In and Out

  • It is widely recommended not to drive yourself in Madagascar due to safety and road condition concerns. We trust our driver, Nicko: +261 38 73 837 87. His French and Malagasy are excellent. His English is improving. His car does NOT have A/C.

  • As a US citizens, we were able to get our visas on arrival. Be sure to confirm this before you go as visa requirements can change! US Department of State is a good place to start.

  • The roads in Madagascar are very poor. Additionally, they are full of sights you and your children will never unsee: extremely empoverished villages, people begging for food and water, vistas of heart breaking deforestation and animals (dead and alive) of all types hanging off of overpacked bicycles and motorbikes. Prepare your souls.

Accommodation

  • We call the “Trifecta”: clean water, electricty and wifi. Plan on little to none of these three things.

    Buy or sterilize your water.

    Be sure to tuck in your mosquito nets at night.

    Pack wipies for emergent side-of-the-road bathroom stops!

    Pack electrolyte powder particularly if your transport does not have A/C.

    Hide all electronics and lock/hide your luggage at all times.

  • We booked our tour through Ortour but would’t recommend them (read here) but we can recommend Nicko. He will take good care of you: +261 38 73 837 87. We recommend consulting Lonely Planet for more ideas.

Fav spots

  • Reniala Rescue Center - this was our absolute favorite stop. We volunteered for 4 days. We felt safe, really helped the center and had intimate exposure to the animals. Daniel and Orfa worked in a nearby garden used to grow food for the lemurs. If you brave Madagascar, we recommended volunteering here!

  • This was our favoriate National Park and worth a visit to see lemurs, leaf-tailed gecko, giraffe-necked beetle and so much more.

  • We felt hope when we visited Anja Community Reserve, a community run ecotourism open space that balanced the local economy and health of the land/animals. We caught wild boa constrictors, saw LOADS of lemurs, chameleons, and many more. We hiked on huge boulders and swung from Tarzan vines.