I’m currently looking into and especially thinking about getting married to my sweetheart, who has legally returned to Madagascar. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Should we have the wedding in Madagascar or in France during her legal visa period? Some people told me that if we get married in Madagascar, it takes a very long time to get approval for my wife to come back and live permanently in France with me. If we get married in France during her legal visa period, she can stay here afterward, provided we go to the prefecture for the family life declaration. Are there any folks who can give me precise information about these two options? Thanks in advance!
Popular discussions · Madagascar
Discussions ayant 10 participants ou plus et postées dans diverses rubriques du forum.
Showing 1–30 of 1,023 discussions.
Many threads here are in French, the community’s main language. English translations are added over time.
Five years of an unintended break... The closure of VF, COVID... What a joy to rediscover the pleasure of sharing!
I’ve stayed true to my habits: the following account is a collection of practical tips rather than a travel journal...
Madagascar is as big as France and Belgium combined. In three weeks, choices have to be made! It was the Great Tsingy that inspired our trip. We decided to focus on the southwest and the RN7. We skipped the Deep South and the North. Oh well...
OUR ITINERARY IN 3 WEEKS:
Fri 6 June – Direct AF flight to Tana – Flight arrives at 10:30 PM – Tana Sat – Antsirabe Sun – Miandrivazo Mon – Drive to the Masiakampy pier – Descent of the Tsiribihina River by pirogue - Bivouac Tue – Descent of the Tsiribihina River by pirogue - Bivouac Wed – Descent of the Tsiribihina River by pirogue – Bekopaka Thu – Pirogue on the Manambolo River and Small Tsingy of Bemaraha – Bekopaka Fri – Great Tsingy of Bemaraha – Bekopaka Sat – Avenue of the Baobabs – Morondava Sun – Belo sur Mer Mon – Free day – Belo sur Mer Tue – Manja Wed – Andavadoaka Thu – Free day – Andavadoaka Fri – Salary Lagoon – Mangily Sat – Ranohira Sun – Isalo National Park - Ranohira Mon – Anja Reserve - Ambalavao - Fianarantsoa Tue – FCE train canceled – Visit to a Tanala village - Manakara Wed – Pirogue on the Pangalanes Canal – Ranomafana Thu – Ranomafana NP – Ranomafana Fri – Ambositra – Antsirabe Sat 28 June – AF flight to Paris – Flight departs at 11:55 PM
TRIP ORGANIZATION: I prepared my trip using the usual guides (LP and Rough Guide), the internet, and the Freytag & Berndt map (1:1,000,000). I’m old-school—I still love visualizing my route on a paper map, even though in Madagascar, it’s misleading because some National Roads are only national in name!...
The agency: Since we couldn’t deal directly with a driver-guide (we lacked reliable info to take the plunge), we went through an agency to organize the logistics of our trip. We didn’t feel like using bush taxis (not enough time) or driving a 4x4 ourselves (neither the skills nor the boldness). The French agency connected us with a local agency, to whom I sent my detailed itinerary by email. A few exchanges via email and WhatsApp calls allowed us to finalize everything quickly after some adjustments. As you’ve gathered... we multiplied the commissions, which inflated the budget. That said, in the end, we were thrilled with our decision and our choice. Our trip was booked by the end of 2024, and reservations were made immediately. No bad surprises: the bookings in the planned hotels were honored, often with one of the best rooms. On our last day in Tana, before departure, we were lucky enough to meet the director I’d been communicating with, who helped build and validate our circuit. A very warm debriefing.
The driver-guide: The agency assigned us Faly, 33, a driver-guide for over 10 years. He stayed with us from start to finish: he picked us up at the airport on arrival and dropped us off 23 days later. A very experienced driver (which is important here), an open and cultured guide, reliable, punctual, and a great companion. And a provider of good advice throughout the trip. We made the most of the long stretches on dirt roads or highways to listen to him talk about daily life, rituals, wildlife, and flora... No time wasted! With a great playlist in the background, we combined business with pleasure! Faly’s accommodation and meals were included (quite often, hotels offer free lodging and meals to driver-guides who bring clients), as was the fuel. That didn’t stop us from inviting Faly to share a beer or our evening meal sometimes. He didn’t always accept, wanting to let us "enjoy our romantic evenings," as he put it. Present without being intrusive! Faly is fully capable of organizing a tailor-made trip directly. I recommend him without any hesitation—we were delighted with his service. I’ll gladly share his contact details via PM to anyone who asks.
Local guides: It’s the national guide’s prerogative to choose the local guides (mandatory in the parks). Thanks to his experience, Faly always booked us amazing, competent, and interesting local guides.
Hotels: I told the agency I wanted charming, comfortable accommodations, without falling into flashy luxury. We loved all the hotels (except the Hôtel Kanto in Manja). The rooms, mostly bungalows, were always spacious and clean. Unfortunately, I can’t give the prices—I didn’t get the details. Breakfast is always included, usually fresh and hearty. Very often, a small bottle of water is provided in the room.
Tana Hôtel Les 3 Métis Power cuts are common (!) in Tana. Bring a headlamp.
Antsirabe Ecolodge – Les chambres du voyageur Maybe our favorite! A few bungalows, beautifully arranged in a splendid tropical garden. The dog Kodak welcomes us warmly.
Miandrivazo Hôtel Princesse Tsiribihina Magnificent view of the valley.
Bekopaka Hôtel Orchidée du Bemaraha 2 (yes, 2) beautiful pools, a large open common room.
Morondava Hôtel Baobab Café Brand new or at least, according to Faly, just renovated. Very comfortable but without much charm (international style).
Belo sur Mer Ecolodge du Menabe The bungalows, all made of wood, bamboo, and thatch, are set on the beach. Very spacious and fully equipped! Large open-air restaurant by the sea. No hot water from the tap—it’s available in plastic bottles heated by the sun in front of each bungalow. Actually, we never used it... Another very, very beautiful spot.
Manja Hôtel Kanto The only hotel on this leg of the journey, so no choice. The owner knows it and, as a result, doesn’t bother. It’s a real dive! Tiny, dark room, a sordid bathroom with only a trickle of water—we skipped the shower! Clean sheets, though. Obviously, no Wi-Fi. The only place where I didn’t leave a tip. We were well warned about the discomfort of this stop, both by the agency and Faly. We weren’t surprised, and it even became a running joke during the trip. On the other hand, we found a nice little market in town.
Andavadoaka Manga Lodge What bliss! Especially after the horrible Hôtel Kanto. A paradise-like spot, overlooking three beautiful deserted white-sand beaches. Meals are served on the terrace facing the sea. Stunning sunset. We loved spending a day lounging here! We were the only guests and were pampered.
Mangily (Ifaty) Mangily is the "suburb" of Ifaty. Hôtel Vovo Telo A large beachfront bungalow complex. More touristy but pleasant—we spent a lovely evening there with our feet in the sand.
Ranohira Le Relais de la Reine A splendid resort built by a Frenchman, at the foot of the rocks, very well integrated into the environment. Beautiful marked trail starting from the garden.
Fianarantsoa Villa Sylvestre Contrary to what its name suggests, it’s a hotel right in the city center. Quite decent, though.
Manakara Parthenay Club Pretty bungalows in a large garden by the sea, but swimming isn’t safe—the water is too dangerous and rough.
Ranomafana Hôtel Thermal Very spacious rooms.
Meals: Not all our meals were included. It’s really not expensive. 1 meat or fish dish: around 35,000 Ar 1 full menu (starter, main, dessert): around 70,000 Ar 1 large THB beer (65 cl): between 8,000 and 12,000 Ar 1 piña colada: 15,000 Ar 1 flavored rum: 6,000 Ar (sometimes free) 1 glass of baobab juice (!): 5,000 Ar
We always ate very well. Rice is everywhere, served in large quantities. Zebu meat is quite good if not overcooked. Personally, I prefer fish, and I feasted: grouper, captain, crab, small lobsters...
We happily discovered baobab juice (especially in Belo, on the west coast). And of course, flavored rums!
We bought 2 packs of 6 bottles of mineral water at Carrefour (!) (about 5,000 Ar per large bottle) at the start of our trip. That was enough, especially since we often got water in the bungalows.
We had a few picnics included in our trip. Instead of picking up the hotel’s lunchbox, Faly prepared delicious, fresh, and varied picnics for us: tuna pasta salad, fried rice with eggs, grilled vegetables, and avocado...
An exceptional address not to miss: Mad Zébu – Belo sur Tsiribihina A highly reputed restaurant, a favorite of LP and Rough Guide, and rightly so! Gourmet cuisine, refined and elegant. Barely more expensive than elsewhere, and it’s worth it. We stopped there on our way up to Bekopaka and the Tsingy NP. Fully booked! So Faly reserved for our return, three days later. We’re still thanking him! What a treat!
THE BUDGET: Ariary exchange rate: 5,000 Ar = 1 €
Pre-trip expenses: Direct Air France flights: 930 € per person round trip Cost of the circuit with the agency: 2,880 € per person
The visa: Issued on arrival, very quickly. 35 € per person for a stay under 30 days. Super simple. Super fast.
On-site expenses: As soon as we arrived at the airport (it was nearly midnight), Faly advised us to exchange our euros for all our needs. There are few opportunities on our route to find an ATM or an open bank with a good rate. To be more comfortable, he took us to a small office under military protection just outside the airport. I exchanged 1,200 € (I had asked the agency for advice on the amount to bring) at a rate of 4,750 Ar and became a millionaire. Faly recounted all the stacks. That covered all our expenses (meals, drinks, tips) without ever feeling deprived. Personal purchases were made at the end of the trip. Convenient—it served as an adjustment variable. We spent our last million (200 €) on marquetry and vanilla. Tip: We asked for 200,000 Ar in 5,000 Ar bills for tips. That wasn’t too much—I even ran short of small bills in the last two days.
Tips: Madagascar is a poor country where every service deserves a small reward. While not mandatory, it’s customary. But no one ever demanded or expected it openly. On the contrary, I sometimes had to remind a porter to give them my small bill. We never carried our luggage—porters were always present when the car arrived or waiting at our door to watch for our departure. I gave each of them 5,000 Ar. In restaurants, I rounded up to the nearest ten and left the change. Local guides also expect a tip: I gave around 20,000 Ar per day for the two of us. Finally, the national guide also expects a gratuity. I had read online to budget 5 € per day per person. I added more since we were so happy with his services. The tip was given at the end of the trip, in euros, outside the budget.
Total budget all included (excluding personal purchases): 8,690 € Clearly, Madagascar is a country where life isn’t expensive, but travel costs add up quickly due to the need to rent a 4x4 with a driver.
