Madagascar - Know Before You Go | MadagasCaT
Visas and passports: You should have at least two empty pages in your passport and your passport should be valid for six months after travel.
Everyone entering Madagascar needs a visa and your choices are:
All nationalities qualify for Visa upon arrival (VOA). For a visa upon arrival, the prices are:
a. VISA 15 days or less: 10 Euros
b. VISA 30 days: 35 Euros / 37 USD
c. VISA 60 days: 40 Euros / 45 USD
At the airport, you do not need passport photos, you just show your outbound ticket, pay the fee and get your visa.
Note that the Malagasy authorities tend to change rules without prior notice so the information about visa fees is provided as an estimate, but it may change without notice.
Changes are never major.
We recommend having cash of €50 or $50 per person in your pockets upon arrival, to cover all eventualities.
Currency: The local currency is MGA or Ariary. Credit cards (VISA always and Mastercard occasionally) are becoming more widely accepted and are a good way to draw local currency thus avoiding too many bank fees. Please check with us as not all hotels accept credit cards.
If you pre-buy your foreign exchange in cash – Euros are preferable. You will need your ticket to buy forex and if obtaining it somewhere other than your bank you will need to be FICA’d – take a copy of an amenity bill reflecting your physical address.
As soon as you clear customs on arrival in Tana, go to one of the Bureau de Change offices and change some of your foreign currency into the local Ariary or use the ATM in the departure hall.
At Nosy Be Airport there is an ATM on the left as you come out of the arrival’s hall. If, for any reason, that is not working there is also a lady that exchanges for euro to Ariary outside the airport.
Most hotels will also change cash but not a good exchange so try and avoid this.
NB. US$ notes older than the year 2000 will not be accepted. You will receive a better rate if you have larger notes.
There are also ATM machines in Nosy Be, Tana, Morondava, Sainte Marie, Diego, Fort Dauphin, Tamatave and at Tana Airport.
The best prices are always in Ariary although most hotels and shops will accept Euro. It is also more convenient to be able to tip in Ariary – as soon as you have some try and get some small change. MGA1000 and MGA2000 are useful for tips.
Domestic Airports within Madagascar
Each airport has its own rules and quirks, and it helps to know them in advance.
Tana: on arrival the passport officials have started asking for your ticket. Please have them ready. It is a good idea to make a separate photocopy of your eticket so it is easily accessible.
Sometimes they ask for Yellow Fever; don’t panic – just tell them where you have come from (South Africa, UK, Europe etc) and they will not press you!
Nosy Be International Arrivals: There are some officials that may try and press you to pay them something. The ONLY money you need to exchange is to buy your visa. Firmly refuse anything else and, if pushed, ask them for their name. Please report any such behaviour to our offices on your return – we are working hard with the Ministry of Tourism to eradicate this problem.
Medical Help: Refer to your Travel Insurance policy for emergency help but all hotels should have a local doctor on hand.
Porters: They can be very demanding at Tana airport, and this is probably the only time you will experience any real harassment in Madagascar. Hold on to your luggage tightly and do not give it to anyone unless you are certain that person is your proper transfer to your hotel/boat. Not because it will go missing but because they will multiply and pester you for tips! I have been recently asked by Liva our driver to ask clients NOT to tip the porters at all. They are becoming a real nuisance and demanding vast sums!
Nosy Be is easier and you just exit and look for your transfer; however, if you must travel via Hellville port to Nosy Komba or elsewhere you may also have similar issues at the port. Just be firm. You are in no danger.
Luggage Allowance: Airlink has a strict 20kg check in limit for Nosy Be. But you can request additional sports equipment in advance – please advise us if you require this.
If you are going on a charter boat a soft, foldup bag is best.
Hand luggage is restricted to 7kg.
Air Austral allows 23kg of luggage in one bag per passenger.
Customs Allowance: 500 cigarettes and 1litre spirits/wine. Spirits and wine are very expensive in Madagascar.
You did not hear this from me but generally the customs turn a blind eye to extra grog. We always take way more than the allowance and have never been asked to hand it over. A good idea to carry it in an empty laptop bag.
Customs: Customs on arrival in Tana, will almost certainly ask you to open your bags. Do not worry too much about your extra grog and it is best just to offer them all your bags at once and show willing to open up. They may even go as far as asking if you have anything for them. See my comment above under Nosy Be International Arrivals. Best to pretend you do not understand a word they are saying. Afrikaans or another foreign language is useful here! Not French obviously!
