What’s it really like to travel to Madagascar? (It’s pretty wild!)

If you’re looking to travel to Madagascar, boy, are you in for an adventure! Madagascar is one of the most unforgettable places I’ve ever visited.

If you want to see some of the most unusual landscapes and wildlife you’ve ever seen, meet warm and welcoming people, and experience a land only barely touched by tourism, Madagascar is the place for you.

Madagascar has been a travel priority of mine for quite some time, and while I love traveling solo, I always knew I wanted to go with a tour. Madagascar is a gnarly destination, with some of the worst roads in the world, and I knew it would be much easier letting a tour handle the logistics.

I had been looking for the right Madagascar tour for years, but it was tough finding one that included all the places I wanted to visit: the Grand Tsingy, the Avenue of the Baobabs, and Nosy Be and its surrounding islands.

Then I came across the Madagascar tour from Rock My Adventure, which included all these places, and much more — and I was sold!

Rock My Adventure is a small tour company run by Helen Davies, an Africa specialist and travel blogger. Although Helen and I have a ton of mutual friends, we had never met — but after looking through her site and reading her testimonials, I knew I would love this trip.

So how did it go? I HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE IN MADAGASCAR, though there were definitely some big challenges along the way!

This is a big post. Go make yourself a cup of tea, sit back, and let me tell you about what it’s like to travel to Madagascar!

This post was published in March 2026, based on a trip taken in September 2025.

Madagascar is not for everyone. Or most travelers.

What makes you want to travel to Madagascar? Do you want to see lemurs and other cool wildlife? Do you want to swim in turquoise waters? Do you want to hike in a stone forest and see giant baobab trees?

Do you want to meet wonderful, friendly people, the most adorable kids, and experience a destination that doesn’t have a shred of overtourism?

I mean, those are easy questions. Who wouldn’t want to do those things?

Now I should probably ask some harder questions.

Are you willing to travel on the roughest roads you’ve ever experienced in your life, for the better part of a day?

Are you okay with high temperatures and zero air conditioning?

How do you feel about not having access to a real toilet for several days, and just squatting behind trees?

Are you okay with getting piggy-backed into canoes when water levels are high?

Are you emotionally prepared to see devastating poverty first-hand?

Are you okay with the fact that in the event of an emergency, medical care will be extremely limited?

And maybe you can handle all this, but would it be enjoyable for you?

Overall, I think Madagascar is a destination best suited for very seasoned travelers who have experience traveling in developing countries. It’s also essential to be flexible, easygoing, and able to deal with setbacks along the way.

And if you relish the tough, dirty, fun days of travel, you’re going to love your time in Madagascar!

Conversely, I will gently say that Madagascar is not the place for you if you need air conditioning, if you don’t do well on bumpy roads, if you value a good level of comfort, or if you like organization and predictability.

And I will say that I had so much fun on this trip because it was a group trip. When you go through tough travel moments, you can laugh together and commiserate together. It makes setbacks much easier — and even fun, on occasion.

Had I been doing this trip solo, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it nearly as much. That’s the truth.

Places to Visit in Madagascar

What struck me first about Madagascar was how different it felt from mainland Africa. In fact, it reminded me more of Southeast Asia, especially Cambodia, from the pousse-pousse rickshaws to the street food stalls.

In certain parts of Madagascar, I noticed that many people have Asian facial features, especially in the capital and the central highlands.

That’s not a coincidence. The Malagasy people are descended from Austronesian seafarers of Southeast Asia, who arrived about 1000 years ago, and the Bantu peoples of East Africa. You see this Asian influence in everything from agriculture to cooking.

Here are some of the places that I visited on my Madagascar trip — though keep in mind that Madagascar is enormous, and this represents just a small part of what the island has to offer!

Antananarivo

Unfortunately I can’t speak much about the capital of Antananarivo, because there were protests that shut down the city at the time of my visit. I’ll get more into that later in this post.

Antananarivo — or Tana, as the locals call it — has some cool sights to see, including markets like Analakely Market and the Route Digue Handicraft Market, as well as Lemurs’ Park and the Queen’s Palace Viewpoint.

Outside the city is Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important cultural landmarks in the country.

While I didn’t get to explore the city much, I can tell you that Hotel Sakamanga is lovely, feels like a museum, and has a great restaurant. If you stay there, please give Manga the kitten a cuddle for me!

Antsirabe and Lake Tritiva

The city of Antsirabe is a popular destination for travelers en route from Antananarivo to destinations further south. In this city, you can enjoy beautiful French architecture and take a ride on a pousse-pousse (Madagascar’s answer to the rickshaw).

