My name is Ramajana and welcome to my Madagascar guide! I come from a small town in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country in the western Balkans – but I studied, worked and lived in the capital (Sarajevo) for most of my life. Apart from my own country, I’ve lived in six others in three continents. After meeting my husband, who’s a foreigner, my path changed forever. It was with him, and due to his job, that I started living the expat life.

The nature of his job requires us to move every few years. After living together in three European countries, we had the opportunity to move to Madagascar – our first African posting – followed by Zimbabwe. We live in Zimbabwe today and have been here for almost a year and a half.

How I Fell in Love with Madagascar

I lived in the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo or Tana as it’s otherwise known as, for three years. Despite being an island, Madagascar is a huge country which most people aren’t aware of. So, basically, living in the capital meant I was far away from the beaches and all of the paradisiacal spots.

Madagascar is the most special destination I’ve ever seen and a place that has changed me the most. I don’t think anyone can be prepared for a country like Madagascar. Everything is extreme, be it positive or negative things. The unique nature, distinct culture, incomparable wildlife, extreme poverty and social inequities, unimaginable state of the roads and so on, pay testament to this fact. When I say to others that I had the time of my life here, most people think that it sounds unbelievable – yet, it’s true!

Madagascar is beyond unique and it can’t be compared to any other country. How else could one describe a place where 90% of the plants and animals are endemic, meaning they aren’t found anywhere else on Earth? It’s no surprise that Madagascar is referred to as the eighth continent!

I’ve been lucky enough to discover a little bit of all corners of Madagascar. And when I say that, I don’t mean I’ve explored the entire country. Even people who’ve lived here for 20 years still haven’t seen everything. What I mean is: I’ve visited places in the north, east, south and west, and the center, and this has given me a good idea of what Madagascar offers.

Why Madagascar is Such a Unique Destination

There are many diverse countries but Madagascar is not only diverse, it’s also unique. There are things here that you can’t see anywhere else. Madagascar isn’t a touristy county, it’s mainly a place for adventurers and backpackers. Additionally, there are very few areas to suit people with high budgets but the majority of the country is pure adventure!

I sometimes say Madagascar may not have 5-star resorts but it does have 10-star nature! Only geographically speaking does Madagascar belong to Africa – because its location nestled in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and its impressive diversity of people and culture, means it’s a place that stands on its own and is quite different from the rest of the African continent.

You won’t find typical African animals in Madagascar since they have their own. Don’t visit if you’re looking for lions, elephants or giraffes. Go for lemurs, fossa, chameleons, geckos, and unique birds and insects. My motto for the wildlife here is: “don’t believe everything you see”! This is because sometimes you’ll see bark on a tree but it’s actually a camouflaged gecko, or a bunch of leaves and not notice the hidden bird, or a gray leaf and miss the butterfly with closed wings. Madagascar is full of surprises!

And the beauty only begins with the wildlife. The landscapes are another incredible aspect. Venturing from one place to the next, you’ll feel like you’re crossing many countries. From the highlands with views of rice terraces in the center; over the jungle in the east; then to Tsingy or the forest of limestone, baobab forests, mangroves and flamingo lakes in the west; to the beaches, diving spots, tropical forests and red Tsingy in the north; until the savanna, canyons, natural pools and desert in the south!

In fact, Madagascar has the longest coastline in Africa which is about 5,000 kilometers long. You can find paradise beaches everywhere – in the east, west, north and south. The only difference is that some are easier to reach than others and are therefore more popular. From my experience in this country, the most beautiful destinations were the hardest ones to reach.

When it comes to culture, again Madagascar is very special. Malagasy are a mix of Asian and African. There are 18 ethnic groups across the country, and the biggest one is called Merina in the Central Highlands. The Merina were the kings and queens that ruled Madagascar in the past!

Fady, or taboo, also plays a role in the Malagasy culture. Even as a tourist, you’ll come across it often. For example, it can be Fady to visit a lake if you ate pork, to go to a place on certain days (let’s say Thursday), to wear red clothes in particular areas or to leave your shoes on to visit a specific tree.

