Adrift in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is a country few know much about, and even fewer have traveled to. Being the size of France, but with only 10 main roads, Madagascar is truly one of the last undiscovered areas of the world where one can really escape the influences of the modern age and escape to places hardly touched by the outside world. With otherworldly landscapes, thousands of endemic species of animals, and some of the world’s most beautiful and isolated beaches, Madagascar is a dream destination for the devoted traveler.
Of all the places I traveled to in Africa, Madagascar is at the very top in terms of untouched. I spent over a month traveling through this Madagascar and I made sure to write as much detail as possible in this post to make it your ultimate Madagascar travel guide!
History of Madagascar
Madagascar’s history is key to its development. The island split from Gondwanaland, modern day Africa, long 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 intense eyes.
A stunning 90% of Madagascar’s flora and fauna are endemic, found nowhere else in the world. Even the great Amazon in South America can’t compare to the diversity of life found in Madagascar. This is truly a place unlike anything else.
Its isolation also shaped the island’s culture. The human gene pool arrived by boat around 500BC, when settlers came from modern day Borneo (Indonesia) by canoe. These settlers were then joined by Bantu migrants from Mozambique around 1000AD. Here they blended and divided into numerous tribes, each with its own language and beliefs. Due to the history, the people of Madagascar, also known as the Malagasy, are a very curious blend of modern day Southeast Asian and African.
Arab traders came later on, followed by the French who would eventually colonize the island and also influence the culture and language of this island.
Getting to Madagascar
Madagascar is not an easy place to get to. Flights are expensive and long. All international flights arrive in Antananarivo, the country’s capital. There are just a few airlines that fly to Madagascar:
- Air France from Paris
- Kenyan Airways from Nairobi
- South African Airways/Airlink from Johannesburg
- Air Mauritius from Port Louis
- Air Madagascar from Paris and Johannesburg
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. 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$.
Flights from Johannesburg are 3.5 hours, and are 750-900$ on SAA! Again, not a cheap place to get to and perhaps one of the reasons there is such little tourism here, especially from their closest neighbors, South Africa. Flights on Air Madagascar are ~$600.
Madagascar Visas
Madagascar is one of the few African countries that do not require money for Visas. All citizens from the US, Canada, EU, UK, AU etc. DO NOT need to get a visa before arrival, and DO NOT need to buy a visa if the visit is less than 30 days.
Taxi Brousse and Cotisse Bus
For those that do not want to rent a car with a driver, the taxi brousse is the preferred budget backpacker route of getting around the island. Taxi brousses are well connected throughout the island with routes regularly running from town to town for a very cheap price. However, like the rest of Africa, group travel for locals is unreliable and uncomfortable. Be prepare to be jammed in to one of those hippie vans with way more people than it’s meant to fit. Pro tip? Buy two seats so you have more space.
In recent years, a company called Cotisse Transport has helped fill the void for those looking for more comfortable mass transport. Cotisse buses are much more comfortable and run on set schedules. They are of course more expensive, but I would much rather take these than a taxi brousse. Although one trip on a taxi brousse is worth the experience!
Tourism in Madagascar
Tourism in Madagascar is still a young industry. The locals like to think they get a lot of tourists but if only they knew. This country does NOT see much tourism, even during its high season. As it is a former colony of France and French is still widely spoken, the majority of tourists hail from France. I would say that 75% of the tourists we came across were older French people. 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.
There are many ways to plan a trip here. Numerous tour agencies exist in Antananarivo. I googled “Madagascar Tours” and there’s at least a dozen websites that do tours of the country. Many options exist.
Getting around Madagascar
You can book a fully planned tour, where one price is quoted including your transportation, park entrance fees, hotels, and food. If you’re feeling more adventurous and want flexibility, then you can also rent a 4×4 with a driver and create your own itinerary.
We ended up with the latter option, and rented a 4×4 with a driver for 20 days. This is the most common way to see Madagascar as the roads are in awful conditions and driving is the only way to get to many of the top attractions. I contacted numerous tour agencies and 50 euros a day seemed to be the going rate but I managed to bargain my way down to 40 euros a day. A steal in my opinion for the car AND a driver.
This price INCLUDES the driver’s accommodation and food. I was so confused by this at first. Where the hell does the driver sleep? He can’t possibly afford the places we’re staying at. Turns out, most of the hotels have sleeping quarters for drivers, and if not, there are hotels for the “locals” for less than $5 a night. Foreigners are allowed to stay in these hotels as well. Consider them the extreme budget options.
