Madagascar

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We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us

Adrift in the Indian Ocean, the size of France but with about ten main roads, Madagascar is one country where you can really escape the influence of the modern age and escape to remote communities scarcely touched by the outside world. Increasingly it is being discovered by naturalists and anthropologists as well as those who value its remote beaches.

Madagascar’s history is key to its development. The island split from Gondwanaland 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 soulful eyes.

A stunning 90% of Madagascar’s flora and fauna are endemic, found nowhere else in the world. These are protected in National Parks where rugged hikes are needed to track rare species and in private reserves where, to appeal to the French market, the lemurs are fed from the table and almost tame.

Its isolation also shaped the island's culture. The human gene pool arrived by boat from about 500BC, crossing the Mozambique Channel from Africa and drifting across the Indian Ocean from Southeast Asia and Austronesia. Here they blended and divided into 18 different tribes, each with its own language and beliefs.

Village life is conducted under a strict set of taboos and traditional beliefs. The island’s musical traditions also developed independently: each region has its localised types of music, keenly followed live and on bootleg VCR tapes. Two hundred years of French colonisation have overlaid a thin (but fervent) layer of Christianity and basic cooking skills but never threatened local cultures and beliefs. 

All this and natural beauty too. Straddling climate zones Madagascar has rocky wastes of spiny desert, patches of montane and tropical forest, intensively-farmed cool highlands and vanilla-scented lowlands basking in year-round warmth. Life continues offshore: cross the golden-sand beaches and join the lateen-rigged wooden fishing boats: below the surface are little-dived coral reefs and big pelagics. 

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Antananarivo
Antananarivo, Madagascar

Tana, as the capital is universally known, is all about eating, shopping, history and day trips. The town centre itself, with its pollution and dreadful traffic, puts off many travellers from staying, but bypassing the capital altogether would be a mistake: Tana has been the home of Malagasy power for three centuries and there's a huge amount of history and culture to discover, as well as some unexpected wildlife options.

Antsiranana
Antsiranana, Madagascar

With its wide streets, old colonial-era buildings, and buzzy atmosphere, Diego is an appealing base from which to explore Madagascar’s northern region. While the city has a slow-moving pace (nearly everything shuts between noon and 3pm while residents indulge in long afternoon naps), there's a plethora of good restaurants, places to stay and plenty of shopping.

Toamasina
Toamasina, Madagascar

Madagascar's most important seaport, Tamatave is a hot, dusty and chaotic town full of decaying colonial buildings, roadside markets and throngs of pousse-pousse carts. The emphasis is on commerce, not tourism, apart from being an important transit point. There are some bright spots amid the fading grandeur if you know where to find them, meaning that you can have a good time here for a day or two. It’s a convenient spot to break the journey between Antananarivo and Île Sainte Marie, or to organise a trip down the Canal des Pangalanes.

Morondava
Morondava, Madagascar

Morondava is a terminally laid-back seaside town with sandy streets and gently decaying clapboard houses. There is not much to do or see in the town itself, and most people come here on their way to and from Parc National Bemaraha, Belo-sur-Mer or Réserve Forestière de Kirindy. It's also the starting point for the gruelling three-day, off-road 4WD adventure that connects western Madagascar to Tuléar in the country's south. Closer-to-town attractions include the iconic Allée des Baobabs.

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Location

Madagascar is an island located in the western Indian Ocean. Madagascar lies about 425 km (266 miles) off the east coast of Southern Africa. Specifically, Madagascar is located east of Mozambique, across the Mozambique Channel. The geographic coordinates of Madagascar are 20 00 S, 47 00 E.

Transportation

The most common road transportation is by taxi-brousse; these minibuses seat about 15 but can become very packed. Coach service MadaBus has fewer routes, mainly between the major cities, but is much more comfortable. Hiring a car can be expensive but this allows more freedom in road travel. Air Madagascar connects Antananarivo to major coastal areas around the island and discounts are available if you enter the country with the airline. 

Languages Spoken

The main language in Madagascar is Malagasy. It’s spoken by everyone.
French is the second official language, but every French tourist I met was surprised how FEW locals actually spoke French outside the big cities. VERY VERY few people speak English. The locals were always very helpful and eager to help you out even when we couldn’t speak the same language.

Currency

The local currency of Madagascar is called Malagasy Ariary (MGA), just called Ariary.
1 USD: 3200 Ariary
1 Euro: 3400 Ariary.

Every city and decent-sized town have numerous ATMs these days, and the two main banks are BNI Madagascar and Bank Of Africa. Both accept Visa, Visa Electron, and MasterCard.
None of the banks charged me bank fees when withdrawing money.
The maximum withdrawal at once is 400 000 Ariary (117 Euro / 125 USD)

Visas

Visas are required for everyone visiting Madagascar. You can obtain a 30, 60 or 90-day visa at all international airports. Despite what the guidebooks say, the 30-day visa is NOT FREE.

Electricity

The power plugs in Madagascar are the standard European standard 220V dual pin power plugs. Everyone except mainland Europeans will have to bring a power adapter.

Vaccinations

The CDC and WHO recommend the following vaccinations for Madagascar: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza.

Emergency Calls

Madagascar's country code - 261

Landline prefix - 020

Mobile prefix - 032, 033 or 034

Police - 117

Fire - 118

When to visit
Best time to visit the destination

Climate varies extremely across the island. The cyclone season tends to be from February to March. During the winter months (April-September), the country is dry; September can be very windy in the south. Tourist numbers are highest in August and over the Christmas period, despite December bringing the most rainfall. October-November tend to be fairly warm with little rain, so this is an ideal time to visit.

What to do?
Don’t miss to challenge your world

Admire the largest and smallest chameleons in the world

It’s hard to have an encounter with a Parsons Chameleon — considered the largest chameleon species in the world by weight — and not emerge with a grin. Look at the nose, the tail, the eyes, the color. These and other endemic species unique to Madagascar will make you wonder, “Why?” “How?” “Here?” Mother Nature certainly had fun with this one. For some contrast, narrow your eyes and squint if you must, and take a look at the 3-4mm long Madagascar dwarf chameleon, Brookesia minima. 

Listen to the call of the indri at Andasibe-Mantadia National Park

The indri (also known locally as babakoto), found only in this region of Madagascar, are the largest of all lemurs, and are considered the freedom fighters of the species. When placed in captivity, the indri essentially go on a hunger strike, starving themselves until they are released back into the wild. While admirable, this indri behavior makes it difficult for scientists to conduct research and all but impossible to increase indri populations through captive breeding.

Crash a party of Sifaka Lemurs

The sifaka, known as the dancing lemur, is another fun, social species of lemur that you’ll find in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Though we encountered multiple diademed sifaka families (usually 9-10 strong), one family in particular rewarded our group for being patient, silent and still.

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