MADAGASCAR > AFRICA > INDEX


Provinces in Madagascar : Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliary

Ambohidratrimo, Andasibe (Périnet), Antalaha, Antananarivo, Antsirabe, Antsiranana (Diego-Suarez), Ihosy, Mahajanga (Majunga), Mahavelona (Foulpointe), Manakara, Mananjary, Mantasoa, Morondava, Nosy Be [ Island ], Ranomafana, Plage Libanona, Taolañaro (Fort-Dauphin), Toamasina (Tamatave) and Toliary (Tuléar).

Capital City Madagascar: Antananarivo.


car hire, hotels, travel agency, travel guides, transportation / traveling to madagascar

links


Car Rental Madagascar

 Avis
 Europcar - Antananarivo
 Hertz

Cruises

 Linblad Expeditions
How often do you have the opportunity to change your life? To reexamine the way you see the world and your place in it? By traveling with us into the awe-inspiring wonder of nature, you have that opportunity.
 Freighter World Cruises
Enjoy quiet days at sea in informal and casual surroundings. No crowds, no formalities just comfort, relaxation , sun, clean air, casual dress, and a small group of passengers who love freedom from clocks, to do what you want when you want. Normally the only scheduled activities are mealtimes.

Hostels in Madagascar

 Hostelworld.com 

Hotels in Madagascar

 Anjajavy L'Hotel
The hotel consists of a beautiful ensemble of rosewood villas, each with a spacious terrace, overlooking the breathtaking beaches and beautiful bay.
 Constance Lodge, Tsarabanjina
Located northwest of Madagascar Main Island forty nautical miles from Nosy-Be, Tsarabanjina is a paradise in the Mitsio archipelago.
 Madagascar Hilton [ 15 km from the airport, overlooks Lake Anosy ]
Rue Pierre Stibbe Anosy, Antananarivo, Madagascar 101
Tel: 261-20-2226060  Fax: 261-20-2226051
 Sunny Hotels Madagascar 
 Tsarabanjina Hotel
Located northwest of Madagascar Main Island forty nautical miles from Nosy-Be, Tsarabanjina is a paradise in the Mitsio archipelago. 

National Parks

Madagascar is home to nine-tenths of all the world's lemur species, including the dwarf Microcebus, no bigger than a mouse; the very friendly Macaco; the Catta, with a distinctive gray body and long black-and -white striped tail; the Sifaka, which can leap 30 feet or more from branch to branch; the Indri, tallest of all lemurs; and the rarest of all lemurs, the Aye-aye

 Isalo - in the south-west of the country. 150 miles from Toliary
Canyons, cliffs, gorges and other striking geological features, due to wind and rain erosion. Exotic flora, native palm trees, giant cactus. Lemurs, harmless reptiles.
 Montagne d'Ambre National Park - near Antsiranana
Rain forest, tree-ferns, orchids. Lemurs, birds, harmless reptiles. Crater lakes, water falls, sweeping views towards the sea.

Travel Agents / Tour Operators / Madagascar Specialists

 Blue Cameleon Ventures - Madagascar Tours, Reptile Photography
 Betchart Expeditions - Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, CA 95014.
 Cortez Travel & Expeditions - 117 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach, CA 92075.
 Forum Travel International - 2437 Durant Ave.# 208, Berkeley, CA 94704.
 International Expeditions - 1776 Independence Ct, Birmingham, AL 35216.
 Lemur Tours - 2562 Noriega St #203, San Francisco, CA 94122.
 Questers Tours & Travels - 257 Park Ave. South, New York, NY 10010-7369.
 Wilderness Travel - 801 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94710



 Explorers' Corner - Masoala National Park, Madagascar
Kayaking Trip on The Great Red Island - A Madagascar Exploratory!

Inbound

 Acacia Adventure Holidays - one of the world's leading independent African experts
 African Pride - specialist tour operator for holidays to southern Africa
Tailor-made holidays to the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago
 AvenTour
 Cortez Travel and Expeditions 
 Madagascar Airtours - Hotel Hilton, Antananarivo
 Voyages Bourdon - 15 rue P. Lumumba, Antananarivo