HIGHLIGHTS:
· The dirt roads Yes, I’m listing them among the highlights! We loved those long hours spent driving at 20 km/h on rocky, muddy, white, red, or gray sand tracks... surrounded by tropical vegetation, palm trees, pandanus, mango trees... The experiences were sometimes thrilling: crossing a river on a ferry (just planks of wood fixed on two motorized pirogues side by side) or crossing a river without a ferry, with just a kid running ahead of the 4x4 to show the way; soft sand where the 4x4 easily gets stuck... The tracks are quite narrow, and crossing paths with a bush taxi, a zebu cart, or a herd of goats is always epic. So many beautiful images, so many beautiful photos! Much more beautiful than on asphalt. So yes, we loved those long stretches on dirt roads. For us, it was clearly part of the journey. Faly was particularly careful, and the 4x4 was comfortable. No injuries, no fatigue, even after 7 or 8 hours on rough tracks. The national roads (including the famous RN7) are badly damaged by cyclones, huge trucks, and lack of maintenance. Potholes have turned into ostrich nests, and we didn’t drive much faster than on the dirt roads.
· The landscapes, villages, encounters... We crossed a variety of stunning landscapes: mountains with slopes covered in terraced crops, rice fields from apple green to emerald green, sugarcane fields, then tropical forests, baobab forests (they deserve a special paragraph below), traveler’s tree forests. And then coastlines with white sand dunes against a backdrop of blue hues!... Magical! We also passed through many villages with houses whose architecture varied by region. The Betsileo houses display beautiful decorative brick reliefs. On the west coast, the houses are more precarious, made of bamboo with palm-thatched roofs. In the Highlands region, we found solid houses with pastel plaster. Each region has its own landscape, crops, habitat, and clothing. Zebu carts are often the only means of transport in remote villages. We saw them very frequently. Again, the cart’s decoration depends on the region. And then, we met many villagers coming out of the bush and walking to the next market, carrying their crops on their heads or shoulders. More beautiful photos!
· The descent of the Tsiribihina River We boarded around 9 AM in a long pirogue with Gana, the local guide, and two pirogue men. So, five of us. The pirogue is long but narrow, about 65 cm wide. We sat one behind the other at the front on seats padded with what would become our mattresses during the bivouacs. We only took the bare essentials for two nights. A little goodbye to Faly, whom we’d see again in three days! Don’t forget us! The river is silty—meaning orange, opaque but clean. We glided along silently. Gana showed us the trees, birds, crocodiles (we saw five—apparently, we were lucky). The pirogue men rowed to get us as close as possible to these crocs sunbathing on the roots of big trees. Yeah, right!... as soon as we got too close, *splash*, they disappeared into the water. We marveled at the mini rice fields lining the river. Every tiny plot, no matter how small, is cultivated. Above them, banana fields. And on the water, a whole life of fishermen and villagers living with and from the river. Gana warned us we’d eat on the pirogue because the journey was long. So, I expected chips... But no—fried rice and zebu steak, cooked right in the pirogue!! Incredible! In the middle of the afternoon, we reached a small beach where we disembarked. Gana led us about a hundred meters to a sublime waterfall. We were alone there. We had time to swim. We’d brought our swimsuits and a towel (bought at the Carrefour in Antsirabe on Faly’s wise advice!). This swim in this paradise-like spot remains one of our best memories. We found our pirogue again and set off until our first bivouac. We’d sailed for 7 hours today. The tents were set up on a wide beach, without a single tree. A moment of solitude... Uh, where can we go to the bathroom?... Especially since it was a full moon, so we felt like we were in the spotlight. Anyway... we did as everyone else—walked away, dug a hole, and the others turned their backs. A hearty meal on the beach before a comfortable and silent night. The next day, same program, with slightly different landscapes. The gorges widened, the trees were different. But still many colorful birds. Again, we ate on the pirogue: grilled chicken and vegetables. 9 hours of sailing. A similar bivouac. This time, we got it. On the third day, we finished the descent with 5 hours of sailing. So, 7 hours, 9 hours, 5 hours... doing nothing. It might sound boring... but it wasn’t. Like the dirt roads, these were contemplative moments. It glides, it’s calm, relaxing, and there’s a lot of life on this river, animal and human. Contemplation. Suspended time. On arrival, we disembarked at a sort of joyful, bustling river port. Of course, Faly was already there to pick us up.
· The Tsingy de Bemaraha NP (Small and Great) I have vertigo. During my research, several agencies advised me against visiting the Great Tsingy. "Stick to the Small ones," they said. Grrr, no, not what I wanted—we’ve dreamed of this for years! The agency we chose also warned me but didn’t discourage me. So we started with the Small Tsingy, quite close to Bekopaka, guided by Alisha. This forest of sharp limestone rocks is impressive. No vertigo issues here. The day was completed with a short pirogue ride on the Manambolo River and a visit to two caves with pretty formations. The next day, Faly and Alisha drove us to the Great Tsingy (a good hour on a terrible track). Arriving at the park entrance, Alisha equipped us with harnesses, carabiners, and gave us some safety instructions. Faly was also equipped. Wait? He’s coming with us? I quickly understood he was there for me—if I got stuck, he could go back with me, and Philippe could continue with Alisha. A wise precaution that delighted and reassured me. In the end, it was unnecessary since the famous bridge crossing was fully secured by the harness and carabiners. 18 meters on planks, one by one, it didn’t sway too much—I walked looking straight ahead, not a glance down. I even managed to smile in the middle of the crossing—I have a photo to prove it! I was overjoyed! The circuit in the Great Tsingy is a loop, so we didn’t have to cross the bridge again. We climbed to viewpoints offering breathtaking panoramic views. It’s extraordinary, unique, incredible. All this to say that if you have vertigo, don’t hesitate! It’s doable! It’s completely safe and really worth pushing your limits a bit! For those who’ve done treetop adventure courses, it’s similar. Also, no need to be a great athlete—just a bit of agility to climb a few ladders and high steps. Don’t censor yourself! I even had a small regret—the loop was a bit short (about 2 hours). I would’ve liked to continue or even redo it, with less apprehension. Tip: Do the Small Tsingy before the Great ones, or not at all. And if you can only do one, do the Great ones without hesitation.
· Canoeing in the Belo mangrove The Belo sur Mer ecolodge lends small individual canoes for free to go to the mangrove. We left at high tide, paddled for about twenty minutes to reach a fairly sparse forest where we could easily venture in. Very shallow water, crystal clear—we could see the roots of all these trees, schools of tiny fish... It was quite surprising. Until then, I only knew impenetrable, tangled mangroves. Here, nothing like that—we walked through an aquatic forest. We loved this adventure so much we left a bit late. The tide had gone out, and we had to carry our canoes for the last few meters... Of course, the staff came to help (probably laughing silently!). The lodge owners gave all the necessary explanations and lent a waterproof bag for the phone (because yes, it’s worth taking photos!). A very useful precaution—the canoes are small, low in the water, and paddling quickly soaks you. Again, this isn’t just for Tony Estanguet! It didn’t cause us any problems, not even sore muscles the next day. A great experience. It’ll take about 2 hours.
· Isalo NP Big surprise when we saw this huge rocky massif appear on the RN7! A massif of colored sandstone, carved with crevasses giving it a ruined look. Le Relais de la Reine is a little gem cleverly nestled in the heart of these rocks. A small marked trail starts from the garden. We picked up the description at reception and set off. Without a guide, alone following the markers, it took us 2 hours to complete this magnificent little trail, giving us a first glimpse of the massif before the hike the next day. And we enjoyed being completely alone for this walk. It’s free, easy, and well-signposted. Don’t miss it. In the evening, Faly took us to the so-called Isalo Window site—a hole in a wall through which we could see the sunset. We met all the tourists in the area here. We weren’t blown away by the show... The next day, we left early to reach the start of the hike. We met Zozoly at the guides’ office in the small town of Ranohira. During this hike, we climbed through the rocks to a viewpoint offering stunning 360° views of the massif. Then we reached a site called the "natural pool," breathtakingly beautiful, especially since we were alone again. A sort of oasis, a cascading waterfall, palm trees and tree ferns, fine sand, all nestled at the bottom of a small canyon. Paradise-like. We resisted swimming, but it was really tempting. A long walk on the plateaus then led us to a well-equipped picnic site where a local team prepared grills. Concrete tables were tiered in a spacious, shady clearing where a whole family of ring-tailed lemurs frolicked. They knew the tourists’ habits and tried to snatch food. Playful and not very shy, they amused us with their antics! We had to resist not luring them with a piece of banana!! Thousands of photos!! After the meal, we set off again with Zozoly for another landscape. This time, we were by a small river at the bottom of a canyon with high walls covered in vegetation. The trail was narrow and slippery, on a ledge of the wall. We progressed carefully. No danger, though. We first reached the Blue Pool, which only turns blue in photos (surprise!), then the Black Pool fed by a shower of waterfalls. Two magnificent spots that showed us a completely different aspect of the massif.
· Anja Reserve This ficus forest is home to many groups of lemurs. Used to humans, whom they don’t fear, they move around us, ignoring us completely. It’s almost annoying... The best place on our trip to see lemurs.
· The FCE train To the great regret of Manakara’s inhabitants, the FCE train hasn’t reached here for over a year and a half. As a result, there are far fewer tourists—the train was part of the experience. We drove there and didn’t regret coming to this port on the east coast.
· Visit to a Tanala village This visit wasn’t part of our program—it was added by the agency to compensate for the train not running. Which was the case. Not big fans of this kind of visit, where we feel like we’re at a zoo, voyeuristic, lacking authenticity, we followed the local guide with some skepticism and exchanged dubious looks. And yet... the guide’s explanations about village life and the warm, smiling welcome from the villagers charmed us and dispelled all our concerns. We learned a lot, met smiling families, and were able to enter these beautiful bamboo houses. A very pleasant surprise, rich in lessons.
· The Pangalanes Canal Arriving in Manakara, we crossed a bridge overlooking the Pangalanes Canal. A cry of surprise: the water is turquoise! We took a short pirogue ride with a team of three pirogue men and Joël, a local guide who explained the drama caused by the train’s halt. We stopped in a fishing village where Joël bought fish for the barbecue. We ended up on a beach where the team prepared the meal while we went to watch the fishermen return on the nearby beach. We admired the fishermen’s dexterity in untangling their nets, sorting their fish, cleaning their gear. On our return, we found a small table set up on the beach, in the shade of palm trees and casuarinas. Lobsters, captain fish, grilled vegetables, sautéed potatoes. A real feast (included in the trip cost).
· Ranomafana NP A 4-5 hour hike (some climbing) in a dense secondary forest to look for lemurs. As usual, we were accompanied by a local guide who, while waiting to find our furry friends, gave us lots of info on the vegetation, birds, and Tanala ethnic rituals. In the forest, we met 4 or 5 trackers, armed with radios to alert guides of their findings. In the end, we saw several lemurs of different types. Quite far, quite high... A nice complement to our lemur encounters in Isalo. Here, it rains 200 days a year. We started the hike in thick fog, but the forest’s density protected us from the humidity. Be careful—it can be a bit frustrating to see the lemurs so far away, so high. Nothing like the Anja Reserve or Isalo NP. Here, what’s fun is the hunt.
