Trekking in Madagascar: which regions and should we hire a guide?

Hi everyone.

My partner, our daughter, and I are planning a walking trip to Madagascar in July-August 2027. We’d love any tips or info you can share about this plan. Which regions should we prioritize? Is a local guide better than a well-established agency? Where’s the best place to buy our flight tickets from Réunion? Thanks for your input!

No matter where you go trekking, a Malagasy guide seems essential to me (multiple hikes since 1991). Ideas for walking trips: - The Masoala Peninsula in the northeast - Pic Boby near Ambalavao - In the primary forest of Ranomafana - From Tulear to Morombe along the coast via Andavadoka (guide essential here too) Etc. Lots of possibilities, but be careful with water—never drink from streams. Bring mosquito repellent. Have a great trip!

Good evening, It all depends on your level as a hiker and also your sense of adventure (!).

When you go hiking in a park, it’s very straightforward because you can take a guide offered by the park, possibly porters, everything is well-marked, and you don’t need a guide or an agency. It’s doable for everyone since ANGAP, which manages the parks, organizes everything. In my opinion, it’s the best balance between adventure and autonomy. Pic Boby in Andringitra Park is great, but you can also check out Isalo, where there are hikes, or Marojejy in the north, which offers beautiful, lesser-known, and less crowded options. Madagascar National Parks Home – the parks’ website, I haven’t checked it in a while. It used to be well done.

Then there are the options offered by agencies (but outside the parks, since inside them, there’s really no point). You’ll have to do some research, but if I were to look into this, I’d choose a trek in the Makay region—it’s a very little-explored area until recently. And in this case, the benefit of an agency is obvious.

Finally, if you’re open to adventure, you can gather info, and there are plenty of options in Madagascar. What astaffort mentioned—who’s an expert—is worth looking into. Especially the Masoala Peninsula. But you could also do the "smugglers' trail" between the highlands and the east coast. I wasn’t aware of the southwest option toward Morombe... There are the Sakaleona Falls, the largest in Madagascar. But actually, there are tons of options. In any case, make sure to get good info, and yes, a local guide seems essential.

In short, there’s a whole range of possibilities.

Hi there, I’ve done it twice. First with my wife and child in Isalo National Park over 4 days, from Ranohira to the Portuguese Cave, passing through the Canyon of Rats, the Monkey Canyon, the natural pool, and... we had a local guide (mandatory) and two porters. Back then (1996), it was pretty basic but not too expensive. The landscapes are nice, and I think you’ve got a better chance of good weather there than elsewhere. The second time, I did it solo without a guide about ten years later: a 3.5-day trek across the Masoala Peninsula between Maroantsetra/Mahalevona and Antalaha, but it wasn’t all fun due to the very humid climate and the many muddy patches. You can find basic small accommodations in each village. I heard that a guide is now mandatory, but no one asked me about it. Anyway, I’d recommend Isalo National Park over the Masoala Peninsula. It’d be good to hear from people who’ve done it recently. ..