Currency on Île aux Nattes

Hey, you’ve got options—you can exchange at the airport (worth it based on the latest news) or head to Ambodifotra, the capital of Sainte-Marie, where there are banks. Just a heads-up: the exchange rates at hotels aren’t great. Either way, you’ll need ariary for sure.

Hi there, It's actually hard to give a precise answer because the price range is quite wide, and it also depends on what kind of meals you enjoy (starter, main course, dessert twice a day, or one good meal and not much else for the rest of the day...). It also depends on where you'll be staying. But generally, most hotels accept credit cards, so if that's the case, you can pay for your activities, rooms, and meals at the hotel with your card. If you have cash in euros, hotels can exchange it—some offer a fair rate, while others are a bit less favorable. Some restaurants might accept euros or credit card payments, but again, it depends on where you go. The cheapest spots and smallest eateries will only take Ariary. For generous meal budgets, if you have two decent meals a day for two people, I’d estimate around 60 € per day (2 x 2 x 15 €), so roughly 400–450 € for a week. Of course, you could spend more or much less—this is just a rough average. Where will you be staying on Île aux Nattes?

As for exchanging money, I’d recommend doing it at the airport when you arrive in Tana. There are also ATMs in Sainte-Marie (but not on Île aux Nattes—you’d need to go to the small town where the pirate cemetery is, which involves a bit of logistics: 1 pirogue ride and then a tuk-tuk). You can withdraw cash with a credit card there (I can’t speak for all banks, but for us, the withdrawal rate wasn’t too bad).

Happy planning!

Hi Rotsaka, and thanks for your reply. To answer your question, we’ll be staying at Aurora Lodge in the south of Île aux Nattes.

I looked into exchanging money in Paris before we leave, but the Ariary is hard to come by due to limited exchanges. Exchanging at Ivato seems like a good option—I’m just hoping the exchange bureau will be open when we arrive at 11 PM.

Ah, that’s where we stayed during our last trip to Île aux Nattes. Aurora.

Just to the left of the bungalows before crossing the tiny river, there’s a little eatery called Coco Sud. It’s not expensive and the food is delicious—fish, sea cicadas, shrimp, crab... depends on the season and what’s available. Otherwise, to the right, really close by, there are more restaurants too.

For other dining spots, you’ll need to walk a bit farther. But there are plenty of options to the west, north, or east of the island.

Aurora has canoes, and it’s really nice to explore the lagoon, especially at slack tide (otherwise, and especially at low tide, there’s a strong current). It lets you get closer to the reef (which is quite far out) and find some great spots for snorkeling too (around the tiny islet just steps from the hotel, you can already see beautiful coral and lots of pretty little fish).

If you go on the excursions with Aurora—and unless things have changed—you can pay with cash or card.

Thanks!!! I can't wait to be there!!!

You're absolutely right. It's a magnificent place where it's great to spend time. There's a lot to do, but also a lot you *shouldn't* do if you just want to enjoy the passing time, the changing light on the lagoon, or the sky...

You could also read the book by Tronchet, the comic book artist, *Robinsons père et fils*, where he recounts the months he spent on Île aux Nattes. Either to get in the mood beforehand or once you're there.

Big thanks, Rotsaka, for your invaluable tips!

Hi there, I stayed on Île aux Nattes for 2 months in 2023. I recommend eating at Fafana—it’s not far from Aurora, it’s not expensive, and the food is really great. Plus, the restaurant is right on a beautiful beach.

When it comes to money, I never saw euros being used on the island. Everything is paid in Ariary or by card. So, about exchanging money—I’ll ask you the same question I often ask myself: why not just withdraw cash with your card at the ATM? It’ll be less of a hassle than carrying around your euros. There’s an ATM at Sainte Marie Airport.

Île aux Nattes is such a great place—so peaceful. Enjoy your stay there! For restaurant prices, expect to pay between 20 € and 30 € per meal, per person.

