Madagascar Travel Answers

I just came back from Mauritius and had made similar enquiries about Madagascar while there i.e. the safety aspect since I was advised beforehand (when I considered it as a travel destination) that it was not safe to travel to. I had conflicting advice: a Club Med GO from Madagascar said only the political situation there is not good but that doesn't affect tourists. However, others advised me it's not safe. May I suggest Mauritius and the French Reunion Islands as an alternative? Unless you are set on Madagascar.

Hi Comlex question, so I'll answer in two halves lest the Internet connection drops. I have travelled to Madagascar twice (most recently in June 2010 with our small kids) and have never experienced any sort of threat. There is petty crime, but on balance, if you're experienced travellers in the developing world and take sensible precautions, you should have nothing to be worried about. However, I should warn that politically Madagascar is perpetually unstable: they may have a democracy in theory, but in practice, governments are ousted via military coups rather than the ballot box. To give you a very brief overview of Malagasy politics: the current president is French-backed and overthrew his predecessor - the very competent Marc Ravalomanana - with no regard for the Constitution (for one, he was too young, quite apart from his eminently suitable background as a DJ and the slight complicating factor that he has a child with Ravalomanana's daughter). Although the African Union has huffed and puffed about the illegitimacy of his tenure, nothing has been done. So Ravalomanana sits in exile here in South Africa and periodially threatens to return. The dilemma is really whether your visit coincides with a coup or not, and obviously these events are not prepublicised! Regards Cathy

Hi Simoan Onto your second point. Internal logistics in Madagascar are poor: even the main 'highway' berwwn Antananarivo (Tana) and Tulear (Toliaro) is in less than good condition, and every other road is worse! First prize is to fly. This is pricey, but it's a considerable saving on time and fatigue, even if the unpromisingly named Air Mad is not the most reliable carrier you're likely to experience. However, if you fly in via Air Mad (which has good and frequent connections into Paris) this entitles you to a discount on internal flights, which is well worth looking into. Alternatively, hire a car with a driver: trust me, I've worked and driven in the developing world for 25 years, and a driver is a sensible investment. Quite apart from the safety aspect, they know where they're going and what's worth seeing, so it's a worthwhile investment: just bear in mind that if you visit any of the national parks, you're obliged to hire a local guide as a condition of entry, so it can all get rather expensive. Taxi brousses (minibust taxis) are common and cheap, but crowded, uncomfortable and slow. If you're a backpacker with heaps of time at your disposal, they're a viable alternative, but if you are working on a limited time frame and/or feel that you require a greater degree of comfort, they're probably not for you. Regards Cathy

After some more careful consideration we decided to go to madagascar. We plan to use a experienced german travel agency that arranges hotels and the transportation from A to B. The plan is to fly from Tana to Toliary. With the chauffeur via road back to the north, stopping on the trip at some nationalparks on the way to Tana. Then from Tana to Morondava to Tsingy. Back to Tana. Tana- Canal de Pangales - Ile Sainte marie. Do you think this is a realistic trip in roughly 3 weeks?

Hi Busy but manageable. Can I suggest that you be sure that Isalo is one of the parks that's included, as we thought that it was vastly underrated and one of the highlights of our first visit? I also think that it would be a pity to miss out on Andasibe (also known by the old name of Perinet) as this was also fantastic - worth going just to hear the indris 'sing' in the forest. Ending up for a few days on Ile St Marie is an excellent idea - by that point, you'll be exhausted! I haven't been to the tsingy (definitely on the list for next time) or the Canal de Pagales (I've never even heard of that), so can't comment on them from personal experience. perhaps have a look on my various Madagascar pages to make up your own mind on what you consider to be a 'must see' and what can be left out? By the way, you need to be aware that 'old' and 'new' placenames are often used interchangeably, which is an endless source of confusion in Madagascar (for example, Tulear = Toliara). Regards Cathy

Cathy, your pages are mad but in a good way! :-)

***The Canal de Pangalanes*** 600 kn long lagon linked by man made chanels is in Toamasina, from Foulpointe to Farafrandana