While we didn’t have much time in Antsirabe, we did get to spend time at Lake Tritiva, which is about an hour’s drive west of the city. This lake is the most enchanting shade of teal and surrounded by tall stone walls.

You can hike around the whole lake, if you’d like, or just hike down to the water’s edge. We hiked down to the edge, got plenty of photos, then made our way up again.

In Antsirabe we stayed at Couleur Café, which was a beautiful property with little cottages and had the coziest, warmest bedding (which was important as this was one of our cooler temperature destinations!).

Tsiribihina Boat Trip

Of all my experiences in Madagascar, the most special and unique one was the three-day boat trip down the Tsiribihina River.

Our boat was incredibly basic. There wasn’t even a toilet on board; we would simply pull over to shore and squat behind trees and bushes. At night, the crew put up tents and built us a simple bush toilet.

During the day, we chilled out, watched the landscape go by, visited small villages, and went swimming in a gorgeous swimming hole as lemurs leaped through the trees.

Our chefs prepared us delicious food (some of the best of our trip!), and at night, our crew sang and played music for us by the fire. Far from any light pollution, we enjoyed a sky full of brilliant stars.

This part of the trip deserves its own blog post, and I want to write more about it soon! But most of all, I feel like this was where we got to know Madagascar on a deep, intimate level. Most travelers don’t experience that.

Before our trip, we spent a night at Princesse Tsiribihina, a nice little hotel in the town of Miandrivazo, close to the start of the river journey.

Tsingy de Bemeraha National Park

If you’re interested in the landscapes of Madagascar, Tisngy de Bemeraha National Park is likely at the top of your list. This stone forest located in western Madagascar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It’s also quite an adventure to get here. The gateway town to the Tsingy is Bekopaka, which is a drive of several hours on Madagascar’s extremely rough B-roads (more on those below).

Hiking the Grand Tsingy is the big adventure here. I absolutely loved this technical hike, which requires clipping yourself in, Via Ferrata-style, and climbing onto tiny footholds. It can be a LOT if you have issues with heights, especially since you must cross a rickety bridge over a canyon near the end.

But you’re not up for that hike, there are other options. You can take a boat through the canyon and admire the scenery, and you can do a much smaller, less-intense hike in the small Tsingy. Two of the girls on our tour skipped the big hike for the boat ride and small hike and had a great time.

In Bekopaka we stayed at Le Soleil des Tsingy, which has a luxury feel and an incredible infinity pool that is THE ABSOLUTE BEST after a hot, sweaty day in the Tsingy. Just know that there’s no AC and the nights here were hotter more than anywhere else in Madagascar.

Kirindy

Kirindy Forest is a dry deciduous forest located in the west of Madagascar and makes a good stop between the Tsingy and Morondava. This is a great place to see Madagascar’s unique wildlife in their natural habitat.

I recommend spending one night and going on guided forest walks both at night and in the morning, because you’ll see different kinds of wildlife at different times of day.

At night, you might spot dwarf lemurs and mouse lemurs. The mouse lemurs are super tiny and love to poke their heads out of holes on trees!

By day, there are several kinds of lemurs you might spot, as well as cool geckos and lizards.

And if you’re lucky, you’ll spot a fossa! The fossa is a lemur-hunting predator, and it has the body of a cat and the face of a rat — it sounds strange, but I swear it’s a very cool animal. We were lucky to see a fossa during our visit.

In Kirindy we stayed at Relais du Kirindy, which had simple ensuite cabins, as well as a swimming pool. I’ve heard it’s a bit nicer than the accommodation they offer directly in the park.

Morondava

Morondava is a seaside city in western Madagascar, and it’s one of the most popular places to visit in the country. I really loved the vibe in Morondava; it felt casual, beachy, and full of life!

In town I recommend taking a pousse-pousse ride to get a feel for the place, and check out stores and markets. You can spend time on the beach (though don’t wear skimpy swimwear in public here). And there are a few fun bars if you’re in the mood for nightlife!

Morondava is about a 45-minute drive from the Avenue of the Baobabs (Allée des Baobabs), which is one of the symbols of the country. Here you can photograph the baobabs at sunset (or, with fewer crowds, at sunrise), or plant your own baobab trees. Keep in mind that this place gets crowded!

The coastline from Morondava south to Toliara is home to the Vezo people — nomadic or semi-nomadic fishers who rely on the sea for survival. Two of the girls and I took a canoe to the village of Betania, where we got to know some of the local kids and women, and had our faces painted in the Vezo style.

In Morondava I stayed at Chez Maggie Hotel & Restaurant, which might not have been the fanciest place we stayed in, but it was one of my favorites. So cozy and welcoming with friendly staff, in a nice beachside neighborhood, with air conditioning and great food.