· The baobabs We were captivated by these kings of the forest, noble, imposing, majestic. We spotted them from very far away, towering over the rest of the vegetation. Alone, in small groups, or in forests, our trip allowed us to see hundreds of them! Mainly on the west coast. All different—bald, hairy, shaggy, short and stout, tall and thin, like Laurel and Hardy. Philippe took to naming them. Respectfully!
OUR FAVORITES: · The variety of landscapes. · The Tsingy NP.
OUR DISAPPOINTMENTS: · The Avenue of the Baobabs, very overrated and the only place where we saw crowds. We saw many other "forests" of baobabs that were much more impressive. · It’s hard to approach the population calmly as swarms of children run up as soon as we arrive, asking for sweets. Without any aggression, their smiles and laughter quickly made us forget this small inconvenience. We never gave out candy, clothes, or money. We left pens at a school and clothes with Faly.
IF WE WERE TO DO IT AGAIN: · Same period, same duration, same pace, same itinerary, but if we were to do it again today, I’d go through Faly directly! · Maybe we should’ve stayed in Ambalavao instead of Fianarantsoa. · Plan a longer loop in the Great Tsingy—it felt a bit too short.
MISCELLANEOUS: The welcome: ‘Samala Vazaha,’ there are many, many kids, sometimes overwhelming, never aggressive. We were impressed by the villagers’ smiles and good humor, towards us or even among themselves—laughter was everywhere. Safety: No problems. Out of (excessive?) caution, we spread all our money across several bags that we padlocked whenever we left the hotel. Bribes: We were stopped several times on the road by police or gendarmes. They checked our papers, sometimes our passports. Faly was perfectly in order. No discussion, no bribes, a cordial greeting from the officers. However, several times we found ourselves at small "tolls" on the tracks for villagers who had leveled the road or filled a hole, or for the young guy who ran through the river to show the way... Faly complied without discussion: every service deserves a small bill. Language: French is still widely spoken. Credit card: Unused. Cash: You need it! The climate at this time: Ideal—blue skies, sunshine, and mild temperatures (20-25°C) throughout our trip. Temperatures started to drop by our departure—winter was setting in. Clothing: T-shirt or polo and a vest sometimes in the evening, sandals on our feet, hiking shoes for all the hikes. Tip: We left a bag in the car (completely safe) with things we didn’t need daily and dirty laundry. The two bags to take out at each stop were much lighter. Before leaving, we left several polos and T-shirts with Faly, which, once washed, will make a few people happy. Tourist crowds at this time: Low—we were sometimes the only guests at the hotel. Faly explained that at the Isalo picnic site, in high season, you have to queue for a table, whereas we had our pick. Photos: Lots! Too many! That’s the problem with digital—we take so many! Health issues: Nothing serious, just the usual mild traveler’s diarrhea. Mosquitoes: They’re voracious. We took anti-malaria treatment. I’m still not sure if it was the right thing to do... I’m always very skeptical about such precautions. Internet: Free Wi-Fi at the lodges’ reception (except at Hôtel Kanto!), sometimes (rarely) in the bungalows. Phone: We didn’t try to get a local SIM card—the evening Wi-Fi was enough for us to make calls and send messages via WhatsApp. Make sure to turn off mobile data and switch to airplane mode (I activated it a bit late—received calls, spam ones at that, were charged...). Electricity: French plugs. Personal purchases: Beautiful wooden objects (sculptures and marquetry) or zebu horn items in Ambositra. 1 kg of vanilla (400,000 Ar – 80 € per kg) in Tana.
IN CONCLUSION: A trip of contemplation. A pause for admiration, as our local guide in Isalo NP said. Nothing else to do but walk, look, and enjoy. Here, there are no old stones, no museums—it’s a trip where nature reigns supreme. And what nature!
I’ve stayed true to my habits: the following account is a collection of practical tips rather than a travel journal...
Madagascar is as big as France and Belgium combined. In three weeks, choices have to be made! It was the Great Tsingy that inspired our trip. We decided to focus on the southwest and the RN7. We skipped the Deep South and the North. Oh well...
OUR ITINERARY IN 3 WEEKS:
Fri 6 June – Direct AF flight to Tana – Flight arrives at 10:30 PM – Tana Sat – Antsirabe Sun – Miandrivazo Mon – Drive to the Masiakampy pier – Descent of the Tsiribihina River by pirogue - Bivouac Tue – Descent of the Tsiribihina River by pirogue - Bivouac Wed – Descent of the Tsiribihina River by pirogue – Bekopaka Thu – Pirogue on the Manambolo River and Small Tsingy of Bemaraha – Bekopaka Fri – Great Tsingy of Bemaraha – Bekopaka Sat – Avenue of the Baobabs – Morondava Sun – Belo sur Mer Mon – Free day – Belo sur Mer Tue – Manja Wed – Andavadoaka Thu – Free day – Andavadoaka Fri – Salary Lagoon – Mangily Sat – Ranohira Sun – Isalo National Park - Ranohira Mon – Anja Reserve - Ambalavao - Fianarantsoa Tue – FCE train canceled – Visit to a Tanala village - Manakara Wed – Pirogue on the Pangalanes Canal – Ranomafana Thu – Ranomafana NP – Ranomafana Fri – Ambositra – Antsirabe Sat 28 June – AF flight to Paris – Flight departs at 11:55 PM
TRIP ORGANIZATION: I prepared my trip using the usual guides (LP and Rough Guide), the internet, and the Freytag & Berndt map (1:1,000,000). I’m old-school—I still love visualizing my route on a paper map, even though in Madagascar, it’s misleading because some National Roads are only national in name!...
The agency: Since we couldn’t deal directly with a driver-guide (we lacked reliable info to take the plunge), we went through an agency to organize the logistics of our trip. We didn’t feel like using bush taxis (not enough time) or driving a 4x4 ourselves (neither the skills nor the boldness). The French agency connected us with a local agency, to whom I sent my detailed itinerary by email. A few exchanges via email and WhatsApp calls allowed us to finalize everything quickly after some adjustments. As you’ve gathered... we multiplied the commissions, which inflated the budget. That said, in the end, we were thrilled with our decision and our choice. Our trip was booked by the end of 2024, and reservations were made immediately. No bad surprises: the bookings in the planned hotels were honored, often with one of the best rooms. On our last day in Tana, before departure, we were lucky enough to meet the director I’d been communicating with, who helped build and validate our circuit. A very warm debriefing.
The driver-guide: The agency assigned us Faly, 33, a driver-guide for over 10 years. He stayed with us from start to finish: he picked us up at the airport on arrival and dropped us off 23 days later. A very experienced driver (which is important here), an open and cultured guide, reliable, punctual, and a great companion. And a provider of good advice throughout the trip. We made the most of the long stretches on dirt roads or highways to listen to him talk about daily life, rituals, wildlife, and flora... No time wasted! With a great playlist in the background, we combined business with pleasure! Faly’s accommodation and meals were included (quite often, hotels offer free lodging and meals to driver-guides who bring clients), as was the fuel. That didn’t stop us from inviting Faly to share a beer or our evening meal sometimes. He didn’t always accept, wanting to let us "enjoy our romantic evenings," as he put it. Present without being intrusive! Faly is fully capable of organizing a tailor-made trip directly. I recommend him without any hesitation—we were delighted with his service. I’ll gladly share his contact details via PM to anyone who asks.
Local guides: It’s the national guide’s prerogative to choose the local guides (mandatory in the parks). Thanks to his experience, Faly always booked us amazing, competent, and interesting local guides.
Hotels: I told the agency I wanted charming, comfortable accommodations, without falling into flashy luxury. We loved all the hotels (except the Hôtel Kanto in Manja). The rooms, mostly bungalows, were always spacious and clean. Unfortunately, I can’t give the prices—I didn’t get the details. Breakfast is always included, usually fresh and hearty. Very often, a small bottle of water is provided in the room.
Tana Hôtel Les 3 Métis Power cuts are common (!) in Tana. Bring a headlamp.
Antsirabe Ecolodge – Les chambres du voyageur Maybe our favorite! A few bungalows, beautifully arranged in a splendid tropical garden. The dog Kodak welcomes us warmly.
Miandrivazo Hôtel Princesse Tsiribihina Magnificent view of the valley.
Bekopaka Hôtel Orchidée du Bemaraha 2 (yes, 2) beautiful pools, a large open common room.
Morondava Hôtel Baobab Café Brand new or at least, according to Faly, just renovated. Very comfortable but without much charm (international style).
Belo sur Mer Ecolodge du Menabe The bungalows, all made of wood, bamboo, and thatch, are set on the beach. Very spacious and fully equipped! Large open-air restaurant by the sea. No hot water from the tap—it’s available in plastic bottles heated by the sun in front of each bungalow. Actually, we never used it... Another very, very beautiful spot.
Manja Hôtel Kanto The only hotel on this leg of the journey, so no choice. The owner knows it and, as a result, doesn’t bother. It’s a real dive! Tiny, dark room, a sordid bathroom with only a trickle of water—we skipped the shower! Clean sheets, though. Obviously, no Wi-Fi. The only place where I didn’t leave a tip. We were well warned about the discomfort of this stop, both by the agency and Faly. We weren’t surprised, and it even became a running joke during the trip. On the other hand, we found a nice little market in town.
Andavadoaka Manga Lodge What bliss! Especially after the horrible Hôtel Kanto. A paradise-like spot, overlooking three beautiful deserted white-sand beaches. Meals are served on the terrace facing the sea. Stunning sunset. We loved spending a day lounging here! We were the only guests and were pampered.
Mangily (Ifaty) Mangily is the "suburb" of Ifaty. Hôtel Vovo Telo A large beachfront bungalow complex. More touristy but pleasant—we spent a lovely evening there with our feet in the sand.
Ranohira Le Relais de la Reine A splendid resort built by a Frenchman, at the foot of the rocks, very well integrated into the environment. Beautiful marked trail starting from the garden.
Fianarantsoa Villa Sylvestre Contrary to what its name suggests, it’s a hotel right in the city center. Quite decent, though.
Manakara Parthenay Club Pretty bungalows in a large garden by the sea, but swimming isn’t safe—the water is too dangerous and rough.
Ranomafana Hôtel Thermal Very spacious rooms.