Another tradition in Madagascar is Famadihana or the “Turning of the Bones”. In order to understand it, it’s important to say that the Malagasy people have a special relationship with their dead ancestors – and the ancestors have the responsibility of protecting and blessing the living.

So what happens in the Central Highlands around the capital every year is that the people dig up the graves of their loved ones and wrap them in new clothes. The village comes together to carry the bodies, dance and celebrate. This happens every five to seven years within each family unit.

10 Beautiful Places to Visit in Madagascar

1. Tsimanampetsotsa National Park

This is a remote park situated in the deep south. There are several circuits in this park but the highlight for me was the astonishing white colored lake, caused by a high concentration of calcium sulfate. The color of the water can change to bright turquoise during the day. The other highlight here was the 3,000 year old baobab tree, Grandmother. This baobab has wrinkles and looks different from any other baobab tree due to its age.

2. Moramba Bay

Moramba Bay is the most off-beat place I’ve ever been to in my life. It lies in the northwest of Madagascar and there are no roads there. I reached it in four days coming from Tana, with a combination of car and speed boat. The other option is to go with a private plane and speed boat combination.

A type of red baobab tree on limestone on the beach grows here, next to a mangrove forest. It’s also called the Ha Long Bay of Madagascar due to the unique Mushroom Islands. These are rock formations that resemble mushrooms scattered around the bay. The beaches are spectacular and deserted, with the limestone formations and an exotic forest as a backdrop.

3. Tsingy De Bemaraha National Park

This park was featured in the Netflix documentary, Our Great National Parks, narrated by former US President Barack Obama. I can start every sentence about Madagascar with “this is one of the most remote places”, since it applies to almost everything in the country including this park.

Tsingy de Bemaraha is a stone forest in the northwest consisting of massive needles of limestone. The landscape here is so dramatic that people say it looks like another planet! This is the only spot on this list that I haven’t been to yet but it has to be mentioned on the top 10 list, regardless of that.

4. The Beaches of Madagascar

Nosy Be

Madagascar has its own Maldives-like beaches and some of them are in the northern archipelagos. In Nosy Be, Nosy Iranja is an absolute paradise and perhaps the most stunning beach in Madagascar. Nosy Iranja isn’t a typical beach – it’s a two kilometer long sandbank that connects two small islands at low tide. Other beautiful beaches in Nosy Be include Nosy Sakatia, Nosy Tanikely and Nosy Komba. The other paradise archipelago in the north is Mitsio. Tsarabanjina is one of the paradise islands there.

The Emerald Sea

This lagoon at the northern tip of Madagascar in Diego Suarez was named after a gemstone due to its emerald-like color. Another beach gem in Diego Suarez is the so-called “Three Bays” with its untouched white sand beaches.

Nosy Boraha (Ile Sainte-Marie)

This small tropical island, together with the even smaller island of Ile aux Nattes, is the best place to go if you’re looking for beaches with palm trees and tropical vegetation. A bonus trip is the Ile aux Sables sandbank.

The Sapphire Coast

The most beautiful lagoon in southern Madagascar stretches from Ankasy, over Salary Bay, up to Ambatomilo – all places in the middle of nowhere. This part of the coast is a semi-desert with sand dunes and dry vegetation.

Anakao

Situated south of Toliara, the biggest town in southern Madagascar, is another beach paradise. Starting from Anakao, over Beheloka and Ambola to Itampolo, is another long stretch of gorgeous sandy beaches. And the further south of Anakao you go, the wilder it becomes!

Anjajavy

Wild beaches with a Robinson Crusoe feel can be found in the Anjajavy area or at the Lodge des Terres Blanches in that region. Dozens of coves in this remote place make you feel like you’re at the end of the world!

Nosy Ankao

If you want to stay where Tom Cruise spends his holidays, you can have that too in Madagascar. Nosy Ankao is a private island with one ultra-luxurious resort on it called Miavana. You’ll be brought to the island in a helicopter.

5. Avenue of the Baobabs

This is the number one reason why travelers come here – Madagascar is the land of baobabs! There are eight species of baobabs in the world, of which seven can be found in Madagascar and six of them exist only on this unique island nation. Baobabs in Madagascar are scattered around the western and northern parts, and they can look different from each other.

