Madagascar is an island of contrasts that surprised me.
I am very fond of traveling. I have 32 countries and 150 cities on four continents behind me. I have long dreamed of visiting Madagascar. The island seemed mysterious and almost unattainable, but in March 2023, I finally visited it.
I traveled around Madagascar by car with a local driver and my friend Elia. I consider her the most experienced and enthusiastic traveler among my friends and acquaintances. We have already traveled together: we have been to Australia and Patagonia
Elia also dreamed of visiting the island and in 2022 she got a six-month work contract there. After that it became clear that I would also fly to Madagascar.
Before the trip, my idea of the island was formed by the cartoon of the same name. In 17 days we visited more than ten cities, six national parks, various local productions and other attractions. Madagascar seemed to me a separate universe and an island of wonders – not in the most pleasant way. But there is also a lot of believability in the cartoon in the form of vast green forests and adorable lemurs. I’m sure Madagascar will not leave any traveler indifferent.
In the article I will tell you what route we built around the island, how our plans were disrupted by a bad road, when it is better to watch chameleons and what cockroaches hiss, what they sing about in local churches, how old the baobabs are and what the Micaea people eat.
Country information
Madagascar is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the east coast of Africa. Madagascar has an area of 587,000 km², which is larger than France
– the largest country in Europe. Madagascar is the largest country in the world, occupying only one island.
According to the Worldometer statistical service, Madagascar is home to more than 30 million people. Over the past 20 years, the population has grown two and a half times and continues to increase.
Madagascar became independent only in 1960. Before that, the state was a French protectorate and colony. Almost everyone tried to conquer it, even Peter the Great had such a plan.
The official languages of Madagascar are Malagasy and French. English is rare on the island, it is hardly spoken, I heard it only a few times.
Despite its wealth of natural resources, Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. More than 77% of the urban population lives in slums, and 43% of people do not have enough to eat
. The state has experienced military coups and insurgencies. In 2023, the country ranked 132nd out of 192 places in the GDP ranking.
After a few days of traveling through Madagascar, I had already had a reflection on what I had seen. I was driving and thinking how different life is for people in different parts of the world. I have seen differences in living conditions even within the same continent or country before. But what I saw in Madagascar made me feel an infinite hopelessness.
It seemed to me that no one on the island cared about people or nature. But they do care about resources. It’s like the people who hunt them don’t care about anything but the bottom line. I know, it’s obvious. It is, has been, and will continue to happen. And not just in Madagascar. But it was sad to see it. I’d like to say about the inhabitants with the reworked lines from the song “Island of Bad Luck”: “They are not idlers and could live, they could abolish the slave way of life”.
Danger and trouble on the island
Madagascar is not among the top countries with high crime rates. But there are dangers for tourists. If you are planning a trip to the island, it is better to know about them in order to be morally prepared.
For example, on the first day I noticed broken glass displayed along the edge of the three-meter fence around the building. Elia explained that this is normal for a neighborhood where foreigners rent houses. It’s how they protect the housing from thieves.
Later on, I saw this pattern frequently in many of the hotels where we stayed. Fortunately, we did not encounter any attempts to break into our homes.
What shocked me most on the island were the children. When we first pulled into a gas station, the car was immediately overrun with five or six local kids. As soon as we opened the door, they lined up around us in a tight ring and started begging.
I was confused. Elia explained that you should go about your business without paying attention to them. If you give the kids even change at every stop, on the second day you’ll be left without the money you exchanged yesterday. It seems cruel, but further traveling showed that this is the only way not to go broke. It is simply impossible to give money to everyone you meet.
We also constantly encountered tremendous attention from the locals. They looked at us in every town and village. When we drove by, passers-by would point their fingers. I felt like a British queen. Everyone’s reaction to my light skin color was different. Some waved, others glared, and others ran to beg for something. For the first couple of days I couldn’t stand the attention, but I soon got used to it.
It is also worth knowing the peculiarities of local roads. There is an unspoken rule: you cannot drive in the dark. I read in guidebooks that this is a precautionary measure against local bandits. Our driver confirmed this, but clarified that it’s not that scary. Attacks do happen, but they are common in the south of the country, where the locals live quite badly. Tourists rarely go there.
Drivers facing a night route usually gather in convoys and follow each other. This also applies to intercity buses. I think traveling long distances in them is uncomfortable. The journey will take several days and nights without facilities and rest stops. And because of bandits, passengers risk not reaching their destination. This is the harsh reality in Madagascar.
There are few animals in Madagascar that are considered dangerous to humans. The only thing locals fear to encounter are fossas. These are the largest predators on the island. They are similar to pumas, but not so big: the body length is up to 80 cm, and the tail is the same.
Fossas are only found in Madagascar. They can purr and live in trees. Malagasy people fear them and kill them, as they attribute to fossas an uncharacteristic ferocity. For locals, meeting these animals is about the same as meeting a bear for us, although fossas are friendlier to humans.
Money
The currency of Madagascar is the Malagasy aryari, 1000 MGA. On the island almost everywhere use cash. Travelers on the Vinsky Forum write that you can pay in euros, but it is not profitable. For example, one tourist had a massage in the hotel cost 13 € or 50 000 MGA. And in the exchange office, the traveler gave 10.80 € for the same ariary.
Tourists advise to change cash in exchange offices on the streets. The exchange rate there is more favorable than in banks. In the capital, Antananarivo, there is an intersection with money changers.
