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Madagascar
Every lemur species on Earth lives here, and only here.
Madagascar broke away from the landmass that became India around 88 million years ago and has been evolving on its own ever since. The result is that roughly nine in ten of its plants and animals exist nowhere else, including all hundred-odd species of lemur — from the indri, which sings, to the mouse lemur that fits in a palm.
The plants are just as isolated: six of the world's eight baobab species grow only here, and the row of them on the road near Morondava is the image most people have of the island. Tsingy de Bemaraha, a forest of limestone blades sharp enough to require via ferrata gear, has been a UNESCO site since 1990. It is the fourth-largest island in the world, so distances inland are measured in days, not hours.
Quick facts
Currency
MGA
Malagasy ariary
Language
Malagasy
+ French
Power
—
Driving
Right
US-style
Airport
TNR
Ivato International
Emergency
—
Police · Fire
When to go
Monthly breakdown
Storm risk: HighJan
Rain
Feb
Rain
Mar
Rain
Apr
Best
May
Best
Jun
Best
Jul
Best
Aug
Best
Sep
Best
Oct
Best
Nov
Best
Dec
Rain
Major events
Donia Festival
Nosy Be's music festival, the biggest in the country, drawing acts from across the Indian Ocean for a week of concerts and a carnival parade.
Independence Day
26 June marks independence from France in 1960, celebrated with paper lantern parades the night before and a national holiday that empties the cities.
Famadihana
The turning of the bones, a Merina highland practice in which families exhume ancestors, rewrap them in fresh silk and dance with them. Held in the dry season between July and September.
Hidden gems
Anja Community Reserve
A community-run reserve at the base of granite cliffs near Ambalavao holding one of the densest ring-tailed lemur populations anywhere. Entry fees go directly to the villages that manage it.
Ambohimanga
The fortified royal hill above Antananarivo, the burial and ceremonial seat of the Merina kings, with the original stone disc gate still in place. A UNESCO site and an active pilgrimage place.
Nosy Iranja
Two islets off Nosy Be joined by a sandbar you can walk across at low tide and that disappears when the tide comes in. Green turtles nest on the larger one.
Local food
Romazava
Beef simmered with brede mafana, a leaf that leaves a faint tingling numbness on the tongue; the national dish.
Ravitoto
Cassava leaves pounded to a paste and cooked slowly with pork and coconut milk, served over rice.
Koba
dietary_tags.vegetarianGround peanuts, rice flour and banana wrapped in banana leaf and steamed for hours, then sold in slices from the roll.
Safety tips
Health
Malaria is present in most of the country including the coastal resorts, and prophylaxis is standard. Serious medical care outside Antananarivo is very limited.
Crime
Street crime in Antananarivo is a real risk after dark, and walking with a phone visible invites it. Use arranged transport at night rather than flagging something down.
Transport
Road distances mean nothing here. A 300-kilometre drive can take ten hours, and night driving is dangerous enough that most operators refuse it.
Sustainability
Eco rating
Reef: At riskTsingy de Bemaraha UNESCO reserve since 1990
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