Meals: Not all our meals were included. It’s really not expensive. 1 meat or fish dish: around 35,000 Ar 1 full menu (starter, main, dessert): around 70,000 Ar 1 large THB beer (65 cl): between 8,000 and 12,000 Ar 1 piña colada: 15,000 Ar 1 flavored rum: 6,000 Ar (sometimes free) 1 glass of baobab juice (!): 5,000 Ar
We always ate very well. Rice is everywhere, served in large quantities. Zebu meat is quite good if not overcooked. Personally, I prefer fish, and I feasted: grouper, captain, crab, small lobsters...
We happily discovered baobab juice (especially in Belo, on the west coast). And of course, flavored rums!
We bought 2 packs of 6 bottles of mineral water at Carrefour (!) (about 5,000 Ar per large bottle) at the start of our trip. That was enough, especially since we often got water in the bungalows.
We had a few picnics included in our trip. Instead of picking up the hotel’s lunchbox, Faly prepared delicious, fresh, and varied picnics for us: tuna pasta salad, fried rice with eggs, grilled vegetables, and avocado...
An exceptional address not to miss: Mad Zébu – Belo sur Tsiribihina A highly reputed restaurant, a favorite of LP and Rough Guide, and rightly so! Gourmet cuisine, refined and elegant. Barely more expensive than elsewhere, and it’s worth it. We stopped there on our way up to Bekopaka and the Tsingy NP. Fully booked! So Faly reserved for our return, three days later. We’re still thanking him! What a treat!
THE BUDGET: Ariary exchange rate: 5,000 Ar = 1 €
Pre-trip expenses: Direct Air France flights: 930 € per person round trip Cost of the circuit with the agency: 2,880 € per person
The visa: Issued on arrival, very quickly. 35 € per person for a stay under 30 days. Super simple. Super fast.
On-site expenses: As soon as we arrived at the airport (it was nearly midnight), Faly advised us to exchange our euros for all our needs. There are few opportunities on our route to find an ATM or an open bank with a good rate. To be more comfortable, he took us to a small office under military protection just outside the airport. I exchanged 1,200 € (I had asked the agency for advice on the amount to bring) at a rate of 4,750 Ar and became a millionaire. Faly recounted all the stacks. That covered all our expenses (meals, drinks, tips) without ever feeling deprived. Personal purchases were made at the end of the trip. Convenient—it served as an adjustment variable. We spent our last million (200 €) on marquetry and vanilla. Tip: We asked for 200,000 Ar in 5,000 Ar bills for tips. That wasn’t too much—I even ran short of small bills in the last two days.
Tips: Madagascar is a poor country where every service deserves a small reward. While not mandatory, it’s customary. But no one ever demanded or expected it openly. On the contrary, I sometimes had to remind a porter to give them my small bill. We never carried our luggage—porters were always present when the car arrived or waiting at our door to watch for our departure. I gave each of them 5,000 Ar. In restaurants, I rounded up to the nearest ten and left the change. Local guides also expect a tip: I gave around 20,000 Ar per day for the two of us. Finally, the national guide also expects a gratuity. I had read online to budget 5 € per day per person. I added more since we were so happy with his services. The tip was given at the end of the trip, in euros, outside the budget.
Total budget all included (excluding personal purchases): 8,690 € Clearly, Madagascar is a country where life isn’t expensive, but travel costs add up quickly due to the need to rent a 4x4 with a driver.
HIGHLIGHTS:
· The dirt roads Yes, I’m listing them among the highlights! We loved those long hours spent driving at 20 km/h on rocky, muddy, white, red, or gray sand tracks... surrounded by tropical vegetation, palm trees, pandanus, mango trees... The experiences were sometimes thrilling: crossing a river on a ferry (just planks of wood fixed on two motorized pirogues side by side) or crossing a river without a ferry, with just a kid running ahead of the 4x4 to show the way; soft sand where the 4x4 easily gets stuck... The tracks are quite narrow, and crossing paths with a bush taxi, a zebu cart, or a herd of goats is always epic. So many beautiful images, so many beautiful photos! Much more beautiful than on asphalt. So yes, we loved those long stretches on dirt roads. For us, it was clearly part of the journey. Faly was particularly careful, and the 4x4 was comfortable. No injuries, no fatigue, even after 7 or 8 hours on rough tracks. The national roads (including the famous RN7) are badly damaged by cyclones, huge trucks, and lack of maintenance. Potholes have turned into ostrich nests, and we didn’t drive much faster than on the dirt roads.
· The landscapes, villages, encounters... We crossed a variety of stunning landscapes: mountains with slopes covered in terraced crops, rice fields from apple green to emerald green, sugarcane fields, then tropical forests, baobab forests (they deserve a special paragraph below), traveler’s tree forests. And then coastlines with white sand dunes against a backdrop of blue hues!... Magical! We also passed through many villages with houses whose architecture varied by region. The Betsileo houses display beautiful decorative brick reliefs. On the west coast, the houses are more precarious, made of bamboo with palm-thatched roofs. In the Highlands region, we found solid houses with pastel plaster. Each region has its own landscape, crops, habitat, and clothing. Zebu carts are often the only means of transport in remote villages. We saw them very frequently. Again, the cart’s decoration depends on the region. And then, we met many villagers coming out of the bush and walking to the next market, carrying their crops on their heads or shoulders. More beautiful photos!
· The descent of the Tsiribihina River We boarded around 9 AM in a long pirogue with Gana, the local guide, and two pirogue men. So, five of us. The pirogue is long but narrow, about 65 cm wide. We sat one behind the other at the front on seats padded with what would become our mattresses during the bivouacs. We only took the bare essentials for two nights. A little goodbye to Faly, whom we’d see again in three days! Don’t forget us! The river is silty—meaning orange, opaque but clean. We glided along silently. Gana showed us the trees, birds, crocodiles (we saw five—apparently, we were lucky). The pirogue men rowed to get us as close as possible to these crocs sunbathing on the roots of big trees. Yeah, right!... as soon as we got too close, *splash*, they disappeared into the water. We marveled at the mini rice fields lining the river. Every tiny plot, no matter how small, is cultivated. Above them, banana fields. And on the water, a whole life of fishermen and villagers living with and from the river. Gana warned us we’d eat on the pirogue because the journey was long. So, I expected chips... But no—fried rice and zebu steak, cooked right in the pirogue!! Incredible! In the middle of the afternoon, we reached a small beach where we disembarked. Gana led us about a hundred meters to a sublime waterfall. We were alone there. We had time to swim. We’d brought our swimsuits and a towel (bought at the Carrefour in Antsirabe on Faly’s wise advice!). This swim in this paradise-like spot remains one of our best memories. We found our pirogue again and set off until our first bivouac. We’d sailed for 7 hours today. The tents were set up on a wide beach, without a single tree. A moment of solitude... Uh, where can we go to the bathroom?... Especially since it was a full moon, so we felt like we were in the spotlight. Anyway... we did as everyone else—walked away, dug a hole, and the others turned their backs. A hearty meal on the beach before a comfortable and silent night. The next day, same program, with slightly different landscapes. The gorges widened, the trees were different. But still many colorful birds. Again, we ate on the pirogue: grilled chicken and vegetables. 9 hours of sailing. A similar bivouac. This time, we got it. On the third day, we finished the descent with 5 hours of sailing. So, 7 hours, 9 hours, 5 hours... doing nothing. It might sound boring... but it wasn’t. Like the dirt roads, these were contemplative moments. It glides, it’s calm, relaxing, and there’s a lot of life on this river, animal and human. Contemplation. Suspended time. On arrival, we disembarked at a sort of joyful, bustling river port. Of course, Faly was already there to pick us up.
· The Tsingy de Bemaraha NP (Small and Great) I have vertigo. During my research, several agencies advised me against visiting the Great Tsingy. "Stick to the Small ones," they said. Grrr, no, not what I wanted—we’ve dreamed of this for years! The agency we chose also warned me but didn’t discourage me. So we started with the Small Tsingy, quite close to Bekopaka, guided by Alisha. This forest of sharp limestone rocks is impressive. No vertigo issues here. The day was completed with a short pirogue ride on the Manambolo River and a visit to two caves with pretty formations. The next day, Faly and Alisha drove us to the Great Tsingy (a good hour on a terrible track). Arriving at the park entrance, Alisha equipped us with harnesses, carabiners, and gave us some safety instructions. Faly was also equipped. Wait? He’s coming with us? I quickly understood he was there for me—if I got stuck, he could go back with me, and Philippe could continue with Alisha. A wise precaution that delighted and reassured me. In the end, it was unnecessary since the famous bridge crossing was fully secured by the harness and carabiners. 18 meters on planks, one by one, it didn’t sway too much—I walked looking straight ahead, not a glance down. I even managed to smile in the middle of the crossing—I have a photo to prove it! I was overjoyed! The circuit in the Great Tsingy is a loop, so we didn’t have to cross the bridge again. We climbed to viewpoints offering breathtaking panoramic views. It’s extraordinary, unique, incredible. All this to say that if you have vertigo, don’t hesitate! It’s doable! It’s completely safe and really worth pushing your limits a bit! For those who’ve done treetop adventure courses, it’s similar. Also, no need to be a great athlete—just a bit of agility to climb a few ladders and high steps. Don’t censor yourself! I even had a small regret—the loop was a bit short (about 2 hours). I would’ve liked to continue or even redo it, with less apprehension. Tip: Do the Small Tsingy before the Great ones, or not at all. And if you can only do one, do the Great ones without hesitation.
· Canoeing in the Belo mangrove The Belo sur Mer ecolodge lends small individual canoes for free to go to the mangrove. We left at high tide, paddled for about twenty minutes to reach a fairly sparse forest where we could easily venture in. Very shallow water, crystal clear—we could see the roots of all these trees, schools of tiny fish... It was quite surprising. Until then, I only knew impenetrable, tangled mangroves. Here, nothing like that—we walked through an aquatic forest. We loved this adventure so much we left a bit late. The tide had gone out, and we had to carry our canoes for the last few meters... Of course, the staff came to help (probably laughing silently!). The lodge owners gave all the necessary explanations and lent a waterproof bag for the phone (because yes, it’s worth taking photos!). A very useful precaution—the canoes are small, low in the water, and paddling quickly soaks you. Again, this isn’t just for Tony Estanguet! It didn’t cause us any problems, not even sore muscles the next day. A great experience. It’ll take about 2 hours.
