isn’t always the end of the story, though: the people of the central highlands practice famadihana – ritual reburial, or literally “the turning of the bones”, a custom believed to derive from Indonesia.

Roughly every seven years, in the cool, dry austral winter months between July and September, relatives consult an astrologer to determine the right date, and then gather for a two-day family party to celebrate the lives of their ancestors, with hired bands and plenty to eat and drink. They will usually slaughter a zebu, and then the remains of their nearest and dearest – usually labelled with their names – are retrieved from the family tomb to be lovingly unwrapped and tended. The remains are tidied up, given libations of rum or wine and squirts of perfume. The living have a chance to pass on news and make any requests that they feel their ancestors might assist with, from health and wealth to legal disputes and affairs of the heart. Gifts and photos are sometimes tucked in among the bones, before they are carefully rewrapped in fresh white shrouds, made ideally of finely woven silk, and bundled up for safekeeping. Once reclothed, retied and re-labelled with marker pen, the dead are paraded shoulder-high by the dancing crowd, amid further well-lubricated dancing, and accompanied by appropriately long and rambling eulogies, called kabary.

The practice of famadihana, once staunchly rejected by all Madagascar’s churches, is no longer opposed by the Catholic Church, although evangelical Christians and Muslims have no truck with it. More secular Malagasy these days oppose such close communion with the dead on economic grounds: a good reburial party is extraordinarily expensive. But the intangible social benefits are equally huge. As a passing visitor, you can often participate in a famadihana simply by being in the right place at the right time: you’ll be invited. They are intrinsically public gatherings, and occasions for inclusivity and empathy, so respectful visitors are always welcome – though you will be expected to join in properly by buying some rum and showing off your dance moves.

There’s a controversial crop that you’ll soon come across if you travel much in Madagascar – khat (Catha edulis), a bushy tree whose leaves and green twigs contain a mildly bitter stimulant sap, not dissimilar from caffeine or kola nuts in effect. It is mainly cultivated around Montagne d’Ambre in the far north and while it has been banned in many countries, in Madagascar it is still legal.

Travelling with young children in Madagascar is hard work. Journeys are long and unpredictable, it can be very hot and uncomfortable and there’s often a lot of waiting around. Persuading little ones to take malaria pills can be very hard: be sure to cover them carefully with a DEET-based mosquito repellent early each evening and ensure they sleep under secure nets. Every morning, smother them in factor 40 sunscreen, insist they wear hats, and make sure they get plenty of fluids.

Despite the difficulties, French and Italian families flock to the Nosy Be resorts using charter flights (admittedly, few of them are doing much real travelling on the island) and expatriate families manage perfectly well in Tana and other towns. Almost anything that you might need is obtainable, if not always widely available, but you’d still do best to take all your own essentials. You’ll need to take car seats, too (which should go free on the plane, and can also serve as dining thrones when high chairs are unavailable).

The rewards are great, with safe, engaging and approachable wildlife, wonderful beaches and an instinctively child-friendly host population. While taxi brousse travel isn’t really practical with children (you don’t have sufficient control to ensure they’ll be happy or safe), it is possible to work out an itinerary that isn’t too ambitious using either a tour operator or independently booking a vehicle and driver. If you spend some time touring, on the RN7 for example, you might also consider staying in one of the top-end beach-and-rainforest lodges as a relaxing special treat at the end – such as Anjajavy (great for little ones) or Manafiafy (wonderful for teens).

Top 5 national parks for children

Andasibe-Mantadia The closeness to Tana and the proximity of the remarkable indris are always a hit, as are the semi-tame lemurs at Vakona Forest Lodge.

Isalo Wonderful rocky scenery, canyons, easy walks, swimming, climbing, riding and ring-tailed lemurs.

Masoala Combines fabulous rainforest with Robinson Crusoe lodges and safe snorkelling.

Ankarana and Tsingy de Bemaraha Both parks boast extraordinary limestone pinnacle landscapes, through which only lemurs, lizards and active children (on the pathways and footbridges) can move with any ease.

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Find the right fully guided tour for you in Madagascar. There are 73 trips to choose from, that range from 4 days in length, up to 24 days. The month with the most departures is September, making it the most popular time to visit Madagascar.