It is better to come there without cash, negotiate the exchange rate and invite people to exchange at the hotel. This is a safe and popular way, as well as insurance against being scammed.
I decided to change the money at the airport, as the next day I was starting my trip around the island. For 1,500 € I received 6,400,000 MGA. The exchange process was funny. We had to stand at the counter for a long time to count the more than 300 bills I was given. A line of tourists from my flight had already gathered behind us. It was the first time I had ever held such stacks of banknotes in my hands. They looked impressive.
Itinerary
Traveling around Madagascar lasted 17 days. During this time we traveled about 3500 kilometers by car. This is more than we had planned.
First, we made a circular itinerary to visit as much of everything possible and impossible as possible. The trip was to start in Antananarivo, in the center of the island.
From there we wanted to get to the town of Ifaty in the southwest of Madagascar, visiting all the major national parks along the way, and then drive up the coast to the Kirindi Nature Reserve and see the famous Baobab Alley there.
But the rainy season had washed out the roads and they were not yet dry. Because of this, it was necessary to return from Ifati to the center and from there to the coast again. The map shows that the circular route was not closed in the western part of the island. It was impossible to pass there.
Because of the washed out roads, we had to spend a few days just traveling. We didn’t stop at any places because we had already seen them when we were heading that way. I advise you not to plan a trip to Madagascar right after the rainy season so you don’t have to change your itinerary like we had to do.
We also stopped by local attractions. If you plan to go there too, locals or a driver will tell you the way. There is very little information about these places on the Internet. Even major national parks in Madagascar do not have websites, you can learn about them from other travelers’ reviews.
The flight to the capital of Madagascar was not so comfortable. I had the feeling that I had changed from an international flight to a domestic one. The airplane was cramped. I bought a window seat in the first row of economy class in advance. It was a good decision. As it turned out, foreigners sat only in the first two rows of economy class.
Elia met me at the airport in Antananarivo and we went straight to the house where she lived. It was rented by her employer. There were no places that struck me on the way, although I was actively looking at everything.
Rent a car
As adventurous women, Elia and I first wanted to rent a car without a driver: we had already done so in other countries. But we quickly abandoned this idea, because there were practically no such offers: renting a car with a driver is more expensive, it is more profitable for locals, and also few people want to give their car to tourists because of the poor quality of the roads.
Traffic in Madagascar is right-handed, but it is more difficult to get around. Some routes may not be on the map. And those that are, may no longer exist in reality. There is almost no street lighting, animals walk on the roads, and locals sit or even lie on the roadside. The driver must also be able to drive through sand and very deep puddles. Elia and I don’t have such skills.
We rented a car already after I flew to Madagascar. We spent half a day calling and talking and booked a car with a driver, Mami. The stress in the name is on the first syllable.
We paid 4,160,000 MGA for 16 days. We did not sign a contract, we just discussed the services verbally. For fuel we paid 2,800,000 MGA. A liter of gasoline in Madagascar costs 5,900 MGA on average.
During the three months of living on the island, Elia had managed to make some acquaintances, so it was easier for us to find a car. There are also international rental services in Madagascar, such as Hertz. We met a traveler from Europe who rented a car from them. But this option is more expensive than renting a car through acquaintances.
We did not pay for accommodation and food for Mami. In Madagascar, almost all hotels provide drivers with a room to sleep in. It is different from those offered to tourists. For example, a driver may be accommodated in a hostel. Mami said that most often the conditions are good. Restaurants, where travelers stop for lunch, also work according to this scheme. Drivers are fed there for free. This is very convenient: tourists do not have to worry about the conductor’s living conditions.
Antananarivo
Mami picked us up at eight o’clock in the morning and we set off for the town of Ambucitra. It is 250 kilometers south of the capital. We were immediately caught in a two-hour traffic jam: the roads in Antananarivo are very narrow and there is no order, nor are there any detours.
During the time in traffic I managed to see the capital of Madagascar. It is a small city, which in some places resembles a village. I noticed that the maximum height of buildings is three or four stories. There are no skyscrapers.
There were a lot of people in the streets, they were noisy, constantly doing something and not smiling. There were stalls with different goods and food on the curbs. Mostly they sold rice mixed with something or something in batter. The food was lying in piles on the stalls, not covered with anything.
I remember a woman who sold coffee. She simply scooped the drink out of the pot with a mug and handed it to the customer. After he drank the coffee, she put the mug back in the pot.
This is where I got to see the Madagascar minibuses. These are familiar minibuses, but you enter them through the back door. And more often than not, right as you go.
Two hours later we were on the highway. The road turned out to be decent, and the cars were going quite fast. The scenery around the capital didn’t impress me much, only the rice fields caught my attention.
On this day we stopped at a gas station where I was first surrounded by the kids I described above.
Aluminum production in Ambatulampi
On our way from Antananarivo to Ambusitra, we stopped by the local aluminum smelter in Ambatulampi. The factory does not have a name, so you can only get an idea of the town.
The factory is entirely manual labor. I read that this is almost the only place on earth where such a primitive way of production is still practiced. It is free to visit the factory, but we left a tip of 10,000 MGA.
At the first stage of production, all the garbage brought in – from tin cans to broken spare parts from vehicles – is melted in a furnace made of bricks. After that, the required mold is buried in the ground, three people stand on it, and a fourth person pours molten aluminum at their bare feet. After about ten minutes, the mold is unearthed and given to them for turning.