Planning our own Madagascar trip with help
We went with GMT+3 Tours, who were incredibly helpful. I told them the amount of time I had, and the sights I wanted to see, and they planned a whole itinerary for us and reserved our hotels after I gave them our budget. They hire freelance tourism drivers and our drivers name was Serge. He was a great driver and had so many great stories of Madagascar. He’s traveled around the entire island numerous times and knows everything about it. I would highly recommend him! If you’re just looking for a driver and are okay planning everything on your own, please email him at raharilantoserge@gmail.com
Tourism is cheap in this country. A high end budget for a hotel is 40 euros a night! Split between two people, this isn’t much compared to the rest of Africa. There didn’t seem to be many traditional hostels in this country as again, tourism is small, and the tourists that come here are old Frenchmen that wouldn’t stay at a hostel anyhow. Food is cheap, beer is cheap, fruit is incredibly cheap. It’s easy to live well here.
How many days is necessary to see Madagascar
Madagascar is a special place. It is also the most undeveloped country I’ve ever seen and this is from someone that’s seen much of Africa. The main highways are 1.5 lanes, pothole infested, questionable roads with no markings on it whatsoever.
It takes awhile to get places, even if you have your own car. We spent almost 4 weeks here, visiting the Tsingy Stone Forest, Morondava, Ranomafana Forest, Isalo National Park, Andasibe Park, and Ile Ste Marie. 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.
Language
The official languages in Madagascar are French and Malagasy. The former is the language left behind from colonial times and used primarily among the more educated and those working in tourism. Malagasy is the more commonly spoken language. Everyone speaks Malagasy, with only about 15% of the people able to speak fluent French. Miraculously, all 20 million people in Madagascar speak various dialects of Malagasy, and everyone can understand each other. This is a farcry from other African countries where there are dozens of languages in just one country that are completely unrelated to each other.
After visiting Madagascar, being able to speak French is highly useful. I’d recommend learning some basic phrases just to get around as the English spoken in this country is very poor. Thankfully, my French is serviceable and this was a savior in getting by.
The lack of education in this country is alarming and if someone does not work in the tourism industry, or live in a big city, there is a good chance they will not speak French either. Thanks to modern day technology, make sure to download the offline French language pack with the Google Translate app before coming here!
Money in Madagascar
The only expensive part of Madagascar is getting there. After that, this country is likely one of the cheapest places you’ll ever visit. Madagascar uses the Ariary as the official currency. It was traded 2,500 Ariary to 1 USD when I visited in Sep 2014, and is trading around 2,700 Ariary to 1 USD upon the completion of this blog post in December. Ariary’s come in 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10000 notes. Yes, the biggest bill in Madagascar is the 10,000 ariary note, or ~$4!!
Since Madagascar is a former colony, the majority of its visitors are French and the Euro is commonly used by tour operators’ in quotinge prices for tours. Many tourism operators recommend taking Euros to the country and exchanging it at the airport. This is a good move but if you have a bank card that does not charge you ATM fees, this is not necessary as the ATMs in this country dispense cash just fine.
Exchanging Money
Long answer short, exchange all money at the airport. Euros are the preferred currency but dollars and pounds are readily available. The exchange rates given at the airport are good, close to market spot rate.
ATMs in Madagascar
As Madagascar’s tourism industry flourishes, so will the availability of ATMs. During my time in the country, ATMs were available in all the bigger cities ONLY. ATMs accept Visa and BNI accepts Mastercard as well (but best to go with Visa to be safe). The ATMs had a single withdrawal limit of 400,000 Ariary when we went (160$)
Cash is king
Cash is the only method of payment in 95% of Madagascar. Only the ultra high end hotels and restaurants accept credit card. We were able to use our credit card just twice during our month in the country, once at a high end hotel in Isalo National Park, and the other at a hotel in Antananarivo (but they wanted to charge us a fee so we ended up paying cash). Even the gas stations do not take credit cards!
Prepare to visit the ATM frequently and prepare to carry around huge wads of cash. 400,000 Ariary is 40 bills and a full tank refill on a 4×4 is more than half of that so money goes quickly!
Food in Madagascar
Most of Africa has pretty bland, uninspired food. With the Southeast Asian influence in Madagascar, I thought the food would be more flavorful. Right and wrong. Madagascar has the potential to create good food. There are a lot of spices, vegetables, and fruits to be had here but the country has not developed its cuisine for tourism yet.
There is a fine line between food cooked for the locals, and food cooked for tourists. The latter is more French inspired than Malagasy. The former consists of rice (biggest part of Malagasy diet), a meat, and maybe some stew for flavoring.
Street food is available everywhere and although dirt cheap (1-2$ a meal), we found local cuisine to be lacking in flavor. The French style cuisine meant for tourists run usually $5-8 a plate and is a bit better, although still nothing like the delicious food you can find in Southeast Asia.
