Bonjour L'un de mes amis est bloqué à Madagascar depuis plus de 2 mois On lui avait laissé entendre un avion pour le 24/4. Finalement cet avion a été totalement réservé par d'autres pays Européens. L'Ambassade de France lui demande de ne plus les ennuyer, et de "prendre son mal en patience" Il est très fatigué par les conditions climatiques, et le fait de ne pas entrevoir de solution à court et moyen terme D'autres personnes dans cette situation? Entraide possible pour en sortir? Merci

hi there

I’ll be in Antalaha in October and need to get to Maroantsetra. I’ve heard it’s possible by boat, but I can’t find any info about it. So I’m wondering if I’ll have to arrange something with local fishing boats or something else, and whether it’s a risky trip since the sea can get rough on Madagascar’s east coast. Has anyone done this before, or just know anything about it? What do you think?

Hi everyone! I’ve put together an itinerary for Madagascar and would love to get your feedback if you can help—thanks!

December 6–9: Antananarivo 3 nights, sightseeing Andasibe-Mantadia National Park Rova of Antananarivo (Ambohimanga Fort) Lemurs’ Park

December 9–11: Fianarantsoa, 2 nights Ranomafana National Park

Ambalavao, December 11–13, 2 nights Andringitra National Park

December 13–15: Ranohira or Ilakaka, 2 nights Monkey Canyon visit Isalo National Park

December 15–18: Tulear, 3 nights Reniala Reserve visit Beach time, possible diving Antsokay Arboretum Ifaty Forest

December 18–19: Full day—take a flight to the capital and stay overnight Then on December 19, take the bus to Morondava

December 19–23: Morondava, 4 nights Kirindy Mitea National Park Avenue of the Baobabs Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

12:30-hour bus ride from Morondava to the capital

Antananarivo, December 23–24 11:30-hour trip from the capital to Mahajanga

Mahajanga/Majunga, December 24–27, 3 nights Ankarafantsika National Park visit

Ambanja District, 3 nights December 27–30 Tsaratanana Nature Reserve visit Maromokotro trek

Nosy Be Island, December 30–January 7, 2026, 8 nights diving, beach time, relaxation, walks, hiking, snorkeling

Antsiranana, January 7–11, 4 nights Ambavanibe Bay visit Montagne d’Ambre National Park

Return to the capital for a flight home or a 28-hour bus ride

1 or 2 nights in Antananarivo depending on the return trip

January 13: Departure for France Arrival in Paris, France the next day

First trip to Madagascar (couple + 2 older teens). We’ve read quite a few posts and watched traveler videos, which helped us figure out what we could do in 3 weeks. We’d like to travel with a driver-guide. You’ll probably be able to help us with the overall duration... Are we being too ambitious, or is this reasonable? In this itinerary, are there any must-see places we shouldn’t miss? Here’s our first draft:

Departure from Tana to the east via the RN2. Stop at the Analamazoatra Reserve RN11 to reach the Pangalanes Canal 3 or 4 days to travel south along the canal (taxi boat) The train from Manakara to Fiana RN7 toward Tulear Time for a short trek in Andringitra? I’m not sure... Isalo Park From Tulear, head north or south by pirogue to relax somewhere To get back to Tana and stay within our vacation time, I think we’ll need to fly... Will we have time left for Ampefy?

What do you think?

Bonjour à tous,

Nous projettons de faire un circuit assez classique à Madagascar avec guide et chauffeur :

v Arrivée Antananarivo v Jour 2: Antananarivo - Antsirabe v Jour 3: Antsirabe – Miandrivazo v Jour 4: Miandrivazo – Masiakampy (Début de la descente) v Jour 5: Tsiribihina v Jour 6: Fin descente et transfert Bekopaka v Jour 7: Visite du grand et petit Tsingy v Jour 8: Bekopaka – Morondava v Jour 9 : Morondava – Belo sur mer v Jour 10:Belo sur mer – Manja v Jour 11: Manja -Morombe v Jour 12: Morombe–Andavadoaka v Jour 13 :Andavadoaka – Salary v Jour 14: Salary - Mangily Ifaty v Jour 15: Mangily Ifaty (Plongée et ballade en pirogue) v Jour 16:Ifaty-Tuléar – Ranohira v Jour 17: Visite du parc national de l’Isalo v Jour 18: Ranohira – Anja - Ambalavao v Jour 19: Ambalavao – Fianarantsoa v Jour 20: Fianarantsoa – Manakara (en train) v Jour 21: Le canal de Pangalane) v Jour 22: Manakara – Ranomafana v Jour 23 : Visite du parc national de Ranomafana v Jour 24: Ranomafana – Ambositra v Jour 25 :Ambositra – Antsirabe v Jour 26 : Antsirabe v Jour 27 : Antsirabe- Antananarivo v Jour 28 : Transfert aéroportJe serais tentée de rajouter quelques jours dans le nord, pour découvrir les Tsingy rouges, la montagne d'ambre et faire une plongée quelque part. Est-ce que ça vaut le coup? Le meilleur moyen pour y aller est-ce l'avion? Où faire de la plongée? L'ile Sainte Marie n'est-elle pas hyper touristique? Merci pour votre aide et vos réponses!

