Madagascar is not an easy place to get to. The only practical way of getting to Madagascar is by air and flights are expensive and long. Antananarivo, or Tana as it’s widely known, is the main point of arrival and departure for flights to Madagascar. The airport is located 9.9 miles outside of town. There are no passenger ferries from South Africa, Mozambique or Tanzania. There aren’t even any boats running from Madagascar’s nearest neighbors, the Comoros Islands and Mauritius.

There are no direct flights to Madagascar from North America. The most common solution from the east coast is usually a flight to Europe, followed by flights from London or Paris. Alternatively, if you’re traveling to Madagascar from the west coast, you may find it cheaper to fly via Bangkok and connect with Air Madagascar there (flights run twice weekly).

By car: If you’re renting a car at the airport and travelling around Madagascar by car, there are three obvious road routes out of Antananarivo. The RN2 runs east to Parc National d’Andasibe-Mantadia and then zigzags down the steep scarp to the Indian Ocean, while the RN4 swoops off the highlands down to the hot northwest and far north. The country’s most important artery, however, is the RN7, which toils southwards through the Hauts Plateaux and eventually reaches the far south.

By shuttle: If you’re using public transport, there’s an airport authority shuttle service to central Antananarivo that stops at several hotels and terminates at the central station, Gare Soarano. Listen out for the regular announcements on the PA.

By public taxi-be bus: You can also take a public taxi-be bus from right outside the car park, again terminating (eventually) at Gare Soarano. These white buses are a cheaper alternative, however, they can get crowded, but you'll only pay around 400ar. Private taxi drivers charge around 30,000ar depending on your destination and the time of day. Beware of touts who try to broker a deal for you: always deal directly with the driver. Allow up to an hour or more to reach central Antananarivo, depending on traffic.

The city has four main bus stations: Northern, Southern Eastern, and Western. At each, you'll find a choice of buses, taxi brousses (bush taxis), and minibuses. If you don't mind being crammed in, minibus or 'taxi-be' is the cheapest option. Fares are set at 300ar (at the time this was published) and you can hop on and off where you wish.

taxi is the easiest option for tourists to get around. Be sure to agree on fares before setting off.

If you plan to drive, keep in mind that traffic is heavy in the capital city, but confident drivers can rent a car in the city or from major brands like Hertz or Budget at Ivato Airport.

No. Tap water is not safe to drink anywhere in the country. Bottled water is available everywhere though. When buying bottled water, make sure the bottles are sealed when handed to you.

There are no compulsory vaccinations required for Madagascar, however, we recommend you consult with your local travel clinic for the most up-to-date recommendations, particularly in regard to malaria prophylactics. Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required if you are coming from or have transited through an airport of a country where yellow fever occurs.

The only expensive part of Madagascar is getting there. After that, this country is likely one of the cheapest places you’ll ever visit. Madagascar uses the Ariary as the official currency. Ariary’s come in 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10000 notes. Yes, the biggest bill in Madagascar is the 10,000 ariary note (equal to about $4!).

Since Madagascar is a former colony, the majority of its visitors are French and the Euro is commonly used by tour operators’ in quotinge prices for tours. Many tourism operators recommend taking Euros to the country and exchanging it at the airport. This is a good move but if you have a bank card that does not charge you ATM fees, this is not necessary as the ATMs in this country dispense cash just fine.

If you plan to exchange money, we recommend doing so at the airport. Euros are the preferred currency but dollars and pounds are readily available. The exchange rates given at the airport are good, close to market spot rate.

ATMs in Madagascar - As Madagascar’s tourism industry begins to grow, so will the availability of ATMs. As of now, you’ll find most of the ATMs in all the bigger cities ONLY. ATMs accept Visa and BNI accepts Mastercard as well (but best to go with Visa to be safe).

Cash is king in Madagascar and it is the only method of payment in 95% of Madagascar. Only the ultra high-end hotels and restaurants accept credit card. Be aware, some of the establishments that do take credit cards will want to charge you a fee. Even the gas stations do not take credit cards!

Prepare to visit the ATM frequently and prepare to carry around cash.