73 Fully Guided tour packages in Madagascar with 170 reviews

Highlights of Madagascar

Our ratings for accommodation, transportation and itinerary are based on the obvious available standards for Madagascar, not to be confused with standards of expectations for other countries. The tour was listed as Highlights of Madagascar- and we certainly were given that. We felt we were given a good overview of Madagascar. In order to get to the parks for the highlights however, there were long, long drives. The transportation was better than most vehicles we saw, but uncomfortable for lengthy travel days. The national road system is in poor repair, which slowed the travel. With the unpredictability status of the internal flight from Toliara to Antananarivo- an additional day in Antananarivo should be included into the itinerary. The unfortunate abrupt cancellation of our internal flight by the airlines meant we missed connections for our home flights despite having booked with 24 hours leeway. The cancellation of the flight was not a GAdventures mistake - and our guide tried to alleviate the distress of the tourists, but it left an unfortunately bad taste in our mouths after having enjoyed the rest of the tour. Your itinerary needs to be rewritten to reflect the fact that a drive back to Antananarivo can NOT be arranged, or plausible when flights are abruptly cancelled at the last minute.

• Hiking & Trekking

Madagascar Baobabs & Beyond

The tour guide Patrick was outstanding. He went above and beyond his job. Always extremely helpful. He was not afraid to get his hands dirty when I needed him.. He took good care of his group and had a friendly and helpful attitude.

• Christmas & New Year

11 Days Customized Private Madagascar Vacation

It was absolutely lovely to take a recent amazing private tour! The vacation was amazing because to the group of amiable native guides and our fantastic private driver.

• Book With Flexibility This operator allows you to rebook your dates or tours with them for free, waiving change fees.

15 Days Details Madagascar ( Comfort)

Great way to get around and see a lot of Madagascar, excellent organization and guides

Madagasacar 4x4 Overland Expedition to Mananara and Maroantsetra

Tsiribihina River Expedition and Alley of Baobab

Baobab Safari

The trip on the west side of Madagascar went very well. The professional drivers and local guides were very polite and made me feel very welcomed. We spoke French or English. Some road trips are quite long because the roads have a lot of holes or are not paved, so the trip might feel tiring (or adventurous, depending on your attitude). Madagascar is an interesting place to visit, especially if you like nature and are interested in learning about Madagascar's culture and history.

Tsingy De Bemaraha

Incredible tour experience with an amazing sight. We kind of planned world tour, we started with Madagascar throught HT Agency Tours for 5 days adventure to the western part to see especially Tsingy Bemara, it was incredibly amazing and adventurious. We were in touch with Garcihel who customized our program, he responded promptly at any time. Angelin was our tour guide, the atmosphere was totally different from the point he picked us up, he animated the group and always found things to surprise us, he is knowledgable. The visit corresponded to what we really wanted to discover. Thank you to the team for making this trip an unforgettable experience.

Southern to the Highland

We just barely returned from a wonderful trip in Madagascar and I miss everything, we had a pleasant experience with Toky our tour guide who made us live in-depth a malagasy immersion with several stories, the cultures of each tribe’s group and specifically the nature that make the country so special and authentic. Of corse our schedule was hectic and exhausting but he was always positive and found something to entertain us; to ensure that the group stays always happy and does not get bored throughout the long tiring bad roads. We had a chance to have him as guide. The program was well executed and organized, the hotels we stayed was perfect. Speaking of nature, madagascar is the best destination for us, I suppose everyone in the group has the same opinion. I speak on behalf of the group in highly recommending this tour company for anyone who dreams to discover this beautiful big island and choosing Toky as a guide, he went beyond. Thanks Toky, you made this tour memorable!!! Riemelt (US)

• In-depth Cultural

The South destination kaleidoscope discovery

Comfortable 4x4 with an excellent driver

Madagascar: The Lost Continent

Great tour with a fantastic guide highly recommended

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

10 Days Tailor-Made Best Madagascar Tour, Daily Start

• River Cruise

Tsiribihina River Trip

Thank you Vivace Colègue and Aristide for this memorable tour and getting to know the variety of Madagascar, both in terms of the magnificent nature as well as the people. Thank you for your coordination and deep insights about your country. A truly special experience beyond the ordinary, whilst feeling well guided and in good hands all the days. Definitely would recommend this personal way to travel to Madagascar again.