· Isalo NP Big surprise when we saw this huge rocky massif appear on the RN7! A massif of colored sandstone, carved with crevasses giving it a ruined look. Le Relais de la Reine is a little gem cleverly nestled in the heart of these rocks. A small marked trail starts from the garden. We picked up the description at reception and set off. Without a guide, alone following the markers, it took us 2 hours to complete this magnificent little trail, giving us a first glimpse of the massif before the hike the next day. And we enjoyed being completely alone for this walk. It’s free, easy, and well-signposted. Don’t miss it. In the evening, Faly took us to the so-called Isalo Window site—a hole in a wall through which we could see the sunset. We met all the tourists in the area here. We weren’t blown away by the show... The next day, we left early to reach the start of the hike. We met Zozoly at the guides’ office in the small town of Ranohira. During this hike, we climbed through the rocks to a viewpoint offering stunning 360° views of the massif. Then we reached a site called the "natural pool," breathtakingly beautiful, especially since we were alone again. A sort of oasis, a cascading waterfall, palm trees and tree ferns, fine sand, all nestled at the bottom of a small canyon. Paradise-like. We resisted swimming, but it was really tempting. A long walk on the plateaus then led us to a well-equipped picnic site where a local team prepared grills. Concrete tables were tiered in a spacious, shady clearing where a whole family of ring-tailed lemurs frolicked. They knew the tourists’ habits and tried to snatch food. Playful and not very shy, they amused us with their antics! We had to resist not luring them with a piece of banana!! Thousands of photos!! After the meal, we set off again with Zozoly for another landscape. This time, we were by a small river at the bottom of a canyon with high walls covered in vegetation. The trail was narrow and slippery, on a ledge of the wall. We progressed carefully. No danger, though. We first reached the Blue Pool, which only turns blue in photos (surprise!), then the Black Pool fed by a shower of waterfalls. Two magnificent spots that showed us a completely different aspect of the massif.
· Anja Reserve This ficus forest is home to many groups of lemurs. Used to humans, whom they don’t fear, they move around us, ignoring us completely. It’s almost annoying... The best place on our trip to see lemurs.
· The FCE train To the great regret of Manakara’s inhabitants, the FCE train hasn’t reached here for over a year and a half. As a result, there are far fewer tourists—the train was part of the experience. We drove there and didn’t regret coming to this port on the east coast.
· Visit to a Tanala village This visit wasn’t part of our program—it was added by the agency to compensate for the train not running. Which was the case. Not big fans of this kind of visit, where we feel like we’re at a zoo, voyeuristic, lacking authenticity, we followed the local guide with some skepticism and exchanged dubious looks. And yet... the guide’s explanations about village life and the warm, smiling welcome from the villagers charmed us and dispelled all our concerns. We learned a lot, met smiling families, and were able to enter these beautiful bamboo houses. A very pleasant surprise, rich in lessons.
· The Pangalanes Canal Arriving in Manakara, we crossed a bridge overlooking the Pangalanes Canal. A cry of surprise: the water is turquoise! We took a short pirogue ride with a team of three pirogue men and Joël, a local guide who explained the drama caused by the train’s halt. We stopped in a fishing village where Joël bought fish for the barbecue. We ended up on a beach where the team prepared the meal while we went to watch the fishermen return on the nearby beach. We admired the fishermen’s dexterity in untangling their nets, sorting their fish, cleaning their gear. On our return, we found a small table set up on the beach, in the shade of palm trees and casuarinas. Lobsters, captain fish, grilled vegetables, sautéed potatoes. A real feast (included in the trip cost).
· Ranomafana NP A 4-5 hour hike (some climbing) in a dense secondary forest to look for lemurs. As usual, we were accompanied by a local guide who, while waiting to find our furry friends, gave us lots of info on the vegetation, birds, and Tanala ethnic rituals. In the forest, we met 4 or 5 trackers, armed with radios to alert guides of their findings. In the end, we saw several lemurs of different types. Quite far, quite high... A nice complement to our lemur encounters in Isalo. Here, it rains 200 days a year. We started the hike in thick fog, but the forest’s density protected us from the humidity. Be careful—it can be a bit frustrating to see the lemurs so far away, so high. Nothing like the Anja Reserve or Isalo NP. Here, what’s fun is the hunt.
· The baobabs We were captivated by these kings of the forest, noble, imposing, majestic. We spotted them from very far away, towering over the rest of the vegetation. Alone, in small groups, or in forests, our trip allowed us to see hundreds of them! Mainly on the west coast. All different—bald, hairy, shaggy, short and stout, tall and thin, like Laurel and Hardy. Philippe took to naming them. Respectfully!
OUR FAVORITES: · The variety of landscapes. · The Tsingy NP.
OUR DISAPPOINTMENTS: · The Avenue of the Baobabs, very overrated and the only place where we saw crowds. We saw many other "forests" of baobabs that were much more impressive. · It’s hard to approach the population calmly as swarms of children run up as soon as we arrive, asking for sweets. Without any aggression, their smiles and laughter quickly made us forget this small inconvenience. We never gave out candy, clothes, or money. We left pens at a school and clothes with Faly.
IF WE WERE TO DO IT AGAIN: · Same period, same duration, same pace, same itinerary, but if we were to do it again today, I’d go through Faly directly! · Maybe we should’ve stayed in Ambalavao instead of Fianarantsoa. · Plan a longer loop in the Great Tsingy—it felt a bit too short.
MISCELLANEOUS: The welcome: ‘Samala Vazaha,’ there are many, many kids, sometimes overwhelming, never aggressive. We were impressed by the villagers’ smiles and good humor, towards us or even among themselves—laughter was everywhere. Safety: No problems. Out of (excessive?) caution, we spread all our money across several bags that we padlocked whenever we left the hotel. Bribes: We were stopped several times on the road by police or gendarmes. They checked our papers, sometimes our passports. Faly was perfectly in order. No discussion, no bribes, a cordial greeting from the officers. However, several times we found ourselves at small "tolls" on the tracks for villagers who had leveled the road or filled a hole, or for the young guy who ran through the river to show the way... Faly complied without discussion: every service deserves a small bill. Language: French is still widely spoken. Credit card: Unused. Cash: You need it! The climate at this time: Ideal—blue skies, sunshine, and mild temperatures (20-25°C) throughout our trip. Temperatures started to drop by our departure—winter was setting in. Clothing: T-shirt or polo and a vest sometimes in the evening, sandals on our feet, hiking shoes for all the hikes. Tip: We left a bag in the car (completely safe) with things we didn’t need daily and dirty laundry. The two bags to take out at each stop were much lighter. Before leaving, we left several polos and T-shirts with Faly, which, once washed, will make a few people happy. Tourist crowds at this time: Low—we were sometimes the only guests at the hotel. Faly explained that at the Isalo picnic site, in high season, you have to queue for a table, whereas we had our pick. Photos: Lots! Too many! That’s the problem with digital—we take so many! Health issues: Nothing serious, just the usual mild traveler’s diarrhea. Mosquitoes: They’re voracious. We took anti-malaria treatment. I’m still not sure if it was the right thing to do... I’m always very skeptical about such precautions. Internet: Free Wi-Fi at the lodges’ reception (except at Hôtel Kanto!), sometimes (rarely) in the bungalows. Phone: We didn’t try to get a local SIM card—the evening Wi-Fi was enough for us to make calls and send messages via WhatsApp. Make sure to turn off mobile data and switch to airplane mode (I activated it a bit late—received calls, spam ones at that, were charged...). Electricity: French plugs. Personal purchases: Beautiful wooden objects (sculptures and marquetry) or zebu horn items in Ambositra. 1 kg of vanilla (400,000 Ar – 80 € per kg) in Tana.
IN CONCLUSION: A trip of contemplation. A pause for admiration, as our local guide in Isalo NP said. Nothing else to do but walk, look, and enjoy. Here, there are no old stones, no museums—it’s a trip where nature reigns supreme. And what nature!
Hi everyone.
We’ve been feeling like there’s a big drop in activity on our forum...
Probably due to the current situation... Have any of you canceled or postponed your upcoming trips?
The forum is also facing competition from social media like Facebook and others, which play a big role in the political situation but are pretty limited when it comes to planning an individual trip.
The mandatory ads for new members on the forum are also a major turn-off that should be removed.
As for the current situation, I’m in Nosy Be, and there’s no problem here. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the future. I feel like this crisis is different this time and could lead to real change. Hope I’m not wrong!
Thanks for your replies!
Hello,
I’m an agronomy student specializing in tropical regions, and I need to do my 4-month internship near Tuléar. However, I only found out about it yesterday, and I’m supposed to leave on September 16th. I’ve never done this kind of trip before—neither alone nor with someone else. So, I’m a little lost and, um… panicking! I also need to transport valuable equipment that doesn’t take up too much space!
I’m not sure how to get between the two cities, Antananarivo and Tuléar. I plan to carry my luggage in an 80L hiking backpack to avoid drawing attention in Antananarivo.
Has anyone taken a *taxi-brousse* on this route before? How much time should I allow between the two cities, and what budget should I plan for this trip? Where can I find *taxis-brousses* (TB) in Antananarivo?
Any info will be helpful and reassuring! Thanks!
PS: What do you think about safety in Tuléar?
I’m an agronomy student specializing in tropical regions, and I need to do my 4-month internship near Tuléar. However, I only found out about it yesterday, and I’m supposed to leave on September 16th. I’ve never done this kind of trip before—neither alone nor with someone else. So, I’m a little lost and, um… panicking! I also need to transport valuable equipment that doesn’t take up too much space!
I’m not sure how to get between the two cities, Antananarivo and Tuléar. I plan to carry my luggage in an 80L hiking backpack to avoid drawing attention in Antananarivo.
Has anyone taken a *taxi-brousse* on this route before? How much time should I allow between the two cities, and what budget should I plan for this trip? Where can I find *taxis-brousses* (TB) in Antananarivo?
Any info will be helpful and reassuring! Thanks!
PS: What do you think about safety in Tuléar?
Please, "HELP ME".
Hello everyone, and especially to the regulars of the MADA forum that I read every day. This time, I’m asking you not to argue and to try to help me with my problem.
A week ago, I submitted a visa application for France where I was supposed to meet a family who was going to help me with medical exams and host me on a short-stay tourist visa. My application was put together with the help of my friends over the past two months, and we checked everything multiple times—nothing was missing, and everything was in order. Last Friday, I picked up a visa refusal from the embassy in Tana with the reason: your intention to leave the territory of the member states before the visa expires could not be established. Yet, I had handwritten a letter committing to return to my country.
I went to the embassy twice because the first time they couldn’t find my file, and the second time I still wasn’t registered in their computer. After a while, the person came back from another room with my passport and this refusal slip. I’m starting to wonder if my application was even reviewed. I’m completely desperate, and even though my friends in France have filed an appeal in Nantes, I’m forced to leave Tana because my savings are running out fast. We have very little hope for the appeal in France since there must be hundreds of applications. So I’m open to any information or advice, but please "HELP ME".
Hello everyone, and especially to the regulars of the MADA forum that I read every day. This time, I’m asking you not to argue and to try to help me with my problem.
