Getting there & Getting around

Getting there

Air Madagascar, Air France and Inter Air have flights into Madagascar. Air France flies direct from Paris. Air Madagascar flies from both Johannesburg (South Africa) and Nairobi (Kenya), while InterAir flies from Johannesburg. The airport departure tax is always included in the price of airline tickets.

Sea travel is possible, but it's not as easy as you might expect. Cargo boats from Mombasa (Kenya) or Zanzibar (Tanzania) often travel to the Comoros islands from where several ships travel to Toamasina (Tamatave) in Madagascar. Boat travel from South Africa is surprisingly infrequent. You'll need to ask around in Durban, try the Port Authority. If you're aiming to leave Madagascar by boat, it's best to head to Toamasina (Tamatave) and enquire at the port.

Getting around

There are any number of ways to get around Madagascar, from air to zebu cart (a common form of transport in the back blocks); from pousse-pousse or rickshaw in the flatter towns to taxis-brousses (bush taxis) in the bush. Decrepit buses and sort-of-new minibuses are an alternative to the taxis-brousses between Tana and nearby towns, and they leave from the chaotic taxi-brousse stations. Taxis-brousses are the most popular and cheapest way to get around, and the term is generic to cover any form of public transport that is not a bus or minibus. They are often slow and break down, are overcrowded and sometimes dangerous, but are also usually great fun.

Because of the vast distances and the poor state of the roads, you may want to make some parts of your trip on 'Air Mad' as the national carrier is fondly known. It has an excellent network to over 60 cities and towns, and despite its nickname is a reliable carrier. It also regularly offers discounts of up to 20-30% on internal flights if you have used it to fly into the country.

Visa information

All visitors require a visa. Visas are valid for up to three months from the date of entry.