Avenue of the Baobabs is the most famous baobab destination in Africa and it’s far away, but not as isolated as other places I’ve mentioned. It’s a 250 meter long dirt road where 20+ giant baobabs are lined up, creating a scenic avenue. The magic happens at dusk when the sun sets right behind the baobabs – making the whole scene look like a postcard! Bonus tip: if you want to see super weird baobabs, you need to go to remote places like Andavadoaka or Andalambezo (further south of the Avenue).

6. Fianarantsoa-Cote Est Railway

This train line connects the town of Fianarantsoa in the Central Highlands to Manakara on the east coast of Madagascar. During the time I was there, this was the last remaining passenger train in the country. This isn’t just another normal train ride – I think it was the biggest adventure of my life!

The trip starts in the high plateau, goes through jungle, waterfalls, steep cliffs, ravinala forest, villages that are cut off from civilization and ends on the east coast at the Indian Ocean in a town called Manakara. This adventure isn’t for everyone but for those who dare, it’s epic! Canal des Pangalanes is a man-made canal that stretches over 600 kilometers along the Indian Ocean and goes through Manakara. You can navigate it in a traditional pirogue boat through authentic villages located on the canal.

7. RN7 Road Trip & Isalo National Park

For breathtaking landscapes, the best adventure you can embark on in Madagascar is the RN7 road trip. RN7 is just the name of the National Road 7 that goes from the capital to the sea in Toliara. On this 1,000 kilometer long road, you can see the most diverse landscapes in just one trip.

From the rice fields in the Central Highlands, stopping in the jungles of Ranomafana, heading through granite mountains, through the savanna to the arid part of the country with canyons and dramatic landscapes in Isalo, to where the desert meets the sea in Toliara – it’s spectacular!

There are so many beautiful places on the RN7 but Isalo is the highlight. The massif which is made out of sandstone mountains is from the Jurrasic era. It offers extraordinary viewpoints, gorges, canyons cut through with streams, oases and natural pools. Not to forget the Isalo Window, a natural creation of a window in a rock through which the sun sets!

8. Bevohitse White Sand Dunes

Huge snow white sand dunes meeting the ocean is the offering of the amazing destination of Bevohitse. There are several sand dunes on the southwestern coast of Madagascar but this one is absolutely spectacular because of its snow white color, its huge size and the fact that it’s located in the middle of nowhere looking out to one of the longest coral reefs in the world! The view from the top is fascinating. Again, it’s an extremely remote place and difficult to reach without help. Very few people know about it.

9. Tsingy Rouge

Tsingy Rouge is a natural wonder and one of the best places to visit in Madagascar. It’s a site with fragile formations that look like fairy chimneys. Laterite gives them this remarkable red color. There are several great viewpoints to be admired here. It’s not to be confused with Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park as they’re quite different from each other.

10. Lemurs

If you plan on visiting Madagascar, there is one thing you shouldn’t miss – lemurs. Lemurs are endemic – this is their only natural habitat. There are over 100 types of lemurs and they’re scattered around the country. So, depending on which areas you go to, you’ll be able to see lemurs specific to that part. The good news is you can see lemurs everywhere! Places I suggest are Andasibe National Park, Anja Community Reserve, Nosy Komba, Vakona Private Reserve, Palmarium Reserve and Kirindy Forest.

List of the Best Lodges/Hotels in Madagascar

As I mentioned earlier, Madagascar is not a touristy country which means it has limited accommodation options. There is only one exception – Nosy Be – where you’ll find many hotels and lodges. The rest of the country has a limited offering and most of the time it’s eco-lodges. However, when you live in Madagascar you get to discover more places than a tourist can. So, here are some of my favorite lodges/hotels in Madagascar:

• Le Jardin du Roy (Isalo National Park)
• Lodge des Terres Blanches (Near Anjajavy)
• Bakuba Lodge (Toliara)
• Constance Tsarabanjina
• Mamirano Bay Ecolodge (Ambatomilo)
• L’heure Bleue or Andilana Beach Resort (Nosy Be)
• Antsanitia Resort (Mahajanga)
• Altra Faccia Della Luna (Anakao)
• Palissandre Cote Ouest Resort (Morondava)
• Lac Hotel Sahambavy
• Manjarano Lodge (Andasibe)
• Vakona Forest Lodge or Mantadia Lodge (Andasibe)

FAQs for Visiting Madagascar

What is the Best Way to Travel to Madagascar?