Shopping in Antananarivo is lots of fun with stores, bustling markets, shopping centers and hawkers vying for passing tourists' patronage. The Zoma Market, which is held daily, was once claimed to be the second-largest in the world, and is definitely worth a visit for those wanting to get some souvenir shopping done. Tana Market is also popular and sells exquisite local handicrafts and artifacts made of sea shells and corals. Head to the top and bottom of Avenue of Independence for some fantastic stalls where popular Madagascar souvenirs such as woodcarvings, oil paintings, hand-loomed fabrics, cotton, silk, embroidery and woven straw items, like baskets and hats can be found. The bright colors of the fabrics draped across tables make for an unforgettable and very colorful shopping experience. Haggling is expected but as a tourist, be prepared to pay more for items than locals. Beware of pickpockets in the bustling markets, and brush up on your French as this can come in handy when bartering with the locals.

The area surrounding Antananarivo is surrounded by mountains giving a climate that is cool at night. The rainy season runs December-March, and it is best to avoid visiting during this time. Violent cyclones can hit the country at this time and the roads leading up to tourist attractions like the Tsingy Stone Forest, can be completely washed away. May-October are the driest, coolest months, and the best time to visit.

The official languages of Madagascar are Malagasy and French. The latter is the language left behind from colonial times and used primarily among the more educated and those working in tourism. Malagasy is the more commonly spoken language. Everyone speaks Malagasy, with only about 15% of the people able to speak fluent French. Miraculously, all 20 million people in Madagascar speak various dialects of Malagasy, and everyone can understand each other.

Being able to speak French is highly useful. We recommend learning some basic phrases just to get around as the English spoken in this country is very poor. The lack of education in this country is alarming and if someone does not work in the tourism industry, or live in a big city, there is a good chance they will not speak French either. Make sure to download the offline French language pack with the Google Translate app before your travels.

Dine in laid-back restaurants that are popular with locals like Villa Vanille and Chez Sucett's or reserve a table at Le Carnivore Restaurant Bar & Lounge for dinner. A basic meal for two costs around Ar20,390, while dinner at an upscale restaurant starts at about Ar64,000.

Most of Africa has pretty bland, uninspired food. With the Southeast Asian influence in Madagascar. Madagascar has the potential to create good food. There are a lot of spices, vegetables, and fruits to be had here but the country has not developed its cuisine for tourism yet.

There is a fine line between food cooked for the locals, and food cooked for tourists. The latter is more French inspired than Malagasy. The former consists of rice (the biggest part of Malagasy diet), a meat, and maybe some stew for flavoring.

Street food is available everywhere and although dirt cheap (1-2$ a meal), you may find local cuisine to be lacking in flavor. The French-style cuisine meant for tourists run usually $5-8 a plate and is a bit better, although still nothing like the delicious food you can find in Southeast Asia.

Zebu, Madagascar’s version of the cow, and the locals feverishly vocalize the distinction between zebus and cows, is one of the staple dishes in Madagascar. Considered the most sacred of animals. It’s tasty, especially with some Madagascan Green Peppercorn sauce and Sakay chilies.

Fresh fruit is a staple in Madagascar and can be found on the side of the street, in the market, or pretty much anywhere. Depending on the time of year, different fruits will be available. Madagascar is the world’s largest lychee exporter and during the month of December, lychee can be had in huge quantities for dirt cheap.

While homosexuality has never been illegal in Madagascar, the country is not as accepting of LGBTQ rights as some others in Africa. They ask that all visitors maintain an understanding of cultural sensitivity concerning this issue. Discretion is to be practiced regardless of orientation in sites of antiquity, as well as during day-to-day touring, but Madagascar welcomes all to its beautiful shores.

Antananarivo has its share of desperately poor people and petty gangsters, any of whom will happily pick your pockets, con you or intimidate you into handing over money or valuables. The worst areas are the relatively touristy city center districts, especially around av de l’Indépendance, and the markets and bus stations, where local people are just as vulnerable. Be very careful when first finding your feet: violent muggings are rare but not unknown.

Police: 17 or 117 from a mobile phone. Fire brigade: 18 or 118 from a mobile phone. Ambulance: 17 or 117 from a mobile phone. .