Madagascar Things to See & Do Guide

A good introductory tour should include the following:

Day 1—Arrive Antananarivo.

Day 2—Sightsee in Antananarivo.

Days 3 and 4—Excursions from Antananarivo (perhaps to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park).

Day 5—Fly to Nosy Be.

Days 6 and 7—Nosy Be.

Day 8—Fly back to Antananarivo and depart.

For another option, which includes more time at the beach, consider this schedule:

Day 1—Depart Antananarivo by road to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park.

Day 2—Andasibe-Mantadia National Park.

Day 3—Depart for Toamasina.

Day 4—Fly to Nosy Boraha (Ile Sainte-Marie).

Day 5—Nosy Boraha (Ile Sainte-Marie).

Day 6—Fly back to Antananarivo.

The following alternative, which concentrates on the south, would utilize air and road. It wouldn't hurt to add a few extra days to make sure connections can be made.

Day 1—Depart Antananarivo for Antsirabe.

Day 2—Antsirabe.

Day 3—Depart for Fianarantsoa.

Day 4—Fianarantsoa.

Day 5—Depart for Tulear.

Days 6 and 7—Travel to Tulear, stopping en route to visit Isalo National Park.

Day 8—Tulear.

Day 9—Relax on the beach in Ifaty.

Day 10—Return to Tulear and fly back to Antananarivo.

A wide variety of special-interest tours (e.g., those designed for trekking, ornithology, river cruises and studying various tribes) are offered through adventure tour organizers.

The island's capital city (pop. 1,808,000) sits at 4,500 ft/1,370 m in a twisting valley near the center of the island. Tana, as the city is often called, has unusual French- and Asian-inspired architecture and winding cobblestone streets and staircases that create a medieval impression. Attractions there include the colorful daily flower market on the edge of Lake Anosy and the botanical and zoological gardens, where you can see the egg and 10-ft-/3-m-tall skeleton of the extinct aepyornis, or elephant bird.

Antananarivo's original name was Analamanga (the blue forest). In 1610, the revered King Andrianjaka stationed 1,000 soldiers on the blue hill to defend it and renamed the city Antananarivo, meaning "City of a Thousand Warriors." The king also built a royal palace there. Sadly, the Rova (Queen's Palace) burned to the ground in 1996. Though virtually nothing remains at the site, there are nice views of the city from the hill where the palace once stood.

From Antananarivo, it's possible to make a one- or two-night excursion to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Day trips can also be made to Ambohimanga (14 mi/23 km away), where you can see an old royal palace and beautiful views overlooking terraced rice paddies; to Ambatolampy (a small, attractive town southwest of the capital—get a visitors permit in Tana); and to Antsirabe. Plan about three nights in Antananarivo.

Antsirabe has lapidaries (stone-cutting facilities), old thermal spas and some volcanic crater lakes in the surrounding area (Tritriva, about 12 mi/20 km from town, is our favorite). Antsirabe can be seen as a very long day trip from Antananarivo, but we suggest spending at least one night in the town. There's the Vakona Hotel, a modest but charming bungalow, and the Vakona Forest Lodge, which provides comfortable accommodations, and the staff there can arrange nature walks to see the nocturnal aye-aye, a shaggy, black-fur lemur. 80 mi/130 km southwest of Antananarivo.

This old port of 320,000 sits on one of the most beautiful bays in the world. Unless you're traveling by yacht, the city is best reached by air. (The road to Antsiranana is open only July-October.) Once there, you can make excursions to Ankarana Reserve, about 45 mi/70 km away, to see sacred caves, subterranean rivers and tsingy formations (limestone karst pinnacles). A permit is needed to enter the reserve—it can be arranged upon arrival. (If you want to fly to the reserve, you'll need to make arrangements with Madagascar Airtours in advance.) One night in the city itself is usually adequate, but add three more days if you're visiting the reserve. 470 mi/755 km northeast of Antananarivo.