Nosy Be

Nosy Be, an island off the northwest coast of Madagascar, is the most touristy spot in the country. Some people fly to Madagascar and only visit Nosy Be, which blows my mind! You can even find direct flights to places like Milan and Verona.

Nosy Be is a great base for diving or snorkeling, if you’re into that, or just chilling out. There is a decent nightlife scene here. And if you’re up for a massage on the beach, you’ve got plenty of options, for a fraction of what you’d pay elsewhere.

Nosy Be is surrounded by smaller islands, and these islands are popular spots for day trips. Nosy Sakatia is popular for swimming with whale sharks or giant turtles; Nosy Tanikely is a small marine national park; Nosy Komba is home to a lemur sanctuary.

Overall, I think Nosy Be is a fantastic place to end your trip to Madagascar. A few days on the beach are the perfect balm after long, rough travel days — especially if you splurge on a more upscale hotel like Maison Ylang, which I absolutely adored.

Plus, it might be easier for you to fly onward without having to fly back to Antananarivo. (I would recommend doing so if possible.)

But I don’t think Nosy Be is special enough to warrant a trip without going elsewhere in Madagascar. If you want to go to a tropical island in an affordable country, I’ll always advocate Koh Lanta in Thailand. Come to Nosy Be when you have time to explore more of Madagascar.

Now that we’ve talked a bit about the destinations, let’s get into what it’s really like to travel to Madagascar!

Get ready for the worst roads of your life.

I’m sure you’ve driven on some rough roads before. But I don’t think you’ve experienced anything as bad as the B-roads of Madagascar.

B-roads are Madagascar’s secondary roads. They are unpaved, poorly maintained, and absolutely require a 4×4 vehicle. They can be quite dangerous, especially when they become muddy and often impassable during rainy season (January to March).

You might be reading this blog post thinking that you’re a good driver, that you can handle the roads. I beg you to reconsider. If anything goes wrong, nobody is coming to help you. Our expert drivers know these roads like the back of their hand, and even they had a few popped tires along the way.

(At one point, we drove past a tourist driving down the road to Bekopaka with a terrified look on his face. “Is he crazy?” I burst out. “Yes, he’s crazy,” our driver replied with a laugh.)

B-roads make up most of the journey from Morondava to Bekopaka and the Tsingy de Bemeraha, so if you want to see the Tsingy, you’re getting there by B-roads. (There is a tiny airport in Bekopaka for private or charter flights only.)

And even the paved roads can try your patience. When traveling from Antananarivo to Antsirabe, we had to turn around and take a longer, circuitous route because the road was blocked.

And when you come to a river, the fun REALLY begins.

Surely there would be bridges along popular routes? Nope, not in Madagascar!

Instead, drivers carefully maneuver their SUVs onto a wooden raft perched on top of a few canoes. You walk onto the raft behind them. Then the raft operator fires up the loudest motor you’ve ever heard, black smoke billowing everywhere, and the raft chugs its way to the other side.

You walk off. The SUVs drive off. And you keep going until you hit the next river.

Madagascar is so much more beautiful than I expected.

Of course, I knew Madagascar was going to be beautiful in some places! But the sheer beauty of our surroundings But I didn’t think I would be stunned as soon as we left Antananarivo. Just the surrounding rice paddies were gorgeous against the mountains!

Here are some of the landscapes you can experience in Madagascar:

Spiky gray stone forests in Tsingy de Bemeraha National Park.

Idyllic tropical beaches with palm trees and turquoise water in Nosy Tanikely.

Pink sunsets behind wild fields and rice paddies in Miandrivazo.

A rocky waterfall and swimming hole in the middle of nowhere, just off the Tsiribihina River.

And of course, Madagascar’s iconic baobab trees are one of the symbols of the country. This is their most famous spot, Avenue des Baobabs near Morondava.

And the wild thing was that we only saw a tiny fraction of Madagascar! Madagascar is massive — the world’s fourth largest island — and the long drives make you feel like you’re driving it from end to end. Not so.

The people are the true highlight of Madagascar.

When I think back to my time in Madagascar, I think of the incredible people I met. The two young guys we met in a bar in Morondava after midnight, where we joined them in a dance party.

The teenagers I excitedly talked to about 2Pac, as they were wearing 2Pac t-shirts, before I realized that people all over Madagascar wear 2Pac t-shirts but have no idea who he is.

