Madagascar

Madagascar, in a few days

From Antananarivo to the Avenue of the Baobabs, the indri of Andasibe and the beaches of Nosy Be, day by day: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

Day by day

1

Antananarivo

Days 1-2

The capital, built across hills in the central highlands, with long stairways linking the upper town to the markets below. The Rova, the old royal compound, crowns the highest one.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Upper town and the Rova palace, guidedHalf day · from €15
  The royal compound of the Merina kings on the city's highest hill, burned in 1995 and still being restored, with the whole city spread below.
• La Digue market and local craftsHalf day · from €10
  A long row of craft stalls on the airport road: raffia, embroidery, carved wood and semi-precious stones.

✦ Free to visit

• The stairways and hills of the old city
• Lake Anosy
• The hillside neighbourhoods
• The flower market

📲 Book things to do in Antananarivo on GetYourGuide

2

Andasibe (lemurs)

Days 3-4 · 🚗 Car 3h30

Rainforest about three hours east of the capital, home to the indri, the largest living lemur. Its call carries through the canopy every morning.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Andasibe park and the indri, guidedHalf day · from €30
  A morning walk with a local guide to find the indri families and hear them sing.
• Night walkEvening · from €20
  By torchlight, looking for mouse lemurs, frogs and chameleons asleep on the branches.

✦ Free to visit

• The rainforest
• The call of the indri
• Chameleons
• Wild orchids

📲 Book things to do in Andasibe (lemurs) on GetYourGuide

3

Avenue of the Baobabs (Morondava)

Days 5-7 · ✈️ Flight 1h

A dirt road near Morondava lined with Grandidier's baobabs, some several centuries old and around thirty metres tall. People come for the hour before sunset.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Sunset on the Avenue of the BaobabsEvening · from €15
  The hour when the trunks turn into silhouettes. Arrive early to find your spot before the light goes.
• The Baobab Amoureux and Kirindy forestFull day · from €40
  Two baobabs twisted around each other, then the dry forest of Kirindy, one of the best places to see the fossa, the largest predator on the island.

✦ Free to visit

• The Avenue of the Baobabs
• Sunset between the trunks
• Sakalava villages
• Outrigger canoes on the channels

📲 Book things to do in Avenue of the Baobabs (Morondava) on GetYourGuide

Worth sorting before you go

A driver and domestic flights · Roads are slow and often rough, so hire a car with a driver. Madagascar Airlines flies from Antananarivo to Morondava and Nosy Be, which saves days on the road; schedules change often, so confirm the day before.

📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly

🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta

🚗 Car hire
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking

💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut

🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer

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Flavours & local habits

🍽️ Worth tasting

• Romazava: a broth of beef or zebu with leafy greens, often called the national dish.
• Ravitoto: pounded cassava leaves, cooked slowly with pork.
• Rice: served at every meal, often three times a day, with everything else as its side.
• Zebu and seafood: grilled zebu inland, prawns, crab and fish on the coast.
• Vanilla: the island grows most of the world's supply, so it turns up in sauces as well as desserts, next to fresh juices of tropical fruit.

⚠️ Best avoided

• Distances on the map mean little: roads are slow, so allow far more time than you think.
• Drink bottled water only, and take the antimalarial tablets your doctor prescribes.
• After dark in towns, take a taxi rather than walk, and keep valuables out of sight.
• Buy crafts from local or fair-trade cooperatives, and never anything made of rosewood, tortoiseshell or other protected species.
• Respect the local taboos, called fady, which change from one village to the next: ask your guide what applies.

Words that help

English ↔ Malagasy

✈️ Flight delayed by 3 hours or more, or cancelled? You may be owed up to €600. Check your flight on AirHelp.

The practical page

Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/madagascar

Packing checklist

Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.