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Facts | Weather | Health | Links
The island of Madagascar is located approx. 250 miles off the
SE coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean , east of Mozambique.
The Seychelles lie to the north and Mauritius to the east in
the Indian Ocean.
Travel Insurance for Madagascar :
World Wide exc. USA / Canada *
(See below)
Know Before You Go:
FCO Country Advice for Madagascar
Madagascar comprises 6 provinces, Antsiranana, Mahajanga,
Toamasina, Antananarivo , Fianarantsoa and Toliara. The capital
of each province has the same name. It is the world’s 4th
largest island.
The official languages are French and Malagasy. Madagascar
lost its status as an independent kingdom and became a French
colony in the late 1800s but regained its independence in 1960.
The island has three main areas: on the east side, narrow coastal
areas and rain forest. Mountains in the central part of the island,
and the west side mainly forest. It is well known that Madagascar
is home to many unusual species of animals that are not found
anywhere else on earth. Madagascar ’s largest river is
the Betsiboka.
There are many scenic places and national parks to visit, as
well as excellent diving opportunities. It is not a place for
those who like a well-planned holiday which is geared up for
heavy tourism. It is a place for those who like the unexpected
and are happy to take things as they find them without all the
trappings of most tourist destinations. There are, however, some
luxurious hotels, as well as deserted beaches, and places for
great watersports and beaches. There are river tours, kayaking
and rafting trips. The fishing is good, and for naturalists there
is an absolute abundance of fascinating fauna, flora and scenery.
One of the most visited wildlife habitats is the Kirindy forest,
a 25,000 acre approx. area which although not a nature reserve
is a good place to view wildlife such as primates, amphibians
and reptiles, birds and lemurs, and the famous Baobab trees. |
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The capital and other larger towns are located in the central
part of the island. The capital, Antananarivo (often called simply,
Tana) has a French influence and French is widely spoken. There
are interesting markets to browse as well as botanical gardens
and a zoo. North of the capital city there are many volcanic
lakes, geysers, waterfalls and thermal spas.
The north part of the island is the location of two mountains
where there are many species of flora which only thrive in high-altitude
rainforests. Antseranana is a seaport at the most northern point,
where crocodiles can be seen in the surrounding areas. Nosy Be
is one of Madagascar ’s main resort areas. It is an island
lying off the NW coast about one hour flight from the capital.
The SW part of the island, and Toliara, is more arid and has
excellent swimming beaches, diving, fishing, sailing and other
watersports. Visitors should check the swimming areas as many
are not safe due to sharks.
Facts
President: Marc Ravalomanana
Prime Minister: Jacques Sylla
Population: 18,100,000 approx.
Capital: Antananarivo
Time Zone: UTC +3
Monetary Unit: Malagasy franc
Country Dialling Code: 261
Madagascar
Weather / Climate
Tropical along the coastal areas, temperate inland, dry in the
south. The best months to visit are Oct-Nov before it gets too
hot.
Health
Travel Insurance for
travel to Madagascar
We recommend purchasing World Wide exc. USA & Canada Travel
Insurance for cover.
Links
www.embassy.org/madagascar/intro
Is the on-line information service of the Madagascar Embassy,
Washington DC . Gives a brief overview of the island.
www.madagascar-tourisme.com An
official site for Madagascar which can be translated into English.
Disclaimer: While we have tried to ensure this information
is correct we do not accept responsibility for any inaccuracy.
* Inclusion on this guide does not guarantee travel insurance is available in this country at any given time. Travel Insurance is not available in countries for which the FCO advise against travel to.
** The FCO advised against travel to countries marked thus at the time of writing. Travel Insurance is not available in areas where the FCO advise against travel to.
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