A week ago, I submitted a visa application for France where I was supposed to meet a family who was going to help me with medical exams and host me on a short-stay tourist visa. My application was put together with the help of my friends over the past two months, and we checked everything multiple times—nothing was missing, and everything was in order. Last Friday, I picked up a visa refusal from the embassy in Tana with the reason: your intention to leave the territory of the member states before the visa expires could not be established. Yet, I had handwritten a letter committing to return to my country.
I went to the embassy twice because the first time they couldn’t find my file, and the second time I still wasn’t registered in their computer. After a while, the person came back from another room with my passport and this refusal slip. I’m starting to wonder if my application was even reviewed. I’m completely desperate, and even though my friends in France have filed an appeal in Nantes, I’m forced to leave Tana because my savings are running out fast. We have very little hope for the appeal in France since there must be hundreds of applications. So I’m open to any information or advice, but please "HELP ME".
After several months of delay, Madagascar has just launched an electronic entry visa for the island, available online. It allows tourists to stay for 30 (35 €), 60 (40 €), or 90 days (50 €).
Read more...
What’s the best price I can negotiate for a taxi from the airport to downtown (Ananakely) on arrival?
Saturday, September 28, 2019
On the Orly-Saint-Denis flight, under the pretext that Air France had paired their delicious chicken with mushrooms meal with a little bottle of rum, Dom noticed that some passengers hadn’t even opened theirs. So he bribed a flight attendant to bring him the abandoned mini bottles! Needless to say, the guy slept like a baby!
Sunday, September 29, 2019 Saint-Pierre
A flawless journey (well, except for a minor distraction in the massive Hertz queue that led me to cut in front of a few young couples, who weren’t too happy about it—though I joked with the agent about it: *"It happens!"*). We ended up at Hôtel Le Battant des Lames in Saint-Pierre, a gorgeous combo of an infinity pool and the Indian Ocean. We rushed straight into the pool—after over ten hours of sitting on a plane, it felt *amazing*!
We didn’t waste any time—you know Dom—exploring the city on foot. It’s lovely: the seaside is well-developed, it’s tropical, but with the budget of a wealthy country.
Réunion is also famous for its killer sharks…
A Creole music group was playing at a seaside bar, so we settled in.
Night fell, and with it, swarms of insects suddenly invaded the city!
One of the few signs of the tropics here! Insects, geckos, and cockroaches...
Monday, September 30, 2019
Saint-Pierre
We were disappointed, of course! We could’ve gotten a photo of our *aura* and missed the chance by just a week! In tears, we decided to tackle the island’s most famous site.
Excursion to Piton de la Fournaise. The plan was to head to one of the nearby parking lots and take a relaxed stroll. But it quickly turned into… something else.
First, I realized the built-in GPS operates on a pretty basic algorithm—like the earliest models. If there’s a bumpy road that even the toughest Mitsubishi 4x4 struggles with, a path through a junkyard, or any shortcut to save a few meters, it’ll proudly suggest it. So instead of taking the main road—the royal route to the famous volcano—we ended up on charming little mountain roads…
On the Orly-Saint-Denis flight, under the pretext that Air France had paired their delicious chicken with mushrooms meal with a little bottle of rum, Dom noticed that some passengers hadn’t even opened theirs. So he bribed a flight attendant to bring him the abandoned mini bottles! Needless to say, the guy slept like a baby!
Sunday, September 29, 2019 Saint-Pierre
A flawless journey (well, except for a minor distraction in the massive Hertz queue that led me to cut in front of a few young couples, who weren’t too happy about it—though I joked with the agent about it: *"It happens!"*). We ended up at Hôtel Le Battant des Lames in Saint-Pierre, a gorgeous combo of an infinity pool and the Indian Ocean. We rushed straight into the pool—after over ten hours of sitting on a plane, it felt *amazing*!
We didn’t waste any time—you know Dom—exploring the city on foot. It’s lovely: the seaside is well-developed, it’s tropical, but with the budget of a wealthy country.
Réunion is also famous for its killer sharks…
A Creole music group was playing at a seaside bar, so we settled in.
Night fell, and with it, swarms of insects suddenly invaded the city!
One of the few signs of the tropics here! Insects, geckos, and cockroaches...
Monday, September 30, 2019
Saint-Pierre
We were disappointed, of course! We could’ve gotten a photo of our *aura* and missed the chance by just a week! In tears, we decided to tackle the island’s most famous site.
Excursion to Piton de la Fournaise. The plan was to head to one of the nearby parking lots and take a relaxed stroll. But it quickly turned into… something else.
First, I realized the built-in GPS operates on a pretty basic algorithm—like the earliest models. If there’s a bumpy road that even the toughest Mitsubishi 4x4 struggles with, a path through a junkyard, or any shortcut to save a few meters, it’ll proudly suggest it. So instead of taking the main road—the royal route to the famous volcano—we ended up on charming little mountain roads…
Bonjour,
Mon ami et moi avons comme projet de voyager à Madagascar 3 semaines en Septembre. Nous souhaiterions découvrir cette île et ses habitants à vélo. ((rêve d'enfance)). Nous avons 25 ans et sommes tout deux des randonneurs aguerris et des cyclises réguliers mais nous n'avons jamais préparé un voyage de la sorte. Nous avons commencé à regarder différents trajets/topo sur wikiloc et rando trek mais je trouve toujours qu'avoir un retour de vécu est plus instructif. Pourriez vous me donner des conseils sur des itinéraires entre 10-15j ? Nous avions dans l'idée de partir depuis les montagnes vers l'océan, bivouaquer ou dormir si cela est possible chez l'habitant tout en évitant les sentiers touristiques.
Merci d'avance pour vos conseils.
Mon ami et moi avons comme projet de voyager à Madagascar 3 semaines en Septembre. Nous souhaiterions découvrir cette île et ses habitants à vélo. ((rêve d'enfance)). Nous avons 25 ans et sommes tout deux des randonneurs aguerris et des cyclises réguliers mais nous n'avons jamais préparé un voyage de la sorte. Nous avons commencé à regarder différents trajets/topo sur wikiloc et rando trek mais je trouve toujours qu'avoir un retour de vécu est plus instructif. Pourriez vous me donner des conseils sur des itinéraires entre 10-15j ? Nous avions dans l'idée de partir depuis les montagnes vers l'océan, bivouaquer ou dormir si cela est possible chez l'habitant tout en évitant les sentiers touristiques.
Merci d'avance pour vos conseils.
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
je voulais simplement vous faire part de l'agression d'un ami revenant de st marie. Sur la route de Tamatave à Tana il a été agressé le 31/12 vers minuit à la pause des taxi-brousse destiné à prendre une collation. L'ensemble des occupants du véhicule dinaient à l'intérieur du restaurant pendant que je prenais l'air pour dégourdir mes jambes. Au bout de cinq minutes d'arret des individus éméchés sont venus poser des cales au taxi-brousse. Devant cette interrogation il a prévenu le chauffeur qui n'a pu que constater les faits. Etant le seul wahaza ils lui ont demandé tout l'argent disponible et devant son refus ils l'ont tabassé gravement. Il a pris un clou dans le ventre, de nombreuses contusions avec plaies et à été soigné en France.
La conclusion est d'éviter de rouler la nuit
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
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,
La question est toute "simple": est-ce une bonne idée de vouloir visiter Madagascar en self drive ?.
Et arrive-t-on à trouver des 4x4 "corrects" à louer ?
Y a-t-il une région plus "sûr" qu'une autre ?, je pensais peut-être la partie sud de l'île.
Le projet serait pour août 2020.
Par avance merci 🙂
La question est toute "simple": est-ce une bonne idée de vouloir visiter Madagascar en self drive ?.
Et arrive-t-on à trouver des 4x4 "corrects" à louer ?
Y a-t-il une région plus "sûr" qu'une autre ?, je pensais peut-être la partie sud de l'île.
Le projet serait pour août 2020.
Par avance merci 🙂
Bonjour à tous,
je serais à Madagascar du 10 au 20 juillet 18. Que pouvez-me conseillez en sachant que je suis seule ? je suis sportive et j'aime marcher. merci pour vos réponses.
je serais à Madagascar du 10 au 20 juillet 18. Que pouvez-me conseillez en sachant que je suis seule ? je suis sportive et j'aime marcher. merci pour vos réponses.
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...
Merci de votre aide...
Bonjour les Voyageurs !
Je prépare mon voyage sur Madagascar où nous comptons nous déplacer (4x4 avec chauffeur et treks) et je voulais connaître les astuces que vous pourriez me communiquer pour randonner avec sac à dos en ayant sur soi de l'argent liquide car on ne trouvera pas de distributeurs à la campagne.
Donc, votre argent liquide où le cachez vous ?
Quels accessoires ?
OK pour photocopie du passport pour éviter de le perdre ou...
OK pour des pochettes étanches pour traverser les rivières...
Mais où cacher tout ça ? Une pochette à la taille et dans le slip OK mais les "contrôleurs" de route connaissent tout ça
OK pour un porte monnaie avec de la petite monnaie à remettre pour éviter le pire... Mais encore.
J'attends vos réponses et vos idées.
Merci et c'est pour dans UN mois et oui ce n'est pas la meilleure période.
Si vous avez en complément d'info des idées de circuits courts (2, 3 ou 4 jours) à partir de Tana (où je séjourne un mois en airbnb). Merci de me les proposer. J'adore ce site d'échanges de bonnes pratiques !
C' est toujours décevant d' être dans l' obligation de modifier un voyage, surtout quand on l' a préparé minutieusement et qu 'on en a rêvé. Contraint peu de temps avant le départ de réduire de moitié, la durée de mon séjour à Madagascar, le voyage prévu dans l' ouest du Pays devenait impossible même en adoptant un rythme de marathon touristique. Ce n' est que partie remise.
Tout en conservant le destination de la Grande Île, j' ai décidé de passer quinze jours à Sainte Marie.
Le voyage devenait totalement différent, beaucoup moins de route, plus de temps à la contemplation et au plaisir de retrouver ce Pays, tout en gardant quand même de l' intérêt.
Il n' y a pas beaucoup de renseignements sur Sainte Marie sur le forum, ce qui s' explique par la faible fréquentation touristique, je vais donc essayer de d' apporter une modeste contribution, pour faire connaître un peu cette île que j' ai beaucoup appréciée.
J' ai trouvé des conseils sur des blogs et j' ai été aidé par quelques internautes que je remercie et qui se reconnaîtront.
Il me restait à modifier les billets d' avion, Air Madagascar a une ligne directe La Réunion/Sainte. Il devenait inutile de perdre deux jours de route pour rejoindre Sainte Marie depuis Antananarivo.
Il n' est pas toujours nécessaire d' aller très loin pour découvrir et satisfaire sa curiosité.
5 octobre 2018, départ pour Gillot l' aéroport nord de la Réunion.
Le vol se fait sur un ATR 72 de la compagnie Air Madagascar, vol court 1h50, départ 12h15 arrivée Sainte Marie 15h05 compte tenu du décalage horaire d' une heure.
