BEFORE YOU GO TO MADAGASCAR

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

A touristic visa is compulsory for all foreigners willing to travel to Madagascar. You can get it at the airport after you land. You must provide your return ticket and your passport with a minimum validity of 6 months from the day you leave Madagascar. You can pay in euro or USD (Cash only, customs do not give the change).

The ariary (MGA) worth currently around 3 800 for 1 euro. Credit cards are accepted but only in few hotels. ATM are available only in the cities. For your travel expenses, we recommend you to bring foreign currencies in cash (Euros or dollars) and to change at the airport when landing. Your guide can assist you with this. Do not change your money in the black market during your travel Madagascar!

The local language is the Malagasy. The population speaks more or less French all over the island. Few people speak English or German. People in the tourism industry speak more and more these 3 languages. We provide English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Russian speaking guides.

No vaccine is requested to come to Madagascar. However, we highly recommend people to come with up-to-date vaccines against B-hepatitis, Typhoid fever, Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Polio. Anti-malaria treatment: Malaria is everywhere in the island and all along the year. Therefore, an anti-malaria treatment must be taken before, during and after your stay in Madagascar. Ask the advice of your general practitioner before traveling.

Best season to come is during dry season, from April to mid November. Mid June to mid September is the winter season in Madagascar. During the day, temperatures will be around 25 to 30°C. But after sunset, temperatures can drop very down. Be careful if you stopover in Antananarivo, which is 1 200m above the sea level, and therefore much colder! Cyclonic season (mid December to mid March) is to be avoided.

When you go to Madagascar, prefer casual, comfortable, and easy-to-wash clothes. A warm jacket is indispensable during the winter in the highlands (June to September). Hiking boots are highly recommended because most of the visits implies walking (Wildlife in the National Parks). Keep luggage to a minimum for your own comfort and ease of transport. Don’t forget : Mosquito repellent, Sun screen, flashlight or headlamp, sleeping bags if you go on a trekking tour.

Your guide can help you to get a local sim card when landing in the country. The operators in Madagascar are TELMA, ORANGE, and AIRTEL. But keep in mind that lot of places in Madagascar still have no connectivity at all. WiFi is available in most of the hotels and some public areas, upon available connectivity (Bush hotels).

You can not drink tap water in Madagascar, use bottled mineral water only. Electricity (220 volts) is available in main cities. We use the same plugs as in France. In smaller villages or bush hotels, electricity often comes from a generator and is not available all the time. Bring a flashlight/headlamp with you.

Flying to Antananarivo (Madagascar main city):

From Paris: Air Madagascar, Air France, Corsair
From Addis Abeba: Ethiopian Airlines
From Johannesburg: South African Airlink
From Nairobi: Kenya Airways
From Saint Denis (Reunion Island) : Air Austral/Air Madagascar
From Mauritius: Air Madagascar/Air Mauritius

From Antananarivo to other cities: Tsaradia, the local airline. We can book these flights for you.

Private charters: We offer charter flights for domestic and regional flights.