The production amazed me – mostly by the enormous health risks to the workers. It looks like a spectacular show for tourists, but it’s a normal working day. People do everything deftly and quickly, even though they work with high temperatures.
City of Ambucitra and surroundings
Thanks to Elia’s elaborate plan, the walk through Ambucitra fell on Saturday morning. It was the day when one of the main attractions in the city was opening.
A market of local craftsmen. It has no name, there is only one market in town and locals can give you directions. There are several stalls selling goods made in woodcarving, weaving or inlaying techniques
. Absolutely all works are handmade. At the market you can buy paintings, boxes, figurines, chests, kitchen utensils and other items.
I liked the decorative wood inlaid tables and the same stools the most. One of the sets from the photo below cost about 400,000 MGA. I consider it a true work of art. But I didn’t buy the set: it was only the second day of the trip and I had a limited amount of cash.
Elia and I bought jewelry boxes, pictures and magnets for ourselves and as gifts for friends. I also bought glass and cutlery holders and a tray with a map of Madagascar.
A pleasant surprise awaited us at the market. Wandering through one of the stores, which consisted of several rooms, we looked out into the courtyard. A local craftsman noticed this and invited us to watch the process of creating art objects.
He described in detail each step of the inlaying of the painting. His working machine was made from improvised means, and the file was a metal bar from a car tire. After producing aluminum, I was no longer surprised that there was no automation of the process here either. Despite this hard work, the average price of a painting of about 30 × 40 cm did not exceed 25,000 MGA at the counter.
Dozens – maybe hundreds – of people painstakingly created their masterpieces on such machines. My friend and I volunteered to try to make something ourselves, but our wooden pieces went crooked.
We thanked the master for his welcome and left him a 20,000 MGA tip. The market pleasantly surprised me. I have seen many souvenir shops in different parts of the world, but this place really impressed me.
A family contract distilling oils and extracts. On the way to Ranomafana National Park, we stopped at another production facility. It has no name either, it is located in the province of Fianarantsoa.
I am not very familiar with the production of oils. Elia explained to me that pure geranium and lemongrass oils have many beneficial properties.
Ranomafana National Park.
The park is 135 kilometers from Ambucitra, which is about a four-hour drive considering the specific roads. The area in which it is located surprised me on the way up by the change in climate. At one point, we entered the subtropics – the vegetation became more abundant and rich green, and the air became stuffy.
Elia found a guide who agreed to accompany us on an evening tour of the neighborhood and in the morning to the national park itself.
Night tour next to the park. This was the first time I went on such a tour, I had only heard of them before. In fact, it was held in the dark, not quite night. Such excursions are popular because different animals are active at different times of the day. For example, some species of lemurs and chameleons are better observed in the dark.
The guide met us after dinner and Mami took us to the park. We walked along the side of the road in the rain and used a flashlight to try to find something in the bushes. It was a fascinating activity, but unfortunately we didn’t find any lemurs, but we did see five or six different chameleons. I met them for the first time in my life.
Morning tour of the park. People come to Ranomafana to see the unique animals and plants. It is also the home of lemurs. The website of the Madagascar Tourism Office reports that 26 species of lemurs have been recorded in the park. It’s also known for its unusual nature. The park has a rainforest zone – places with abundant vegetation, where there is a huge amount of rainfall.
We went to Ranomafana as soon as we checked out of the hotel. You can’t get into any national park in Madagascar without a guide, so we always paid for their services. Accompanying us on two excursions, entrance to the park and tips to the guide cost 235,000 MGA. The walk around Ranomafana took about three hours.
We were lucky enough to get a close up look at the giraffe weevil beetle, which is only found in this park. They are known for their long necks, with males being two to three times longer than females. Also in the park, I saw a stickleback for the first time. If the guide hadn’t pointed it out, I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference between the insect and the branch.
Our main purpose for walking through the park was to meet lemurs. A specially trained tracker was assigned to each group of travelers. His task was to run ahead of the travelers and check the main lemur gathering places. By sounds and other signs, the man would search for the primates and lead the group of visitors to them.
We were lucky: we met three species of lemurs at once. Among them were sifakas, one of the largest species. It is only found in Madagascar.
We saw some lemurs at arm’s length. It was humbling and fascinating: furry exotic animals walking beside us, living their normal lives and quietly allowing us to observe them.
You can stay at one point with a family of lemurs for a very long time. In many ways, this is why people go to Madagascar – to touch the unique nature with a huge number of endemics
City of Fianarantsoa
Throughout the entire trip, Fianarantsoa was the only town that fascinated me, and it was noticeably different from the other settlements on the island. Based on what I have come to think of as a city, Fianarantsoa is the only one I would give this status to.
It seemed to me that life there was much more peaceful and measured than anywhere else on the island. Fianarantsoa also has a sense of colonialism. This is most noticeable in the architecture.
The town has been the center of the spread of Catholicism in the region since it was founded in 1830. Because of this, Fianarantsoa has many churches that are concentrated in the center. They impressed me with their beauty and grace. The one I liked the most was the Cattedrale Di Ambozontany cathedral. I was even more surprised by the people in the churches.
We arrived in town on the right day – Sunday. Every church had some kind of activity going on. In one, teenagers were gathered for a study-like activity. In another, charming girls in white dresses were listening to a sermon. It was more like a monologue, sometimes turning into a dialog. In some churches there was joyful singing. It was the cheerfulness of the songs that surprised me, though I did not understand a word.