The customs on Departures will X ray your luggage that goes to the hold. If they see anything ‘suspicious’ on the XRay, they will call you to open your luggage. This can be nerve wracking and spoil the end of your holiday. Clam shells and coral are absolutely No No. Hand luggage is also regularly searched as well as X-rayed.
SHELLS, SOUVINIRS AND WOODEN CARVINGS: Whilst the shells and corals on the beaches are beautiful the beach is where they belong. Please leave them where they are. I have found particularly stunning shells and displayed them on nearby rocks then photographed them. They make great pictures and look good in frames too.
Wooden Souvenirs – when buying any wooden souvenir in Madagascar ask for a receipt/slip of paper confirming it is not illegally sourced. You WILL be stopped on departure and customs will tempt you to grease their palms a little. It’s up to you – but you do run the risk of having the item confiscated.
Most of the ‘turtle like’ artifacts are made from Zebu horn so you can buy them with a clear conscience!
Departure: There are some good shops in Duty Free at Tana so save a few Euros; especially for Robert’s Chocolates! They do not accept Ariary. Only Euro and credit cards are accepted. In Nosy Be there is only a small cigarette/perfume shop which also only accepts Euro.
Travel Insurance: This is essential for all bookings, and we highly recommend appropriate cover. It is a good idea to buy your insurance as soon as you have paid your deposit to cover cancellation – if you would like a quotation from Hollard please advise us timeously.
Power Supply: 220V; European two prong plugs at hotels, three prong South African plugs on Maki CaT and Yacht Adiva. A standard South African two prong plug works fine.
Health: No immunization is necessary, but Madagascar is a malaria area. Malaria prophylactics are recommended but, depending on the time of year, sensible precautions may suffice.
Personally, we have never taken medical precautions and, touch wood, never contracted Malaria.
But this must be your own decision.
Drink only bottled drinking water. Bottled water is supplied on board the boats and on tour; all hotels have it readily available.
Travel clothes:
Rainforests: light anorak, cotton long pants and long-sleeved cotton shirts, anti-mosquito stuff, walking shoes.
Beaches: Sarongs, flip flops, sun block, hats.
Parks: Sunblock, walking shoes, hats.
Boats: Sarongs.
To get to the boats and some lodges you may have to get your feet wet – remember this when dressing to travel; you will probably have to remove shoes and roll up trousers to get to boats or lodges on islands.
It is always useful, wherever you are going, to have a torch. The Head Torches are the most useful as they leave your hands free.
Language: Malagasy is the first language with French used in business. English is more and more becoming the language of tourism. Our drivers, guides and skippers all speak English.
Manners: It is VERY bad form in Madagascar to raise your voice and, from our experience, it has never been necessary anyway. However, patience and relaxation is the order of the day – and remember you are on Malagasy time. You will get what you want but it may take a little while longer than at home!
“Mora mora” . . . it’s Malagasy for slowly slowly!
Respect and politeness will guarantee you a good holiday.
Responsible Travel:
Tourism innocence is still found in most parts of Madagascar, and it is only the visitor to the country that can destroy this. It is almost as fragile as the ecological balance. So far there is little if any begging in Madagascar and this mostly in Tana. The main reason for this seems to be that the people do not believe in getting something for nothing. If you take a photograph of them or accept a “favour” they may ask for a “cado”, which is simply a gift!
It’s all very nice and part of the culture rather than a bad disease. Treat it as such. Sadly, begging is creeping in, and we implore you to prevent it developing further with a few simple rules:
1. Do not hand out anything for nothing. It makes beggars for life.
2. Spread your business through several stalls, not just one, and buy from local villages rather than markets wherever possible.
3. Remove all plastics, packaging, and other non-degradable materials from your luggage before travelling. There is no responsible waste disposal in remote areas.
4. If you wish to “give” then please talk to us and we can arrange a visit to a school or charity where you can help in a constructive manner.
Security: Common sense prevails here – do not carry handbags, jewellery, or valuables around towns. It is asking for trouble anywhere in the world.
Shopping: Bargaining is expected in markets. However, there is often a language problem. I suggest you ask them to write their price down, either in the sand or on a piece of paper. You can communicate that way. The French for ‘write’ is pronounced ‘escrivay’. Often the vendor will show you the price on a calculator.
Time difference: Madagascar time is GMT +3 (1 hour ahead of RSA).
Cell Phone Roaming: We must insist that at least one member of your party has roaming on their phone and that we have that telephone number before departure. We cannot smooth your way if we cannot reach you.
Fady: This is local taboo. Find out what each region’s fady is and respect it. 51% of Malagasy people practice Animism. This is the belief that inanimate and natural phenomena have souls.