Travel Guides Madagascar / Related Books

Books about Madagascar 

Madagascar - Bradt Travel Guide
by Hilary Bradt (Author)
An ideal sourcebook for practical information for travelers and an in-depth background to island culture and wildlife in Africa's Madagascar.
Paperback: 488 pages; Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides; Eighth edition edition (February 1, 2005); Language: English; ISBN-10: 1841621048; ISBN-13: 978-1841621043
Lonely Planet Madagascar & Comoros - Gemma Pitcher, Patricia Wright
Idyllic beaches, rain forests and parched deserts, lemurs and chameleons, the woodcarvers of Zafimaniry villages, the relaxed tropical ambience of Anjouan, the bustling flower market of Antananarivo, pirogues cruising the Tsiribihina River - Madagascar and the Comoros boast attractions as diverse as they are appealing. This guide is your essential companion - the only one to cover both destinations.
Paperback: 296 pages; Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 5 edition (August 2004); Language: English; ISBN-10: 1741041007; ISBN-13: 978-1741041002
Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar, the Mascarene, the Seychelles, and the Comoro Islands 
Friedrich-Wilhelm Henkel, Wolfgang Schmidt, John Hackworth (Translator)
With their unique flora and fauna, Madagascar and the surrounding islands of the Indian Ocean are some of the most interesting vacation destinations for nature lovers, herpetologists and amateur reptile and amphibian keepers. This work describes the climate and vegetation of the area, as well as many of the resident reptiles and amphibians, and contains information on the husbandry of most species. There are 240 descriptions with colour photos of each to aid in identification of these animals.
Hardcover: 316 pages; Publisher: Krieger Publishing Company; Original English Ed edition (July 2000); Language: English; ISBN-10: 1575240149; ISBN-13: 978-1575240145
 Hunting Pirate Heaven - Kevin Rushby
Kevin Rushby's objective is to locate the descendants of the 16th century pirates who had carved kingdoms for themselves in the remote jungles of north-east Madagascar. Hitching rides on a motley assortment of freighters, dhows, yachts and fishing smacks, he sails up the African coast, then east towards his goal. It is a story full of incident: voyages to islands where forgotten Portugese forts lie covered in jungle, places where some have tried to shoot their way to paradise, and where the ever-present ocean can destroy lives and dreams as quickly as men and women create them.
Paperback 288 pages (April 2002); Publisher: Constable and Robinson; Language: English; ISBN: 1841194883
 Glanius: A new voyage to the East Indies... Bantam... Siam... Japan and Madagascar.... London, 1682.
 Lords and Lemurs: Mad Scientists, Kings with Spears, and the Survival of Diversity in Madagascar -  Alison Jolly
Chronicles the rich human, plant, and animal diversity of this Isle off the East Coast of Africa, home to lemurs, unusual reptiles, and other creatures more at home in mythology than natural science.
Hardcover 320 pages (April 20, 2004); Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co.; Language: English; ISBN: 0618367519

Transport / How do I travel to Madagascar

2 hours from Kenya or La Réunion

 Antananarivo Airport
 Nosy-Be Airport

 Air France US - Flight tickets Madagascar
 Air France Canada 

 Airline Tickets / Bargain Flights - price comparison possible

 Air Madagacar 
 Air Austral
 Air Mauritius  [ from London ]

Indian Ocean Pass - created jointly by Air Seychelles, Air Mauritius and Air Austral. The participating airlines have merged their regional networks to enable you to create your own circuit to discover the gems of the Indian Ocean

 Air Hotel

 Railway links : Antananarivo-Toamasina and Fianarantsoa-Manakara [ through steep mountains, rain forests and quaint villages ], Antananarivo-Antsirabe, Moramanga-Lake Alaotra

 By sea: 

 Maps of Madagascar [ Uni Texas - Perry-Castañeda Library - Map Collection ]


Links / Resources 

 Travel Insurance

 Tourist Board Madagascar - Maison du Tourisme de Madagascar

 National Assembly Madagascar

 Malagasy Government

 Antananarivo - Capital City Madagascar - 'City of a Thousand Warriors'
Built on a Y-shaped granite mountain surrounded by rice fields. The rova ("royal fort") sits atop the highest point and houses an historical museum of the ancient Malagasy queens and kings. A jumble of houses cover the steep slopes. A maze of narrow alleys and stairs crisscross the town. One such stairway, climbing 600 feet, is named Tsiafakantitra or in translation 'old folks can't make it'.
In the center of town, the Zoma is a very large open market. Exotic fruits, vegetable, meat, flowers, hardware , toys, furniture, handicrafts, potteries, carved stones, clothes are laid out over a central plaza and many adjoining streets. The wares are protected from the sun by enormous white umbrellas. Hawking and haggling are animated but conducted in a dignified manner, without yelling. Many localities derive their name from the day of the week the market is held. The Wednesday market is held in places called Alarobia, the Thursday market in Alakamisy. For Friday shopping, you go to Zomà, though Antananarivo's Zoma is now held daily.