As we approached one of the churches, our attention was drawn to the girls dressed in outfits that were chic by local standards. They were wearing shoes with small heels, albeit with worn heels. We asked permission to photograph them. The girls, shy, but with wide smiles, agreed. They told us that there was a concert at a nearby church in which they were involved. We decided to go there.
In the church we saw a large hall with bleachers and a stage. There were almost no free seats, so we were able to sit next to the stage. At that time one of the vocal groups was finishing and the next one was getting ready. About 25 vocalists came on stage in an organized manner. They were girls and boys dressed in charming white and blue dresses and white shirts. Considering the kind of locals I’m already used to, this kind of dressing struck me as dressy and neat. It was noticeable how important, responsible and exciting this event was for the guys. This sincerity looked touching.
Then the children sang. Mami said that they sang about joy, light, goodness and goodness. Everything the church teaches. I could understand it without translation.
There was a wonderful atmosphere of light joy in the hall. It emanated from the performers, was transmitted into the hall and reflected on the faces of the audience. All this was happening in a building with holes in the ceiling. Such joy was radiating from the people, most of whom after the concert went literally further away to survive. This church was one of the lasting impressions of the trip.
After church, we walked through the local streets. A boy came up to me and hesitantly handed me a flower. It was sweet, especially amidst the emotions after the church chants. I realized that the flower had been brought to me for a reason, though the little boy handed it over and stood back, watching Elia and me. I gave him some change in return, which he was very happy about.
A minute later, three more boys came running to us. My friend and I bought a few more flowers and gave the kids some change.
The children in Fianarantsoa impressed me by the fact that, unlike others, they offered something first, rather than running up with outstretched hands and demanding something. On the road before, we had met children and adults who, after refusing, would throw a stone after the car.
Antemoro paper production in Ambalavao
The factory in Ambalavao makes antemoro paper with flecks of colors. It is a famous place, directions can be given at the hotel.
We were met at the factory by its founder and owner. She walked us around the grounds and explained each process. Like the rest of the island, this too was completely handmade.
The bark of the avocha tree is used to make parchment. It is soaked, boiled, and the resulting balls are broken into thin layers. They are placed in water on special frames and then drained.
The factory makes different products from parchment: postcards, photo frames and envelopes. The most interesting stage of production is decorating parchment with flowers. After the finished products are dried in the sun, cut into the desired shape and sold in the shop.
We were invited to participate in decorating the product. First the factory owner gave us instructions, and then Elia and I made our own cards. We joked that they would be thrown away after we left. But in case they did reach a buyer.
We paid 15,000 MGA for the factory tour. We also bought some small souvenirs in the shop, for which I don’t remember the cost.
Tsaranuru Valley
The Tsaranuru Valley is a mountain range in a dry tropical climate. And, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful places in Madagascar.
At first we drove from Ambalavao on a good highway, but after leaving the highway it changed to a broken road that is difficult to navigate even for large SUVs. We drove for over an hour. It seemed to me that the distance was less than 30 kilometers. But the road was very beautiful: we could see mountains and there was a lot of greenery around.
The Tsaranuru Valley is one of the most famous places in Madagascar. People come here for hiking, rock climbing and paragliding, among other things.
Entrance to the park and the services of a guide cost 90,000 MGA. We started our acquaintance with Tsaranuru by climbing Mount Chameleon, its height is about 1400 meters. This is a popular route. Our hotel was located closer to the steeper part of the mountain, so that’s where we went.
It was difficult to climb to the top under the sun, and our guide kept rushing ahead, not understanding why we were barely walking. The climb took about two and a half hours, was fun and enjoyable. It was physically tough, but we joked all the way up, laughing at ourselves and marveling at the fantastic views.
As soon as we reached the top and took a couple of steps on the highest point, it started to rain a little. The wet smooth rocks on the steep cliff did not make us feel safe, so we started to descend, but by a different route – on a more gentle part of the mountain. Despite the rain, it was a pleasant walk.
It took us about two hours to descend. During this time, the rain went away and came back. We chatted, admired the nature, ate guava straight from the branches, and the guide told us legends about the mountains. The guide amused us with the fact that he was afraid of getting cold and wet, although it was +30°C outside and raining a little. To which we told him the traditional: “Don’t be afraid, you’re not sugar – you won’t melt”. I’m not sure he got the joke.
The end of the route was through the forest where we met cat lemurs. This is the kind of primate that was King Julian in the Madagascar cartoon. They were funny, jumping on the branches above our heads.
Soaked, in mud-stained sneakers, but satisfied, we reached the parking lot, where Mami was already waiting for us.
Isalo National Park
Isalo is known for its diverse landscape.
It was a long way to the park. The day was not remarkable from a tourist point of view, but it was memorable for me: I managed to get poisoned. Most likely the cause was the pineapple and the way it was processed. I was lucky that the incident fell on a day with no active plans.
After a five hour drive, we reached a hotel near the national park and settled in for two days.
A hiking route through the national park. We were in the rocky part of the park. The mountains here are not high, but stretch over thousands of hectares.
As usual, a guide accompanied us around the park. His services and a visit to Isalo cost 250,000 MGA. We walked around the mountain range for several hours, encountering beautiful local flora and fauna along the way.
I remember Isalo for its vast expanse: wherever you look, you can’t see the end of it.