Zebu, Madagascar’s version of the cow, and the locals feverishly vocalize the distinction between zebus and cows, is one of the staple dishes in Madagascar. Considered the most sacred of animals, we ate Zebu almost all every meal when there wasn’t seafood. It’s tasty, especially with some Madagascan Green Peppercorn sauce and Sakay chilies!
Fresh fruit is a staple in Madagascar and can be found on the side of the street, in the market, or pretty much anywhere. Depending on the time of year, different fruits will be available. In September, we found an abundance of pineapples, oranges, mangoes, strawberries, and raspberries. Prices are incredibly cheap. I could buy a whole pineapple cut into small pieces for 1,500 Ariary ($0.60). Madagascar is also the world’s largest lychee exporter and during the month of December, lychee can be had in huge quantities for dirt cheap.
When to visit Madagascar
Madagascar is a country the size of France but has the geological diversity of a country the size of America. There are many different climates throughout the country.
- The area surrounding Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital, is surrounded by mountains giving a climate that is cool at night
- The east coast is subtropical with beautiful beaches and abundant rain
- The west coast is drier than either the east coast or the central highlands because the trade winds lose their humidity by the time they reach this region
- The deep south is semi-desert, with very little rain falling here
The rainy reason runs December-March, and it is best to avoid visiting during this time. Violent cyclones can hit the country at this time and the roads leading up to tourist attractions like the Tsingy Stone Forest, can be completely washed away. May-October are driest, coolest months, and the best time to visit.
Madagascar weather is beautiful all year around. But when is the best time to visit Madagascar? Find out on Sunheron, a website that provides you with all kinds of weather information and helps you to find the best holiday based on criteria you choose!
And finally, my Madagascar itinerary
And finally, my four week itinerary for Madagascar. I spent weeks planning this out so hopefully this will help whomever’s reading this in the future. Again, it was good to have a tour agent to help me plan this as I could only do so much research from the internet. He gave me helpful tips like don’t bother visiting Tulear at the end of the RN7 as you’re going to Ile Sainte Marie anyway.
Read my detailed Madagascar Itinerary
Further Reading
To read more detailed accounts of my travels through the Red Island, click on the following posts:
Brilliant article – stunning country !!
Thank you and glad you liked mada!
Hi,
did your rate of 40 per day per person for car +driver include petrol?
Cheers
Miomir
Not petrol. I would also expect these prices to be higher now as this post was written in 2015.
What a great article! We’re currently dreaming of going to Madagascar again – we’ve been
there before and we love, love love it! Here’s to a year with loads of travel plans and new experiences!
Thank you
I just found your site – and I love it. What great pics and usefulll info. Thank you
Benny // https://danmarkmedposten.dk/
I agree with every factor that you have pointed out. Thank you for sharing your beautiful thoughts on this.
Please see my blog,
The Ultimate Guide to Writing an Interesting Travel Book
Hope this will help, Thank you!
What a great article! We’re currently dreaming of going to Madagascar again – we’ve been there before and we love, love love it! Here’s to hoping for a better 2021 and 2022 with loads of travel plans and new experiences!
– Cirkeline // RejsRejsRejs
If you want even more tips for your trip to Madagascar, you’re welcome to read
our article on it here
John!! It’s Annie from college. Googled Madagascar and this page came up haha! Now I really want to go! Hope you are well.
Thanks for sharing this great article Johnny! Very well-written!
Hope this will help, Thank you!
Hi Johnny,
I will be travelling to Madagascar from the 7 – 27 of January. It seems that hiring a car with a driver is the best method of transportation, just wondering how this works when you spend days not driving? I read in one of your other posts that the daily price of the vehicle includes the drivers lodging, wondering how this works if you spend multiple days in one place not driving (hiking or relaxing at the beach for a few days) but then would need the vehicle again.
Any information would be helpful, and if you have any suggestions for an itinerary that would be great!
Cheers
Hi SJ, this was a perplexing question for me as well when I first started planning my trip. The per day price almost always pays for the drivers lodging and food. He does not stay with you but rather at a nearby hotel for locals (much cheaper). If you’re in one place for a long time but you will need the car later, you’ll still need to pay for him to stay. For us, we had the driver for most of our trip but at the end when we went to Ile Sainte Marie, we parted ways there because we were going to the beach. However, you won’t have to pay for the gas since he’s not doing much during that time. As for itineraries, make sure to read my Madagascar itinerary for ideas!
My beautiful Madagascar !!! Thanks for sharing.
I share some tips on how to prepare your trips to Madagascar on my Blog
https://www.tsiky-tour.com/blog
“Most of Africa has pretty bland, uninspired food.” There is no way this statement is true but carry on………
I should rephrase it to Most of the Africa I’ve been to. Outside of South Africa, Mozambique, and Zanzibar, I’ve not been a big fan of the food I’ve tried. Don’t get me wrong, I still ate all the food and in abundance but it’s just not as flavorful as other cuisines. Just personal opinion
Hi Johnny,
i am very thankful for such an informations i’ve got from the article and comments.
