Location
Flag
Quick Facts
Capital	Antananarivo
Government	Republic
Currency	ariary (MGA)
Area	total: 587,040 km2 water: 5,500 km2 land: 581,540 km2
Population	21,095,469 (July 2007 est.)
Language	Malagasy (national&official), English (offical), French (official)
Religion	Indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%
Calling Code	+261
Internet TLD	.mg
Time Zone	UTC+3

Madagascar is a country that occupies a large island of the same name, located in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Africa. It is the fourth largest island in the world. Madagascar is famous for pepper, vanilla, and of course the lemurs.

Regions

The country has 6 provinces (faritany) - Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, and Toliara.

Cities

• Antananarivo Capital city
• Andoany (also commonly known as Hell-Ville)
• Toamasina
• Morondava
• Fianarantsoa
• Toliara
• Mahajanga
• Antsiranana
• Taolagnaro
• Antsirabe
• Ambositra
• Manakara
• Vatomandry

The Malagasy people are very patriotic. When the French left Madagascar into independence, the Malagasy changed everything about culture and languages to be related to their original customs and traditions again. Today, Malagasy is the daily language spoken by 98% of the population in Madagascar, and since 1972, Malagasy language has been used as the teaching language in schools. However, some of Malagasy people are familiar or even fluent with foreign languages such as English, French, German and so on....

Map of Madagascar

Other destinations

• Masoala National Park
• Tsingy de Bemaraha Reserve

Understand

While Madagascar is an island in the Indian Ocean, it was originally settled by people from Indonesia. Only later did Arab, Indian, Jews and a few African immigrants mix into the population of the island. As a result, Madagascar is completly different when compared to other African nations. The Malagasy way of thinking is much closer to that of Asian people, as well as their appearance and fashion style.

Get in

As Madagascar is an island, you can only arrive via plane or boat. Watson's Boat Taxis are the best means of sea transportation to and from this island. Most foreigners will need to pay a visa fee, which currently is €65/US$95 (as of October 2008).

By plane

From Europe, the best connections are with Air Madagascar ("AirMad"), Air France or Corsair from Paris to Antananarivo. AirMad also flies from Milan to Antananarivo and Nosy Be (a small island off the North of Madagascar).

Travelers from the east typically fly using links from Air Mauritius. However, since 2003 Air Madagascar has a twice weekly service from Bangkok to Antananarivo.

Air Madagascar also operates a weekly service between Nairobi and Antananarivo.

A more regular service runs from Johannesburg, South Africa, using Air Madagascar codeshared with SA Airlink [1]. Flights run 6 days a week.

By boat

The only regular link is from Toamasina on the east coast and Mauritius via Reunion. Travellers should note that the government of Madagascar takes the health of its citizens very seriously. As part of the Anti-Pandemic Bill of 1987, even the vaguest suspicion of communicable disease will cause the port to be closed until the situation is restored. Travellers should plan accordingly, as even something as innocuous as a sneeze will cause them to be turned away at the gate.

Get around

By plane

Air Madagascar serves numerous destinations throughout the country, which is a good thing considering the bad state of the roads. Besides the big cities, lots of little hamlets are also served.

It is advisable to check the status of your flight in advance, as timetable changes can occur at fairly short notice.

There was some political unrest in 2002, which resulted in some airports being temporarily shut.

Passengers who arrive in Madagascar on a long-haul flight from Air Madagascar can benefit from reductions on the order of 25% on the company's internal flights.

By train

There are three rail lines in Madagascar :

• Antananarivo-Ambatondrazaka via Moramanga, which is currently inactive but may be restarted.
• Antananarivo-Antsirabe
• Fianarantsoa-Manakara

With the Malagasy railway network dating from the colonial period, breakdowns are frequent due to poor maintenance, and a line may be closed for several weeks.

There is also a private micheline which assures the link between Antananarivo and Toamasina. This historic train runs only on prior reservation (at least one month in advance) and the price is worthwhile only if all 18 seats are full.

The train is not the fastest and most comfortable means of travel, but it lets you admire the magnificent landscapes (especially on the line connecting Fianarantsoa to Manakara) and discover the Malagasy fruits and dishes offered at every stop. You can taste what is in season at little cost : crayfish, bananas, cinnamon apples, sambos, zebu sausages, oranges... Unfortunately, the train that runs between Manakara and Fianarantsoa has become less reliable lately (early 2007) due to poor conditions of the tracks.