Cool tip about the ATM at the airport—I didn’t even notice it. It’d be silly to go all the way to Ambodifotatra for that, like I was suggesting (though it’s still worth visiting, especially for the pirate cemetery and Île aux Forbans).

But 20 € to 30 € on average per meal per person on Île aux Nattes? That really surprises me.

Even at Aurora, which isn’t the cheapest restaurant, it’s nowhere near that—you can easily get by for 10 €/15. And if you want to explore or switch things up, you can find even cheaper options around. Aurora’s Menu - Aurora Lodge

Thanks for the info! Just one last question—what’s the maximum amount you can withdraw from ATMs?

hi at the ATM it's usually 800,000 AR or sometimes 2x 400,000—watch out at the start of the month, ATMs are often empty for restaurant prices, Rosaka is right—even in a fancy restaurant it's really hard to find a menu for 20–30 €, except maybe in Tana at Le Marais by chef Lalaina (Michelin-starred) at Sakamanga, a great spot, I’ve never managed to spend that little!! have a great vacation

My bad—I meant 20/30 € for both of us, at the restaurants.

No worries, I figured there was some confusion or mistake somewhere [;)]

Hi there, Very few operators accept card payments for several reasons. Most of the time, those that do add a 3% to 6% commission for their Malagasy bank. If your card is from abroad and not from Madagascar, there may also be a loss due to the exchange rate and transaction fees.

I suggest bringing 50 € and 100 € bills to exchange if needed. Smaller bills than 50 € are less valuable, and bills larger than 100 € can sometimes be difficult to exchange.

You can exchange money at ATMs in Antananarivo at the international airport, just across from the airport, or in the old domestic flight terminal.

There are ATMs at Tana Airport and at Sainte Marie Airport. It’s much more convenient!

Hi there,

We had exactly the same questions before our trip to Madagascar a few weeks ago, and since we didn’t really find clear answers, I thought I’d share our experience here. Maybe it’ll help future travelers! We spent two weeks in Madagascar and arrived in Antananarivo. At the airport, we exchanged 1,000 € into Malagasy ariary right away. That amount ended up covering our entire trip—we paid for about three-quarters of our hotels (some were prepaid by card), taxi rides, and restaurants with it. After that, we spent a few days in Andasibe, where we quickly noticed that when card payments (debit or credit) were accepted, extra fees were sometimes added—up to 6% in some cases. On Île Sainte-Marie, there *is* an ATM at the airport, but it often seems to be out of order. It wasn’t working when we arrived or when we left. Apparently, there’s another one downtown, but we didn’t test it. Important heads-up if you’re heading to Île aux Nattes: there are no roads, cars, or ATMs there. Payments are *only* in cash, so make sure you have enough ariary before you go. In the end, we paid almost everything in Malagasy ariary during our trip and managed just fine with the 1,000 € we exchanged at the start for two weeks for two people. We also put together all our tips, a detailed budget breakdown, and our full experience in this article—hope it helps others plan their trip! https://aventures-sans-mesaventure.com/madagascar-itineraire-pour-2-semaines-de-voyage/ Happy travels! !

Hi, Aventure98

I saw your post and I’m planning to do exactly the same thing for my trip. I was wondering what the exchange rate was when you changed your currency at the airport?

Hi there! 😊 Yes, we exchanged our euros directly at the airport after arriving in Antananarivo. When we were there, the rate was around 4,800 ariarys for 1 euro for large bills, and closer to 4,650 ariarys for 1 euro for smaller bills. The rate can obviously vary depending on the time, the exchange bureau, or the denominations you have, but this gives you a good idea of what we got on the spot. In our latest post, we also compiled all the practical info we wish we’d known before our first trip to Madagascar. We cover the best time to go, how to plan an itinerary, flights, visas, health, insurance, local transport, accommodation, total budget, internet, payments, and tons of concrete tips to avoid some hassles once you're there. If it helps with your trip prep: https://aventures-sans-mesaventure.com/preparatif-pour-un-voyage-a-madagascar/#monnaie-budget-et-paiements