Unique Madagascar

It was a very memorable, interesting and enjoyable trip! We both feel like we understand Madagascar so much better and thoroughly enjoyed seeing and learning about the animals, plants and people. Fhurisco really cares about his country and we appreciated his passion both for his country and people but also the nature. Don’t feel we could have spent the days we had any better!

The best of Madagascar Adventure 12Days/11Nights ( Comfort)

What people love about fully guided tours in madagascar.

Overall was a good tour ! Just read well ! You will not see the baobab avenue! There only 3 meals inc'ude in all the tour so its add on the budget !!! The restaureant we went were kind of expansive ! ( still ok for sure but if you were tight on a budget it male a big difference) Otherwise i really enjoy my tour and the time spend in the home stay this is the real higtlight of the tour for me ! The ceo was nice and the driver amazingly good we all feel really safe ! Most of the activity are walking tour ! So if you dont like to walk this is not for you ! But you will see a lot of lemurs! most hotels only have one power outlet so provide a double usb port. I loved my tour and can recommand it for sure !

Travel Styles

• Fully Guided
• Madagascar Travel Guide | All You Need to Know

International Versions

• Deutsch: Geführte Rundreisen in Madagaskar
• Français: Madagascar : Circuits entièrement guidés 2024/2025
• Español: Totalmente guidado Circuitos en Madagascar
• Nederlands: Volledig begeleid Rondreizen in Madagaskar

Madagascar Adventure

14 days | spot lemurs and get dreaming on the beaches of this southern african gem..

Create your own wildlife-filled jungle jaunt through Madagascar on this 14-day adventure to the island’s hotspots. You’ll be lazing on white-sand beaches, exploring tropical rainforests and spending time with a huge variety of local wildlife, including the lemur – the island's most popular animal inhabitants. Dig a little deeper throughout your journey and interact with local communities, getting an insight into the day-to-day life of Malagasy and Betsileo peoples. Discover the French colonial influences in Antananarivo and Antsirabe, and get the chance to chill out in your own time. An eco escapade in Madagascar awaits, with local wildlife, beaches and a little adventure at every turn.

Trip overview

• A wildlife lover's dream – count how many species of lemur and other exotic animals you can spot as you explore the Anja Community Reserve, Ranomafana National Park and Andasibe National Park.
• Connect with nature during a stay in a cottage deep within the Ranomafana National Park, surrounded by lush rainforest and countless species of fascinating plants and animals.
• Learn more about the important Malagasy process of silk production with a visit to local village industries in Manandriana where a cooperative of silk weavers are using their craft both to preserve local tradition and to provide for the future.
• Explore Mitsinjo Forest – a privately-owned reserve that’s giving back to the local community and promoting conservation – on a guided night walk where you’ll be lucky to catch glimpse of nocturnal species likes endemic butterflies and lemurs.
• Take a hands-on chocolate making class with a local chef and learn the secrets that make Malagasy chocolate so unique and delicious – and then get to sample your creations!
• Although anyone with a good level of fitness should be able to partake in this itinerary, there are several challenging aspects: guided day walks through the many national parks can be hot and humid. Please ensure you bring sturdy walking shoes and comfortable clothes.
• Road conditions in Madagascar are also notoriously poor. This means some of the driving days will be long as well as bumpy.
• Sometimes you’ve got to rough it to get amongst it. Some accommodation inside the national parks is basic and may not have the creature comforts of hotels in bigger towns and cities. Be prepared for no wi-fi or air conditioning. But also for charming, tucked away locations you won’t quite believe are real.

Tonga Soa! Welcome to Madagascar. You'll start your journey in the country's capital – the bustling Antananarivo – a fun place to explore among rolling hills. You might like to check out the Musée de la Photographie, a small museum showcasing the history of Madagascar between 1850 and 1870 through a series of old photographs that have been assembled into short videos. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 5 pm, but if you arrive early, why not head to Analakey to visit the street markets or perhaps seek out a cafe to soak up the atmosphere? After, why not keep the introductions going with an optional dinner with your group at a local restaurant?

• Hotel (1 night)

There are no meals included on this day.