Constructed by French colonists, this canal connects a series of lakes and rivers running along Madagascar's eastern shore and serves as a transport artery for villagers living along its banks. You'll see vanilla plants, cinnamon trees and coconut palms growing along the shore and pirogues heaped with palm leaves, bananas and timber plying the waters. Beach huts, some of which are relatively luxurious, are available on the riverside and on some parts of the lakeshore. Access is by road from Antananarivo or by boat from Toamasina. 100 mi/160 km east of Antananarivo.

Although not particularly a tourist destination in itself, Fianarantsoa (pop. 150,000), where most of Madagascar's wines are produced, merits a two-night visit to see the spectacular Ranomafana National Park (where you'll see 12 species of lemurs, waterfalls, orchids, chameleons and 122 species of bird), as well as the towns of Ambalavao (where a unique paper used for lamp shades is made), Mananjary (beaches) and Ambositra (the starting point for visits to Zafimaniry villages, whose residents produce excellent wood carvings). Other area villages are essentially untouched by tourism.

About 60 mi/100 km south of Fianarantsoa is Andringitra National Park, which offers hiking trails, striking scenery and an introduction to the Bara and Betsileo people, the two main tribes in the area. Fianarantsoa is about 175 mi/280 km south of Antananarivo.

Generally visited as an overnight on the long drive from the capital to the south of the island, Ihosy offers accommodations and pleasant scenery, but little else. Don't bother scheduling extra time there. 250 mi/400 km south of Antananarivo.

Mahajanga (pop. 147,000) shows strong Arab and Indian influences. There are more than a dozen mosques in town and countless Indian- and Pakistani-owned shops. There's also an enormous baobab tree by the sea. Plan two days in the area to visit nearby beaches, the grottoes of Androhibe (about 53 mi/85 km from town) and the Ankarafantsika National Park and Ampijoroa Forestry Reserve (both about 60 mi/95 km from town), which offer opportunities to see lemurs, waterbirds and a breeding center for two threatened species of tortoise. 240 mi/385 km northwest of Antananarivo.

This peninsula boasts some of the last areas of intact rain forest in the country, most of which are now protected in Masoala National Park. An organized hiking tour is advised for those wishing to visit the region. Organize your trip through the park offices in Maroantsetra—you will need to be physically fit and well-equipped. 300 mi/480 km northeast of Antananarivo.

Montagne d'Ambre National Park is one of the most visited attractions in the country. Located in the northern region, it contains more than 12 mi/20 km of trails for self-guided hikes, and with more than 70 species of birds found in the park, it is also a great place for bird-watching. Montagne d'Ambre spreads out over 44,973 acres/18,200 hectares, and the landscape there ranges from volcanic massif and lush forest to waterfalls and a small crater lake, Petit Lac. A permit is needed to enter the park—it can be arranged upon arrival. (If you want to fly to the park, you'll also need to make arrangements with Madagascar Airtours in advance.) 620 mi/1,000 km northeast of Antananarivo.

An important center of the Sakalava people, Morondava is a good base for visiting their decorated tombs. Unfortunately, many of the sculptures associated with the tombs have been stolen, so the tombs are considerably less impressive than they once were. Anyone wishing to visit the tombs must be accompanied by a guide. Morondava is also known for its beaches, and for the much-photographed Avenue of Baobabs, about 10 mi/15 km north of town. 230 mi/370 km southwest of Antananarivo.

Its name means "Big Island," though it is often referred to as the Island of Perfume. Relatively quiet and tranquil, the island is the country's only true resort area. Nosy Be has attractive fine-sand beaches and good places for diving and snorkeling. Mount Passot (1,050 ft/90 m) provides a nice backdrop to the scene. The island is an excellent place to spend a week doing nothing except relaxing, meeting people and watching sunsets.

Other islands in the archipelago include Nosy Komba (with a small lemur reserve), Nosy Tanikely (good diving), Nosy Iranja (seabirds and seclusion) and Nosy Mitsio (also good for diving). Nosy Be is 390 mi/630 km north of Antananarivo.