I will go to Madagascar 9th of September for 3 weeks and really can’t think about the best route to choose (and what type of transport to choose). Can you help me with just cue points?
Regards Martin
Hi martin, it really depends on what you want to see! I always recommend the western parts (baobabs and Tsingy stone forest). That will take a week. from there, you can do the RN7 down to the other big parks. Do you want to go to beaches? Then, perhaps spend less time along the RN7 and then fly to Ile Sainte Marie or Nosy Be. Transport for a 3 week trip I’d highly recommend the 4×4 with a driver. Three weeks is not much to see anything with the Taxi Brousse. Have fun!
Hi Johnny, we would like to see the best what madagascar offer.
So Antananarivo -> RN7 -> Ranomafana National Park, Isalo National Park … From there somehow baobabs and Tsingy.
From there is possible to flight close to Sainte Marie,
What are the prices for 4×4 with driver? May you recommend company (some more budget / mid price)?
Thank you very much! 🙂
(we will have a fun mostly because we can’t speak french :D)
Yes that sounds like a good itinerary. you can fly from Tana to ISM and that will save you a few days of traveling. When I went in 2014, car + driver is 40 euros. Nowadays it’s probably closer to 50-60 euros a day. You also hav eto pay for the gas. Contact GMT + 3 as they are the ones that sorted me out with my driver!
Hi Johnny,
Thank you for sharing this insightful post on Madagascar. My significant other and I are medical residents planning to work in Antsirabe for 1 month this October. We are planning on traveling for 2 weeks prior to our work assignment. It would be difficult to cover all the sites an we do not wish to rush our itinerary. What are your “must see” sites in Madagascar that we should incorporate into our 2 week road trip? Did you do any diving in Madagascar, if so where, and was the equipment safe (we are both advanced certified). Lastly, as we will be based in Ansirabe for 1 month, which sites do you think we could save for weekend trips? Thanks for your help in advance!!
Hi Phyllis, since you will be based out of Antsirabe, I’d recommend you save the parks along the RN7 for your “weekend” trips. For your two weeks, i’d definitely spend 1 week visiting the west (the Baobabs and the Tsingy Stone forest), and spend the other one on one of the islands, either Ile Sainte Marie or Nosy Be. I did dive on Ile sainte Marie (you can read about it on my ISM post), and the quality of the shop is top notch as it belongs to the nicest resort on that island. I heard the diving in Nosy Be is better however! Enjoy your trip, you will have a blast!
Hi Johnny,
Thanks for the info! Makes my decision easier! Its funny the quotes I got vary from $1600 to $270o per person. Madagascar Natural tour quoted $1600 per person and Ortour $1900 with all inclusive except domestic flight. Gassitour quoted $35/day x 19 days for car and driver only. Ramantour quoted $2700 all inclusive including flight. And GMT quoted $1650 for car/driver and helping us book hotels for 19 days. It seems very inconvenient to me to have to carry a large sum of cash around for 3 weeks since ATMs are not easily accessible so I might go with the Madagascar Natural tour. Thanks again Johnny!
Thanks for all those data points! Gassitour is only charging $35/day for the car and driver? That is incredibly cheap. Too cheap in fact. nevertheless, carrying around large sums of cash is annoying for sure. Enjoy your trip!!
Hi Johnny,
Phyllis again. Im in midst of planning my trip thats coming up in 3 weeks and am deciding between renting just driver vs package provided by travel agency. One company quoted $2200 for driver, 4×4 car, fuel, all hotels, 3 day andringitra trekking, Park entrance and guide, and 1 one way domestic flight back to tana for 19 days. I know you only rented the driver and car and sorted out the rest yourself. If you dont mind me asking, how much did u spend total on your trip in total so I have something to compare it to. Also, do you think the convenience of everything prearrange outweighs the cost esp if we dont speak French?
Hi Phyllis, is that price for per person or for two people? If for two, that seems like a great deal. Almost too good to be true.
I had my driver for just over 3 weeks. Each day was 40 EUROS which at the time was 50 USD. Plus the gas was at least another $400-500 as we were constantly filling up. A general breakdown of my expenses
Car for 3+ weeks: $1100
Gas: $500
Hotels: ~$40/night average
Entrance fees + Guide: $30-50 per park for two (Tsingy was more)
Just that alone is more than much more than $2200! What company are you using if I may ask??
