Updated: 8/31/20 | August 31st, 2020

Madagascar. It’s a lot more than an inaccurate (but fun) DreamWorks movie.

Located off the eastern coastline of Africa, this island, nearly the size of France as well as the third-largest in the world, has a population over 26 million however sees less than 300,000 tourists a year.

I spent two weeks there with Intrepid travel as well as was shocked by how few tourists there were as well as by just how challenging the country was to travel around. The roads are so poor it can take up to eight hours to go 250 km (155 miles)!

But soon it became clear why there were so few tourists: getting to the country is expensive, there’s very little information about it online, few organized activities, as well as only a couple hostels, tourism information centers, helpful signs, or anything that would be considered a “tourist infrastructure” (and sadly, very little infrastructure at all). Madagascar’s tourism caters to older Europeans who visit expensive beach resorts or take organized excursions as well as step around the country in a little bubble. Nary a backpacker did I see on my trip.

Moreover, it’s a country ravaged by poverty, corruption, as well as natural disaster. Travelers unwilling to get off the beaten path (which is a lot of people) normally don’t end up here.

Yet Madagascar is a raw as well as gorgeous destination that blew me away in so lots of ways. It’s inexpensive once you get there, your vacationer dollars can produce a really positive impact, as well as there are few crowds as well as lots of cute lemurs as well as majestic landscapes, which you get essentially to yourself!

איך להגיע לשם

The first thing you need to know is that getting to Madagascar is not easy. direct flights are only offered from a handful of major destinations (including Paris, Istanbul, as well as Johannesburg) as well as less-visited countries like Seychelles, Mauritius, Kenya, as well as Ethiopia.

Additionally, a lot of of these destinations only offer a limited amount of flights per week.

I jumped on a flight offer to Johannesburg ($630 USD for new York to Johannesburg as well as then onward to Vienna) however that was a silly thing to do because, given the price of flights from Johannesburg to Madagascar (I paid $800 USD round-trip), it ended costing me a lot more than just booking a direct ticket to Madagascar.

I was pretty silly not looking up flights beforehand. I might have gotten a round trip ticket from the us for less (and from Paris for way less.) Here’s a chart for prices from new York City in January 2021 to help give you a sense of what to expect when booking your ticket:

For a flight from the united states to Madagascar, you’re checking out spending at least $1,000 USD for a round-trip flight. keep in mind these prices are for the rainy season in December/January. during the high season (also the dry season), you’re checking out flights better to $1,600-2,000 USD from new York City as well as $800-1,100 USD from Europe.

מקנדה? prices start around $1,200 CAD in the low season.

You’re checking out spending at least $500 USD round-trip on a flight from Johannesburg (more if it’s high season).

However, it’s not all poor news. From Paris, Air France uses direct round-trip flights for around $700 USD. as well as there are a few travel hacking opportunities. With some planning, you can find a reward flight. You only need 30,000 miles each way from Europe, as well as Air France has a respectable availability (but if you miss the 30,000-point option, you’ll be checking out 60-90,000 points each way).

United has very sporadic reward flights on partners starting at 19,500 miles each way. Flights are only bookable on specific days, however, as well as only in the economy. On the plus side, the price in miles is the same in both the high season as well as the low season.

So it takes some work to get there, however if you can string together some flight deals as well as mile opportunities, you can lower the expense to an affordable(ish) level.

Here are some web sites you can use to find inexpensive flight deals:

Scott’s inexpensive Flights

The flight Deal

Holiday Pirates

How to get around Madagascar

Organized excursions are the most typical way to visit the country. One guide told me that about 80% of visitors come on organized excursions as well as the other 20% hire a private chauffeur to get around. (Most tourists are older as well as heavily European.)

I think that lots of younger travelers stay away since getting to the country or booking a excursion is so expensive. Plus, there’s just not much complimentary information offered on Madagascar.

But let’s modification that as well as talk about how to visit the country.