• Antananarivo - Ambohimanga Rova Tour (per person; maximum 4) (including entry, guiding & camera) - MGA 10000 - MGA15600
• Antananarivo - Lemur's Park (Per Person) - MGA80000

It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

After breakfast this morning and before your flight (if time permits, as flight schedules are subject to change) you’ll enjoy a heritage walking tour of the Old City, where you’ll learn a little more about the country’s history, marvel at the interesting architecture of the traditional highland houses and watch on as finely dressed locals pop in and out of Sunday church services. After exploring Antananarivo, we’ll board a flight to Tulear and onward to your hotel in Ifaty for the evening. The night is yours to sit back and relax or go out and explore the town – you’ll be delighted by your accommodation with a swimming pool, snack bar and restaurant, so you may choose to stay in, rest up and get ready for tomorrow’s adventures.

• Bungalow (1 night)
• Antananarivo / Tulear - Leader-Led City Tour

Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours. The itinerary for today is subject to change due to the constant shifts in flight times in Madagascar. If your afternoon flight is changed to a morning flight today, you will do a walking tour of Tulear instead of Antananarivo.

Today is free for you to explore, adventure or relax as you wish. You might like to visit Reniala Private Park – meaning ‘mother of the forest’. This private nature reserve was opened in 2001 as a botanical garden, ornithological park and incredible baobab forest. Maybe you’d like to visit the Village des Tortues, a turtle breeding and conservation project or drop into the Honko Project and see the protected mangrove area that’s been set up to help reverse the degradation of the ecosystems here. Explore the Recycling Museum, which is dedicated to environmental protection, providing educational awareness for locals and tourists to learn about the efforts of waste management in the country and encouraging green and responsible consumption. Up for something a little more active? Take a traditional dugout (speedboat) out to the nearby reef and snorkel the day away on a guided excursion. As if this wasn’t already enough to choose from, if you’re visiting from July to August, you can also join a humpback whale-watching excursion in the lagoon.

• Tulear - Recycling Museum - Free

Leave Ifaty in the early morning and head to Tulear, where you will enjoy a city tour led by your trip leader. Then, drive to the Antsokay Arboretum for a visit. The Antsokay Arboretum is a botanical garden with over 900 species of plants from southwestern Madagascar, 90% are endemic to the region and 80% are medicinal. Among these, many succulents are considered endangered. You can also see creatures that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world, like chameleons, boas, tenrex and birds, as well as other endemic species. In the afternoon, continue on to Isalo National Park.

• Tulear - Antsokay Arboretum

Your travel today will be approximately 7 hours.

After breakfast today, you’ll make tracks to Isalo National Park, for a full day of exploration within the park with your leader. Isalo is known for its variety of landscapes, from rainforests and rolling plains teeming with life to strange geological formations and deep-cut canyons. And of course, there are a variety of lemur species roaming around the place because – well, this is Madagascar! You’re lucky to be spending a couple of days exploring the park, which is home to over 80 species of birds, 30 species of reptiles and 14 species of mammals including three lemur species – ring-tailed, red-fronted and Verreaux's sifakas lemur.

• Isalo National Park - guided walk

Today, you’ll kiss Isalo National Park goodbye as you hit the road for Fianarantsoa – a colourful town known for its heritage site. It is a must-see, with its long, paved roads, labyrinths of small paths and old houses with flower-studded balconies and tiled roofs. Along the way, you’ll stop at the Anja Community Reserve – a great spot to observe lemurs and learn a little more about the local culture. The forest in Anja was designated a protected area reserve by the Government of Madagascar in 1999. The reserve extends over 30 hectares and is enriched with all kinds of flora and fauna species, most notable for its dense population of semi-tame ring-tailed lemurs. Anja has become a vital example of how community management of natural resources can both effectively protect the area and benefit the community. Based on their individual skillsets some locals work as guides, others work as porters while some perform administrative and management tasks associated with the reserve. The local villagers will be your local expert guides as you explore the reserve, and your leader will be able to translate all the knowledge they can pass on to you.

• Ambalavao - Antemoro Paper Factory visit
• Ambalavao - Anja Community Reserve

Your travel time today will be approximately 8 hours.