Bonjour à tous Je désire organiser un petit voyage de 12 jours a Madagascar fin avril début mai 2020. Je cherche des conseils et circuits à faire, on sera un couple.. On y va pour la faune et le farniente. Les paysages paradisiaque et un peu d aventure. Merci d'avance pour votre aide

Bonjour Je souhaiterais trouver une agence locale malgache pour envisager 15 jours de découverte de cette île

Hi, We're heading to Madagascar in just over a month. Our flight arrives at Nosy Be, and I was wondering if there are any currency exchange offices at that airport since it doesn’t seem very big? I’d like to exchange 500 € for incidentals (souvenirs, vanilla purchases, etc.). Our hotel is already paid for (half-board) as well as the excursions. What do you think? Thanks for your help!

It’s been 15 years since I last went to Sainte-Marie. I used to stay at the Hôtel Les Baleines—it was pretty basic, but I get the feeling things have improved since then. If anyone has good recommendations for hotels, rentals, scooters, or tuk-tuks, I’m all ears!

Hi everyone, I’m heading to Île aux Nattes in a few weeks and I’d like to know if euros are accepted in the island’s restaurants. At the hotel where I’ll be staying, they take card payments, but for activities, I can’t find any reliable info. Could anyone tell me the approximate cost in euros and/or ariary for a week (food outside the hotel) on the island for two people?

Also, has anyone ever exchanged money at the Paris Magenta exchange bureau? Thanks!

Hi there, I’m heading to Madagascar for 15 days next March, specifically to Nosy Be, and I’d like to buy some vanilla. Where can I buy it in Nosy Be, and what’s the current price of vanilla? I’ve heard that the price of vanilla has skyrocketed (like everything else, to be honest). If anyone has bought some recently, that would be a huge help. Thanks in advance!

Bonjour...Je vais faire affaire avec ce guide recommandé sur plusieurs sites..Puis-je toujours lui faire confiance ? Car je crois qu'il me demande de payer a l'avance notre sejour de 26 jours a $40 euros par jour...Je trouve cela un peu risqué...Car normalement, on donne un accompte, et on paye le reste a la fin .Qu'en pensez-vous ????

Oh, the good news—the site is back up after such a long closure. I think many of us were really missing it, though some have moved on to other forums like Routard. Hopefully, activity will pick up little by little. Travel habits have probably changed post-Covid, and some regulars won’t be coming back for all sorts of reasons. But for the rest of us, the forum is here for travel journals and pre-trip questions. Anyway…

Back to the main point: my last trip to Madagascar was a while ago now—about a year—on the High Plateaus during the austral winter. It was really chilly, and to be honest, my feelings were mixed between the joy of returning to Madagascar and the sadness of seeing the state of the country. The infrastructure is crumbling, and the population is sinking into poverty at unprecedented levels. The country’s closure likely had immeasurable consequences, compounded by destructive cyclones. Even secondary cities have seen large numbers of rural people arriving in search of work, while some rural areas barely allow survival. I’ve never felt such despair over the situation in 20 years.

From Tana to Fianar, it was nothing but heartbreaking observations. Probably made worse by the drizzle and cold typical of that season in the region.

In a few weeks, I’m planning to return to the High Plateaus and also Sainte Marie. On that note, a few questions: has anyone stayed at Samaria Cosy Lodge, and what did you think of it? On Île aux Nattes, which hotel would you recommend for a few peaceful days, ideally on the coast best suited for snorkeling?