Ask your guides and drivers to tell you about what they believe to be Fady. It is fascinating. Pointing directly at something with the finger (as we do in the west) is, in some areas, considered VERY rude.
Tipping: Madagascar is a poor country, and wages are very low here especially in the service industries. The cost of living never stops spiralling upwards, so, of course, everyone appreciates to be tipped.
It is a good idea to keep small money out and about in your pockets or handy to get at for tipping.
Porter 2,000 to 5,000 for carrying bags to your room depending on whether it is something light or heavy and depending on what change you have in your pocket. 20,000 to 50,000 for the reception staff if they have been especially helpful and 20,000 to 50,000 for the maids, after a multiple day stay, at reception, once only, upon checkout.
Small tips of 1,000 or 2,000 for room service and special requests to maids are appreciated.
Local Guide for park visits - if a guide gives good service, at the end of the tour around 10,000 - 20,000 if they have tried hard, spoken English well and been helpful. Your permanent guide - if you are fully accompanied on your trip, or for an extended part of it, a reasonable amount is around 20,000 to 30,000 ariary for each day that they have been working for you.
This is a suggested amount, per couple. If you are several people, you might to consider increasing that.
Your driver - Once, at the end of the tour. A reasonable amount is around 20,000 to 30,000 ariary for each day that they have been working for you. We recommend that you increase the tip if your driver has also been acting as your guide. That's hard work. This is a suggested amount, per couple. If you are a few people, you might to consider increasing that.
Tipping is at your discretion but please remember that tips are what many guides will save to live on, during the low season. Feel free to be generous if you have enjoyed the service.
Restaurants: For good service, around 5%. I like to put tips in the hand of my waiter discreetly because some proprietors keep the tips that their staff receive.
National parks: You do not need to tip anyone at the park except your local guide mentioned above.
Boat rides: A tip is worth considering if a staff member has been helpful. If there are a few staff who have been assisting to get you and your luggage on and off a boat, perhaps a couple of thousand each would be nice.
Charter Boat Crew - €10 - €12 per crew member per day on charter – this is NOT per client but as a group! This can vary according to the size of your party and pocket! All crew members should receive equal tips.
Taxis/transfers: The taxis used in Madagascar are not modern and therefore not always in the best state of repair. Please remember you are in a third world country and enjoy the ride. There are times when the taxi may be pulled over by the traffic police. This is a daily occurrence and is not a cause for alarm; an exchange of a small amount of money may take place without it costing you a cent.
Remember! They drive on the right in Madagascar.
First Aid: It is advisable to travel with the basics as there are no reliable medical services in Madagascar. Imodium, Valoid, Pain Killers, antiseptic cream, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, antiitch cream and Bactroban are a few suggestions.
Charter Tips:
The meals on the charter boats are great but if you want to take a few of the following (unavailable items) along please do so.
Bacon – not easily available in Nosy Be and can really make that breakfast!
Snacky type things – biltong, chips, etc. Very limited availability in Nosy Be.
Your favourite condiment (sweet chilli sauce etc)
Drinks – there will be a small collection of spirits on board, but the boats encourage you to bring your own. It is very expensive in Madagascar (except the beer and rum!) – they will provide wine, beer and mixes of your choice and do not charge unrealistic prices.
Music – Take a ‘stick’ with your favourite music.
Snorkelling – the boats have a good selection of snorkelling gear, but it is always better to bring your own well-fitting goggles and fins. We STRONGLY suggest second skins for protection from the occasional (harmless) stingies and the constant (very harmful) sun.
Fun for Kids (and adults) – bring along a powerful torch. There is often interesting activity in the water at night behind the boat which provides great ‘after dinner entertainment’. FISHING:
The charter boats have great, basic boat rods and reels and provide one, free lure per charter. But for the fishing fanatics you will need to bring your own specialised gear. Please remember that only recreational fishing on the route is allowed on Maki Cat. No going off the usual charter route to chase fish.
MadagasCaT will monitor your progress throughout your journey – please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns or worries – we will do our best to sort them out. Remember that a sense of adventure and a sense of humour are essential for travel in Madagascar.
“Most of Madagascar’s wildlife exists nowhere else in the world. The entire island is a hot spot of biological diversity, a treasure house of natural riches that is one of the most significant on earth. Madagascar is an unrepeatable experiment; a set of unique animals and plants evolving in isolation for over 60 million years. We are still trying to unravel its mysteries. How tragic it would be if we lost it before we even understood it.” Sir David Attenborough.
