Madagascar is a country I first visited in 2022. It’s not that far from Mauritius, which is why it was a contender for the next destination.
Upon arrival, we got the 60-day Malagasy visa, which costs €40 per person. The eVisa website didn’t work and also didn’t seem super useful as you still need to pay for it in cash on arrival. Online promises of receiving 90 days on arrival against payment were all false.
Things I’d Like to Do in Madagascar
- Hitchhike!✅ It’s a huge island, so there must be opportunities to travel by thumb. Hitchhiking also seems like a prime opportunity to pick up some Malagasy words and phrases. Wikipedia has a useful list to break the ice
- Visit the capital city Antananarivo✅. It seems like a good place to learn about the country’s history (Twelve sacred hills of Imerina + Upper Town) and contemporary life
- Visit some natural areas, such as the Rainforests of the Atsinanana and the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve. Both of those are UNESCO sites. Moreover, I’d like to visit the Isandra cliff and caves, the Analavory geysers✅, Lake Alaotra, Lake Ihotry, Riandahy and Rianbavy waterfalls, Sakaleona waterfalls, Les Chutes de la Lily waterfall✅, and of course the famous Avenue of the Baobabs✅ nearby Morondava
- Enjoy a few islands and perhaps go kayaking during an island stay. Many cater to tourists, such as Nosy Be (volcanic crater lakes), Nosy Iranja (sand spit), Nosy Boraha (pirate cemetery), and Nosy Mangabe
- Travel to other villages, towns, and cities on the island, such as Toamasina (Nosy Alañaña lighthouse), Antsirabe✅, Ambovombe, and Tsiroanomandidy (zebu market)
- Try some of the Malagasy wine✅, beer✅, rum✅, coffee✅, and local tea✅
- Travel by small boats✅ or ferries internally in the country. For example, I’d love to travel from the coast up the interior on a river
- I guess I’ll have to see lemurs? That seems pretty mandatory. Luckily, there’s a Lemur’s Park✅ near the capital city Antananarivo
Next Time in Madagascar
So my trip to the Red Island in 2022/2023 was a great introduction, but we couldn’t travel everywhere because A) it’s huge and B) it was the start of the rainy season. And with more knowledge of the country now, I’d like to add the following things to do as well:
- Take boats in or paddle a kayak in the Canal des Pangalanes. I’ve missed the east coast and this canal seems exactly like my thing
- Witness some cultural things, such as a hiragasy performance, a moraingy match, and people dancing and singing with regional music. Perhaps I’ll also be lucky to visit during Malagasy new year (Alahamady Be) and/or the Santabary festival
- Perhaps see the highest peak of the country called Maromokotro (2876masl – remote multi-day expedition). If I’m going back to the lovely Ambalavao area, I’d like to see/hike the second-highest peak in the country in Andringitra National Park named Imarivolanitra at 2658 masl
- Visit and ascend lighthouses at the many capes in the country. I’d especially love to travel to Antsiranana (Antsiranana Bay) and visit the northernmost point of the island. The same probably goes for the southernmost point. Though I’m not sure if there’s a lighthouse in the south
- Finally take the train. There are supposedly two parts of the country that have passenger rail service… but in reality, it was just one part of the country, which happened to also not work when we were in Fianarantsoa. The train between Fianarantsoa and Manakara crosses the runway of the latter’s airport
- Eat local (vegetarian) foods. During my first visit, I was often so sick that I didn’t try much local food. I only had the rice (vary) with a topping (laoka – some of those toppings are veg-friendly) once in Tana
- Next time, I’d like to arrive and/or depart by boat. I’d love to make a connection between Madagascar and Réunion, Mayotte, and Comoros. If crewing a sailing yacht, it would even be possible (though we might need a permit) to visit remote places such as Europa Island, Bassas da India, and Juan de Nova
Map of Madagascar POIs
If you know cool places and things to do in Madagascar, comment below! Then I can always find your suggestions again once I start making the dream come true. Tips are especially welcome if you are Malagasy or have lived there for a while
Are you a travel blogger and do you have good posts about Madagascar? Drop them in a comment below and I’ll read them!