Thanks in advance

Hello, After asking questions on the site, here’s a little feedback on our trip in March and April. Marseille/Antananarivo flight with Ethiopian Airlines was great both ways. I’d recommend it. Domestic flights with Madagascar Airlines were just as smooth. We had to change our plans because I was the victim of a snatch-theft attempt at Ivato... patellar fracture... so I ended up with a brace and more rest than hikes. This let us spend more time in the same areas and make some connections. We loved Tulear. Stayed with Alain—excellent value for money. Mangily, where we stayed for 15 days. Hotel Bella Dona due to my little handicap. The pool replaced sea swims. Mangily gets a bad rap for being very touristy. True, you get approached a lot on the beach—you have to play along and buy some trinkets, but after that, you get royal peace and lots of exchanges with locals. The village and its lively street are nice too. Don’t hesitate to eat with fishermen or at local bars. Anakao, a big favorite. Just the journey there is worth it. Watching dozens of pirogues set off between 5 and 6 AM is a magical moment. Stayed at Peter Pan’s place. Lots of chats with Dario since we were the only guests. Planned a 4-day Antananarivo–Soniara–Ivango road trip with a driver. Cut to 2 days because the boat to Sainte Marie was moved up due to weather. I don’t remember the company’s name, but it wasn’t great for safety—plus, we brought back fleas. Visited Andasibe Park along the way. Quick tip: go in the morning. A little over 2 weeks on Sainte Marie at Hôtel Mantis Soanambo—total luxury negotiated at a price that defied all competition because it was low season. Meals were at little local eateries nearby. We chose not to sleep on Île aux Nattes but went there several times during the day (crossing: 4000 ariary for 2). You have to take a pirogue tour—it’s like stepping into a postcard. Sainte Marie is a special place. A tropical island that feels like the Caribbean ones we’ve lived on. No security issues at all. We rented a scooter because we found tuk-tuk prices a bit steep. You can leave the scooter with helmet and keys and come back 4 hours later. More amazing encounters here too. Last part of our trip in Ampefy, a beautiful volcanic region with a very welcoming population. Stayed with a friend of our driver. Hotels in Ivato are plentiful and vary a lot in quality. Les 12 Collines is a bit out of the way but only 21 € per night. La Chato... very expensive for what you get. I tried to keep it short. Madagascar is a wonderful island with so many facets. Always so many emotions when I think back on this trip. The extreme poverty... don’t hesitate to buy food for the kids on the beach, for example. It doesn’t cost much, but it means a lot to them. The kindness of the people and, above all, those SMILES. We’re hooked—we’re going back in November for 6 months... because yes, you can buy a 3-month visa at the airport (a question I’d asked), and you can extend it for another 3 months... if you apply in time at a police station. We didn’t take Malarone either. We’d brought some, but there were few mosquitoes, and "Insect Écran" worked really well.

je compte voyager 3 mois a Madagascar( mars avril mai) problème on me dit que les conditions de sécurite sont très mauvaises le sujet n'est pas trop évoque sur ce forum Le ministère des affaires etrangeres français a classé tout le pays en zone orange vigilance renforcée quid un retour expérience de personnes ayant voyagé récemment dans ce pays m'obligerais merci

Hi everyone, We’re heading to Madagascar for a month at the end of June with the family. Our itinerary takes us to the East: Tana, Andasibe, Pangalanes, Tamatave, Mahambo, Sainte Marie; then up North to Sambava, Vohemar, and finishing in Diego Suarez. One question that’s been on our minds a lot is about money and payments. We’ve seen some discussions on this forum, but they didn’t answer all our questions.

We have two Visa credit cards from two different banks. The banks are aware of our trip and shouldn’t block the cards. One card is from the Caisse d’Épargne, which has international options that avoid fees. We’ll likely use this card as our primary, and the second one will be a backup (since the fees are higher for that one).

We’ve heard that few shops and hotels accept card payments—is that accurate?

Several hotels seem to accept wire transfers to a Euro account, as some have asked for a deposit that way. The exchange rate offered is often poor, though (e.g., 1 € = 4,500 Ar)—is this negotiable?

Of course, we’ll bring some Euros in cash to exchange, but we don’t want to carry too much money on us. If we exchange Euros at a bank, is the wait long?

Once the cash runs out, we’ll need to withdraw from ATMs, but we’ve heard it can be a challenge—ATMs max out at 400,000 Ar, and the wait at the counter can be very long if we need more. Have you observed the same?