The couple at the hotel in Belo Tsiribihina, who helped when I sheepishly asked if they could help me kill a cockroach on the curtain. The woman crushed it with her fingertips. I shrieked, “Avec les mains?! Avec les mains!!” (with the hands!) and the three of us laughed hysterically, even breaking into giggles when we saw each other the next morning.

Our incredible boat crew. Brilliant, hardworking, and absolutely gifted musicians.

And the children of Madagascar are truly wonderful. When we stopped in remote villages, the kids wanted to hold our hands. Even the teenagers. We would be walking as a group and some of us would have two kids holding onto each hand!

The kids would come running when we pulled over in our bus or boat, and they would stick to us like velcro.

However, travelers have not always treated Malagasy children well, so I have some advice to share.

Do not give the kids money. Do not give the kids candy, no matter how much they say, “Bon-bon? Bon-bon?”

(Side note: when we were in the Tsingy, one of the girls offered key lime candies to everyone in our group, including our thirty-something guide Julien. He exclaimed, “Oh! A bon-bon?” and it was like he became a kid again!)

Instead, Helen got stickers for the kids — individual stickers on paper. They would hand out one sticker to each kid, only when we had enough for everyone. That’s a nice treat for kids that doesn’t rot their teeth or create a culture of begging.

Additionally, please think carefully about the photos you choose to share. I personally choose not to share clear photos of children’s faces on the internet. That’s why I shoot so often from behind.

Do I have photos of kids’ faces on my phone? Tons! Including selfies with us all squished together! Those photos are precious to me, but children deserve privacy, so I don’t share them publicly.

Speaking French will help you enormously.

If you studied French in high school and you’ve been jealous of your Spanish-speaking friends navigating through Mexico with aplomb, I promise you, in Madagascar your day has come! This is one place where you can speak French constantly!

Malagasy people speak Malagasy as their first language, and there are local dialects and regional variations, but French is the second language children are taught in school. French is often the primary language for official government or business matters in Madagascar.

While some people who work in tourism speak English, it’s nowhere near as widespread as French.

I speak French, and I found that this opened my world in Madagascar SO much. I was able to have real conversations and connect with people, and I even made local friends. The picture above was taken in the village of Maromandray, along the road to Miandrivazo, and this older gentleman wanted to tell me all about farming haricots verts.

While of course our local Malagasy guide, Stella, spoke French, I was the only other person on our tour who spoke it. That meant I was often helping my friends communicate when Stella was busy handling logistics, which made the journey smoother for all of us.

And if you don’t speak any French, it helps to learn a little bit. Of course, “bonjour” and “merci” are important. “Comment t’appelles-tu?” (though I tended to hear “Comment tu t’appelles?” more often) and “Je m’appelle” can be helpful when introducing yourself to kids.

The poverty will rip your heart out.

If you’ve traveled in the developing world, you’ve probably witnessed a good amount of poverty. I’ve seen devastating scenes in South Africa, Cambodia, Greenland, and the United States that I’ll never get out of my head.

But Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, and you should be prepared for that.

A lot of villages don’t have any kind of plumbing at all. Some have basic latrines, but many people just crouch behind trees.

A lot of people, especially children, wear torn clothing and no shoes. Schools are ultra-basic, with almost no supplies and far too many kids sitting on a dirt floor.

I noticed that nobody in Madagascar wears sunglasses on bright sunny days. Then I realized that nobody wears eyeglasses. How many people are walking around with blurry vision?

At one point on the road to Bekopaka, we stopped in a village when another vehicle in our convoy got a flat tire. This village doesn’t get foreign visitors often, and they actually introduced us to a baby girl that had been born that very morning. I am still flabbergasted that we got to experience a moment this special.

The baby girl looked like a doll, with tiny black eyelashes and perfect cupid-bow lips. I whispered that I wished her a wonderful life. But what kind of life could she expect to have?

So what can you do as a visitor to Madagascar? Don’t give money (or candy) to individuals. Instead, spend your money as close to the ground as you can.

It’s good to hire local guides and drivers. Spend money in locally owned guesthouses and restaurants. Buy souvenirs directly from locals. Tip generously. Consider giving money directly to a schoolteacher, because you don’t know what supplies they need most.

Another thing? In most countries, the idea of leaving behind your used, worn-out clothes and shoes while traveling would be seen as extremely rude. But in Madagascar, they’re often received with deep gratitude. If you’re planning on replacing your sneakers soon, consider leaving your old pair behind.

Madagascar wildlife is incredible.

If you’re looking for a country with unique wildlife, you can’t do much better than Madagascar. Madagascar separated from the African mainland about 160 million years ago, then separated from the Indian subcontinent about 90 million years ago.

Because of that, the wildlife has had quite a long time to evolve. Combine that with a variety of diverse ecosystems, and you have some of the most interesting wildlife spotting in the world.