 Ambohidratrimo' - former royal capital
An old, sacred village on a steep hill [ 'blue hill ]
 Andasibe (Périnet) - small jungle town located along the Antananarivo-Toamasina railroad
Fauna reserve. Look for the Indri-indry [ largest lemur ] and other lemur species.
 Antalaha
 Antsirabe [ 'plenty of salt']
Resort and hot-springs town, 100 miles south of Antananarivo. The legendary Lake Tritriva fills an extinct crater nearby. Lake Andraikiba offers boating and swimming.
 Antsiranana (Diego-Suarez)
 Fianarantsoa
 Ihosy
 Mahajanga (Majunga)
 Mahavelona (Foulpointe)
 Manakara
 Mananjary
 Mantasoa
 Morondava
 Nosy Be
Along the north-west coast lies a number of islands, the largest of which is Nosy-Be. Marvelous beaches and coral reef in a protected national zone, natural lemur reserve, wonderful fishing, numerous nearby desert islands, all awaits the lucky traveller.
 Nosy Boraha (Sainte Marie)
A tropical paradise of beaches, sea shells, coconut trees; quiet island, with very few cars; mopeds can be rented to circulate around this 36-mile long island. Historical traces of occupation by pirates in past centuries.
 Ranomafana
 Plage Libanona
 Taolañaro (Fort-Dauphin)
Beaches, lemur reserve at Berenty, Mahafaly tombs, Malagasy special flora such as baobabs. Clement weather.
 Toamasina (Tamatave)
Town and the most important port in Madagascar. Departure point for excursions by car, boat, train or plane. Forest station and flora laboratory at Ivoloina (7 miles north of town). Rain forest and virgin beaches north towards Mahavelona.
 Toliary (Tuléar)
Scuba-diving and snorkeling in a coral reef second only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Good starting point to see baobabs, giant cactuses and thorny trees of the semi-arid Malagasy South-West.

 Anjajavy
Located on the western coast 120 km north of Majunga, Anjajavy is both an inaccessible fishing village for those who are unaware of it and an extraordinary peninsula at the end of the world.
 Anjajavy peninsula - a paradise for nature and sea lovers
An exceptionally rich location where the flora, fauna and 'tsingy' reflect the diversity of the 'red island'.

 News - Madgascar Tribune - Le Journal On-Line
Sommaire, Editorial, Politique, Société, Opinion, Environnement, Médias, Enseignement, Divers, Reportage, Malagasy, Culturel, Sport
 MFG - Madagascar Fauna Group - what they do, galleries, links/resources
International consortium of zoos and related institutions working together to conserve Madagascar's spectacular wildlife and wild places.
 PBS - Living Edens
The fourth largest island in the world formed more than 125 million years ago when a piece of the African coast became unhinged and drifted into the Indian Ocean. Isolated from mainland evolution, this eden known as Madagascar became home to some of the most bizarre life forms on earth, including chameleons, mongooses, and lemurs.
 Radio - for webradio Madagascar see Portal Wanadoo Madagascar
 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK - Madagascar - Madagascar Plant Diversity web pages
Biodiversity of the Coffee Family (Rubiaceae) in Madagascar, Legumes of Madagascar, Orchids of Madagascar, Euphorbiaceae of Madagascar, Tree species of Madagascar, Palms of Madagascar, Woody Bamboos of Madagascar, Madagascar Biodiversity Links
 Tsimbazaza - botanical and zoological garden
With many specimens of the very peculiar Malagasy flora and fauna: lemurs, extraordinary chameleons and insects, birds. There is a skeleton of a giant extinct bird, the aepiornis, standing ten feet tall over its nine-quart egg (an ostrich egg measures a quart and a half).
 TV - MBS and RTA
 World Wildlife - Madagascar - The Spiny Forest of Madagascar
Known as "Ala Maiky," the Spiny Forest in the south of the island nation of Madagascar receives only 12 to 24 inches of rain per year but supports an extraordinary range of species. Distinguishing this ecosystem from others is a unique family of trees: the Didiereaceae, including the bizarre octopus tree. Another prominent species is the songo be, which can reach a height of 50 feet.