Is there also a way to pay using smartphone apps? Someone mentioned TapTap Send or Sendwave, and I’ve also seen the Orange Money app. Is one or more of these options reliable and widely used? I imagine this could be useful for many payments and help avoid burning through the cash we withdraw too quickly.

Are we missing any other practical solutions?

Thanks for your help! Julien

Bonjour à tous, Je souhaite aller sur la côte nord est début mai au départ de Ambilobé, je souhaite faire au moins un trajet par la piste et l'autre en avion. Je voudrais savoir si les moyens de transport (camions aménagés ou TB) circulent de jour dans le sens Ambilobé Vohémar ...? Je l'ai fait il y a plusieurs années et il me semble que le trajet et dans ce sens ne se faisait que de nuit ... Merci à tous. Fili

I'm heading to Nosy Be (Madagascar) this coming October. This is my very first visit to this part of the Indian Ocean. I'd like to know if it's better to bring my bank card and withdraw cash from ATMs there, or if it would be preferable to bring cash in euros or dollars and exchange it for the local currency upon arrival. Thanks! /D

Bonjour à tous,

La nouvelle trotte dans notre tête depuis cette semaine. Pourquoi pas Madagascar comme destination ! Avant de faire des recherches, j'ai une question toute simple. Est-il trop tard pour organiser 3 semaines de voyage en juillet/août ? Nous viendrons du Canada. J'imagine que les européens y vont beaucoup durant les grandes vacances...

Merci

bonjour j aimerai partir en voyage a madagsacar avec ma femme et mes enfants j aimerai decouvrir et leur faire decouvrir ces joli paysages MAIS AUSSI les endroits locaux les lieux moins touristiques et aussi les coins defavorisés , en effet voir des endroits ou la richesse n est pas la car j aimerai avec mes enfants faire des dons d affaires et de fournitures scolaires , montrer a mes enfants comment ils vivent labas si quel qu un pourai m aiguiller m indiquer merci beaucoup

Bonjour...J'ai engagé un chauffeur-guide qui a une bonne reputation a Madagascar.Découvert sur le web, avec de bonne ''reviews'' Nous allons passer 26 jours total avec lui. Mais il nous demande de payer l'essence avant le depart, pour tout le parcours des 26 jours. Il dit que nous parcoureront 3900km, et que ca coutera $490 euros. Est-ce la pratique normal de faire payer a l'avance pour l'essence dans ce pays ??? Et si oui, est ce que vous croyez que c'est raisonnable ???

Merci de votre aide...

Bonjour à tous, Quel peut être le loyer pour une petite maison (max 2 chambres), avec un petit jardin à Tamatave, pas forcément en plein centre mais pas trop éloigné non plus ? Merci ! Fili

Bonjour! Nous nous rendons en famille (avec 2 ados de 13 et 15 ans) pour la 3eme fois à Madagascar à l'été 2020, et j'ai besoin d'un peu d'aide pour ce nouveau périple! Voici ce que nous aimerions voir:

Arrivée dans la nuit du 30 au 31 juillet -31 juillet route de Tana à Antsirabe -1er août Antsirabe- Morondava -2 août Morondava-Bekopaka (Nuit au camp croco ?) -3 août Tsingy -4 août Tsingy -5 août Bekopaka- Morondava -6 août Morondava-Belo sur mer ( nuit à l’entremer ou dauphin vezo ?) -7 août Belo sur mer -8 août Belo sur mer -9 août Belo sur mer- Andavadoaka (nuit chez Pierrot le Suisse) -10 août Pierrot -11 août Pierrot -12 août Andavadoaka-Ifaty (nuit « un peu plus au nord » ?) -13 août Un peu plus au nord -14 août Un peu plus au nord -15 août Ifaty-Isalo (Isalo Ranch) -16 août Isalo -17 août Isalo -18 août Isalo- Ambalavao (chez l’habitant ?) -19 août Ambalavao (Anja) -20 août Ambalavao- Antsirabe (lac Tritriva) -21 août Antsirabe Tana -22 août Tana -23 août -Nuit du 23 au 24 vol retour…

Nous aimons bien prendre notre temps, sommes assez rodés pour la piste (Piste Bac+10 il y a 4 ans...), mais je ne sais pas si les étapes choisies sont réalisables, ou s'il faut en rajouter?? Pour l'instant, il y a une nuit supplémentaire que je ne sais pas ou placer... Nous serons avec un guide et un 4*4... Merci pour vos conseils!