Hi Johnny,
I’m currently planning to visit Madagascar 2 weeks & Ile Ste MarieMarie 2 weeks in February 2018 – I will be flying to JNB to TNR, i am wondering if you can book just the driver for around two weeks on GMT +3 and how much that would cost? Then after that i will fly to Ile Ste Marie from TNR and stay here for a further two weeks do you have any tips at all on where to stay in the first two weeks and also can you get around on just a rented scooter in Ile Ste Marie?
I will be traveling alone which i why i will be flying to Ile Ste Marie.
Hi Jordan, When I went I paid 40 euros for a car + driver. It is probably at least 50 euros now per day so I would budget around that (note that this does not include the cost of gas). As for ISM, there are plenty of places to stay so it depends on your budget but I really enjoyoed my time on Ile Aux Nattes (just south of ISM)! And yes a scooter is more than enough for getting around ISM!
https://johnnyafrica.com/madagascar-ile-sainte-marie/
Thanks for the swift reply Johnny! I think I will plan Madagascar properly first then and visit ISM, scootering around a pirate island sounds likes the one for me!
Hey Johnny.. Thanks for the great information. Am considering a trip to Madagascar also.. Just wondering if there are places to chill at night there, I know it’s hot a huge party place but is it safe for tourists to go to bars, or are there bars? Thanks, Christine
Hi Christine, aside from the larger cities that receive more tourists (Morondava, Ile Sainte Marie, Tana, Tamatave etc), there aren’t many Western style bars to speak of. We went out one night in Antsirabe and saw perhaps 5 foreigners the entire night. There aren’t many “bars” to speak of. It seems that most peopel just congregate in the streets, drinking and eating all night which is what we did!
Thank you for such an informative post. We are planning/considering a month-long visit to Madagascar in June. The cost is a shocker, getting there from the US, assuming crazy man Trump doesn’t shut us down. We love travel to all places on this earth, and are trying to fill our budget for such a splurge. I’m curious as to what was your favorite part of your experience in Madagascar?
Hi Ron, I know what you mean about Trump. At least you won’t have to fly back from the Middle East if you come to Madagascar. It’s really hard to pick a favorite part of Madagasar. Just being in a place that is so remote and so rustic with landscapes I’ve never seen before made it so special for me.
If I absolutely had to pick a favorite place, I think I would choose the Western area with the Tsingy Stone Forest + Avenue of the Baobabs. Followed closely by the beaches of Ile Aux Nattes and Ile Sainte Marie. You can’t go wrong with any part of the island in my opinion!
Hi Johnny,
Thanks for all the info. I am trying to plan a trip going to all of the same places as you minus Mahambo and Sainte Marie! I know you rented a 4×4, but I just want to clarify that you didn’t take any flights within the country to get to your destinations? I don’t like the idea of flying Madagascar Air, but your itinerary (and the one I am trying to plan) seems to include so much driving. Did you feel like you had to spend too much time cooped up in the car, and that it wasted a lot of time, or was there good scenery to look at along the way and a nice break from all the hiking in the heat? Also, did you ever try taking a taxi brousse?
Thanks!
Hi Sarah, the Madagascar landscape is nothign short of breathtaking. It’s certainly some of the most otherworldly terrains I’ve seen. I will admit, even with that said, it did get monotonous at times because. The roads are terrible so you ARE in the car for long periods of time but that is honestly the best way to get around in Madagascar and it’s all part of the adventure :). You can take flights from say Tana to Morondava, but you’ll need to have a car once again to get to say Tsingy NP.
We did sort of take a taxi brousse. On the way back from Ile Sainte Marie, the ferry we were originally planning on taking just left 4 hours earlier without us knowing. We had a car picking us up from Toamasina to take us to Tana the same day (as our flight was the next day). Since we were so late, the guy already left and we were on our own. There are regular taxi brousse’s that leave from Toamasina to Tana but we were impatient so we ended up just paying for the whole van, like a private taxi brousse back to Tana!
Hi Johnny,
Great blog…thanks.
Me any my wife travel to Madagascar in early September for three weeks, can’t wait. Doing a similar route than yours from Tana to ISM via Andisibe and Palmaruim, but traveling along the Pangalanes to Tamatave. Decided to use GMT+3 who have already been a great help.
Been on many holidays but are virgin travellers so got a couple of questions if that’s OK
How bad are the mosquitoes as the wife is freaking out about them?
Backpacking so any tips on clothing and footwear, how cold are evenings etc?
Any tips on key French phrases, its been a while since school and I was rubbish then
Cheers mate
Dean (Leeds, England)
Cheers mate
Dean
Hi Dean, thanks for the comments and awesome that you are visiting Mada!
1. Would say the mosquitoes are not that bad where we went. Obviously Mada is a very geographically diverse place so there could be places where it’s a bit of an issue. I know Malaria is something to be aware of but I didn’t take any pills during my month there.