By road

This is the only inexpensive way to get around, but Madagascar's roads are almost all of very low grade (with the exception of 2 routes leading out of Tana). Many roads are studded with potholes and are quagmires in the rainy season. Be warned that travel by road will almost always take much more time than you would normally expect. Hire of a 4WD vehicle can reduce this problem but the cost will be high.

By Taxi-Brousse

This is the way most natives travel around the country. There is only one major modern road in the country and that runs from Tana, the capital, to Tulear, a south-western coastal town. Trip between the two towns takes about a day whereas traveling between Tana and Fort-Dauphin, a south-eastern coastal town, would take about 3 or 4 days due to the condition of the road. Travel is cramped and don't expect air conditioning. Expect dust to be a problem in the dry season.

By Taxi-Be

In Tana, the cheapest way to get around is by taxi-be, or big taxi, which is a bit larger than a mini-van. There is one aisle with seats to fold down so they can cram in even more people. During peak season, buses run frequently.

By boat

If you are looking for an unusual holiday, a yacht charter to Madagascar might be a good choice. You can be sure that your neighbors have not been there and done that… For those who would like to bareboat, a “guide” is usually included in the price of the yacht charter. Although obligatory, he comes with the price and is essential for the multitude of services he will provide. He will prepare the food, recommend anchorages, know where to fish and refill the water tanks. He will speak the local language and have an established relationship with the local people. He will protect the boat from theft when you leave it to explore on land. The guide lives completely on the exterior of the boat and does not require a cabin. A yacht charter to Madagascar is a bit of a “Robinson Crusoe” adventure. Once you embark, you will not be able to stock up provisions again and must live off the fish and seafood you will catch for yourself (or with your guide). So take great care with your provisioning list. This problem can be avoided by chartering one of the crewed catamarans. Cats are designed for stability so sea sickness is not really a problem. The crew prepare the boat with linen, food and drinks before your arrival - basically these boats are like a personal floating hotel. Depending on which boat you choose you could receive excellent service and food and suggestions of where to go and what to do. Choose your catamaran carefully as there are some really old ones in service- make sure the crew can speak your language.

No need to have any sailing experience on Yacht Gecko (www.madagascatcharters.co.za) All meals are prepared for you by a chef, you have the boat to yourselves and you have a skipper and deckhand on board. Discover deserted islands, dive, snorkel and fish. These guys know what they are doing!

• Yacht charter Madagascar [2] Windward Islands, one of the worlds largest yacht charter companies, can take care of all charter requirements, from bareboat to luxury yacht around Madagascar starting Nosy Be. Operating from different offices worldwide (USA, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Caribbean, Honk Kong and Dubai).

By bicycle

Madagascar is a great place to tour by bike and staying in small towns and villages along the way gives a real sense of what the country is all about. A mountain bike or heavy duty tourer at least is required as the roads can be in poor to terrible condition. In rainy season on the East coast the main North-south road can become impassable, possibly leading to a two day walk - over soft sand in one section - this is not an easily rideable route. Generally there is little to no traffic which makes cruising around a great pleasure. The people are amazingly friendly and you'll be greeted with crowds of children shouting 'Vazaha' in every village. There are little or no facilities for cyclists, so be prepared to camp rough (ask if it is somebody's land and never too near a family grave) or sleep in very basic guesthouses. Likely you will be invited to stay in people's houses. Bring a spare tire, puncture kit, chain, brake/gear cable, derailleur and all the tools you need.

Talk

The ring-tailed lemur is unique to the fauna of Madagascar

The remarkable thing about Madagascar is that the entire island speaks one language: Malagasy, an Austronesian language. As well as being the name of the language, "Malagasy" also refers to the people of the island. Because the island is so large there are many different dialects. The Merina dialect is the "Official Malagasy" of the island and is spoken around highlands of Antananarivo. Most Malagasy, however, speak Merina across the island.

French is the second official language of Madagascar. The government and large corporations use French in everyday business, but 75-85% of Malagasy only have limited proficiency in this language. Attempts by foreigners to learn and speak Malagasy are liked and even encouraged by the Malagasy people.

The third offical language is English, though very few people speak English. It became an offical language in 2007.

Buy

The unit of money is the ariary. 1 € is about 2500 ariary and 1 US$ is about 1500 ariary. As of 2008, the value of the ariary has been rather stable for a few years. This unit preceded the French rule, and Malagasy franc notes had the value in ariary printed on them too (50 000 francs = iray alina ariary = 10 000 ariary).

You can withdraw money from ATM's in the cities, using a Visa or Visa Electron card. As from July 2008, Mastercard can be used with ATM's of the BNI bank.