Hi there, following a work trip, I’ll have 4.5 days left to get a quick overview of Madagascar during the last week of February. I’ll already have had a good look around Tana (3 days of work and 1.5 days beforehand to see 1 or 2 points of interest 2-3 hours from Tana).

Is it feasible to spend the remaining 4.5 days like this:

- Day 1 & 2 (and maybe the morning of Day 3): relaxing on a coast with a pleasant climate, for example, a one-way flight to Tuléar (there’s a flight on Day 1 at 3 AM) and heading to a nice beach. Ideally, I’d have liked to go toward Morondava (baobabs, beautiful beaches near Belo), but the flight schedules don’t really work, and it wouldn’t let me visit Isalo.

- Then 2 days to head back up via the RN7, ideally with a stop in Isalo, which really appeals to me (I’m an experienced hiker in France), and/or Ranomafana. But do the weather conditions allow for long hikes in that area? Ideally, I’d like to do Tuléar–Tana by public transport up to my first road stop (shared bus? To Isalo?), then find a local hiking guide for the day. And take another transport to another point of interest before returning to Tana, where I have my return flight to France on Day 5 at noon.

My questions: - How to travel from Day 3 to Day 5 from the west coast (Tuléar? Morondava?) back to Tana? I’d prefer not to depend on a guide the whole way, but if I have to 🤷🏽‍♂️) If I choose Morondava, will I miss out on really interesting spots I could’ve seen along the RN7?

I’m open to any suggestions or ideas to make the most of these 4.5 days, like another beach destination I might not have considered (I ruled out Nosy Bé because of the February weather—maybe I was wrong?)

If you had 5 days available in your road trip on this gorgeous island, which would you choose between the two options below and why? 1/ Diego Suarez with a visit to Ankarana, the "Montagne des Français", the Three Bays, the Emerald Sea, etc. Or 2/ a trio starting from Morondava all the way to Anakao, passing through Belo sur Mer, Manja, Salary, and Anakao. Thanks for your help

Hi, I'd like to know if there's a bush taxi from TAMATAVE TO NOSY-BE HELL VILLE (an island), and if so, which company should I take? Thanks in advance for your answers ;)

Je dois rejoindre un groupe avec lequel nous ferons un circuit dans le nord de Madagascar... Quels sont les moyens pour rejoindre soit Nossi Be soit Diego Suarez depuis Tananarive, puis retour sur Tananarive ? Je dois être le 2 sept 2020 à Nossi Be pour démarrer le trek avec mon groupe, et le 20/09 je dois être àTananarive pour décoller le 21/09 à 01:00 du matin.

Les vols entre Tana et Nossi be sont rares et chers. Puis-je envisager un voyage par la route (debut et fin septembre) entre Tana et Nossibe. Quelle est la procédure ? Voir avec une Agence ? Voir avec l'Hôtel ? Quelle est la durée d'un tel voyage ? Il y a 55 ans, j'avais fait ce voyage en Bus Mercedes il y avait eu une escale d'une nuit au bord d'une rivière... C'était fantastique.

Merci de me faire profiter de vos expériences Cordialement Moah1012

Bonjour ;

Je recherche un hôtel calme propre bien entretenu et sécurisé à Tulear centre ville budget de 10 à 18 € et autre chose en 2 également (un endroit sécurisé pour nager piscine ( grande )et en 3 ainsi que la plage la plus prêt du centre ville Merci

Hi! Recently, the domestic-flight terminal at Ivato has been moved to the old "international" airport, complete with its own scanner. On October 13th, I checked my luggage (which I had inspected before leaving my hotel in Tana) for a flight to Sambava. It wasn’t until I arrived at my accommodation in Antalaha and opened it that I discovered it had been searched (normal before boarding a plane), but to my surprise, the case containing my GPS fishfinder had been opened—likely mistaken for a laptop due to the scanner’s open access to all kinds of theft—and three SD cards were stolen. Luckily, two of the SD cards had their micro SDs inserted into the device, so I still had the Navionics micro card (300 €) essential for fishing. Of course, I’m not asking for compensation, just urging caution with checked luggage on "domestic" flights. (This is a copy-paste of my post on *Le Routard*.)

Hi there, I’m looking for info on whether it’s feasible to travel the Pangalanes Canal by boat from Toamasina to Manakara. I know the canal is poorly maintained with some sections that aren’t navigable. This is my 5th trip to Madagascar. Thanks for any tips!