The best way to get to Madagascar is by air.
So far AIR MADAGASCAR,and AIR FRANCE are the only long haul flight from PARIS which is convenient for travellers from EUROPE and from the United States.
You can come via SOUTH AFRICA,NAIROBI,MAURITIUS,REUNION,BANKOK.
When is the best time to visit?:
Keen naturalists should go from late AUGUST to end of DECEMBER.
Broadly speaking the dry months are between April and November but rainfall varies enormously in different area :
The East coast is often wet between April and July where elsewhere it is dry.
With the climate change the weather is not predictable so you just tell when do you plan to come and I will advise you what it will be like and select the areaS accordingly.
Do I need visa?
A visa is required by everyone and is normally issued for a stay of 30 days.
It can be issued at the airport in Antananarivo.
You will require a valid passport with 6 months before expiry.
Which currency should I bring?:
The local money is called ARIARY. I recommend you to bring EURO, DOLLARS or POUNDS in big otes. It is difficult to change Traveller's Cheque. There are ATM machines at every major cities but only VISA is accepted.
Which language do they speak?
The local people speak Malagasy,which belongs to the Malay -Polynesian family of languages. French is only spoken in big cities but not in rural area.
Few speaks English.
Should I take travel insurance?
It is essential that you take out sufficient travel insurance.
What type of accomodation do they have there?
Tourism business is not yet well develloped in Madagascar so there are few hotels which get the international standard.
However there is a good supply of hotels in term of cleanliness and good services.
Most of big hotels are owned by expatriates especially French but on my tour I always try to use locally owned good hotels.
Is travelling with local transportation the cheapest way to travel there?
The long distance bus called "taxi brousse"is what locals use for travelling.
It is the cheapest way to travel but not the comfortable or the best way to see the country.
Why?
- Waste of time as they will leave only when they are full and you can wait long hours before one or two passengers show up
- They will not stop in good spots where you see a good photo opportunity.
- The bus station are always hectic and you may loose valuable things and it can give you bad experiences.
- Not enough space for legroom.