At Isalo’s “window” we decided to watch the sunset. In fact, it is just a hole in the rocks, which is famous for looking at the setting sun through it. But the place is really beautiful. I enjoyed watching the mesmerizing change of colors at sunset over the vast African expanse.
Sapphire mining in Ilacaca village.
On the way to the coast, just after finishing Isalo Park, we passed another place unique to Madagascar.
The village of Ilakaka is known for sapphire mining. Upon entering, I noticed a lot of Asian looking people and more expensive cars. This was striking after other villages in Madagascar.
Gemstones were being traded right on the road, we didn’t ask the price. But these were illiquid goods that were not accepted in the local shops. The shops themselves stood quite close by, they were fenced in with metal bars. They had only small windows in which people flashed by.
The process of mining sapphires reminded me of a classic picture from the gold rush: lots of people standing in the river and washing sand. It was mining the residue, the small formations. I would have liked to try my hand at mining, but obviously no one was waiting for me there.
Full-fledged sapphire mines are also in the area, but tours are not taken there.
Zumbitse-Wuhibasia National Park and the road to the ocean
On our way to the ocean, we stopped by another national park. It cost 170,000 MGA to visit it with a guide.
Unlike other national parks, this place is not so popular, but I liked it. I felt like I was in a strange forest where a friend had invited me for a walk.
In the park, we watched the chameleons again. I was surprised by their diversity. We saw both individuals under 10 cm and giants under 80 cm. I was glad that all the animals were close to us, not afraid of us and lived their lives. We also observed lemurs.
In this park we saw baobabs for the first time – majestic, beautiful, slender trees. They’re magnificent. They have a giant, straight trunk with no branches and a lush crown.
As we traveled westward, we moved into the arid climate region. The houses became noticeably simpler: whereas before they were mostly made of clay, now we began to see buildings made of plant-based building materials.
We reached the resort town of Ifati in Tulear province around five in the evening and checked into a hotel on the beach itself.
Ifati Resort
Ifati Province is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island. Europeans, especially the older generation, love to come here. The hotels have everything for a beach vacation. You can swim here, but we walked along the beach at sunset and early in the morning and did not meet any bathers.
Snorkeling. We had breakfast and got ready to go snorkeling in the Strait of Mozambique in the Indian Ocean. We went out on a traditional Malagasy boat – veso. It has an interesting design with a log on one side. It is not an entertainment for tourists, but a usual mode of transportation for locals. On this wonderful boat a team of three people took Elia and me to the reef, located about twenty minutes from the shore.
I had little experience exploring the marine world up to that point, and the dive in Madagascar was the most exciting. I saw many bright, colorful fish, beautiful corals and different plants. I was absolutely thrilled.
The snorkeling lasted for 40 minutes. The veso trip cost us 110,000 MGA.
The private park “Reniala” is famous, among other things, for its unique natural ecosystem, which is found only in the southeastern part of Madagascar – the thorn forest. There are more than 2,000 plant species there. The tour cost 90,000 MGA. We spent about an hour and a half on it, it was very hot.
On the guided walk we saw many baobabs with interesting shapes, a hissing cockroach, a radiating turtle and a chameleon. The assistant guide also brought a hedgehog that was hiding in a reed trunk. Afterwards, the guides discussed among themselves that the stick with the hedgehog should be taken as far into the park as possible, or the locals would find it and eat it.
The way to the Micaea region
Part of the route to the next hotel, Mikea Lodge, was along azure water beaches.
On the way we mostly met fishing settlements. The houses in them are quite simple, built of dry sticks of shrubbery. Transportation regularly goes to these places, leaving some minimum necessary cargo. It also transports people. The cars reminded me of Kamazes, but their manufacturer is Renault.
We got stuck in the sands a few times along the way, but still made it to the hotel. We came to this place for the opportunity to meet the Micaea people, descendants of people who went into the forests in the 1800s to escape another military conflict and the conquerors of the island.
They now live exactly like their hunter-gatherer ancestors. This is what we read about in the history books.
Ele was told about the chance to meet the Michea people by a guide from Ifati. He gave advice on how to organize everything. At the hotel we met Mr. Dudu. He was the link between us and the Micaea.
Mr. Dudu said that he knows the tribe and periodically helps them with food. He clarified that the people might have gone deep into the forests before the drought season, and he did not know how high the chance of meeting them was. We agreed that Mr. Dudu would search for the tribe in the morning and return to us with the results.
Back to the center of the island
From Ifati, we had a long drive back towards the capital: 600 kilometers, about 13 hours, not including stops. Since it was undesirable to drive in the dark, we had to reach the next point by 7 pm. It was in the vicinity of the town of Fianarantsoa, which we loved earlier.
We left at five in the morning. Driving through the town of Tulear an hour later, when it wasn’t even fully dawned, I was surprised to see that the street was already bustling with activity. People were setting up goods on store shelves, rushing about their business. I also noticed a lot of rickshaws.
Madagascar is one of the few countries where this mode of transportation is still practiced. Unlike in India, here the cart is pulled on their shoulders instead of riding a bicycle. Locals call them pus-pus. The service costs pennies and is widespread throughout the island.
The move was really long. We were tired and didn’t sleep much. We ate cookies on the road: we tried not to take risks and not to eat in roadside cafes. We reached the hotel near the tea plantations in the dark.
A tea plantation in Sahambhavi
The Sahambhavi Tea Plantation is one of the few production units in the country. It was built by the British in the 1970s. All the equipment remains from that time. The bulk of the product, about 80%, is exported. The remaining 20% is enough to cover domestic needs.
