15 Best Places To Visit In Madagascar, Trip Cost 2021

That said, we enjoyed traveling at this time as the temperature was comfortable during the day and insects and mosquitos were much less than they’d otherwise be during hot season. The town of Andasibe, just outside the nearby national and community parks bearing its name, is a walk through everyday Madagascar. If you want to go to remote places and some national parks, hiring a 4WD car with a driver is often the only option. I stayed 16 days in Madagascar and traveling around the island took A LOT more time than I was expecting, so I wasn’t able to visit even half the places I wanted to before I left home. If you have an embassy in your home country you can obtain the visa prior to departure. 30 day tourist Visas are also available for most nationalities on arrival at Antananarivo airport.

Venture into national parks to experience profound moments in nature, mellow out on idyllic islands, stroll through heritage towns and spot quirky wildlife not found anywhere else on this earth. It is a stunning destination and one that will certainly be one of the world’s most sought-after tourist destinations. But for now, it’s a destination for the more intrepid of holidaymakers.

Madagascar Map

They can live for up to 1,000 years and store 1,000 gallons of water in themselves. While there is debate when the island was first settled, it was likely only within the last 1500 or so years ago. This means it was the third last of the world’s larger landmasses to be discovered and permanently inhabited . It was then home to one of the largest birds to have walked the earth – the elephant bird.

Please discuss the payment of these fees and the arrangements for this trip with Benjamin ANDRIAMIHAJA and the MICET staff when you arrive in Madagascar. This fee should be paid to MICET before your departure to the field. If you are backpacking around the country, the likelihood is that you will have to travel by taxi-brousse at some point. There will usually be numerous vehicles headed for the same destination but departing at slightly different times.

Google Map Of Madagascar

What is important to note is that these crimes don’t only occur in urban areas but also in nature reserves and beaches. Petty crime usually takes place in crowded areas and airports and foreigners are the targets, more often than not. Take precautions when walking in street markets and avoid walking at night in urban areas. Madagascar is, for the most part, a safe country to visit. However, it does have a rather high crime rate, though it’s mainly ridden with petty crime due to vast unemployment and poverty.

Located off the eastern coast, this former pirate capital (the 17th-century pirate Captain Kidd’s ship sank nearby) is a funky, relaxed island full of little coves, a pirate graveyard, and delicious seafood. The beaches aren’t as good as Nosy Be but there’s a beautiful white-sand beach in the south of the island that few people visit. This is also the best part of the country for whale watching.

Luxury Couples Trip

We can see why a solo female traveller would want to come here. There is a very, very small handful of hostels on this large island nation, so make sure that you book yourself into the right place that will suit you will help your trip go more smoothly. Knowing how to communicate in one of them will make your trip a lot easier and safer. Politically, the country is looking much more stable nowadays. There are still a few demonstrations every once in a while, but as long as you stay out of it, they won’t affect you at all. There is no such thing as a perfect safety guide, and this article is no different.

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. 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.

How Much Does It Cost To Travel To Madagascar?

Skip going solo and hire a driver — they’ll not only be more familiar with the driving conditions but most drivers know a lot about the country and landscape too. Perched high up in the Central Highlands, Antsirabe is the third-largest city in Madagascar and the premier destination for the French who came here during the height of colonialism. They built elegant Parisian-style mansions, raised Gothic cathedrals, and laid wide boulevards with plane trees casting shade. The dusty city retains some of that charm and is one of the most aesthetically pleasing cities in the country. Antsirabe, a name that means “place of much salt” in Malagasy, is home to multiple natural thermal springs, making it a popular healing retreat. Huge fig trees wrangle around groves of palms, ruffed lemurs meet Mantella frogs in the undergrowth, and the green hills crash down into secluded bays of bright yellow sand.

Directly opposite, on the west coast, you find a much more arid landscape that borders on semi-desert in some areas of the south-west. This drier climate is perfect for the growth of Africa’s biggest tree – the baobab – and the world-famous Avenue of the Baobabs is found here. The culture is an enticing mix of African, South-East Asian, French, British and Chinese influences. Traditional clothing, houses and cuisine all have echoes of other world cultures, giving Madagascar an exotic accessibility. The climate is determined by the dominant south-eastern trade winds that originate in the Indian Ocean anti-cyclone. It is also best not to rely on credit cards as they are not accepted widely at all.

Is It Safe To Drive In Madagascar?

As tourism grows, so too do the other ways the community can direct its own investment and improvement. There’s something about taking it all in firsthand to assemble your own sense of the meaning of the Madagascar. And also understanding how tourism there can have a positive impact and support conservation and community development. With this experiential guide to traveling Madagascar, we aim to give you an idea of what you’ll see and what to seek out. For EVERY national park, you are required to pay a daily entrance permit and to have a guide.

However, there are many opportunities for volunteering in Madagascar, and some of these can be found on the Volunteer Abroadwebsite. For example, it is possible to get involved in a Conservation project in a nature reserve. Alternatively, for those who don’t like long walks and much physical effort, it is possible to teach English in the main cities of the island, such as Antananarivo. For example, Air Madagascar, the island’s own airline operates four direct flights between Paris CDG and Antananarivo (Madagascar’s capital) each week, and it is therefore easy to get a connecting flight.

What We Love About Madagascar

Department of State or U.S. government endorsement of the entity, its views, the products or services it provides, or the accuracy of information contained therein. The order in which names appear has no significance, and the listings or links may be removed at any time at the discretion of the Department. The CDC’s latest guidance on international travel for vaccinated people can be foundhere. Read the Department of State’s COVID-19 pagebefore you plan any international travel, and read the Embassy COVID-19 page for country-specific COVID-19 information. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Madagascar.

Lastly, it is a common misconception that most Malagasy people speak French. Only well-educated people in the country have any knowledge of the French language. If you are only planning on visiting the capital city, you will probably be able to communicate with most people at a basic level using French. However, if you are planning on travelling around the country and visiting remote areas, you really need to learn a few basic Malagasy phrases. You should bear in mind that very few people in Madagascar speak English well enough to hold a proper conversation. © Cheesemans’ Ecology SafarisAfter an early morning search for Ifaty’s diverse birds, make your way down to Isalo National Park via Zombitse Forest.

How Much Did We Spend In West Africa?

The east of Madagascar is a very desirable part of the country, with excellent rainforests and beaches. Near Antananarivo, Andasibe is a rainforest with great walking tours. Continue to the coast to Ile Saint Marie and theparadise island of Ile Aux Nattes.

Expect to pay for everything in local currency called the Malagasy Ariary . We used ATM machines at the Antananarivo airport and in the bigger cities and towns around the country to get local money and we never had a problem. We also brought cash with us as an emergency in case the ATMs were broken and we had to exchange money.

Can You Drink The Water In Madagascar?

There is strong support to eradicate child sexual exploitation . A century and a half of Christian mission work across the island has had a major impact on religious beliefs. But people everywhere tend also to adhere to traditional beliefs, for example happily mixing the practice of confession with planning the next exhumation ceremony.

• “Usual professional and friendly service from my airline of choice for most destinations.”
• Homemade rum is prevalent and hard alcohol can be purchased for less than $1 for a 12-ounce bottle.
• The wildlife was very good – lemurs are close and provide excelent opportunites for photography.
• The only exception was hiking the Andringitra Mountains near Ambalavao.