Madagascar

Island of Lemurs, Chameleons
Friendly People and Amazing Scenery

COVID slowed us down for a couple of years, and now a few health issues challenge us.  We're still traveling if not writing about it quite so much. Our goal in 2022 was get to all seven continents in one year... and we did it.

Going forward health issues may not allow us to travel.  No one can take away those memories though.  We hope all of you are well and staying safe... and that you find some inspiration here for YOUR future travels. 

The real Madagascar is way better than the movie as far as we’re concerned.  If you think you might want to see it… we say go for it. Below are some of the things we thought about when we were planning and what we found once we got there.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from Madagascar other than lemurs and chameleons.

What we encountered was amazing landscapes and friendly people.

It's an island that is definitely worth the effort it takes to get there, but it isn't for the casual traveler.


There are beaches to sit on here and there...

But there are easier beaches to get to elsewhere in the world....


It's the wonderful endemic wildlife and plants that you should go for.  Just look at these...

Ring-tailed lemurs, Berenty -  Madagascar
Ranamafana National Park Madagascar
Chameleon - Ranamafana NP Madagascar


Planning Our Trip To Madagascar

When To Go?

We went to Madagascar at the end of the dry season.

It was the best time to see baby lemurs, there were really no leeches... (Have I mentioned I hate leeches?) ...Yep, the dry season meant no leeches to worry about in the rain forests.

And the roads... well, as bad as they are at least they were passable.

Plan Well In Advance

We did have to set this trip up further in advance than we usually do to make sure of getting the accommodations we wanted and the internal flight reservations, but in this case it was worth it.

We Used A Local Travel Agency

We set our custom tour up with a local Malagasy agency. That cut out several "middlemen" and let us keep the costs down.

We e-mailed them and told them what our interests were; they sent us a proposed itinerary; we reviewed it and "fine tuned it", and then we went, still not knowing exactly what we were in for...

Place Names Can Be Confusing - Is That Malagasy or French?

One thing you might find confusing in trying to research an itinerary is that some towns and national parks in Madagascar have both French names and Malagasy names... which are sometimes used interchangeably!

The French names are still widely used, but I'll try to include both where that is most apt to occur to try and help you out.

A Few Words Of French and Malagasy Can Help

The vast majority of Malagasy people speak French as well as Malagasy.

English is becoming more widely spoken, but don't count on it.

The people really respond enthusiastically if you try a few words in Malagasy. We never got beyond hello, good-bye and thank you, but it was enough. Remember I've told you not to worry about this foreign language stuff. Learn a few words, smile a lot and go for it.

Where We Went

So let me tell you about the areas we visited. I'm going to put destinations on separate linked pages for organizational purposes, and you can even check our real itinerary so you can see what worked pretty well for us. So follow along to...

Antananarivo Madagascar

Tana

Antananarivo, the capital, but everyone calls it Tana. It was Tananarive under French rule. You'll arrive here, but you don't need to spend much time.

Ranomafana National Park

Parc National de Ranomafana

(Ranomafana National Park in English, but you get that, don't you?)

For lemurs and chameleons.

Isalo National Park Madagascar

Parka Nasionaly Isalo (Malagasy)

Parc National de l'Isalo

For hikes in the sandstone massif and swims in natural swimming pools.

Morondava coast Madagascar

Names of Transit Cities...
Some transit cities that we flew in and out of...

Toliara (M) or Tulear (Fr)
Taolagnaro (M) or Ft. Dauphin (Fr)
Morondava

Ring-tailed lemurs at Berenty Private Reserve

Réserve Privée de Berenty

Berenty Private Reserve

For lemurs you can actually take pictures of and the wonderful spiny forest.

Parc National des Tsingy de Bemaraha Madagascar

Parc National des Tsingy de Bemahara

For hikes in the most fantastic limstone pinnacles you may ever see. It takes your breath away...
...literally in the Big Tsingy!

Parc National d'Andasibe-Mantadia

Parc National d'Andasibe-Mantadia (M)

Perinet (Fr) and still often called Perinet.

For primary and second growth rainforest and hearing the wonderful call of the Indri.

Dirt road of Boabab Alley

The Roads!

And some day I should include a whole page on road conditions so you know what you're getting into with transportation!  For now, let's just say they're part of the adventure.

Allow Enough Time

Remember, getting there is going to take a day or two... and getting around is NOT always fast.

Our itinerary was 18 days. That gave us time to see this southern part of the island pretty well.