The road from the hotel to the tea factory ran through the village. Very soon after we started the journey, a tail of five or six kids formed behind us. This time they approached us out of curiosity. They told us that they were on vacation and were just bored.
A guide met us at the factory and took us to the plantation. There he briefly told us about the peculiarities of growing and harvesting tea. Next, the excursion took us through the production process. The whole process consists of five main stages. After the tea leaves are picked and sorted, the raw material goes through the stages of wilting, twisting, fermentation, drying and final sorting.
Our tour fell on a Monday, on which day the plant had a technical shutdown. So we saw only sorting and packaging. It was interesting for me to walk around the factory, to hear about the process of tea production and to see the final stage of its processing. I was surprised to see how a simple machine sorted the leaves by size into five different bags.
After the tour, we were given a tasting. The tea was really delicious, which I was genuinely surprised by. And the serving was elegant: the drink was poured into cups made of fine English porcelain. The tour of the factory cost 14,000 MGA. We also bought tea for home and for gifts. I don’t remember how much it cost.
Afterwards, we went for a self-guided walk around the plantations, which cover about 500 hectares. The walk was beautiful, with green tea bushes stretching into the endless distance.
Baobab Alley
We were excited to see one of Madagascar’s main attractions, the baobabs. Even on the previous day, these majestic trees had captured our attention as we approached the city.
Baobab Alley is a unique place on earth. It is a road lined with 25 trees. Around it you can see about the same number of others. The height of the trees is about 30 meters. The length of the alley itself is 200 meters. We walked along it several times.
Opinions differ on the age of baobabs. The trees do not have traditional rings, so the age is determined by radiocarbon analysis. According to the most conservative estimates, the baobabs in the alley are no younger than 2,500 years old.
It would seem to be nothing – just trees on both sides of the road. But they looked very beautiful and majestic. It is hard to explain why these giants made me excited. When I think of how many historical events these trees have witnessed, it takes my breath away.
I read in one of the guidebooks that the area used to have dense tropical forests and the baobabs did not tower over the bushes, but blended harmoniously into the landscape. But as the population grew, the forests were cleared for agricultural purposes. Now there are rice fields around the alley. The baobabs were preserved because of their useful properties.
These trees are natural monuments and have been protected since 2015. I really hope the alley is safe, but I’m not at all sure about the safety of many of the parks we’ve visited before. The guides told us that even in the nature reserves, forests are regularly cut down. Rangers try to protect the areas, but there is often a question of the safety of the protectors themselves. Locals cut down protected forests for a simple reason – the struggle for survival. Between 1950 and 2000, 50% of Madagascar’s forests were destroyed. And the process is not stopping, but only gaining momentum.
Absolutely happy, we drove on in search of the baobab trees in love. This is a freestanding pair of trees whose trunks are intertwined with each other. Of course, there is a legend that this is the embodiment of two lovers who lived millennia ago and were never meant to be together in their lifetime. It’s really a lovely sight.
The next day we returned to Baobab Alley in the setting sun. This time there were quite a few tourists gathered there, all catching the sun rays. It was an amazingly beautiful sight.
I was graced by a group of not-so-young French travelers. The tour organizers had set them a beautiful table with treats, wine and cocktails. And all this with a view of the sunset over the Baobab Alley. This is what I understand: people know how to live beautifully.
We wanted to prolong the enchanting moments, but the sun quickly disappeared and we drove to Murundava.
Kirindi Park
After visiting the Baobab Alley, our way lay to the Kirindi area. For part of the route we were practically floating in puddles rather than driving. We had doubts whether we could make it to the next hotel as not all the roads had had time to dry. But we made it, marveling at Mami’s skill and fearlessness. The road was a real attraction for us.
The night tour of the park was scheduled for the evening. It took us about 15 minutes to get there from our hotel. This park is located in a tropical climate and is home to animals and plants indigenous to this region of Madagascar. Only the private nature reserve is accessible to the public. I read that the park is overseen by a Swiss animal conservation organization.
A guide met us at the entrance to the park. He advised us to soak ourselves in repellent and took us on a tour. We were lucky: right at the entrance we met a mouse lemur. It’s that adorable little Mort from Madagascar. The little guy was hiding in a hollow tree. It seems that he was on his way to find food when we discovered him.
Lemur was tiny, yet had huge eyes and a wonderful fluffy tail. Usually, to get a glimpse of the animal, the guide shines a flashlight on it until the tourists admire it. I’m not sure the nocturnal animals are pleased with this treatment. We marveled for a while and left the animal alone.
Afterwards we managed to spot three more species of lemurs, but they paid no attention to us. After wandering around the park for a few hours, we returned to the parking lot and headed back to the hotel. This park was our last hope to see fossas, but we never saw any. Mami did not share our sadness at all.
For the afternoon tour of Kirindi we went after breakfast. We were met by the same guide.
We walked around the park for a couple of hours. During this time we admired baobabs, their unusual colors, met lemurs and many lizards. Afterwards we went back to the hotel, had lunch and relaxed by the pool.
They paid 220,000 MGA for two days to visit the park and accompany the guide.
Lake Tritriva and the road to the airport
The morning started with a leisurely breakfast and final packing. It was about 170 kilometers and four hours to the capital.
After breakfast, we decided to stop by Lake Tritriva, located just outside of town. Entrance to the lake and a guide cost 35,000 MGA.