2. Mada is warm for the most part. Antsirabe was the only place I felt a bit cold in. As it’s up in the mountains, the temps can drop to the teens at night. But nothing a light jumper didn’t solve (still wearing shorts). Everywhere else I was pretty much wearing a tank top and shorts.
3. Definitely some basic french will help! Most people don’t even speak French but just knowing how to count, and how to order basic food should be helpful.
Enjoy your trip!
Glad I found your travel blog. This is the best travel blog I have read with such detailed agenda with restaurants, hotels, and sightseeing recommendations with prices and websites.
We plan to go to Madagascar in July to August 2017. We have 17 or possibly 18 days for the trip. What are “must see” places for Madagascar? We love culture but not too much into the beach scene (not beach worshippers). We are a couple in our 50’s.We definitely are there for the lemurs.
Also, regarding the company you hired for the driver-guide with the 4 x 4 jeep, was there any problems during the trip? Was the driver flexible in taking you where you wanted to go?
HI Silvana! thanks for the comments and awesome that you’re headed to Madagascar!
It’s hard to pinpoint my highlights of Madagascar. It’s cliche i know, but honestly everywhere that I visited was one amazing thing after another. I think it’s just the whole package of visiting a place that is so remote and so isolated from developed society which made me appreciate every moment of it.
However, if I had to choose, I would definitely say the Avenue of the Baobabs, Tsingy Stone Forest, Isalo National Park, and Ile Aux Nattes. I know you said you’re not into the beach scene but the beaches here are not just stunningly beautiful but completely isolated from society.
https://johnnyafrica.com/madagascar-ile-sainte-marie/
As for the driver, aside from his lack of English speaking ability (I speak enough French to get around), everything was perfect. We came up with the itinerary beforehand and he just drove us to our respective guesthouses, teaching us about Madagascar and Malagasy culture along the way!
Hi Johnny,
talking about the tour operator… so you asked for a english speaker driver and they provide you with a basic english speaker? do the driver tell you about culture and stuff or he just drive?
You rock!
Hi Axel, yes we specifically asked for an English driver because my friend didn’t speak English. He could speak a few works in but relaly not enough to converse.
Thankfully, I speak enoguh French and had Google Translate so I could talk to the guy. But he was more than inclined to teach me about the culture and customs of the country. He had been a driver for decades and visited all parts of Madagascar so it was extremely interesting getting his perspective on things!
I stumbled upon your blog while researching about a living cost in Cape Town and read about your travels in Madagascar. I was just there in April and had Serge from GMT as my driver for 7 days while traveling solo from Tana to Morondava. My amazing experience of exploring the beautiful Madagascar was made unforgettable because of the incredible service from the kind hearted driver and travel companion, Serge who made me feel at ease as a young woman alone in a foreign country. It was so good to see his picture from someone else’s experience 🙂 and I love reading about your travels! Very informative and helpful. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Hi Yenni, what a coincidence! Small world for sure and I’m glad to see Serge is still doing his thing. He was incredibly helpful with us too and definitely made our trip. I actually just sent your comment to my friend who traveled with me and oh what good memories Madagascar was :). Glad you got to see that amazing place. I still rave about it whenever people ask me what my favorite places are.
Hi Jonny!
thanks for great and useful sites. Me and my fiance are planning our honeymoon in June this year and we are thinking about pretty much same itinerary. Can you tell me tell me approximately the total amount spent during your trip (excluding international flights)?
Thank you very much
Hi Omar! We spent just under a month there. With how difficult it is to get around everywhere, I think the more time the better especially if you want to see a good amount of the island.
Hi Johnny,
Thanks soooo much for this info, I am desperately trying to organise myself for a solo trip for about a month at a budget. I’m an experienced traveller who just wants to do my own specific iteniary, and get to the National Parks and hike and see wildlife really, so I’m looking at your account and thinking it could be done by hiring a driver to get me around and then at the parks get some experienced guides as I believe each park has them available for hire upon arrival. Can you confirm this? My problem is, all the peeps I contact regarding a car hire are quoting me for a guide, hotels, foods, blah blah etc and seriously like it is turning into a multi- million dollar luxury tour which is not what I am after! Can you suggest where I look to find just the drivers? I suspect they think as a female I would want this, but no, I am an ecologist so I am used to camping in the bush and I kind of like it!
Any way, your blogs are awesome,
Thanks again,
Nicola
Hi Nicola! I actually had a single female friend travel through Madagascar for a month. She used GMT+3 like I did and rented JUST the driver. She pretty much emulated my itinerary and booked almost the same accomodations as me and it was fine. Try contacting GMT+3 and ask for just the driver.
I agree, the tours are a complete rip off, especially after you see how cheap of a country Madagascar is to travel through. THey are just taking advantage of your unfamiliarity and naivety with the country. Definitely just be persistent and ask for the driver only.