Lemurs, of course, are the main attraction (and the one every kid has heard of!). And while lemurs are adorable, there are plenty of other cool animals you can see in Madagascar.

Going on a night safari in the Kirindy Forest, we were able to spot dwarf lemurs. They are so cute and cuddly with big bellies.

We were extremely lucky to see a fossa, an animal with a body shaped like a cat and a face shaped like a rat! They very occasionally come out at Kirindy, and this one came out when we were there!

The chameleons were probably the coolest reptile we saw. I love how their tails curl up into a spiral — and how they give the most fantastic side-eye!

It was amazing seeing the baby lemurs! The babies cling onto the front of their mother for three weeks, then the back of their mother until they’re three months old. This tiny, skinny baby was brand new.

And my favorite wildlife sighting of the trip was a cuddle puddle of lemurs, cuddling together on a tree branch on the way back from the Grand Tsingy! Look how much they love each other!!

In Nosy Sakatia, you can swim with giant sea turtles. These are the biggest sea turtles I’ve ever seen — about a meter from nose to tail.

I love an interspecies friendship, and on Nosy Komba, I found out that the lemurs and tortoises get along pretty well!

There are three tortoises living at the sanctuary on Nosy Komba. “Those two are named Pablo Escobar and George Bush,” our guide told us.

“Pablo Escobar and George Bush?!” I exclaimed. “What’s the third one named, Saddam Hussein?”

“Caroline.”

“Caroline…is that a reference?”

“No, we just like the name.”

Food in Madagascar

How is the food in Madagascar? I ate a lot of tasty food, but I wouldn’t characterize Madagascar as a foodie destination by any stretch.

Local meals are simple — a bit of fish or meat with rice, and sometimes some vegetables. While some people talk about the French influence in Madagascar, I personally didn’t notice much Frenchness in the local food.

Zebu is the local cattle in Madagascar, and when you’re eating beef in Madagascar, you’re eating zebu! We ate zebu steaks, zebu burgers, zebu and chips.

Romazava is one local dish I recommend you try. It’s basically the Malagasy version of beef stew, served over rice.

There are three restaurants I especially recommend in Madagascar. The best of the three is Mad Zebu, which is in such a random place — the town of Belo Tsiribihina, which is a stop en route from Morondava to Bekopaka.

The food at Mad Zebu is sumptuous, elegant, and beautifully plated. Despite its name, our group loved the fish and vegetarian dishes the most! The restaurant is extremely popular with tour groups passing through, and you must reserve in advance.

Another restaurant I enjoyed was Nosy Tagada in Nosy Be, around the corner from our hotel, Maison Ylang. This restaurant serves a mix of French and international fare. I loved their sesame-crusted tuna steak and their savory galettes.

And if you’re in Antananarivo, the restaurant at Hotel Sakamanga serves great food as well, in a cozy atmosphere.

Can you travel to Madagascar in luxury?

This may seem like a strange thing to talk about, but I know people who talk about India or Ecuador or Cambodia and say, “Yeah, I’d go, but I’d do it in luxury.” Can you isolate yourself from the challenges of Madagascar travel if you “do it in luxury?”

In a word, no.

We stayed at some luxury properties in Madagascar, including Soleil des Tsingy in Bekopaka. And as a longtime travel industry veteran, my impression is that Madagascar is learning, but it’s not ready for luxury travel yet.

Imagine staying at a stunning luxury property, the kind of place that gives you a towel and a welcome cocktails when you arrive. And at dinner, the server brings your main dish first and your appetizer second because the kitchen wanted to make the main dishes first.

Or you’re staying in a beautifully decorated room, but it’s oppressively hot all night long with no AC or air flow.

Or the advertised wifi only works when a maximum of two people are trying to use it at the same time.

Or you bring your laundry to be washed, the receptionist says just to leave it on the front desk, you say no, that you’re not leaving a pile of dirty underwear there, he offers to throw it in a basket, you agree, and after coming back, he politely asks if you’re single.

None of this is meant to insult the hardworking Malagasy people. I just say this to illustrate that there is more to luxury than aesthetics, and creating a luxury experience requires extensive training and investment. Madagascar will get there eventually. It’s just not there yet.

Beyond hotels, can you skip the B-roads and river crossings and just fly to Bekopaka? Only if you have the funds to charter a private flight.

Can you experience fine dining? In the capital, sure, and at Mad Zebu, but not so much otherwise.

Can you book a nicer boat on the Tsiribihina River with a toilet on board? LOL, don’t ask.

