Study Abroad In Madagascar

Hi, I’m Victoria – a British girl from Manchester, now living in New York. I love to travel the world, a lot of the time solo. Indri Lodge, Andasibe – In Andasibe we stayed at the Indri Lodge, which is about 15 minutes drive from the National Park.

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. 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. Street food is available everywhere and although dirt cheap (1-2$ a meal), we found local cuisine to be lacking in flavor.

Our Trips

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. Madagascar’s human history is relatively recent; it’s believed humans first arrived to the island only 2,000 or so years ago. The country’s population has become a mix of the early Indonesian cultures that first settled here, as well as African, Arab, and French. Complimenting Andasibe, Ranomafana is another wonderful national park. Staying at the comfortable Setam Lodge, I had a spectacular view of the rainforest stretching into the distance.

How a school trip abroad can help bring back real communication for your students. And what ‘disconnect to connect’ can mean on your school’s … Thanks to careful management and thorough consultation with local partners our track record is exemplary.

Gabon Explorer

Your eyes won’t believe what you see in Tsingy National Park but you gotta believe it. The whole park is flanked by a staggering range of limestones spikes which feels so extraterrestrial. Most region of the park is impenetrable where the rare species of birds and animals thrive. Enjoy walking tiptoe in the World UNESCO Heritage Site where you get the exhilarating views of gushing waterfalls, lemurs, and untouched forests from the highest point in the park. Not just an island, Madagascar is an experience in itself.

• Sometimes they will ask for money, which is not unusual in a poor country.
• On the other hand, the west coast is much drier, home to immense arid landscapes.
• Simple hotels , community guesthouse (1 nt, multi-share).
• The only exception was hiking the Andringitra Mountains near Ambalavao.
• Cooking your own food won’t really save you any money since restaurants here are so cheap.

Chicken, duck, and seafood are also always available. A few of the hotels in the book have been shut down for years like Hotel Frederic in Tamatave, which is just a pile of ruins. You will see a lot of older white men with young local girlfriends in Madagascar, similar to what you see in Thailand or the Philippines.

Our Madagascar Story

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. Madagascar is one of the few African countries that do not require money for Visas. DO NOTneed to get a visa before arrival, andDO NOT need to buy a visa if the visit is less than 30 days. The human gene pool arrived by boat around 500BC, when settlers came from modern day Borneo by canoe. These settlers were then joined by Bantu migrants from Mozambique around 1000AD.

• There is a moderate risk of malaria outside Antananarivo so discuss mosquito avoidance and anti-malarial prophylactics with your doctor or travel clinic before leaving.
• Most of the reasons why are due to its sheer isolation.
• A great option is to hire a car with a private driver, as they have the required local knowledge to navigate the roads safely.
• Madagascar was a French colony until 1960 when it gained its full independence.
• Cheapest fares I’ve seen from NYC to Antananarivo are about $1239 round-trip.

Be prepare to be jammed in to one of those hippie vans with way more people than it’s meant to fit. It’s also your best chance to see the famous aye-aye lemur . The road weaves through dense jungle, across rivers, and through tiny towns in one of the most undeveloped parts of the country.

Walk The Terraced Rice Fields En Route To Fiadanana Village And Stay The Night

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.

Listen to a ghost talker, enjoy a stay at a community guesthouse, and dinner with a local family. A selection of wildlife-focused tours endorsed by world renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall. Your purchase of a Jane Goodall Collection tour helps G Adventures support the Jane Goodall Institute’s mission to protect wildlife and empower local communities. World Expeditions hold an Air Travel Organisers Licence no. 4491 issued by the Civil Aviation Authority . All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme.

Uganda Travel Guide

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.

Day 9

In the morning we will drive towards Antananarivo. On the way, you cannot miss the exotic reptile farm of Peyriras Reserve. Continue south and as soon as you leave busy Tana, you can start enjoying the pretty views. The road lingers through the hilly terraced highland and you will pass through the village of Ambatolampy, where you can visit an Aluminum pot atelier. Continue to Antsirabe and upon arrival you will see the roads buzzing with colorful pousse-pousse .

Where To Stay In Madagascar On A Budget

Read on for more detailed information on how to have a safe trip to Madagascar. That said, if you have the money, then it might be worthwhile booking yourself onto a tour for your entire trip of Madagascar. This is, in fact, the most normal way to get around Madagascar.

Explore Ranomafana Nature Reserve

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$. July-September is the best time to see the migrating humpback whales, while October and November are best for seeing baby lemurs. If you want to beat the “crowds” then visit in April, right at the end of the rainy season. It won’t be as hot, but the jungles will be lush and the beaches quiet. April-December is the best time to visit Madagascar. You’ll avoid the rainy season as well as the cyclones that often occur.

Backpacking Madagascar Suggested Budgets

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.

Madagascar Island Map

At Isalo we explore its lunar landscapes, then fly back north and travel to the forests of Andasibe National Park and Akanin’ny Nofy. Here we walk along the forest trails and have an excellent chance to spot Madagascar’s extraordinary wildlife including the iconic indri and other lemurs. Madagascar has a hot tropical climate, but there are big regional variations. In the highlands of the interior, you’ll experience a cooler and less humid climate. There is a lot of rain throughout the year on the east coast but the south-west is usually hot and dry.