It is a volcanic lake with blue colored water that is surrounded by rocks and coniferous trees. The scenery is very beautiful. We walked around the lake about a third of the way around, the guide gave some basic information about the lake. For example, that Tritriva is sacred to the locals and there are many legends and beliefs associated with it.
The memory of visiting the lake was not only the beautiful views, but also the pushy local vendors. When the guide finished the tour and we went to the car, Elia and I were surrounded by sellers of stone products. I didn’t need anything, but Elia was interested in something. I repeatedly made it clear that I wasn’t going to buy anything, but people kept crowding around me and offering me products. I had never seen such aggressive marketing before.
Seeing that I wasn’t taking anything, one of the saleswomen started complaining about the hard life. She did it in English, which is rare on the island. I was confused by this pressure and handed out what little change I had left, but people continued to offer their goods. Mami, noticing my desperate look, waved toward the car, and we began to move toward it.
We got in the car and drove to the airport. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, but we did not take into account that it was the day before Easter. Easter is widely celebrated in Madagascar, everyone tends to leave the capital to visit relatives, spend time with family and visit fairs. Due to heavy traffic, it took us about two hours to get out of Antsirabe alone.
We spent the next four hours nervously wondering if I would make the plane. We drove non-stop. As we passed another town where Mami’s son was visiting his grandparents for the weekend, our driver couldn’t even slow down, but honked at the child.
It was my most exciting ride of my life to the airport. Luckily, I made it in time. We arrived 75 minutes before our flight was due to depart. I had to quickly say goodbye to Mami and run to check-in. Elia walked me to passport control, and there we said goodbye to her as well. An hour later my plane took off, and I was already looking out of the window at the island.
Before returning home, I had another stop in Mauritius. The island turned out to be interesting, but could not even come close to the amount of impressions and memories that I took away from Madagascar.
Lodging in Madagascar
There are many good hotels in Madagascar, but they are all for travelers only. The locals cannot afford a night in a hotel or a dinner in a hotel restaurant. The infrastructure created for tourists is a parallel universe to real Malagasy life.
Since we were traveling in Madagascar before the main tourist season, we had no trouble booking hotels. There were free places almost everywhere. During the season, I advise you to book accommodation in advance. Large and popular hotels in Madagascar have pages on “Booking” or websites. I will tell you a little about the hotels where we stayed.
The city of Ambucitra. The Artisan Hotel looked beautiful. I was struck by the skillful wood carvings found in every corner. At the hotel we relaxed, tasted local rum and enjoyed live music. One night along with dinner and breakfast cost 185,000 MGA for two people.
In the vicinity of Ranomafana Park, we got a room at the comfortable Centrest Hotel. It had a nice restaurant and a very nice bar made of local wood. The hotel has its own green area, which was nice to walk around. There was even a children’s playground, which is something you hardly ever find anywhere else. Together with dinner and breakfast we paid 230 000 MGA per night for two people.
On the outskirts of Ambalavao town, we chose the Tsienimparihy Lodge hotel. I liked it as well. There was a lot of greenery on the grounds, including roses and pomegranates. We also met a radiant tortoise there. A night with breakfast and dinner cost 216,500 MGA for two people.
The Tsaranuru Valley has very few hotels. Apart from our Tsarasoa, I have only heard of one where you can book camping sites or rooms in the form of tents on platforms. Our hotel had full-fledged cabins of varying degrees of comfort, from amenities in a neighboring building outside to a bathroom inside. We took the latter option. A night together with breakfast and dinner cost 315,000 MGA.
In the vicinity of Isalo Park, we chose the H1 Isalo Hotel. It’s not bad, it has a nice indoor area and even has a pool with a small waterfall. Affluent locals used to come there to vacation. For two nights with meals we paid 300,000 MGA.
In Ifati, the La Bella Donna hotel was different from the previous ones. This hotel was run by Europeans and this was reflected in the filling of the rooms and the restaurant menu. A room with meals cost MGA 241,000. The price included a Mojito, which was brought to us by the beach. There we watched a gorgeous sunset.
When we arrived in Ifaty for the second time, our hotel was completely full, so we had to make a detour to several others. We ended up staying at the Princesse du Lagon Hotel on the beach, not far from the previous hotel. We had a lobster dinner, enjoyed Mojitos again at sunset and went to bed. The hotel stay with meals cost 369,000 MGA.
In the region of Mikea we stayed at the popular Mikea Lodge. The hotel is practically in a paradise place with snow-white beaches stretching for tens of kilometers and crystal clear ocean water. Since we were traveling in the pre-season, we were the only guests there.
I categorized this hotel as glamping: the rooms were tents under a canopy. The bathroom was also in the open air, but was enclosed by a fence of stakes.
We arrived at the hotel in the evening, left our stuff in the room, ordered dinner, walked along the gorgeous beach and sat on the veranda of the rum restaurant watching a fantastic sunset.
The hotel stay and meals cost 360,000 MGA.
We chose Lac Hotel Sahambavy near Fianarantsois. We arrived there at night. There were friendly staff, a cozy room and a delicious dinner waiting for us.
It was daylight when we explored the grounds. It turned out to be interesting. In addition to rooms in the form of usual houses, which overlooked the lake, there was a room in a former train carriage, and also – a tree house. The grounds of the hotel are beautiful and well maintained. I saw lots of flowers, sculptures, gazebos and a swimming pool.
