Edition 44: Autumn 2008

Whether you are thrilled by trekking the great unknown to look for lemurs, lounging on a beach or discovering the mysteries of Malagasy culture, Madagascar has enough to keep you interested for months.

Off the grid travel

• Mananara & Parc National de Mananara-Nord
• Maroantsetra
• Nosy Managbe
• Masoala Peninsula

Days 1-3: Mananara area
Start your wild Madagascan outback odyssey in rural Mananara. It’s a good base for exploring ultra-remote Parc National de Mananara-Nord, the only known habitat of the hairy-eared dwarf lemur.

Days: 4-12
For a true rock hard adventure, walk 114km from Mananara to Maroantsetra. The rough coastal road sees almost no vehicle traffic, and will test your endurance to the maximum. Once you arrive in Maroantsetra, however, you’ll be rewarded with the chance to explore Réserve de Nosy Mangabe, a Jurassic Park-like magical reserve.

Days 13-14: Masoala Peninsula
Spend your last two days getting some much-needed R&R on the absolutely gorgeous, un-touristy Masoala Peninsula. It offers sublime hiking and mountain biking around rainforests, as well as good kayaking and snorkelling in the surrounding marine parks. Or just dive into a novel on the beach.

Trekking and culture

• Antananarivo & Antsirabe
• Parc National de Ranomafana
• Parc National d’Andringtitra
• Parc National de I’Isalo

Days 1-3: Antananarivo to Antsirabe
Hire a car in Antananarivo and hop on the lovely, smooth Route du Sud (RN7), one of Madagascar’s few surfaced roads. Drive through the central highlands, a region steeped in culture, before spending the night in Antsirabe. While dodging colourful rickshaws, and enjoying craft shops and crisp country air, ask around about attending a sacred Famadihana ceremony. You can also sign up for a Tsiribihini River trip here – but you’ll need to add an extra week onto your itinerary.

Days 3-12: National Parks
Now that you’ve experienced the culture, it’s time to trek. First up is the Parc National de Ranomafana, which offers hiking through pristine rainforest. Next is Parc National d’Andringtitra, where you can climb Madagascar’s second-highest mountain and enjoy stunning views of granite peaks. Last is Parc National de l’Isalo, which is a marvel of evolutionary processes. Here you’ll also find sacred burial sites of the Bara tribe, and a hauntingly beautiful landscape of knobbed charcoal cliffs and swaying grasslands.

Days 12-14: Southern Beaches
Reward your legs with some beach time around the southern port of Toliara. From here, head south to picture-perfect Anakao or north to Ifaty.

Beach hopping

• Nosy Be
• Diego Suarez & Around
• Île Sainte Marie

Days 1-5: Nosy Be
Andilana’s beach is our choice for Nosy Be, Madagascar’s most popular beach destination. It’s a long stretch of white sand, fronted by calm turquoise sea that’s clear as gin and perfect for floating. It also boasts the island’s best sunsets and an excellent French restaurant on the beach that serves seafood. Snorkel around outlying islands on day trips or visit the main village of Hell-Ville for metal handicrafts and good pizza.

Days 5-10: Diego Suarez Area
Grab a boat from Nosy Be before bussing to Diego Suarez. The town itself doesn’t have great beaches, but follow the road to Ramena and you’ll find gorgeous, often deserted stretches of sand, punctuated by boutique beach lodges – we liked the Hotel La Bleu Note.

Days 10-14: Île Sainte Marie
From Diego catch a plane to Île Sainte Marie, on the eastern coast. The gorgeous, and popular, island is known for perfect beaches, aquamarine seas and whalewatching.

Right time, right place

• Experiencing Famadihana
Visitors wanting to witness the Malagasy’s most sacred ceremony should arrive in the central highlands between June and September – the area around Antsirabe is a good place to start. Literally meaning the ‘turning of the bones’ Famadihana is an exhumation and reburial celebration.

• Trekking the central highlands
Madagascar’s high country can get bitterly cold during the winter months – June through August. Take this into account if you’re planning a trek (or even a stay in this region) during these months and make sure to bring plenty of warm clothes – layers are essential as is a good sleeping bag, tent and rain gear. The best months to visit the parks are April, May, September and October, when the weather is dry and warmer.

• Avoiding Crowds
During July and August the tourist towns – especially the beach resorts on Nosy Be, île Sainte Marie and around Diego Suarez – become very crowded with tourists, mostly on holiday from France. To avoid the Francophone flocks and still get the winter’s lovely coastal weather, arrive in April or May or September and October. Avoid Madagascar between January and March, when cyclones and rain are prevalent and make some travel impossible.

Madagascar factfile

• Language
The official language of Madagascar is French, and English speakers are few and far between, even in the capital city. Speaking French will make a huge difference to your travels, especially if you are travelling independently.

• Time zone GMT +3

• Visas
All visitors must have a visa to enter Madagascar. Thirty-day visas for citizens of most countries can easily be purchased at Ivato airport in Antananarivo upon arrival for €13. The process is very straightforward and requires no photos – but you will need proof of return flight.

• Health
Travellers to Madagascar require proof of yellow fever vaccination if coming from an area where disease is present. Vaccination against typhoid, hepatitis A and hepatitis B are recommended, as are updated vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio.

• Money
Madagascar changed its currency back to the pre-colonial ariary (MGA) in 2004, exchange rates include: UK£1 =3500 MGA, US$1 = 1700 MGA, €1 = 2700MGA. Madagascar is a cash driven society, and credit cards are virtually useless for anything other than cash advances from the bank. ATM cards are becoming more useful, with cash machines in the more touristy towns, but don’t rely on them. It’s best just to bring what you expect to spend in cash – the euro is the best currency to carry in Madagascar.

• Costs
Madagascar’s costs are on par with much of southern Africa. A cheap room costs about 25,000 MGA, while more luxurious accommodation goes for about 75,000 MGA. However, if you are staying in tourist resort areas like Nosy Be and île Sainte Marie, prices can be double those quoted here.  A sit down restaurant meal costs between 5000 MGA and 20,000 MGA.

• Getting there
Air Madagascar (www.airmadagascar.com), Air France (www.airfrance.com) and Corsair (www.corsair.fr), all operate direct flights from Paris to fly directly to Antananarivo. There are also a few direct flights per week from Milan to Nosy Be and Île Sainte Marie on Air Madagascar.

• Getting Around
Madagascar’s major towns are connected by taxi-brousse (shared minibus taxis). Distances are long and roads are generally not good, which makes flying between some cities essential. Air Madagascar operates domestic air services to nearly every town in the country – pilots don’t let little things like the lack of surfaced landing strips stop them. It’s most comfortable to travel the 941km Route de Sud in a private hired vehicle (which always comes with a driver).

• Safety
Madagascar is an extremely safe country. But keep an eye on your belongings in Antananarivo and in more touristed areas like Nosy Be. The main danger is pickpockets.

• Books
Lonely Planet’s Madagascar & Comoros (6th edition, 2008) by Aaron Anderson, David Andrews, Becca Blond and Tom Parkinson and Bradt’s Madagascar (9th edition, 2007) by Hilary Bradt are the best English-language guidebooks on the nation.