United States
Madagascar Travel and Destination Guide
TRANSPORT
Getting There
International and domestic flights come into Ivato airport, just north of Antananarivo. The airports in Mahajanga and Toamasina both handle flights from Réunion, Mauritius and the Comoros.
Air Madagascar is the national carrier of Madagascar. While occasional upsets in airline schedules still occur, service is relatively good.
Air Madagascar, Air France and Corsair, all operating flights from France, fly directly to Madagascar. There are now a few flights per week from Milan to Nosy Be or Île Sainte Marie in addition to flights from Munich or Rome to Antananarivo. The main hubs for flights to Madagascar are Johannesburg in South Africa and Nairobi in Kenya. Air Madagascar flies between Singapore and Antananarivo, with connections in Singapore to other Asian countries.
The main regional airline linking Madagascar and the Comoros with the Indian Ocean region is Air Austral (working in partnership with Air France and Air Mauritius).
It's possible to travel to and from Madagascar by boat, but for most destinations you will need plenty of time and determination. Travel is likely to be on cargo ships - unless you find a ride on a yacht as a crew member - so sleeping and eating conditions, combined with sometimes turbulent seas, can make for a rough trip. Bring seasickness tablets with you.
Mombasa (Kenya) and the island of Zanzibar (Tanzania) are the main places to look for cargo boats to Madagascar or the Comoros. It's also sometimes possible to find passage on a yacht heading from South Africa, Réunion or Mauritius - or maybe even from France to Nosy Be or Mayotte.
Getting Around
It may often be just as fast to travel by bicycle as by taxi-brousse (bush taxi). A mountain bike is normally essential. Carry spare parts, although inner tubes and other basic parts are sometimes available in larger towns. The terrain varies from very sandy to muddy or rough and rocky.
It's usually no problem to transport your bicycle on taxis-brousses or on the train if you want to take a break en route.
Although you are able to hire mountain bikes by the day in many larger towns, including Toliara, Toamasina, Antsirabe and Ambodifotatra on Île Sainte Marie, these are not normally in good enough condition for longer journeys.
Air Madagascar, the national carrier, has an impressive network of domestic routes. While fares have leapt dramatically in recent years, tickets on 'Air Mad' flights are still relatively inexpensive, and provide a useful way of covering large distances and avoiding long road journeys. While cancellations, schedule changes and delays occur (especially during the low season, in stormy weather or on flights to more remote destinations) the airline is generally efficient.
In a few parts of Madagascar (such as the route between Antananarivo and Toamasina in the east) routes in and around major cities are served by bus. These usually use the same stations as the taxis-brousses and are generally slightly less expensive. However, taxis-brousses remain the main form of public road transport in Madagascar. Madabus (tel: 32 42 089 69; www.madabus.com) has coach lines between the major cities, is a comfortable way to travel, and is less expensive than flying or hiring a private vehicle.
To drive in Madagascar, you will need to have an International Driving Permit. Take note that wearing a seatbelt is now mandatory for the driver of a vehicle in Madagascar.
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