This island, formerly a pirate hideout and more commonly known as Ile Sainte Marie, has a charming, relaxed pace. We met elderly villagers there who had never visited the main town, even though the island is just 30 mi/55 km long and 4 mi/7 km wide. Only one road connects the main town, Ambodifototra, with scattered settlements of bamboo and palm. It has an interesting pirates' cemetery (be sure to read the inscriptions on the tombs-particularly the ones with skull and crossbones). Ambodifototra also has an early-19th-century Catholic church.

At the southern end of the island is Ile aux Nattes (reached by canoe), which offers good beaches, good food and good snorkeling. Fishermen ply the waters in dhows, and you can often watch whales cavorting not far from shore. Female humpback whales bring their young there to teach them essential skills: We met a French traveler who had seen a female whale tossing her offspring into the air to teach it to breach.

There are many hotels and bungalows, most along the western coast. Most people reach the island via Air Madagascar, but there's also daily ferry service from Soanierana-Ivongo on the Malagasy coast. Both options are slow and uncomfortable.

Hotels with vacancies send a vehicle to meet each flight, but in the high season (July-August), it's best to make advance reservations. 200 mi/320 km northeast of Antananarivo.

This small island near the Masoala Peninsula is known for its population of aye-ayes. There are several other lemur species on the island, as well as chameleons, birds, frogs and an endemic snake. Permits and transportation can be arranged in Maroantsetra. It's possible to stay overnight on Nosy Mangabe, but you must take your own tent. 265 mi/425 km northeast of Antananarivo.

Formerly known as Perinet, this park is the home of the Indris (the largest species of the lemur family) and can be seen as a long day trip from Antananarivo. Hilly, with a series of ridges, Andasibe-Mantadia National Park spreads out over 31,654 acres/12,810 hectares. We think it's best to stay overnight and enjoy the scenery, birds and beautiful wild orchids. 90 mi/140 km southeast of Antananarivo.

This town, also known as Fort Dauphin, is built on a small peninsula backed by mountains. It offers excellent beaches in a beautiful setting. There's not much in the town itself (a fort built in 1643 is no longer open to the public), but an excursion can be made to the Berenty Reserve (50 mi/80 km to the west-it has a museum and botanical and zoological gardens). The reserve is owned by the wealthy de Heaulme family and provides accommodations and food. Visits are only possible as part of an organized tour.

Other excursions include visits to the ruins of an old Portuguese fort, Baie St. Luce (a beach with comparatively safe swimming). To the west is a large area of spiny forest. There are also interesting hiking routes in the hills overlooking the town. Plan one night in the town itself, and add another if you're visiting Berenty Reserve. 420 mi/675 km south of Antananarivo.

This lively port (pop. 198,000) and former pirate enclave has long avenues and some old colonial buildings (though not as many as it used to have—the city was hit hard by a cyclone in the early 1990s). It's a popular tourist destination for Malagasy people. If you are in the area, take time to visit the surrounding towns of Foulpointe (beaches and fort) and Mahambo (with a scenic area around a creek) and the Ivoloina zoo, about 10 mi/15 km to the north, with lemurs and other species. You can also catch a flight to Nosy Boraha from Toamasina. 135 mi/215 km northeast of Antananarivo.

Located in western Madagascar, Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest protected area in the country. Opened to the public in 1998, it contains spectacular limestone karst formations known as tsingy. The best way to get there is by small aircraft from the capital. The 375,440-acre/152,000-hectare park is famous for its undisturbed forests, lakes and mangrove swamps. It is also a habitat for rare birds and wildlife, such as the Decken's sifaka, a kind of lemur.

Although there's no beach and only a small cultural museum downtown, this growing port town is popular because of the snorkeling and diving opportunities at Ifaty village to the north. Isalo National Park, to the northeast, contains grottoes, canyons and impressive rock formations-it's a great place to hike and relax for several days (permit required). Other nearby sights include the banyan tree at Miary, the thousands of pink flamingos on the difficult-to-access Lake Tsimanampetsotsa and the highly decorated Mahafaly tombs (there are a few tombs near town, and more at Betioky, 60 mi/100 km south of Tulear). 390 mi/630 km southwest of Antananarivo.