First , I would like to mention that your information is very interesting for the tourist with wonderful pictures . I am an American in Madagascar and resident for 15 years and also a New York City street rat way back when I was a boy.
Also the ariary is now 3,290 as of 11/11/2015 for the dollar but in terms of the local economy they do not see the rise in prices because Madagascar is for the most part a closed society. The Vasaha might- because we buy imported products like refrigerators so we see the reflected prices. I spent less money than I did 10 years ago even though the Ariary back is less than half of what it is today on local products.
Also the locals will use FMG much of the time unless they see you as a Vasaha then it is the ariary so be sure it is one or the other or you could be paying 5 times the amount.
On wards to the real issue I am concerned about and to understand your thinking…….
I read on another travel Blog that you and your friend tip your driver $10 a day and by the end of the trip the tip came to about what the average Malagasy for their position makes in 5 months and that does not include their Salary from the tour company. Would you tip that much money to a driver back in New York City?
You did notice that in your travels that Madagascar is a non-tipping society for very special reasons related to customs and culture.
You may be interested in this
Sustainable & Responsible tourism is the concept of visiting a place as a tourist and trying to make only a positive impact on the environment, society and economy by acting like a local.. Tourism can involve primary transportation to the general location, local transportation, accommodations, entertainment, recreation, nourishment and shopping. Much as we try to improve the benefits of tourism to local people and conservation, many of our holidays require an international flight with its associated CO2 emissions. For more details on about Global ethics of travel read the following.
This is a group effort that includes not only travelers but also hoteliers, tour agencies, guides, …etc
For more details of these code of ethics then visit
Global code for tourism http://www.unwto.org/ethics/index.php
…unwto.org/sites/all/files/docpdf/responsibl…
Responsible is a heavy word and acting in a respectable manner of the culture and customs will leave a positive footprint for others who follow
Hi I did not know about the tipping part of Madagascar! Most third world countries I’ve visited, I just naturally tip because it’s money they need far more than me. I never tipped at the hotel restaurants because they just added it to my final bill when we checked out.
Sadly enough, we tip our taxi drivers in New York City about 15-20%. It’s not even because they provided any special service but something that’s ingrained into the heads of people in America. Terrible actually, but it’s just how things are. But it is good to know that Madagascar is not a tipping society!
Hi Johnny
Firstly, thanks for the excellent website! My fiancé and I are planning on taking our honeymoon in Madagascar and this site has already been really useful.
I was wondering how safe Madagascar felt in comparison to other countries in Southern Africa? We have read a few things saying that tourists should keep a very low profile, far more so than other places we have been to. How did you feel while you were there?
Also, do you have any suggested companies to provide a car/driver? We would be happy to pay extra for a reliable, English speaking guide.
Thanks!
Richard
Hi Richard! THanks for the comment. WHere are you reading those claims? I was there about a year ago and I couldn’t have felt more safe. My friend and I actually walked around Antsirabe at night to join in on some Malagasy concert that was taking place and we had a great time. I’d say it’s no different than your standard African country. I found the people to be incredibly friendly and curious.
Obviously you just need to be aware of your surroundings but that is every country in teh world, your home country included :).
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.
Thanks Johnny, very reassuring.
It was something we read on a few travel forums, especially violent robberies in Nosy Be and on the Tsiribihina river. But like you say, everywhere in the world requires a little bit of care. We are just finalising our plans before we go ahead and book our honeymoon for May!
Thanks
Richard
Hi Johnny
Thanks firstly for the excellent website, my fiance and I have been organising our honeymoon in Madagascar and these posts have already been really useful.
I was wondering how safe Madagascar feels in comparison to other countries in Southern Africa? We have read a few reports online advising tourists to keep a low profile, more so than other places we have been to. Is it any worse than South Africa or Mozambique say?
Also, do you have any recommendations for companies which could provide a car and driver? We would be happy to pay the extra for a reliable, English speaking guide.
Thanks!
Richard
Hi Johnny – thanks for this post – so useful! One quick question, how easy is it to find a driver on short notice? Is this something hotels can arrange for you? Thanks!
Hi Rebecca! Thanks for the comments. Yes finding a driver on short notice is easy. There are plenty of drivers especially in antananarivo, and any hotel will be able to recommend you a driver. They might not have the most competitive rates however is the problem.
Hi Johnny,
You truly have an awesome blog. I wish I had the time to post such stories and pictures of my travels. I am also a young man in my twenties who lives to travel.
My girlfriend and I are actually planning to go to Madagascar for three weeks, but we’re not sure how to travel around there. Do you think it’s wise and easy to hire a 4×4 ourselves there? If so, would it save a lot of money to do so instead of hiring a 4×4+driver?
