Passport/Visa Requirements: Passports needed by all visitors and visas needed by most, including citizens of Australia, Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. Visas for stays of 90 days or less are obtainable upon arrival in the country. Proof of onward passage is often required. Reconfirm travel document requirements with carrier before departure.
Population: 19,448,815.
Languages: Malagasy, French.
Predominant Religions: Animist, Christian, Islamic.
Time Zone: 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+3 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is not observed.
Voltage Requirements: 220 volts.
Telephone Codes: 26120, country code; 22 or 24, Antananarivo city code; 75, Fianarantsoa city code; 44, Antsirabe city code; 94, Toliara city code;
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The local currency is the Malagasy franc (MGF). Foreign currency and traveler's checks may be exchanged at hotels, banks and at Ivato airport. Credit cards are only accepted by major hotels, tour operators and by the travel agencies representing Air Madagascar. Also, ATMs are not generally available outside the capital city of Antananarivo.
Tip 10%-15% in European-style restaurants.
The best time to visit is July-October (winter-spring there), when it's coolest. The rainier season is November-April, but it's still not a bad time to visit as long as you're not relying on ground transport. It generally rains only at night or in the morning, but it's enough to keep the roads impassable. Regional variations are striking: Coastal areas are warm, humid and tropical; the south is almost always dry.
Take a sweater or light jacket—it gets cold in the mountains at night. The least favorable time to travel in Madagascar is late January-March, when the eastern edge of the country, particularly the northeast coast, is subjected to occasional cyclones and lots of rain.
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Pack lightweight, comfortable clothing that is suitable for the tropics. Don't forget to take sunglasses to protect your eyes, a cap or hat to prevent sunburn, and plastic sandals to protect your feet against coral. If you plan to visit Antananarivo and the highlands in winter, you might want to pack a track suit or light sweater.
Also, take a raincoat to protect you from leeches, especially if there's a chance of rain and you're traveling to Montagne d'Ambre National Park and other nature reserves. Wildlife viewing in national parks almost always entails longish walks on steep slopes, so those on nature-oriented itineraries should carry good walking shoes (check the ankle support and tread) and robust trousers that can be tucked into your socks to proect against mosquitoes and other insects.
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Internet cafes (or cyber cafes) are widespread in Antananarivo and can be found in most other large towns. Access is generally quick, inexpensive and reliable, especially in Tana itself, though it is not quite so fast as broadband services outside Madagascar. In reserves and other rural areas, internet access is as good as non-existent.
As in most Francophone counties, keyboards usually confirm to the French AZERTY rather than English QUERTY configuration.
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Postal services are reasonably reliable but on the slow side. Items of value should be shipped with private courier companies such as DHL.
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There are no English-language newspapers, and imported English-language reading material of all sorts is difficult to locate. A selection of French newspapers published in Tana includes the Madagascar Tribune and L'Express.
Land lines are erratically reliable. Cell (mobile) phones are in wide use. The main providers are Orange and Madacom. Local SIM cards can be bought very cheaply to insert into your phone upon arrival; if two of you are traveling together, buy one of each type for maximum network coverage. Coverage is generally good in the cities but intermittent elsewhere.
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Ivato Airport (TNR) is 11 mi/18 km northwest of the capital. Internal flights are relatively inexpensive (around US$100-$150 for each leg), though you do get a 50% discount on domestic flights if you fly into the country with Air Madagascar. Tickets can be purchased with cash or credit card. Remember that distances between towns are great and roads are poor, so you may be obliged to fly.
Other internal transportation includes rail, bus, taxis (not metered, so be prepared to bargain), taxis-brousse (shared bush taxis), rickshaws (locally called pousse-pousse), rental cars (which usually come with a driver) and motorcycles (not recommended). Don't be surprised if your bus or shared taxi leaves at a time different from the hour indicated on your ticket.
Most roads are in bad shape, and public transportation (taxis-brousse) is unreliable, uncomfortable and crowded. Transportation in general can be inconvenient, so allow extra time for getting around. Many areas now are only accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicles, which may be why mountain-bike tours are becoming a popular way of exploring the countryside. Places such as Nosy Be and Antsiranana are sometimes impossible to reach overland November-April (the rainy season).
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Tourist Offices
U.S.: Madagascar Tourist Office, 124 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Suite 208, Solana Beach, CA 92075. Phone 858-755-5136. Toll-free 800-854-1029. Fax 858-481-7474.
Madagascar does not have tourist offices in Australia, Canada or the U.K.
Malagasy Embassies
Australia: Consulate-General of Madagascar, 100 Clarence St., Level 3, Sydney, NSW 2000. Phone 2-9299-2290. Fax 2-9299-2242.
Canada: Embassy of Madagascar, 3 Raymond St., Ottawa, ON K1R 1A3. Phone 613-567-0505. Fax 613-567-2882. http://www.madagascar-embassy.ca.
U.K.: Consulate of Madagascar, 8-10 Hallam St., London W1W 6JE. Phone 20-3008-4550. Fax 20-3008-4551. http://embassy-madagascar-uk.com.
U.S.: Embassy of Madagascar, 2374 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008. Phone 202-265-5525. Fax 202-483-7603. There are also consulates in New York, Palo Alto and Philadelphia.
Foreign Embassies in Madagascar
Australia is represented by its high commission in Kenya, which is on Riverside Drive, 1,312 ft/400 m off Chiromo Road (mailing address: P.O. Box 39341, Nairobi, Kenya). Phone 254-2-445-034. Fax 254-2-444-718.
Canadian Consulate, c/o QIT-Madagascar Minerals SA, Villa 3H, Lot II-J-169, Ivandry, Antananarivo 101 (mailing address: B.P. 4003, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar). Phone 22-42559. Fax 22-42506.
British Honorary Consul, BP 12193, Zoom, Villa Ricana, Lot 187-A, Manjaka-Ilafy. Tel: 22-01485.
U.S. Embassy, 14 and 16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo (mailing address: B.P. 620, Antsahavola, Antananarivo, Madagascar). Phone 22-21257. Fax 22-34539.
| Additional Reading | Top |
Muddling Through in Madagascar by Dervla Murphy (Penguin).
Lemurs of the Lost World: Exploring the Forests and Crocodile Caves of Madagascar by Jane Wilson (Impact Books). This book is out of print, but worthwhile if you can find it.
The Natural History of Madagascar by Steven M. Goodman, Jonathan P. Benstead & Harald Schutz (University Of Chicago Press).
Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell Mittermeier, et al. (Conservation International).
Madagascar Wildlife by Nick Garbutt, Hilary Bradt & Derek Schuurman (Bradt Guides).