If you DO want a luxury experience in Africa, you could go almost anywhere in Southern or Eastern Africa. Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda, Botswana, Namibia…those countries are full of luxury travel experiences that will blow you away. Just don’t expect that in Madagascar.

Is Madagascar Safe?

Is Madagascar safe to visit? This is always a tough question to answer, because most destinations are genuinely quite safe, but occasionally bad things do happen.

Overall, for the most part, Madagascar isn’t enormously dangerous for travelers.

Criminals do not target tourists in Madagascar beyond a bit of petty crime. In Antananarivo and other cities, it’s smart to keep your belongings in a secure handbag that zips, to not flash any valuables, and to only take official taxis.

Instead, safety concerns in Madagascar tend to be more about infrastructure than crime. Your biggest risks will be roads in poor condition, long overland journeys, and limited medical care.

You should plan your trip assuming that you’ll always be a long, difficult journey from a clinic or even a pharmacy. I got some prescriptions from my doctor in advance, which I talk about further down in this post.

What about traveling solo? Again, I always knew that I wanted to travel Madagascar as part of a group, not solo, and that’s why I chose Rock My Adventure’s Madagascar tour.

The only time I faced any negative male attention was the one time that I briefly walked alone at night in Morondava, on a busy street with lots of hotels and restaurants. Some young men in a group stared at me and catcalled.

It wasn’t threatening, but it was uncomfortable, and I wouldn’t walk alone at night in a desolate area in Madagascar.

Overall, most travelers will enjoy Madagascar without incident. However, I happened to be in Madagascar during an exceptional time: a period of unrest that resulted in a military coup. I’ll share more about that in the next section.

My Unusual Experience: Protests in Antananarivo

There’s one very big thing that happened during my time in Madagascar: there were country-wide protests in late September and early October 2025. Our group flew from Morondava to Antananarivo on September 25, and our hotel happened to be in the epicenter of the protests.

Young adults in Madagascar were protesting the power cuts, water shortages, and a corrupt government. I agree fully with the protestors; Malagasy people have so little and deserve better.

The protests turned violent. As we pulled up to our hotel, people were running everywhere and pushing a dumpster toward us in the street. The hotel staff grabbed us and rushed us inside.

We went into the courtyard and Helen made the decision that we would eat at the hotel that night instead of going out.

An hour or so later, the police began tear gassing the neighborhood, which wafted into our area and was painful to our eyes and throat. The hotel staff handed out face masks and we headed inside, sealing ourselves away.

We were supposed to fly to Nosy Be the next day, but the flight was cancelled, so we headed out of town to a small local guesthouse in a safe location in a gated community. The family that ran the guesthouse treated us with SUCH kindness.

By then, there was a curfew in Antananarivo and in other cities in Madagascar. Supermarkets and attractions were closed; we sneaked into a convenience store that kept its back door open to buy some provisions. There was pretty much nothing to do other than hang out and wait.

Around this time, the US government updated Madagascar’s travel advisory to “Level 3: Reconsider Travel,” and the UK and several other countries made similar updates.

Then our flight the NEXT day was cancelled, too. The airport was canceling pretty much every domestic flight after 1 PM.

Eventually, thanks to Helen’s tenacity at the airport counter, she got us on another flight to Nosy Be after two extra days in Antananarivo. Unfortunately, a few of our tour members chose not to continue with us, lest they miss their flights home.

I want to be clear — this was not a massive hardship. At times it was scary, and annoying, but ultimately, it was an inconvenience.

And it didn’t last forever. Shortly after we got to Nosy Be, the president of Madagascar was evacuated from the country and the military took over leadership. Yes, this was a coup. My Malagasy friends have been pleased with this result.

After reorganizing some flights, I was able to fly direct to Réunion and back to Europe from there. Madagascar is now back to normal, and is just as safe for travelers as it was at the beginning of our trip.

Overall, situations like these are rare, but a risk you take when traveling in developing countries with limited infrastructure like Madagascar. It’s a risk I was willing to take in exchange for experiencing a magical place.

I want to emphasize that the trip was absolutely brilliant otherwise and I’m so glad we had Helen to navigate us through a complicated and unpredictable situation.

One last thing is that I recommend registering with STEP — the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program — if you’re an American, or your country’s program that notifies the embassy that you’re there. They will email you updates about the situation if anything like this happens during your trip.

Theoretically, STEP is also supposed to help you get evacuated if necessary. But as we saw after the US and Israel started bombing Iran in February 2026, trapping Americans in the Middle East with no way to escape, this may not happen at all.

You need to book Madagascar Airlines flights early.