The only way to get to Madagascar is by plane. There are no boat rides from Africa. As far as I know there are only two direct flights from Europe with AirFrance and Turkish Airlines, and some direct flights from Africa and the Indian Ocean countries with Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, Airlink, Air Austral and Air Mauritius. However, there are also direct flights to Nosy Be from Johannesburg with Airlink and from Italy with Neos.

What is the Best Time to Visit Madagascar?

The best time to visit Madagascar is the dry season, from May to October. It’s important to keep in mind that the rainy season brings about cyclones. Madagascar gets hit by a few cyclones every year, especially on the east coast. Another reason to avoid the rainy months is because many of the roads are unpaved and become impassable. Therefore, some places are closed and unreachable from November to April.

How Long Should You Visit Madagascar for?

The minimum timeframe for a trip to Madagascar is two weeks. If you have less time than that, it’s better to visit somewhere else. The only exception is if you take a charter flight to Nosy Be and decide to stay there for the whole time. For example, one week would be enough time in Nosy Be. But for the rest of the country, you should ideally have three or four weeks planned.

How Do You Get Around Madagascar?

To get around Madagascar, you’ll need a local driver with a 4×4 vehicle. Most car rental companies won’t rent you a car without a driver. It’s very hard to move around the country as the roads can be in terrible condition (unpaved with potholes), sometimes you have to cross rivers, Google Maps isn’t reliable outside the capital, your car can break down, you have to arrive at your next place before dark and it’s hard to estimate the distances.

Distance is not measured by kilometers or miles in Madagascar, it’s measured by the time you need to get somewhere! For example, in the best case scenario, you’ll cover 100 kilometers in approximately three hours. But in the worst case scenario, you might need 12 hours for the same distance. A local driver will know how long it’ll take to get from A to B.

Remember, the times shown on Google Maps are inaccurate. There are so many reasons why a local driver is mandatory and trust me, you’ll be grateful to have one. Many times you’ll have to combine traveling by car and plane with a boat ride to get to places. Just keep in mind that transport in Madagascar is quite expensive, so budgeting for that is vital.

Can You Drive in Madagascar at Night?

Generally speaking, Madagascar is considered a safe country. However, it’s not that safe when driving through the country at night. Hence, you need to arrive at your destination before it gets dark. That’s also the reason why it takes such a long time to get to some places, simply because you have to stay overnight somewhere on the way in order to avoid driving in the dark.

Do You Need Vaccines to Visit Madagascar?

There were no obligatory vaccines when I was there. I’m not sure if this has changed in the meantime, but it’s always good to double check before traveling. Malaria exists in Madagascar, except in the Central Highlands, so it’s necessary to take some precautions if you go to affected areas.

What Should You Pack for a Trip to Madagascar?

I recommend packing a torch or a pocket light as there can be issues with power cuts in remote areas, mosquito spray, sunscreen and a hat as the sun can be extremely strong, and extra power banks to charge your phone or devices especially if you go to more remote places. I would also bring some basic medications since there are no pharmacies outside of the big cities, especially something for stomach issues due to poor hygienic conditions of the food and water. And be careful with street food, it might ruin your trip!

Follow Me on Instagram for More Africa Inspo

Thanks for reading my Madagascar guide! I hope it inspires you and gives you all the info you need for a memorable trip. To follow my adventures, you can find me on Instagram (Bosnian Girl in Africa) where I share all things Africa – from daily situations as an expat to travels to beautiful places such as Madagascar, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zanzibar and some new countries I’m about to visit. Anyone who’s interested in knowing what it’s like to live and travel in Africa from an expat perspective should follow along!