Organized Tours
A 14-day excursion will expense $2,400–4,400 USD. You’ll stay in mid-range hotels (private bathrooms, hot water, breakfast, as well as maybe even a pool) as well as have your own bus with a chauffeur as well as local guide. You’ll likewise get private guides at each park who will describe what you’re seeing, help spot animals, as well as give some added context on the destination.

Most of the excursions follow the same route, hitting all the huge parks as well as destinations in the center of the country, with added paid add-ons to other parts of the country.

I went with Intrepid travel on their Experience Madagascar excursion as part of my partnership with them. Our guide Patrick was a phenomenal resource, answering all my questions, supplying advice, as well as giving ideas on what to see as well as do in this country that lacks a lot of resources to research.

If it were up to me, I would have focused the trip’s travel plan more. I think Intrepid often tries to do too much. While I liked everything we did, I wish there had been a lot more time checking out each place as well as less time driving (though if Madagascar had proper infrastructure that wouldn’t have been an issue).

טיול עצמאי
Madagascar is a challenging place to visit solo. There’s little vacationer infrastructure or hostels (which makes sense given how inexpensive hotels as well as guesthouses are here) as well as public buses don’t go to lots of cities as well as national parks. You’ll need to know French, too, as English is barely spoken (even though English is an official language).

In my opinion, this makes it rather arduous to get around without any type of assistance.

But might you travel around on your own? בטוח! however I think you’d need to be an experienced traveler, really ok being pushed out of your comfort zone, as well as in absolutely no rush, since getting around on a budget plan will take time.

Since the roads are really bad, getting from point A to B is a challenge. In a public taxi brouse (small van packed to the gills with people), you’ll step slowly. Buses go when they are full. There’s no set timetable. often they show up; a lot more often than not, they don’t.

However, seeing the condition of the buses as well as how lots of people they cram in there, plus the number of accidents on the road, I’m not sure I’d even get in one. I wouldn’t want to spend 24 hours packed like a poultry in a van with no air conditioning (and often not even windows).

Renting a vehicle as well as chauffeur costs $75 USD a day (or slightly a lot more if you want 4WD) as well as is the most popular option for people seeking to go on their own (and not wanting to wait for the buses). While you might drive on your own, a lot of rental companies require that a chauffeur go along with you.

You can likewise fly around the island, however there’s only one airline (Air Madagascar), as well as a lot of tickets expense at least $250-300 USD, so if you’re on a budget, flying just isn’t feasible. Plus, they cancel flights often without notice.

So, What must You Do?

If you’re really trying to find some rugged, old-school independent travel, Madagascar is the place to do it. If you have lots of time as well as are up for a real challenge, go solo — as well as learn some French! (I really can’t anxiety the need to know French. outside the huge towns as well as a few vacationer areas, English is barely spoken.)

You’ll cover slightly a lot more ground as well as have a lot a lot more freedom if you rent a vehicle as well as driver. There’s plenty of inexpensive guesthouses as well as restaurants around so you won’t need to look far as well as large for a place to stay or a meal.

If you aren’t trying to find that kind of rugged experience as well as would like something a lot more organized, a excursion is the best — as well as really only — option. I wanted a excursion to help me get the lay of the land as well as response all my questions about the country. I don’t speak French nor had a lot of time. A excursion was a great orientation to a country that was an enigma to me. It was a terrific way to meet people in a destination with few independent travelers.

(One thing to remember is that the clientele of the excursions here is older as well as the excursions deal with that in their itineraries, activities, as well as accommodation. The excursions here aren’t created for active backpackers.)

If I went back, I’d go by myself as well as explore with a vehicle however I’m delighted I went with a excursion on my first visit.

Is Madagascar Safe?

When I was wandering around, I never once felt unsafe. I was a lot more of a curiosity than anything else considering that they see so few tourists, especially those not ensconced in a bus. There are a lot of beggars, especially kids, as well as you have to just keep saying no as well as walking away. The taxi motorists here take no for an response as well as no one really bugs you.