Today you’ll visit the historical old city of Fianarantsoa on foot. Then, visit a typical Malagasy village for an insight into how most of the island's population live, then take a local walk to explore the surrounding countryside, which is dotted with rice paddies and vineyards that produce Fianarantsoa's famous wine. You'll get a chance to sample local cuisine with a lunch stop in the villages. In the afternoon, you’ll travel to Ranomafana National Park, located in the southeastern part of Madagascar. Ranomafana means 'hot water' in the Malagasy language and the area is haven for small mammals, birds, reptiles and insects, as well as palms, bamboo, orchids and carnivorous plants. This park is home to several rare species with 13 species of lemur, including the famous golden bamboo lemur, which was first reported in the area in 1985 – its presence is one of the main reasons why the government decided to protect this forest. You may want to consider taking an optional night walk once the sun goes down. Your accommodation tonight is a small cottage located within the park's boundaries. With a little free time, you might consider visiting the thermal springs which the town is named after – located across the Namorona River. The outdoor swimming pool fed by the springs is also a popular spot to take a dip.

• Cottage (1 night)
• Ranomafana - Station Thermale - MGA5000
• Ranomafana NP - Night Walk
• Fianarantsoa - Betsileo: village visit and walk - Free

Your travel time today will be approximately 2 hours.

The Betsileo Village visit includes a walk through the local countryside and the duration of the walk is usually 2.5 hours. Whilst not a difficult walk, parts of the walk are in full sun and we recommend a hat, sunscreen and of course carrying drinking water. Please discuss any concerns with your leader.

Today, you’ll get another chance to continue exploring Ranomafana, this time on a guided walk. Keep your eyes peeled for lemurs, striped civets, mongooses, goshawks, geckos, frogs and butterflies. If you’re lucky, you may even spot an incredible net-casting spider or the world's smallest chameleon. Relax into the day, and once again spend the night within the park.

• Ranomafana National Park - Rainforest walk

Your activities in the National Park include two guided walks, please discuss duration and walking conditions with your leader.

After breakfast, head to Valbio Research and Conservation centre, an international research station on the edge of Madagascar's beautiful and abundant Ranomafana National Park. Under the direction of renowned primatologist Patricia C. Wright, the centre works to protect Madagascar’s unique and biologically diverse ecosystems through conservation projects that directly benefit local communities. You’ll get a chance to tour the centre with a researcher and sit down for an informal session to learn about the work they do. After lunch make the journey to Ambositra, home to the third-largest ethnic group in Madagascar – the Betsileo people. Ambositra is known as the arts, craft and wood carving capital of Madagascar. You’ll get the opportunity to stop by a workshop and learn more about this local art.

• Ranomafana - Valbio Research & Conservation Centre
• Ambositra – Woodcarving workshop visit
• Ranomafana - Conservation Lecture & Lunch

Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.

This morning you'll visit the nearby Sandrandahy villages and explore the process of silk production, which is an important part of Malagasy culture. When a Malagasy is buried, their body is wrapped in a large, silk sheet known as a 'lambamena' and, after a few years, the family traditionally return to the tomb to exchange the sheet for a new one. This custom is known as famadihana, and each village specialises in one step of the production. You’ll be lucky enough to visit the Firaisankina silk weavers cooperative – whose name means 'solidarity' in Malagasy – an association of more than 100 women based in the village of Soatanana. For generations mothers have passed down to their daughters the craft of making silk shawls, called lambas. You’ll learn about the formation of the co-operative and how collaboration with NGO’s has allowed the women to share the labour across the wider community. A holistic approach to community development—economic, environmental, and medical—with traditional silk weaving as its hub. After learning more about this wonderful initiative, we’ll drive to Antsirabe. Antsirabe maintains a Malagasy touch with all the tranquillity of a small European town, thanks to the contrast of its bustling street markets and Colonial-style facades. Located in the highlands, it's a popular spa town thanks to the hot springs and thermal baths, and the colourful rickshaws known as 'pousse-pousse' are a popular form of transport. This evening, you’ll enjoy a group dinner in the gazebo within the grounds of the guest house.

• Gite (1 night)
• Ambositra - Village Visit
• Ambositra - Sandrandahy Village Lunch

Your travel time today will be approximately 6.5 hours.

Today is a long travel day as we make our way to Andasibe – but once you arrive, you’ll see why this place is worth the drive. Andasibe is the most visited park in Madagascar and famous for the 11 species of lemur that call it home. Aside from lemurs, you'll find endemic birds including the long-eared owl and the rufous-headed ground roller, as well as the smallest living chameleon – brookesia minima – and countless types of reptiles, insects and frogs.

Your travel time today will be approximately 10 hours.