Départ en fait avec 15 minutes d' avance, dès l' embarquement d' environ 25 passagers, arrivée avec la même avance.
Descente sur le tarmac et nous sommes à quelques mètres d' un minuscule, mais sympathique aéroport. Passage de le Police de l' air et des frontières sans le moindre problème. J' avais demandé le visa à l' ambassade de Madagascar avant mon départ ( 31 € pour 30 jours ) mais il est possible de se le faire délivrer sur place. Passage en douane, l' ambiance est bon enfant, le douanier fait ouvrir un sac de temps en temps et ça passe très vite. Sur le parking, chauffeurs de taxi et tuk tuk attendent les clients potentiels. On est bien loin de l' agressivité à Antananarivo (Ivato) des rabatteurs, ici tout se passe dans le calme et la bonne humeur. Par contre à l' aéroport il n' y a ni bureau de change, ni distributeur de billets.
En hébergement j' avais choisi, une petite structure hôtelière, dans le sud de l' île, au cœur du village de Vohilava. Quatre bungalows, deux personnes et un familial tout en bord de mer. 62000 ariary/jour. Construction traditionnelle ( briques rouges, falafa et raty) avec douche, toilettes intérieures (eau chaude) L' endroit est particulièrement calme.
Au mois d'octobre durant tout mon séjour, le taux de change était particulièrement avantageux (plus de 4000 ariary pour un euro)
Devant l' hôtel sur la plage, des jeunes femmes, proposent de l'artisanat, des épices, des huiles essentielles mais sans insistance aucune, chose appréciable à Madagascar. Pour les petits déplacements, j' ai loué un scooter ( négocié à 20 000 ariary/jour, pour 15 jours) ça évite d' attendre les tuk tuk qui passent sur la route mais de façon irrégulière et ça revient beaucoup moins cher.
A suivre...
5 octobre 2018, départ pour Gillot l' aéroport nord de la Réunion.
Le vol se fait sur un ATR 72 de la compagnie Air Madagascar, vol court 1h50, départ 12h15 arrivée Sainte Marie 15h05 compte tenu du décalage horaire d' une heure.
Départ en fait avec 15 minutes d' avance, dès l' embarquement d' environ 25 passagers, arrivée avec la même avance.
Descente sur le tarmac et nous sommes à quelques mètres d' un minuscule, mais sympathique aéroport. Passage de le Police de l' air et des frontières sans le moindre problème. J' avais demandé le visa à l' ambassade de Madagascar avant mon départ ( 31 € pour 30 jours ) mais il est possible de se le faire délivrer sur place. Passage en douane, l' ambiance est bon enfant, le douanier fait ouvrir un sac de temps en temps et ça passe très vite. Sur le parking, chauffeurs de taxi et tuk tuk attendent les clients potentiels. On est bien loin de l' agressivité à Antananarivo (Ivato) des rabatteurs, ici tout se passe dans le calme et la bonne humeur. Par contre à l' aéroport il n' y a ni bureau de change, ni distributeur de billets.
En hébergement j' avais choisi, une petite structure hôtelière, dans le sud de l' île, au cœur du village de Vohilava. Quatre bungalows, deux personnes et un familial tout en bord de mer. 62000 ariary/jour. Construction traditionnelle ( briques rouges, falafa et raty) avec douche, toilettes intérieures (eau chaude) L' endroit est particulièrement calme.
Au mois d'octobre durant tout mon séjour, le taux de change était particulièrement avantageux (plus de 4000 ariary pour un euro)
Devant l' hôtel sur la plage, des jeunes femmes, proposent de l'artisanat, des épices, des huiles essentielles mais sans insistance aucune, chose appréciable à Madagascar. Pour les petits déplacements, j' ai loué un scooter ( négocié à 20 000 ariary/jour, pour 15 jours) ça évite d' attendre les tuk tuk qui passent sur la route mais de façon irrégulière et ça revient beaucoup moins cher.
A suivre...
Au bout du monde... nichée au tréfonds de la baie d'Antongil, Maroantsetra la poussiéreuse est accessible en bateau, en avion ou par une seule route, une nationale et quelle nationale que cette numéro cinq !
A Madagascar, les plus anciens s'en souviennent... L'île était jadis administrée par les Français. Ils se souviennent de la colonisation, de ses vicissitudes, de la sombre année 1947 et peut-être mais rien n'est moins sûr, de ses bienfaits, selon la formule un jour employée, par un nain buvable mais un nain portant personnage français.
En ces temps là, de la petite ville de Maroantsetra, Il fallait une journée pour rejoindre Tamatave, la grande. Une seule journée ! Aujourd'hui, pour l'atteindre, les Malgaches s'arment de courage, d'optimisme et lorsque tout va bien, ils accomplissent ce chemin de croix en quatre jours.
Une véritable expédition.
Deux compagnies de transports officient à Maroantsetra; les usagers disposent de véhicules similaires, des quatre roues motrices, double cabine Toyota, parfois usés jusqu'à la corde.
Huit heures du matin, c'est l'heure du rendez-vous. La chaleur est éprouvante et les habitants arpentent depuis longtemps la rue principale de la ville; l'attente se prolonge et nul ne semble en connaître la raison. Le véhicule, les passagers semblent pourtant prêts.
Tout s'agite, il est onze heures, les bagages sont hissés sur le véhicule, arrimés et bâchés sur le toit ou entassés à l'arrière, sur le plateau, ils font office de sièges pour les nombreux passagers et chacun tente de se préserver un petit espace.
Quelques rapides oscillations en tous sens, il cède, , , le marchepieds droit épris de liberté rend l'âme et est projeté au sol. On ne fait dans le détail dans la compagnie... le ton est donné, la partition peut débuter, dirigeons-nous vers la station service... vide de carburant pour moteurs diesel. Le jeune conducteur ne semble pas troublé, une deuxième station est implantée non loin de là.
L'absence d'activité là aussi, laisse peu de doutes. Le gasoil a, en douce, quitté Maroantsetra... A l'entrée de la ville, j'ai pourtant aperçu de grandes cuves, à l'usage du carburant.
A petits coups d'avertisseur, nous hélons des passants et explorons diverses ruelles à la recherche d'un dépositaire non consacré, de gasoil. En pure perte.
Une poignée d'appels téléphoniques plus tard, nous débusquerons le jerrican salvateur, à l'extérieur de la ville, sous les cocotiers, au bout d'une traitresse piste sablonneuse.
Quelques minutes suffisent pour confectionner un entonnoir et transvaser le carburant fugueur. Une liasse d'ariarys change de mains.
Combien d'heures nous faut-il pour atteindre Mananara, distante de 106 kilomètres?
La question est simple mais se révèle ici déplacée, inutile, saugrenue, elle déclenche un sourire entendu. Qui peut le savoir ?
En ce début décembre, les violents orages de l'après-midi sont encore anecdotiques, la piste est sèche mais il faudra certainement composer avec les aléas de la mécanique. D'ailleurs, dès le départ puis très régulièrement, le mécanicien lève un capot baladeur et abreuve le radiateur fumant, trop vite assoiffé.
Il m'est particulièrement difficile d'imaginer l'aspect de cette nationale, soixante années auparavant, difficile d'imaginer les véhicules de l'époque franchir ce décor et près de 400kms de Maroantsetra à Tamatave, en une seule journée.
Belle, cette route nationale l'était assurément hier, cette piste difficile le demeure aujourd'hui.
Elle épouse le littoral, franchit d'innombrables ouvrages en bois, des gués, se faufile au sein d'une végétation rarement luxuriante mais tutoie des criques rocheuses, de longues plages de sable blanc et traverse de charmants villages, aux délicieuses maisons en bois.
Ce territoire tire sa richesse des cultures de la vanille et du giroflier. Partout, trié avec soins, étalé sur de grandes nappes, le clou de girofle sèche et exhale un agréable parfum, dans nos esprits associé à la douleur dentaire ou à une grosse cigarette d'Indonésie.
C'est ici un ravissement !
Depuis longtemps, ces villages côtiers sont les oubliés de Tananarive la capitale, de l'état malgache. Oubliés ? pas tout à fait...
De temps à autre, lors des grandes consultations électorales, ces modestes pêcheurs, ces petits producteurs prennent soudain de l'importance. Ils espèrent à nouveau.
Les candidats se pressent, unanimes... le président en exercice n'a pas dérogé à la règle. Intolérable, oui, cette situation est depuis trop longtemps intolérable !
Votez pour moi ! Je vous l'assure... la reconstruction de cette route sera l'une de mes priorités !
Les années s'écoulent, les présidents et les promesses non tenues se succèdent mais la nationale se dégrade toujours et toujours... Insuffisance des finances publiques, malversations, incurie ?
De multiples ouvrages en bois sont depuis longtemps moribonds, dangereux, les voitures, motos, vélos ou piétons passent à gué... quelle que soit la hauteur de la marée.
Seuls les véhicules tout-terrain, souvent bondés, se lancent aujourd'hui dans l'aventure. Ce commerce d'un bon rapport est facturé plusieurs dizaines d'euros, une petite fortune à l'échelle locale.
En lointaine Armorique, dans les conserveries de Saint Guénolé et d'ailleurs, nos fameuses petites sardines à l'huile sont traitées avec bien plus d'égards que ces toujours souriants voyageurs.
Michel, instituteur en fin de carrière, se rend à Tamatave pour réaliser son dossier de retraite puis fera route, dans de bien meilleures conditions, vers le sud du pays et se posera à Tulear.
Ce voyage lui coûte une fortune, un bras dit-on familièrement, aujourd'hui...
Cet enseignant, titulaire du plus haut échelon dans sa fonction, perçoit chaque mois, m'assure t'il, cinq cents mille ariarys, soit cent cinquante euros environ... Trois de ses enfants fréquentent pourtant une université...
L'essentiel du commerce régional se porte donc vers la mer et ses bateaux en bois et il se chuchote que des commerçants influents de Maroantsetra, liés au commerce maritime, feraient preuve de vigilance voire d'intrigue...
La réhabilitation de cette route nationale précipiterait, en effet, l'affaiblissement de leur fructueux monopole. C'est fort possible et fort dommageable pour la vitalité économique de toute une région.
La nuit s'installe, profonde, sur ces petits villages. Dans les modestes habitations, quelques lueurs se devinent, hésitantes.
Chez nous, les nantis, un geste simple, irréfléchi, sur un commutateur déclenche ce miracle permanent que produit l'électricité, une superbe lumière...
Ici, à Madagascar, le commerce des bougies et piles de mauvaise qualité possède encore un bel avenir.
Malmenés par les chaos, le phare gauche fouille les ténèbres tandis que le droit explore les hautes branches, une tape amicale le ramène pour un court instant à plus de raison, les freins sont inopérants, le mécanicien invoque l'hydraulique et longuement entame une réparation de fortune, sans succès.