That said, criminal offense is rife throughout the country as well as not one local I knew recommended going out after dark. They don’t even do it. In fact, lots of hotels in thefunding of Antananarivo hire escorts to take people from the hotel to bars or restaurants.

During the day and, especially in smaller villages, walking around is perfectly fine. At night, I would use a lot a lot more caution, especially in the capital.

What are prices Like?

Though getting to the country is expensive, once you are there everything is exceptionally cheap. Your money goes a long, long way in Madagascar. I went to a local market as well as spent 100 ARY on a spring roll. After realizing that there are 3,000 ARY to the dollar, that indicated I had paid just three cents. As I was still hungry, I gotten 15 more.

Even when you are eating at the hotel restaurants the excursions go to, a lot of meals aren’t a lot more than $4 USD. In regular, local restaurants, they are half that price.

Madagascar food is mostly chicken, zebu (a type of cattle), pork, stews, as well as rice. lots OF RICE. (Get the Zebu in a stew. It’s much better that way.) There’s likewise a lot of surprisingly good pizza in this country. You’ll certainly need to know French if you go into the non-international places (or travel outside of the cities).

Even on the road, there are a lot of restaurants (again, knowing French is going to be crucial here, especially outside the funding Antananarivo). hotels are $20-50 USD per night (on the more affordable range outside the capital). You can quickly find accommodation on booking.com. There’s plenty of accommodation provided on that website.

Here are some normal prices:

Meals at restaurants that deal with tourists – 12,000-30,000 MGA ($3-8 USD)

Meals at regular, local restaurants – 6,500 MGA ($1.75 USD)

Street snacks – 10-200 MGA (up to 5 cents US) (Be sure to try nem (spring rolls). They are incredible!)

Accommodation – 65,000-160,000 MGA per night ($20-50 USD)

Car with a chauffeur – 285,000 MGA a day ($75 USD)

Grocery prices – 11,000-20,000 MGA ($3-5 USD) (This would get you a kilo of rice, some zebu, as well as a variety of vegetables.)

SIM Card – 4,000 MGA ($1 USD) as well as 30,000 MGA ($8 USD) per 2 GB of data.

Park entrance fees – 55,000 MGA ($15 USD) plus 20,000 MGA ($5.50 USD) for a guide

Local tiny buses – 10,000-20,000 MGA ($2.50-5 USD)

***
Madagascar was a beautiful, raw, as well as bewitching country. There’s no place like it on earth.

Far off the vacationer trail, this a destination where your inner Indiana Jones or Anthony Bourdain can be set complimentary to explore. I’m so delighted I went, as well as though the old traveler adage is “I can’t wait to go back,” I suspect that my visit to Madagascar will be the only one in my lifetime. I hope I’m wrong, however given the problem of getting there, it really can be a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

And I do hope you make it in your lifetime!

Book Your trip to Madagascar: Logistical ideas as well as Tricks
Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner or Momondo to find a inexpensive flight. They are my two favorite search engines since they search web sites as well as airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. start with Skyscanner first though since they have the greatest reach!

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the greatest inventory as well as best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the least expensive rates for guesthouses as well as inexpensive hotels.

אל תשכח ביטוח נסיעות
Travel insurance will secure you against illness, injury, theft, as well as cancellations. It’s extensive protection in situation anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it lots of times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service as well as value are:

Safety Wing (for everyone below 70)

Insure My trip (for those over 70)

Medjet (לכיסוי חוזר נוסף)

Looking for the best companies to save money With?
עיין בדף המשאבים שלי לקבלת החברות הטובות ביותר להשתמש בו כשאתה נוסע. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.

Want a lot more information on Madagascar?
Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Madagascar for even a lot more planning tips!

Note: I went to Madagascar with Intrepid travel as part of our ongoing partnership. They paid for the excursion as well as my expenses during the trip. I paid for my flights to as well as from Madagascar.