Thanks again for your wonderful blog.
Best,
F.
Hi Faraz! I definitley do NOT recommend renting a car on your own. I always read about people that want to drive themselves around Madagascar but I just don’t understand why. The roads are probably the worst roads I’ve ever seen from a tourist ready country. If you hire a driver with a guide, they cater 100% to your itinerary so you’re in complete control. They are there to drive whenever wherever you want them to. Most of them have also traveled extgensively through Madagascar so they’ll be able to teach you about the history and offer any personal touches on the sights that you would never get traveling on your own. Being as undeveloped as Mada is, things can go wrong very quickly, and the last thing you’ll want to have happen is to have a tire go out and not be able to speak to any of the locals to get help. And it’s not even that much cheaper! Not worth saving the 15 euros a day in my opinion.
So to sum it up, I think you and your girlfriend should definitely rent a car with a driver 🙂
Johnny, thanks for the helpful and funny info. I’m planning a trip for late November and will likely reach out with questions.
Madagascar still my favorite place in Africa! You will love it. Keep the questions flowing!
Hi
It’s am planning trip to Madagascar. Only have 15 days though. What highlights/region could you recommend? Like to end in Ile St Marie….so maybe head East but would like to see some of highlands down South too if possible.
Hey Andy, I think 15 days is enough to a southern circuit, and then either drive to ISM or fly to ISM. From Tana, head on the RN7 which is the country’s main tourist road, down to Ranomafana, and Isalo Park. Then drive back up, visit Andasibe NP for 2 nights and then drive to the ferry to ISM. This might be too agressive of an itinerary because it just takes forever to get anywhere in Mada so you might consider skipping Andasibe and going straight to ISM!
Hi
It’s been fun reading your posts and am planning trip to Madagascar. Only have 15 days though. What highlights/region could you recommend? Like to end in Ile St Marie….so maybe head East but would like to see some of highlands down South too if possible.
Hi
It’s been fun reading your posts and am planning trip to Madagascar. Only have 15 days though. What highlights/region could you recommend? Like to end in Ile St Marie….so maybe head East but would like to see some of highlands down South too if possible.
Thanks
Hi Jonny,
I’ve read about your trip in Mada and I’ve found it very interesting!
I’m going there next August and I’ll need to rent a car + driver.
Could you pls suggest me your driver?
thanks a lot!
claudio
HI Claudio! There are a lot of drivers in Madagascar but I had a great experience iwth my guide. He didn’t speak very good English though so I’d only recommend him if you can have basic conversation in French.
Serge – raharilantoserge@gmail.com
Good luck and enjoy your trip!
Hello!
I read your posts on Madagascar, all really inspiring. My boyfriend and I are going to Madagascar in August 2015 and we have actually planned to do almost the same tour as you did. I was wondering how much money you spend in total (without plane tickets)? And where did you find you driver? We are planning on renting a 4×4 car most of the time if we can find someone not too expensive.
Thank you for a very nice blog and hope you have time to answer!
Best regards,
Sofie (Denmark)
Hi Sofie! Awesome to hear you’re headed to Madagascar! I was there for about 4 weeks and we ended up spending about $2k a person. Half of that cost went to paying for the car (about 40 euros a day which I think is very reasonable), and gas, which we would have to fill up frequently sinc ewe traveled long distances and it was a old gas guzzler of a 4×4.
We also stayed at a higher end place in the Isalo just to see what it was all about so that added to the costs. We did a few dives on Ile Sainte Marie that weren’t cheap either!
It all sounds really amazing!
Do you remember how long time it took for you to get from Fianarantsoa to Morondava? I read somewhere that someone said the road between Antsirabe and Morondava is considered dangerous – did you have any troubles there?
And is it possible to get from Antananarivo to Ile sainte Marie/Ile aux nattes in one day?
Sorry for all the questions, it is just really difficult to get much information about the transportation and what is best to do there! And I think it is nice to know before we get there so we can make the most out of it 🙂
Hey again! We went to Morondava first so from antsirabe to Morondava and back to antsirabe and to Ranomafana and Fianarantsoa. From morondava to antsirabe we didn’t experience any problems at all, just a bumpy ride like the rest of Madagascar 🙂
As for tana to Ile Sainte marie, it’s definitely not possible in a day. To go from tana to toamasina is like 8 hours and then the ferry to ism is actually in Soanierana Ivango, about 3 hours North of tamatave and the ferry only leaves to ism in the morning. I’d do what we did and stay in a place like Mahambo, a really chilled out beachside Town in between toamasina and soanierana ivango for a night and then catch the ferry the next morning!
Awesome post! Thanks so much for the detailed info. Currently living in Cape Town and trying to plan my own trip to Madagascar so this is super helpful!