Madagascar travel guide
Madagascar, the world's fourth-largest island, lies in the Indian Ocean off south-east Africa and is home to wildlife found nowhere else, from lemurs to chameleons and baobab trees. It suits nature lovers and adventurous travellers who are prepared for long, slow journeys on rough roads in exchange for some of the world's most unusual landscapes.
Places worth the trip
Avenue of the Baobabs
Near Morondava on the west coast, a dirt road is lined with towering Grandidier's baobabs. Sunrise and sunset are the times to come, when the trunks glow red against the sky.
Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
A few hours east of Antananarivo, this rainforest is home to the indri, the largest living lemur, whose eerie call carries for kilometres in the morning. Night walks reveal chameleons, frogs and mouse lemurs.
Tsingy de Bemaraha
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in the west where limestone has eroded into a forest of razor-sharp pinnacles. Rope bridges, ladders and via ferrata routes take you through the Grand Tsingy. Access is only practical in the dry season.
Isalo National Park
A sandstone massif in the south-west with canyons, natural swimming pools and grasslands. Multi-day hikes and short walks to places like the Piscine Naturelle are popular, and ring-tailed lemurs are often seen.
Ranomafana National Park
Misty mountain rainforest in the south-east where the golden bamboo lemur was discovered in the 1980s. Trails are steep and muddy, and hot springs in the town nearby are welcome afterwards.
Nosy Be
The island off the north-west coast is Madagascar's main beach destination, with diving, snorkelling and boat trips to smaller islands such as Nosy Komba and Nosy Iranja. Whale sharks visit the area in some months.
Île Sainte-Marie
A long, narrow island off the east coast with palm-fringed beaches and a pirates' cemetery from the days when it was a base for buccaneers. Between about July and September humpback whales gather offshore to breed.
Antananarivo
The hilly capital, known as Tana, is a busy introduction to Malagasy life. The Rova, the former royal palace complex, crowns the highest hill, and the old quarter has steep stairways and colourful markets.
Interesting facts about Madagascar
- Madagascar separated from the Indian subcontinent roughly 88 million years ago, and most of its plants, reptiles and mammals are found nowhere else on earth.
- Lemurs live in the wild only in Madagascar, with more than a hundred species described, from tiny mouse lemurs to the indri.
- The Malagasy language is Austronesian and closely related to languages spoken in Borneo, reflecting settlers who crossed the Indian Ocean over a thousand years ago.
- Around half of the world's chameleon species live on the island.
- In the highlands, some families hold famadihana, a ceremony in which ancestors' remains are rewrapped in fresh cloth and celebrated with music and dancing.
Best time to visit Madagascar
The dry season from April to November is the best time to visit: roads are more passable, and western parks such as Tsingy de Bemaraha are open. September to November is particularly good for wildlife, with lemurs active and babies born. The east coast stays wetter year-round. The rainy season, roughly December to March, brings heavy downpours, and cyclones can hit the east and north, washing out roads and closing some parks. Temperatures in the highlands around Antananarivo can be cool at night in June to August.
Getting around
Distances are huge and roads are often poor, so journeys that look short take a full day. Many travellers hire a car with a driver, which is the most comfortable way to tour routes like the RN7 from Antananarivo to the south-west. Taxi-brousses, shared minibuses, connect most towns but are slow and crowded. Domestic flights save days of travel to places like Nosy Be, Morondava and Fort Dauphin, but schedules can change at short notice, so leave slack in your itinerary. In national parks, hiring a local guide is required.
Practical details
- Capital
- Antananarivo
- Currency
- Malagasy ariary (MGA)
- Languages
- Malagasy, French
- Plug types
- C, E
- Voltage
- 220 V, 50 Hz
- Emergency
- 117 police, 118 fire; for medical help contact your accommodation or a private clinic, as ambulance services are limited
- Driving side
- right
- Tipping
- Tipping guides, drivers and porters is expected and an important part of their income. In restaurants, around 5–10% is appreciated.
Staying online in Madagascar
Mobile coverage is reasonable in Antananarivo, larger towns and along some main roads, and 4G is available in the capital and tourist hubs like Nosy Be. Large parts of the island, including many national parks, the west coast tracks and the far south, have weak or no coverage. Hotels and lodges in tourist areas usually have Wi-Fi, but it can be slow and depends on power supply. Download offline maps and guides before you travel. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land in Antananarivo.
Madagascar eSIM plans
1 GB
1GB eSIM Data for 3 Days for Madagascar, V2
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Unlimited eSIM Data for 1 Day for Madagascar, V2
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Unlimited Plus eSIM Data for 1 Day for Madagascar, V2
3 GB
3GB eSIM Data for 3 Days for Madagascar, V2
Useful apps
- Maps.me: Offline maps with tracks and trails, useful for long drives and park visits without signal.
- Google Maps: Download offline areas around Antananarivo and your route before leaving the capital.
- Google Translate: Supports both Malagasy and French, helpful in rural areas where English is rarely spoken.
- XE Currency: Quickly convert ariary prices, which run into large numbers.
Madagascar travel FAQs
At least two weeks to see one region properly, such as the RN7 route from the highlands to Isalo and the south-west coast. Covering the north, east and west in one trip needs three weeks or more, ideally with domestic flights.
In Antananarivo and main towns, yes. Expect long stretches without signal on the road and in many parks. A travel eSIM gives you data from arrival without finding a SIM vendor, and your home number stays active.
Yes. Cards are accepted mainly in larger hotels in the capital and Nosy Be. ATMs exist in main towns but can run out, so carry enough ariary for rural stretches and park fees.
French is widely spoken in towns and in the tourist industry, while Malagasy is the everyday language. English is less common outside upmarket hotels, so a few French phrases and a translation app help a lot.