E & S Africa, Madagascar

Overview

First, decide how to best make use of your time - each of Madagascar's fascinating corners offers something different. Is your priority bumming around on beaches? Hiking pristine rainforests in search of lemurs? Climbing bizarre rock formations or canoeing down a river? You're spoilt for choice here.

When To Go

The island's west and southwest get searingly hot during summer November to March, which can make moving around a struggle, particularly if you're travelling by taxi-brousse bush taxi. By contrast, the winter months in these regions are pleasant, with blue skies, cooler temperatures and essentially no rain. In the east and northeast, be prepared for rain and overcast skies at any time, although rain showers don't usually last long during the winter months. Between July and September the sea is too dangerous to travel by cargo boat. Hotels, popular tourist attractions and all forms of transport, including planes and buses, fill up during European holiday periods, ie July to August, Christmas and Easter. Prices also go up at these times. The period between June and October is vanilla season on the east coast, so flights between towns such as Maroantsetra, Mananara and Antalaha often fill up far in advance.Avoid January to March, when heavy rainfall in many areas of the country makes m

Visas

All visitors require a visa. Visas are valid for up to three months from the date of entry.Visas for stays of up to three months from the date of entry do need to be organised in advance through the embassy or consulate. The same is true for multiple entry visas. Both must be used within six months of the date of issue. It's best to request a three-month visa from the start if there is any chance that you may need one, as visa extensions can be time consuming and expensive.

Weather

Because Madagascar is so large, it experiences several climates simultaneously. For example, you could be pegged out on a beach in the southwest and a few days later be rugged up against the cold in the hauts plateaux. In general, the best time to travel in most areas is April and OctoberNovember. The only time you should avoid is January to March, when heavy rain can make many roads muddy and impassable, and when there's a high risk of cyclones in the east and northeast. The coolest time to travel is during the winter months May to October, when the Central Highlands including Antananarivo can get cold, wet and windy, although it can still be hot and sunny in the west and southwest. The west and southwest get searingly hot during the summer, but winter in these regions is pleasantly cool, with blue skies and little rain. Fort Dauphin can experience rain as late in the year as July. In the east and northeast be prepared for rain and overcast skies at any time; on the Masoala Penins

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.

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