When traveling long distances in Madagascar, it’s best to travel by flight. Even if you’re the kind of traveler who likes the rhythms of overland travel and getting to see the landscapes, I promise you, you will want to fly.

Take the journey from Antananarivo to Morondava. It doesn’t look very far on the map, but the fastest bus journey takes about 12.5 hours. (One of my Malagasy friends told me he regularly takes the 24-hour bus. YIKES.) You could avoid that by taking a 90-minute flight.

The problem is that internal flights are limited and they book out EXTREMELY early. Helen had us book our flights early for this reason. Our trip was in September, and she notified us in January that the flights had been released.

A few months ago in a Facebook group, I heard someone lamenting about the lack of flights available last-minute and whether it would be worth it to just go to Nosy Be and nowhere else in Madagascar. Well, you already know how I feel about that!

My advice to you: start planning your Madagascar trip at least a few months in advance and book your internal flights right away. This is not a destination that you can wing at the last minute.

I would not bring kids to Madagascar.

Now, this might be one of the more controversial things about this post — especially considering that two of my travel blogger colleagues each brought their kids to Madagascar within a month of my visit.

I’m not a parent, but I enthusiastically advocate for taking your children to unusual, nontraditional destinations.

However, when you travel anywhere, I think it’s wise to hope for the best-case scenario but plan for the worst-case scenario. That includes planning for illness and injury.

Getting sick or injured in Madagascar means traveling to a poor quality medical clinic, especially if you’re in a rural area. It could mean a very long overland journey over B-roads while dealing with that illness or injury. Medevac helicopters are not common in Madagascar.

Would I accept that risk for me, as an adult? Of course. That’s a risk you take when you travel to remote places.

But would I want to subject a child to that risk? No, I would not be comfortable with that.

And let me be clear — I think Africa is a great place to travel with kids. But I would personally choose an African country with better infrastructure and healthcare facilities, like South Africa, Kenya, or Botswana.

Of course, the chances that you’ll actually have an emergency are slim, but when kids are involved, it’s just as important to plan for the worst as it is to hope for the best.

Traveling Madagascar with Rock My Adventure

I am SO glad that I traveled to Madagascar with Rock My Adventure! This Madagascar trip is one of the best trips I’ve ever taken.

What I loved about this trip was that it was a mix of adventurous days with nice, comfy accommodation, excluding the days we spent camping (and every hotel where we stayed had hot water!).

Our itinerary included a lot of activities, but wasn’t too fast and exhausting, like many tours can be. Every Malagasy guide and driver we had was wonderful, especially Stella, who traveled with us for most of the trip.

Our group was mostly women, from 30-somethings through 60-somethings, from the US, Canada, and the UK.

Rock My Adventure is a small travel company run by one person, Helen Davies. She has deep relationships with local fixers and people on the ground, putting money into local pockets, which is why the trips are so good.

For that reason, there aren’t tons and tons of trip departures like the big companies. The Rock My Adventure Madagascar trip is run once per year.

Would I do more Rock My Adventure trips? Hell yeah! In fact, I’ve already signed up for my next Rock My Adventure trip — Botswana and Victoria Falls, and I’m bringing my husband this time!

And don’t forget, you can get £100 off any Rock My Adventure tour with the code KATE100!

Best Time to Visit Madagascar

When is the best time of year to visit Madagascar? It’s important that you time your trip for the dry season, which is approximately from May to October.

Some destinations can be worth it in the shoulder season, or even off-season. I happen to love Paris in the winter, which is very much low season. I love Koh Lanta in November, the shoulder season, when the quick rainshowers lead to stunning sunsets.

But Madagascar is not like either of those. If you travel in rainy season, or even shoulder season, the B-roads could turn into mud and might not be passable.

Considering the rough experience you’ll have on the B-roads during the dry season, trust me, you don’t want to risk it being any worse.

A trip to Madagascar is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Give yourself the best chance by planning it during the high season. I promise it won’t be that touristy.

Be sure to visit a travel doctor before you travel to Madagascar.

Visiting a travel doctor is a good idea before traveling to a developing country or a country where malaria is present. Madagascar falls into both categories.

Your regular doctor does not have the experience for this. A travel doctor has detailed up-to-date information on every country in the world and how to protect yourself.

I visited the travel doctor in Prague, and after a discussion, we decided that I would get vaccinated for dengue fever, rabies, typhoid, and hepatitis A. I currently have active vaccines for yellow fever and hepatitis B (good for life) and tetanus (good for 10 years).

Dengue fever is a fairly new vaccine, and it’s only available in the EU, UK, and a few countries in Latin America and Asia at this time.