Wake up with excitement as you’ll have the opportunity to discover all the unique wildlife during a guided walk through Andasibe National Park today. Then, you'll take a night walk through the forest at Mitsinjo – a privately-owned neighbouring reserve, where you'll encounter nocturnal species including endemic butterflies and lemurs. This forest was formed in 1999 by residents of the village of Andasibe in east-central Madagascar. Today, the organisation is composed of more than 50 members from the local community who focus on conservation, research and sustainable development initiatives. However, in total, the reserve positively impacts more than 400 households in the Andasibe area.

• Andasibe National Park - Mitsinjo night walk
• Andasibe National Park - guided walk - Free

You’ll kiss Andasibe goodbye after breakfast this morning for your final stop in Antananarivo. Once you arrive back in Antananarivo, you’ll take part in a hands-on Madagascan chocolate workshop led by a local chocolate maker. You'll learn about the ingredients used in chocolate-making, the refinement process and some of the secrets as to why malagasy chocolate is so unique and delicious. After preparing your own take-home chocolate creations (yum!), malagasy pastries will be served with a selection of local teas, coffees, and for the most courageous ones – rhum arrangés (flavored rum). This evening, why not enjoy a final dinner with your new travel companions – maybe toast to your Madagascar adventure with a local beer or two.

• Antananarivo - Madagascan Chocolate Workshop

With no activities planned for today, your adventure ends today after breakfast and you’re free to leave at any time, provided you comply with the hotel’s internal check-out policy. Departure transfers are available, just speak to your booking agent.

13 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner

Private Vehicles, Boat, Plane

Hotel (6 nights) Bungalow (4 Nights) Cottage (2 Nights) Gite (1 Night)

Dates and availability

Important notes.

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights on your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information. 2. There is an internal flight included on this trip. Baggage allowance is as follows:Checked-in: 1 Bag, max 20kg Cabin Luggage: 1 bag, max 5kg. Internal flights in Madagascar are often delayed and or cancelled at short notice, for this reason, we have included an additional day in Antananarivo to safeguard against possible changes to flights. For this reason, we do recommend booking any international departures until departure day. 3. A copy of your passport is required at least one month prior to departure so flights can be booked.

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

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The Times of India

Beautiful snakes that have gone endangered

Posted: 1 April 2024 | Last updated: 1 April 2024

Beautiful and at risk

Snakes, with their sleek bodies and beautiful patterns, evoke a mix of awe and fear in people. Their toxic bite and their beautifully coloured and patterned bodies are a sight to look at. Here we list 10 beautiful snakes that are in danger due to some reasons.

Madagascar ground boa

Endemic to Madagascar, Madagascar ground Boa is a large, spotted snake who is believed to be threatened due to habitat loss and hunting for its skin.

​Santa catalina rattlesnake

Found in the Santa Catalina Island off the coast of California, USA, this rattlesnake's population is declining due to habitat destruction and introduction of non-native species. The rattlesnake has a typical snake-like appearance but it is the movement and speed that make it beautiful.

​Brazilian rainbow boa

Evident by its name, the Brazilian rainbow boa has a colourful skin and stripes of a contrasting colour to the skin. The rainbow boa is facing habitat loss and illegal trade pressures.

Timber rattlesnake

The timber rattlesnake has a very toxic and poisonous bite and a bright grey and black colour that add to its beauty.

Egyptian cobra

With a local name of Naja Haje, the Egyptian cobra is not exactly endangered but definitely faces habitat destruction and intentional killing due to fear.

​King cobra

A majestic snake, King cobra, is the longest venomous snake in the world and remains under threat from habitat loss and poaching for its skin and medicinal use.

Aruba rattlesnake

A species endemic to the Caribbean island of Aruba, the Aruba rattlesnake is critically endangered due to habitat destruction and predation by introduced species. This snake sure is a nature’s wonder owing to its camouflage with the surroundings.

Green anaconda

The largest snake in the world by weight, the green anaconda faces threats from habitat destruction and overhunting for its skin and meat. With its beautiful and bright green colour, and patterns on the body, the green anaconda looks exquisite and grand.

Garter snake

With red stripes over its body and a dark green colour, the Garter snake is threatened by habitat loss and degradation.

Jamaican boa

Endemic to Jamaica, this beautiful boa is endangered due to habitat destruction and introduction of invasive species like mongooses. Jamaican boa has a blue, green and yellow colour body and looks like a total marvel.

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