Madagascar for Digital Nomads: A New Frontier
This guide to Madagascar also appears under the Digital Nomads Guides brand Contents1 Why Madagascar?1.1 Introduction to the Red Island1.2 Which Digital Nomads can make it work in Madagascar?1.3 Income + language skills + experience2 Money3 Internet4 Plugs + Power Cuts5 Accommodation5.1 Laundry + services6 Food6.1 Restaurants6.2 (Super)markets6.3 Vegetarian food + dietary restrictions7 Transport7.1 Entering Madagascar7.2 Local transport in the cities7.3 Road/rail transport between cities7.4 Boat travel7.5 Domestic flights8 Business Hours9 Visa10 Culture, Language & Religion11 Safety11.1 Traffic11.2 People11.3 Health11.4 Nature12 Useful Facebook Groups13 Final Words Why Madagascar? Introduction to the Red Island Madagascar is basically its own continent. ThoughContinue reading
Getting a SIM Card in Madagascar: Orange, Telma, and Airtel
We bought our Malagasy Orange and Telma SIM cards on the first full day in the country, the 16th of November 2022. The last SIM card in Madagascar, Airtel, was trickier to get in the capital. I’ll explain below why we’re getting multiple SIM cards from different providers. Contents1 TL;DR Which SIM Card in Madagascar Should I Choose?2 Our Experience Buying a SIM Card in Madagascar3 Orange SIM Card in Madagascar3.1 Where to buy an Orange Madagascar SIM card3.2 Topping up your mobile data via Orange Money3.3 Checking your Orange data and balance4 Telma SIM Card in Madagascar4.1 Getting theContinue reading
Money in Madagascar: the Ariary, Cash, ATMs, Orange Money + MVola
Paying for things in Madagascar isn’t as straightforward as in many other countries. Here’s how to get your hands on fat stacks of Malagasy Ariary, how to use the mobile money apps in the country, and how to identify when people are quoting prices in Malagasy Franc (†2005). Using money in Madagascar is very intertwined with having a Malagasy SIM card, so check out that article as well. Contents1 Intro to The Ariary—Paper Money Only2 Costs and Dual Pricing3 Communicating Prices with Malagasy People3.1 Recognizing when people quote in the old Malagasy Franc (FMG)3.2 When people quote prices in Euros,Continue reading
Ranohira: Our First Time Hitchhiking in Madagascar
This happened on the 29th of December, 2022. Jonas and I did our first cursory hitchhiking in Madagascar session. Since it was so spontaneous and unplanned, the featured photo of this article was taken on the 2nd of January, 2023 while waiting for our cotisse from Ranohira to Ambalavao and does not represent the text below. Tired As Fuck After eating lunch and asking the Isalo National Park office about tours, I was quite exhausted. We’d traveled from Toliara at sea level to Ranohira at 1000 meters by cotisse. Though we had expected lower temperatures at this altitude if anythingContinue reading
Madagascar Tourist Visa Extension in Toliara: 30 Days Extra
We tried to extend our tourist visa in Madagascar in the coastal city of Toliara, aka Tuléar or Toliary. Our first visit attempt was on Friday the 23rd of December, and the next time Monday the 26th of December. Trying the Madagascar tourist visa extension around Christmas was obviously not ideal. Contents1 Why Extend the Madagascar Tourist Visa?2 Where to Extend Your Tourist Visa in Madagascar3 Researching the Malagasy Tourist Visa Extension4 Attempt 1: Friday before Christmas5 Attempt 2: Visa Extension Progress?5.1 Bitter boomers5.2 A useless sidequest5.3 Paying for the visa extension6 Attempt 3: We got it!7 Madagascar Tourist VisaContinue reading
Arriving in Antananarivo (Madagascar) After One Year in Mauritius
We left Mauritius for Madagascar on the 15th of November, 2022. We flew to the Malagasy capital Antananarivo with Air Mauritius. Contents1 Deciding on Madagascar2 Quatre Bornes to MRU3 Flying past La Réunion to Antananarivo4 Arriving in TNR Antananarivo5 Sketchy Moment with Rival Taxi Drivers6 Taxi Ride to Antananarivo Center7 Checking in to Sole Hotel8 Good info? Consider buying me a sugarcane juice!9 Wish to share this post? I adore you Deciding on Madagascar Our one-year Mauritian premium visa was coming to an end in November. We had considered renewing this fantastic digital nomad visa for another year; the MVContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 57: Novi Banovci to Belgrade – The Last Capital on the Danube
Our 57th kayak day on the Danube was on Monday, the 22nd of April, 2024. We paddled from Novi Banovci to Belgrade in Serbia. Belgrade is the last capital city on the Danube River. I used to live in Belgrade back in 2015, which was part of my original inspiration for kayaking the Danube. Going to Veliko Ratno Ostrvo (Great War Island) was a major goal. Contents1 Leaving Novi Banovci2 Cliffs + Goodbye Vojvodina3 Pupin Bridge4 Landing at Great War Island5 Kayaking to Belgrade Up the Sava River6 One Week in Belgrade7 Cool story? Consider buying me a craft beer!8 If you could share thisContinue reading
Why We Started Catsitting + How to Start Housesitting to Travel
It all started with a cat named Monday. At least, that’s what we called her. And after finding a forever home for her, we wanted to have more cats in our lives without the drama and the tears. More happy stories of beloved felines that receive regular veterinary care. Fewer stories of kittens discarded on a hiking trail or born in a colony on a rooftop. Just taking care of cats for a few days or weeks or months and then handing back the responsibility to their pet parents who missed them dearly and are grateful for the help. ThatContinue reading
How to Get an Ethiopian SIM Card
We arrived in Ethiopia on the 26th of January, 2023 and immediately bought an Ethiopian SIM card at the airport. Here’s our experience and how you can get mobile data in Addis Ababa and beyond. Contents1 Ethio Telecom Monopoly2 Buying the Ethiopian SIM Card at Addis Ababa Airport (ADD)3 Where to buy a SIM card in Ethiopia?4 How to top-up your Ethiopian SIM card?5 How to buy a data package?6 FAQ6.1 I’m entering Ethiopia via a land border, where can I buy a SIM card?6.2 Where can I find my own number?6.3 How to check my balance?6.4 Should IContinue reading
Ethiopian Food and Drink I Scarfed Down as a Vegetarian in 30 Days
As a traveling vegetarian, Ethiopia is quite an easy country to visit. Many national dishes are vegetarian or vegan. These are the Ethiopian food and drinks I wolfed down during my one-month stay in Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, and Lalibela. Contents1 How to Find Out Which Ethiopian Foods are Vegetarian?2 Ethiopian Food and Drink Diary3 Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony3.1 No popcorn, just popcorn3.2 Full coffee ceremony at Alem Restaurant, Lalibela3.3 Introduction to Tana Adam3.4 Popcorn!4 Helpful? Please consider buying me a flaxseed juice!5 Spread your love for Ethiopian food How to Find Out Which Ethiopian Foods are Vegetarian? Ever since theContinue reading