We also decided that I would take antimalarials, and he prescribed me malarone. (Doxycycline is another antimalarial, but it makes you super sensitive to sun. I burn terribly when I take it.)

On top of that, we talked about how to prevent mosquito bites: using a mosquito repellent with 50% DEET, and covering up at dawn and dusk.

Separately from the travel doctor, I contacted my GP, told her I would be traveling in very remote areas with no healthcare facilities, and asked for prescription medication in case I got a UTI or severe food poisoning. She prescribed me both.

What to Pack for Madagascar

Pocket-sized wet wipes. Yes, you’ll be peeing behind trees, and perhaps pooping, too. Wipes are essential. I found the pocket-sized versions to be best, as you can carry them discreetly in your pocket rather than lugging a giant package. Keep in mind that no wipes are flushable, even if they say they are.

Pocket-sized hand sanitizer. Village kids love to hold your hands, but I think we all know that kids are constantly sick! Use the sanitizer afterward.

Mosquito repellent with 50% DEET. Extra-strong mosquito repellent is beyond essential for Madagascar, and a critical part of keeping yourself safe from malaria. Never go out without it.

Electrical tape. This is the one thing I didn’t bring that I wish I had. Electrical tape can fix anything, and it would have been very useful when my mosquito net in Kirindy didn’t close all the way.

Head lamp. I found my head lamp extremely useful when doing a night walk in the Kirindy Forest, but they’re also useful if there’s a power outage.

Water bottle. The water is not safe to drink in Madagascar, but it makes more sense to buy a big bottle of water and just refill your personal water bottle when you need it. Alternatively, you can use a LifeStraw to purify local water before you drink it.

Sun protection. The sun is quite strong in Madagascar, and in addition to reef-safe sunscreen (important for Nosy Be and anywhere you might swim), be sure to bring a wide-brimmed hat and a light long-sleeved shirt. There isn’t much shade at the Tsingy, so you’ll need these.

Sarong. A sarong has a million uses, but in Madagascar, it can be a way to connect with others. A lot of women wear sarongs tied around their middle, and if you tie your sarong like them, they’ll like that.

Extra prescription medication for emergencies. Parts of Madagascar are so rural, you won’t be able to reach a clinic or even a pharmacy. I had my doctor prescribe medication for a UTI and medication for food poisoning, just in case. I didn’t need either, but I was glad I had them!

Pepto-bismol tablets. Easy to travel with, and ideal for settling upset stomachs. I brought around 20 tablets and wish I had brought more, in part because I shared them with friends who weren’t feeling well.

Laundry detergent sheets. While many hotels provide laundry service, I find it helpful to wash undies in the sink every now and then. I also brought a sink stopper, which is helpful when doing a full sinkful of laundry but not necessary if you’re only washing a few small things.

Do you need to pack a mosquito net for Madagascar? Not for most trips. Mosquito nets are part of life in Madagascar and they’re on every bed. However, one of the girls on our tour brought a pop-up mosquito net for our two nights of wild camping, and it was much cooler for her than it was for us in the regular tents.

Consider adding on Réunion or Mauritius.

Madagascar is so far from everywhere! If you’re traveling this far, why not add on a little side excursion?

Réunion and Mauritius are two islands, each around the size of Rhode Island, and located within a two-hour flight of Madagascar. I decided to add a week of solo travel split between the two islands.

Personally, Mauritius didn’t do much for me, though I see why some people like it. I did appreciate seeing the Hindu temples, a few waterfalls, and the big market in Port Louis, Mauritius’s capital. If you’re looking for a beach resort experience, though, Mauritius is the island for you!

But Réunion blew my mind. Such a gorgeous and idyllic island, located in the middle of nowhere, with stunning volcanic scenery, delicious food, and perhaps the most enjoyable driving of my life. Come here if you love adventure, flowers, and wild landscapes (and it helps enormously if you speak French).

I’ve been talking up Réunion ever since, and I would love to come back for longer.

Both islands have direct flights to Madagascar, and onward to Europe, which makes them a good stopover in either direction.

Is Madagascar worth it?

Madagascar thrilled me, challenged me, brought me back to my roots, and made me appreciate the life I have. I absolutely loved my time in Madagascar — excluding the worrisome moments during the unrest — and I am so glad I visited.

Madagascar is not the place to go for a casual travel experience. Go in knowing that it’s going to test you physically, mentally, and emotionally.

But if you’re okay with a bit of discomfort, Madagascar will reward you with magnificent natural beauty, heartwarming kindness, and a glimpse of a world far from anything you’ve ever experienced.

If you’ve read this post and think Madagascar might be for you, you should go. It’s worth it.

More on Africa:

More on what it’s like to travel here:

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