The hotel is owned by Asians and you could feel it. For example, we just had a giant four-poster bed. Until then, I had never slept on a bed wider than two meters.
In Antsirabe, we stayed at the Souimanga Hotel on two occasions. It is adjacent to a botanical garden and a church. For the first night with breakfast we paid 120 000 MGA. Three days later we returned and paid 280,000 MGA for a room with meals: we had a farewell dinner with Mami and thanked him for his support throughout the trip.
In Murundava we spent the night at Le Sun Beach Hotel. The hotel was on the beach, but it was very different from the beach in Ifati: dirty, unkept – there was no desire to walk along the ocean. A room with dinner and breakfast cost 268,500 MGA.
The second time in Murundawa we stayed at Le Vezo Beach Hotel. It is modern, with a nice rooftop restaurant, where it was nice to dine to the sound of the ocean. A night in the hotel with meals cost 252,000 MGA.
Kirindi is an area with a small choice of hotels, prices there are high. Here accommodation and meals cost a record amount for the whole time – 605,500 MGA. At the approach to the hotel Relais Du Kirindy we were again met by baobabs. We checked in, had lunch and stayed to relax by the pool, it was very hot.
The night was not very comfortable because of some animals that got into our cabin and were scampering around. They left me a gnawed pocket of my backpack as a souvenir.
Food
The situation with restaurants in Madagascar is the same as with hotels. There are quite a few of them, most of them good. But these are all establishments aimed at foreign tourists.
We almost always ate at hotels, except for days on the road. One time we did decide to stop at a cafe recommended by Mami for lunch. Elia and I ordered a neutral margarita pizza, but they told us they couldn’t make it: they didn’t have the right dough. We agreed to a croissant, but they didn’t bring it to us either. The waiters did not explain why. We never had a snack, it was an unusual service. We were glad that at least Mami had time to eat traditional rice with fish.
The food is okay in the popular tourist spots, but I didn’t try anything particularly tasty. The exception was dinner at the La Bella Donna hotel in Ifati. There was the usual quality of European cuisine that we are used to. We ordered dishes with fresh seafood and they were cooked deliciously.
In the other hotels the food was of average level, in 90% of cases they offered rice. Meat was added to it, most often only zebu. The second option was fish. Here the choice is wider. Flatbreads and pizza are also very popular on the island.
Eggs and bread were almost always served for breakfast in hotels. They also offered different fruits, but I didn’t remember anything particularly tasty.
Communication
I got a local SIM card on my second or third day on the island. A seven-day tariff with unlimited internet cost about 20,000 MGA.
You should buy the card in large cities: in small towns, most likely, there will be no point of sale. I got a SIM card at the branch of a local operator, but I don’t remember its name. Mami helped me.
The paperwork in Madagascar is taken seriously: for the first time my signature on the application was compared with the signature in my passport. The staff also took a picture of me with my passport.
I started using the SIM card only in the second week of the trip, before that Elia shared the traffic with me. The connection was good in the cities, and I had enough internet speed. There were interruptions on the road, but even in the remote forests the internet was very stable.
Most hotels had free wifi. The quality varied, but in general it was very acceptable. But there are hotels in Madagascar where internet is available, but you cannot use it because the owner has not paid the bill. I advise you to take this into account.
People and life of local people
I’ll share some interesting observations about the life of the locals, which are typical of any track in Madagascar.
It surprised me that on almost any stretch of road, there was always someone on the side of the road. Most often people were walking somewhere or carrying something. I saw bicycles as well. It left me with the feeling that people are literally everywhere on the island. I think the official population estimates for Madagascar are grossly underestimated.
On the island, the road is a familiar part of life in any village. Grain is dried right on it, and it is also where it is pounded and milled. In the settlements, people have no lights or glass in their windows, but many have small mobile solar panels, which were visible from the road.
Another peculiarity of local roads is signs cast in concrete. The reason is simple: if you put up a sign made of metal, it will be stolen tomorrow.
I was also surprised by the different clothes of the locals. “Chanels” and “Louis Vuittons” were seen with the same frequency as “Nikes” and “Adidas”. Most of it is probably fake, but I’ve read that many brands do send leftovers of their collections to poor countries as humanitarian aid. In reality, at least in Madagascar, such humanitarian aid ends up on the shelves of merchants, where locals are already forced to buy it.
From other peculiarities of life I can still mention the process of washing in the river. In Madagascar, it is a source of water where everything is done at the same time: people wash themselves, do laundry and wash cars. Once I saw all these three processes at once a meter away from each other in a typical river with brown water.
Weather
In Madagascar, the tourist season lasts from mid-April to mid-October. During this time the island receives little rainfall. The temperature depends on the area. For example, in summer in the central part of Madagascar it usually reaches +23 °C, and in the west – +31 °C.
Rains are most common from late December to early March. Travelers rarely come to Madagascar in winter.
We traveled around the island in March, in the pre-season. This affected our plans a bit: the prolonged rains washed out the roads and we had to rearrange the route.
Results
For me Madagascar turned out to be a place that cannot leave indifferent. Leaving the island, I took with me many incredible memories and emotions, gained new knowledge and experience. They definitely made me richer.
I am very grateful to Ela for a great itinerary, to Mami for her reliable accompaniment and to all the people we met along the way. Despite the cautions, in personal contact all the locals treated us kindly and always gave us the necessary support.
I really hope I was able to show something new to readers and lift the veil of mystery over the mysterious island of Madagascar.