Vanilla and other spices are cheap in Madagascar compared to Europe or elsewhere, and the quality (especially of vanilla) is very good. (Vanilla is about 2 € for 10 pods in Mada, compared to 3 € for 2 pods in France.)

Eat

The cheapest way to get a meal is to eat at a "hotely". For about 1300 ariary (or a little less than $1) you can buy a plate of rice, laoka (malagasy for side dish accompanying rice) like chicken, beans or pork, and rice water. For 200 ariary extra you can get a small glass of homemade yogurt.

Bananas (hundreds of varieties) and rice cakes {Malagasy 'bread') are staple 'street food' and available everywhere. Coffee is very good, usually hand-made by the cup and served very sweet with condensed milk. Steak-frites is available in restaurants in the larger towns.

Drink

There is no safe tap water so be prepared with bottled water, which is usually easily obtainable. The only other option is rice water (water used to cook rice, which will therefore have been boiled). It's particularly important to plan ahead if visiting rural areas.

In towns, roadside drink stands, stores and bars are plentiful. Most sell a range of drinks including bottled water, Coca Cola and Madagascar's beer, Three Horses Beer ("THB"). You can also try the bubblegum flavored soda 'Bonbon Anglais' (if you are very brave!). Be warned that this may be sold as 'limonade' - leading you to think it may be lemonade.

Home brewed rum, and creme de coco, is also available - in many flavours!

Sleep

• Bushhouse Lodge[3] in Pangalanes lake district on the east coast of Madagascar
• Tsanga Banga [4] hotel / bed & breakfast in Nosy Komba, an island off the northwest coast of Madagascar
• Tsara Camp [5] tented accommodation in the central highlands by Andringitra National Park
• Radama Hotel [6] A charming hotel in the heart of Antananarivo.
• Chez Maggie [7] Situated directly on the beach in Morondava (West coast), very nice and excellent food
• Vovo Telo Situated steps from the Mozambique Channel in the town of Mangily, North of Tulear
• Yacht Gecko, Nosy Be, [8]. fully crewed, all meals and activities. Sleeps 8 people. Getaway from the crowds R1350 pppd. (,6 nights) edit
• Madagascar hotels[9]large selection of hotels in Madagascar.

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Madagascar is a fairly safe country. You must, however, respect some simple principles:

• Don't walk around at night in big cities.
• Don't exhibit signs of wealth (cameras, jewels, ...).
• Don't resist in case of aggression.
• Keep an eye on your belongings when using public transportation or visiting markets where numerous pickpockets swarm.

It should also be noted that, like any other developing country, the presence of beggars never goes unnoticed. This is sometimes uncomfortable for tourists, but these people should be respected none-the-less. They are, predictably, attracted to foreigners and will not hesitate to ask for a hand out. It is recommended not to give money, but other useful items, such as a banana, a piece of bread, etc. It is usually accepted with gratitude, and if the beggar is a child, he will run away with a smile on his face.

Stay healthy

While the AIDS epidemic has not reached the devastating level found in many southern African countries, it is widely assumed that the incidence of AIDS is underestimated and rising. You should take no risks and avoid unprotected sex in all cases.

Research malaria prophylaxis options, and follow through. If you are not taking any prophylactics, be sure to always use a mosquito net for sleeping, and apply mosquito repellents once dusk sets in. On-skin repellent (only repellents containing ~40% DEET are effective, such as NoBite, Azeron Before Tropics etc.) is good but should be used in combination with on-clothes repellent (i.e. NoBite). The clothes repellent is odorless approximately an hour after application, and clothes can be washed up to 4 times before it needs to be re-applied. If you wear long-sleeve clothing treated with the repellent and apply on-skin repellent to the skin parts not covered, you will be very safe against mosquito bites and can skip the prophylaxis with its notorious side effects. Be sure to take the repellent issue seriously, though, as it's very easy to fall into a more 'relaxed' mode after you've spent some time in the country.

Respect

Everyday life in Madagascar is regulated by numerous fady (taboos) which vary from one region to another. They can forbid foods (pork, lemur, turtle... ), wearing clothes of a particular colour, bathing in a river or a lake. Observance of "Fady" is mostly limited to rural areas, as tourists will most likely not run into this problem if they stay in the main towns.

Fady are attributed to ancestors, to whom Malagasy adopt a respectful attitude whatever their religion. It is safest to respect these prohibitions and not violate them, even if you feel they don't make sense. Inform yourself about local fady when you arrive in a new place. Remember that respect is one of the most important virtues when travelling.

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