Cuisine - Madagascar Foods / Recipes

 Floyd on Africa - Keith Floyd, Kim Sayer (Photographer)
Chronicles the author's cooking, eating and travelling tour of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, South Africa and Lesotho. The joys and difficulties of creating satisfying meals from the local produce are detailed.
Paperback 224 pages (January 8, 1998); Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd.; Language: English; ISBN: 0140253106

The Best of African Cooking 
By Manjase Banda (Author), Esanjam (Producer)
Paperback: 144 pages; Publisher: Esanjam; 2 Revised edition (March 14, 2007); Language: English; ISBN-10: 0954682130; ISBN-13: 978-0954682132
 African Recipes
 African Studies - Menus & Recipes from Madagascar

History of Madagascar

Independence: 26 June 1960 (from France)

 History of Madagascar [ Wikipedia ]
 Female Caligula: Ranavalona, the Mad Queen of Madagascar - K. Laidler
The true story of Madagascar's very own Red Queen. Ounce for ounce as insane as her Roman counterpart, Queen Ranavalona of Madagascar surpassed Caligula's legendary cruelty a million times over. Beginning in 1828, her 35-year reign was measured in bodies: a million of her own subjects were ritually executed; ten thousand slaves perished in a week. Female Caligula tells the true story of the bizarre court life (which involved guests picking lice from each other's hair during dinner), as well as the outrageous costumes and extravagances (including living quarters decorated entirely with silver bells) behind Ranavalona's famously bloody reign. Female Caligula is a must-read for anyone interested in one of the few women who joined history's rogues' gallery of insane despots.
Hardcover 248 pages (September 23, 2005); Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd.; Language: English; ISBN: 047002223X
 In Search of the Red Slave: Shipwreck and Captivity in Madagascar 
Mike Parker Pearson, Karen Godden
Pirates, shipwreck and slavery - these are the key themes in this story of a young Englishman who spent 14 years of his life in captivity in Madagascar. This tale has been more or less lost to sight for centuries, for, although the shipwrecked sailor in question, Robert Drury, wrote a book about his adventures in 1729, it has long been out of print. Parker Pearson and Godden have explored the world of Southern Madagascar in order to track down the truth of his story. At one level, this book is a real-life adventure story with a strong maritime theme; at another, it is a wholly new insight into life on Madagascar and the Tandroy people; and, on yet another level, it is a story of the reality of modern archaeology and anthropology - hard, dirty and frustrating.
Hardcover 256 pages (September 29, 2002); Publisher: Sutton Publishing; Language: English; ISBN: 0750929383
 Timeline Madagascar

Music, Art & Culture< Events & Entertainment

 Malagasy-English/English-Malagasy Dictionary and Phrasebook - Janie Rasoloson
Malagasy, the national language of Madagascar, has over 10 million speakers. This dictionary and phrasebook provides the traveller to this beautiful island with the means for basic communication, as well as an introduction to the country's culture. The compact guide includes a two-way bilingual dictionary with over 2 ,000 entries and a phrasebook containing all of the essential topics, from introductions and common phrases to accommodations, food and drink, weather and health, among many others.
Paperback 180 pages (January 1, 2001); Publisher: Hippocrene Books, Inc.; Language: English, Malagasy; ISBN: 078180843X
 Gateway of Africa

Web Portal / Search Engine / Madagascar Directory

 Mad Online - magazine with news specializing in Madagascar [ french/english ]
 Nova Online - Online Adventure ***
Journey into the lost world of Madagascar on this latest NOVA/PBS Online Adventure (real-time in May and June 2000). In two little-visited regions - a cave-riddled canyonland in which the NOVA program "Secrets of the Crocodile Caves" was filmed and a mountainous rain forest - follow the efforts of scientists trying to capture and study a catlike predator known as the fossa and an extremely rare lemur called the silky sifaka. 
 Wanadoo Madagascar [ French language ]
 Wild Madagascar

 Embassy of Madagascar US - see Embassy.org
 Yahoo Madagascar Directories

Fort Dauphin, Diego Suarez, Ile Sainte Marie, Nosy Komba, Nick Garbutt, Cap Est, King Radama, Nosy Mangabe, Queen Ranavalona, Isalo National Park, Lake Alaotra, Nosy Kely, Chez Maggie, Coco Beach, Mozambique Channel, Sainte Luce, Akany Avoko, Blue Ventures, Cyclone Gafilo, Nosy Boraha

 Allafrica.com [ English and French]
Posting over 700 stories daily in English and French and offering a diversity of multi-lingual streaming programming as well as a 400,000 article searchable archive [ which includes the archive of Africa News Service dating from 1997 ].
 Resources on Africa
News and Current Affairs, Arts and Culture, African History, Travel Guides and Hotels in Africa.


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