We didn't have the time to get to the northern part where there are completely different species of lemurs and a little more beach activity.

We hope this will help you plan your own trip to Madagascar. It's a beautiful island that can use the help and money that good ecotourism brings in... so go for it!

Happy travels... even if you don't travel the world... just remember that life is a journey... embrace and enjoy it! Judy and Mark

Curious about what else we've written about?  Search our site for a destination or travel tip.

But... We'd love to have you share this page or comment on it…
Thanks, Judy and Mark

Return from Madagascar - Land of Endemics to MouseToursTravels Home Page

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Did it help with your travel planning and preparation? Eager to leave on that next vacation? Please leave your tips or comments in the box below.

Timely Tips

Summer Vacation
Travel is fun in the Northern summer... but don't neglect the Southern Hemisphere at this time of year.
Yes, it's winter in South Africa, but that's their dry season. It's a good time to travel there.

Lions stop traffic in Kruger NP South Africa

Sometimes you need to watch rain patterns instead of just seasons to figure the best time to travel...

Whether you're taking a road trip close to home or traveling abroad...

Whether it's summer or winter in your part of the world...
the way you pack can make it all more pleasurable.

Check out all our Packing Lists and Tips.

Need travel ideas?
Things to See in Europe
Africa Calls!
Travel In America

Don't just dream about it...
Start making plans!

Custom Tour Planning List
International Travel Planning Tips
Foreign Is Fun - Not Scary!
Get Your Passports and Visas

And Expect Good Things
There Are Tourist Angels

Search

Search MouseToursTravels
Travel questions or destination info?
Find our answers faster..
.

Translate

We want you to feel comfortable out in the world and on our pages - so surf away in your own language...

Updated Tips & New Travel Stories

  1. 2022 Travels To All Seven Continents

    After COVID, all seven continents in one year was a worthy goal for our 2022 travels..

    Read More

  2. 2021 Travels - Another COVID Year?

    Our 2021 travels were only domestic. COVID kept us close home. Road trips and a cautious flights but still fun.

    Read More

  3. 2020 Travels - What Travels?

    Our 2020 travels were slim. COVID kept us home too. One trip to the Three Guyanas, but dreaming of travel next year.

    Read More

Two Ways To Like Us!

Like Our Site Top Left
Like Our Fanpage Below
Thank You!

Navigate Our Site

Related Pages
on
Trip Planning

Guide Books
Why Travel With A Guidebook

How to Choose A Travel Guidebook

Travel Agents
A Travel Agent - Do You Need One?

Choosing Destinations
Best Time To Go

What Kind Of Trip Do You Want
More Than Throwing Darts

Some of Our Ideas
Stories About Europe
Why Not Africa?
North America
International Travel Tips

What Kind of Vacation?
Group Tour

Independent Travel
Driving Vacations
Adventure Travel
Active Travel - OK, How Active?
Multigenerational Vacations

Eco-Travel and Volunteering
Green Travel Tips
Sustainable Tourism
Volunteer Vacations - Are They For You?

Plan For Safety
Travel Advisories - Plan A Safe Trip

Don't Let Travel Worries Get To You
Keep Traveling

Planning Itineraries
A Custom Tour?
Custom Tour Planning List
Custom Tour Ideas
Top Ten Lists - Helpful, But…
Balance Your Itinerary - Mix It Up
Avoid Museum Sensory Overload
Hobbies for Trip Ideas
Where To Get Trip Ideas

Preparation
Get Passports and Visas

Travel Documents
Vaccinations and Meds 
Travel Preparation

Checklists So You Don't Forget
Travel Document Checklist

Travel Preparation Checklist
Home Departure Checklist
Pre-Departure Checklist

Navigate Our Site

What We’ve Written On Africa
So Far

African Dream List
African Tented Camps
Botswana Adventure

Collect Passport Stamps In South Africa
Ethiopia
Madagascar
Madagascar's Tsingy
  Our Madagascar ItinerarY
Mountain Gorilla Facts
"Our" Silverback Mountain Gorilla

Rwanda Mountain Gorillas
South Africa

Timbuktu or Dogon Country?- Mali

Other Travels Include Africa

2008 Travels
2011 Travels
2013 Travels
2019 Travels

Border Crossings

For A Little Humor

Backsides of Africa
or
Africa Seen From Behind

Ready For A New Adventure?

We escape by traveling…
But there are more ways to escape. 
Work on something you LOVE…
With A Website
SBI Teaches You Everything

First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life