Feedback on our 2-month stay in Madagascar

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

Thanks so much, Nicole, for this interesting feedback. The islands of Sainte Marie and Aux Nattes have been making me dream for a long time. But I visited part of Madagascar in 2007, and that trip really "turned my stomach" seeing so much poverty. I’ve visited over 40 countries, mostly in the "developing world," and it’s the only one that had that effect on me. But it’s also the only place where I saw so many kids literally starving, with clear signs of malnutrition (though not in the tourist areas, where they manage a bit better). Anyway, I loved the scenery, but I felt too guilty traveling there. I’ve read that the economic situation is still just as catastrophic 😢 Yet this island has so much to offer! Christelle

Your feedback is super valuable, especially about the exhaustion from travel and how things are organized on the ground—it’s definitely the thing most people underestimate before their first trip to Madagascar.

I had the exact same feeling when I arrived in Tana: you’ve got to slow down completely and allow way more time for getting around. But that’s also what makes the trip so unique and authentic.

And I totally agree about the Malagasy hospitality—it’s what stood out to me the most there.

Thanks for this feedback on this island, so poor yet so endearing.