Les freins ? à quoi bon ? sont-ils indispensables ? nous roulons à la vitesse d'un vététiste ventripotent du dimanche ou parfois d'un promeneur.
Le premier acte se termine le long d'un cours d'eau, dans un petit village. Il fait nuit, il faut traverser mais les marins affectés au bac, usés par une journée sans fin, sont peut-être déjà endormis. Nous franchirons la rivière demain. Ces hommes sont à l'œuvre, tous les jours, dès cinq heures.
Ce n'est pas le temps du repos pour notre équipage, c'est le moment que choisit le mécanicien pour se pencher à nouveau, sur le système de freinage. L'outillage est pauvre, malmené. Le marteau, l'outil magique, retentira longuement. Les pistons rebelles résistent puis de guerre lasse, cèdent, vaincus.
Ils fonctionnent à nouveau.
C'est aussi l'heure de se restaurer et de rechercher un abri et le sommeil, les passagers s'égaillent dans la nuit. Je me recroqueville sur un siège, à l'avant du véhicule et charmé par la douce musique d'un marteau, je sombre.
Riz en quantité, portion de zébu, de poulet ou de poisson souvent séché, mouches omniprésentes; la fantaisie culinaire est absente le long des pistes, pas de folie sur les prix, non plus.
Dans ces gargotes, le même menu est à l'affiche et est invariablement facturé trois mille ariarys.
C'est encore une fois, à la portée de ma bourse... quatre vingt dix centimes d'euro...
Oui, la Grande Île est pour nous, les vazaha, le pays de la vie très moins chère.
Ici encore, mes confortables chaussures, de marque prestigieuse, ne sont pas à la hauteur de l'emploi, elles souffrent, elles agonisent depuis des mois; pour une somme dérisoire, quelques dizaines de centimes, le cordonnier de la rue fait merveille et un solide travail.
A Madagascar, on ne jette pas avec désinvolture, l'équivalent d'un salaire...
Il n'est pas désinvolte non plus ce coiffeur de la ville, bien au contraire, mais peut-il s'enrichir, envisager un meilleur avenir ? Il œuvre dans une insignifiante, une minuscule baraque en bois, il est talentueux, expérimenté et me réclame deux mille ariarys, cinquante cinq centimes pour la réalisation d'une coupe parfaite.
Le coiffeur Népalais est cette fois battu, ko.
Mananara est tout proche, vingt cinq heures se sont écoulées, la piste sablonneuse, digne d'un Paris-Dakar, se fond sur une belle plage agrémentée d'un manège pour enfants, modeste expression de modernisme, inattendue en ce lieu.
Concession d'un autre âge, toutefois... de petits bras musclés entraînent le manège.
Dans ce pays, il est particulièrement difficile de faire confiance à la distribution électrique, pour le moins facétieuse...
Bonjour,
Je voudrais me rendre à Madagascar bientôt.
J'ai été naturalisé récemment, et je dispose désormais d'un passeport français avec mon nom de famille français qui est différent du nom de famille que j'ai sur mon passeport malgache.
Croyez-vous que cela puisse poser problème?
J'ai pu lire sur d'autres discussions que pour l'embarquement lors du retour en France il faudrait présenter les deux passeports à la douane... voilà pourquoi je me posais la question.
Merci pour votre réponse :)
Je voudrais me rendre à Madagascar bientôt.
J'ai été naturalisé récemment, et je dispose désormais d'un passeport français avec mon nom de famille français qui est différent du nom de famille que j'ai sur mon passeport malgache.
Croyez-vous que cela puisse poser problème?
J'ai pu lire sur d'autres discussions que pour l'embarquement lors du retour en France il faudrait présenter les deux passeports à la douane... voilà pourquoi je me posais la question.
Merci pour votre réponse :)
Salut à tous,
J'ai tout lu sur les forums et me pose une question concernant l'argent. Pour cela je récapitule ce que j'ai lu: Ya des distributeurs ( mais on est limité par semaine...) aussi je vais arranger cela avec ma banque Master card marche mal mais Visa international bien Y a t'il beaucoup? partout? que grandes villes?.... des distributeurs Beaucoup de restos, hotels, circuits etc... ne prenne nt pas les cartes bancaires? Est ce vraiment confirmé? Il est ( ou il semble) dangereux de se promener avec trop de liquide cause délinquance. Du moins il faut être prudent... Aussi la solution, peu de liquide sur soi est conseillée mais possible si on peut, on trouve suffisement de distributeurs? On peut aussi retirer dans toutes les banques avec sa carte bleue au guichet et pas au distributeur. N'est ce pas? QUE PENSEZ VOUS D'APPORTER QUELQUES TRAVELLERS CHEQUES... au cas où ????????Voila les amis. Réponse rapide SVP nous partons du 06/10/2008 au 17/11/2008
C'est bon la retraite!!!
Bonjour
Nous partons dans 15 jours à Madagascar, la 1er semaine nous faisons une croisière plongée, à notre retour sur Nosy Be nous voulons partir à Diégo Suarez pour 5 jours, sachant que le dernier jours nous devons revenir impérativement à Nosy Be où nous passerons notre derniére nuit avant notre départ pour Paris.
Quels sont vos conseils ???
Nous pensions trouver un 4x4 avec chauffeur, en connaissez vous qui fasse ce trajet ?
D'avance merci
Nous partons dans 15 jours à Madagascar, la 1er semaine nous faisons une croisière plongée, à notre retour sur Nosy Be nous voulons partir à Diégo Suarez pour 5 jours, sachant que le dernier jours nous devons revenir impérativement à Nosy Be où nous passerons notre derniére nuit avant notre départ pour Paris.
Quels sont vos conseils ???
Nous pensions trouver un 4x4 avec chauffeur, en connaissez vous qui fasse ce trajet ?
D'avance merci
Après la taxe touristique de 10 € payable depuis janvier 2016 par tout étranger entrant dans le pays, les autorités malgaches viennent de rendre payant le visa 30 jours qui était auparavant gratuit. Il en coûte ainsi maintenant 31 €. Quant aux visas de 60 et 90 jours, ils sont respectivement à 39 € et 54 €.
Lire la suite...
bjrs!!!
a tous
je m'appelle Nathalie et je suis nouvelle sur ce forum
pourriez vous me conseiller jai 4 enfants et je souhaite partir en vacances avec mes enfants
de ces 3 déstinations la quelle est plus approprier avec 4 enfants?
merci de vos reponses
Bonjour à tous,
Nous partons 3 semaines en juillet avec notre fille de 8 ans et nous avons commencé à préparer notre itinéraire. J aimerais avoir votre avis sur celui-ci en sachant que nous aimons être indépendants mais que nous envisageons de prendre s il le faut un chauffeur :
Tana-morondave-tulear par la piste côtière-stop à ifaty et anakao-parc isalo-ambalavoa-ambositra-andsirabe-andasibe-tana.
Est ce possible sur 3 semaines ?
Merci à vous
Bonjour,
je suis patron d'une structure hoteliere située en bord de mer que je souhaiterais mettre en gérance pour cause d'un départ prochain en France.
Comptabilité à jour, titre foncier également. Contactez moi pour des propositions sérieuses uniquement
Cordialement
Bonjour,
J'aimerais avoir des retours de voyageurs ayant mangé local à Madagascar.
Il semblerait que l'hygiène ne soit pas toujours au top, il m'a été déconseillé de manger local.
Est-il exact que dans leurs excursions, Costa apporte les couverts, assiettes…?
Merci
bonjour, je pars à Madagascar sur août-septembre 2019 et je voudrais savoir quelle est la situation sur le plan sécurité en ville, les transports, sur les routes et les hôtels. Je pars avec des personnes pour qui c'est le 1er voyage à Mada et aimeraient être rassurées sur les conditions de séjour.
J'envisage de traverser debut juin la peninsule de Masoala en rando. Je ne sais pas encore par quel chemin.
Quelqu"un en a-t-il une experience recente ?
Comment s'organiser en partant du cote Nord (Antalaha) ? (Le Guide du Routard fait un commentaire negatif sur les guides de ce cote-la)
Et si quelqu'un veut m'accompagner ...
Merci, Pierre
Merci, Pierre
Salut!!! C'est encore nous!!!
Une petite question nous taraude. Nous pensions prendre notre visa arrivé à Tana puisque nous avions entendu dire (sur ce forum même) qu'il était moins cher mais je viens de lire dans le lonely planet qu'on pouvait en effet obtenir un visa à l'arrivée à l'aéroport mais il parle d'un visa de trente jours....?
Quelqu'un saurat-il s'il est possible d'obtenir un visa de trois mois à l'aéroport?
A plus tard
Ni journaliste-reporter, ni militant, ni touriste "bronze-cul", je voudrais juste partager quelques images de cette "île aux parfums" si controversée, mais si attachante !🙂
Des faits-divers sordides (dont l'actualité récente s'est faite écho), une réputation sulfureuse, une image souvent ternie par le comportement de "vazaha" en quête de plaisirs exotiques éphémères, ont fait de Nosy-Bé une destination mal-aimée.
Et pourtant !!! Quelle douceur de vivre, quel charme et quelle quiétude (surtout venant de "notre" 101è département "français" de Mayotte !)
Voulant éviter toute moralisation ou procès d'intention, parfaitement conscient que Nosy-Bé n'est pas représentative de Madagascar grâce aux "revenus" du tourisme , que la population est quand même une des plus pauvres du monde ( le salaire d'une femme de ménage du B and B moyen où nous sommes allés est de 30€ par mois !!!.....) que pour nous, touristes occidentaux, le coût de la vie est dérisoire, après 6 séjours à Mada, je reste subjugué par tant de gentillesse, de culture, de couleurs, lumières, visages ou paysages à couper le souffle.
Alors je propose, sans plus de commentaires, une petite ballade malgache en images.
En commençant par l'avenir: Les enfants.
Avant de rentrer en classe :
Cour de récré
Au travail
Sortie des classes
Voulant éviter toute moralisation ou procès d'intention, parfaitement conscient que Nosy-Bé n'est pas représentative de Madagascar grâce aux "revenus" du tourisme , que la population est quand même une des plus pauvres du monde ( le salaire d'une femme de ménage du B and B moyen où nous sommes allés est de 30€ par mois !!!.....) que pour nous, touristes occidentaux, le coût de la vie est dérisoire, après 6 séjours à Mada, je reste subjugué par tant de gentillesse, de culture, de couleurs, lumières, visages ou paysages à couper le souffle.
Alors je propose, sans plus de commentaires, une petite ballade malgache en images.
En commençant par l'avenir: Les enfants.
Avant de rentrer en classe :
Cour de récré
Au travail
Sortie des classes
