Madagascar

Antananarivo

The island's main hub, where the thing to do is wander the stairways of the Upper Town and call in at the Rova royal palace. Tana is loud and permanently jammed with traffic, but skip the capital's markets and you will never taste real Malagasy life.

Antsirabe

A pleasant stop up on the highlands, famous for thermal springs and thousands of brightly painted rickshaws. It is worth a trip for the workshops where craftsmen turn zebu horn and old tin cans into genuinely original souvenirs.

Morondava

A fishing town on the west coast that serves as the base for trips to the Avenue of the Baobabs. You can also just rest on the sandy beaches and eat absurdly cheap lobster in the seafront cafés.

Fianarantsoa

The intellectual centre, full of old churches and looking out over rice terraces. It is the natural jumping-off point for Ranomafana park, or for boarding the famous train down to the east coast.

Toliara

A hot southern port and the finish line of the RN7 highway. The town is the gateway to Anakao, reached by boat, and the best diving and coral reefs on this side of the ocean.

The Avenue of the Baobabs: The island's defining image sits just outside Morondava, and you come here for shots of the giant trees against a red sunset. Access is free, though you may be asked for a donation to park.

Tsingy de Bemaraha: Worth a trip into this labyrinth of razor-edged limestone spires if you have a head for heights and can stomach a long, bruising drive. The park has suspension bridges and you are only allowed in with a guide.

Isalo National Park: If you want Martian landscapes, this is where to go. Sandstone canyons, deep gorges and natural pools of clear water hidden in the rock make this one of the best treks in the south.

Ranomafana: Doing this rainforest in a day is a stretch; give it two if you want a real chance at the rare bamboo lemurs. The flora is extraordinary, and there are waterfalls and hot springs you can bathe in.

Anja Reserve: The best place anywhere to see ring-tailed lemurs at close range. It is a community project where local people protect the forest and the income goes to the village school and infrastructure.

Nosy Iranja: If you are hunting the postcard beach, this pair of islands joined by a white sandbar is it. At low tide you can walk between them along the spit, with turquoise water and near-total silence.

Currency: The official money is the ariary. Change cash at the airport or at banks in Tana, because rates in the provinces are always worse. Euros are preferred over dollars here and get a better rate everywhere.

Cash: Forget plastic outside the capital; this island runs on cash. Carry more than you think you need, in small notes, because breaking a large bill in a village is close to impossible.

Cards and ATMs: Visa and Mastercard work at ATMs in the bigger towns for a fee, but the per-transaction limit is often painfully low, so plan several withdrawals. Amex is useless. A Wise or Revolut card helps with the exchange spread but not with the machines simply running dry.

Tipping: Restaurants get 5 to 10 percent of the bill. Park guides and drivers are given a bonus at the end of the day, which is expected rather than optional.

Item	Price (USD)
Lunch at a local canteen	2.50
Dinner for two	25.00
Street coffee	0.10
THB beer	1.20
1.5L water	0.40
Rickshaw ride	1.00
Taxi across town	4.00
Litre of petrol	1.10
Park entry	15.00
Park guide	20.00
SIM card	3.00
Kilo of vanilla	30.00
Bread	0.30
Simple guesthouse	15.00
Domestic flight	150.00

Taxi-brousse: These minibuses link the towns and are how most people cross the country. Cotisse is the best operator, with sockets on board and an actual timetable.

Rickshaws: The pousse-pousse is the most characterful ride you will get. Agree the price before you climb in, because there is no meter of any kind.

Car hire: Nobody will rent you a vehicle without a driver. The normal arrangement is a 4x4 with a Malagasy driver who also repairs the thing at the roadside when it breaks.

Flights: Tsaradia saves you days of driving, but cancellations are frequent. Always reconfirm your departure the day before rather than trusting the booking.

The train: The single FCE service runs from Fianarantsoa down to the ocean and takes an extremely long time. You do it for the views, not to get anywhere.

Boats: Nosy Be is reached by launch from Ankify. River crossings inland are often made on rafts lashed together from several boats.

Taxi-be: The big shared minibuses in the cities cost almost nothing but are seriously cramped. It is a way to save money and simultaneously risk your wallet.

Bicycles: In Toliara and on the islands you can rent a bike. It works well for exploring beaches and small villages at your own pace.

Guesthouses: In the towns you can simply turn up and find a room. Booking sites work poorly here and owners rarely check email.

Bungalows: Along the ocean and near the parks, people build wooden cabins. It is the cheapest and most characterful way to sleep with forest noise around you.

Eco-lodges: Places attached to the reserves usually run on solar power. Lemurs may well appear on your balcony looking for a banana.

Facilities: Hot water is rare in the simple places. Nights in the mountains get properly cold, so always ask for extra blankets.

Security: Check the locks and the windows before you settle in. Leave valuables in the hotel safe or keep them in a money belt under your clothes.

Camping: The national parks have tent areas, and you can hire the gear from the park office itself for very little.

Contact: Many guesthouse owners work through WhatsApp. Message them there in advance to check whether they actually have space.

Payment: Small guesthouses take only cash ariary. Larger lodges may accept euros, but the rate they give you will be daylight robbery.

The staple: Rice is eaten three times a day. It arrives in enormous mounds with a modest side of meat or shredded greens.

Meat: Zebu is the local humped cattle and the meat is genuinely good. Try it as a steak or in romazava, a soup with slightly bitter greens.

Water: Never drink untreated water and never take ice in a drink. Buy sealed bottles from shops and stick to them without exception.

Snacks: Street cooks fry sambos, small meat pastries, and mofo gasy, rice pancakes. This is the best cheap eating on the island.

Seafood: On the coast lobster and prawns cost almost nothing. In the gargotes the fish goes onto the coals straight off the boat.

Drinks: THB beer is decent and cheap. Try ranon'ampango, the water from the pot where rice was cooked and slightly caught on the bottom.

Fruit: Markets pile up with mango, pineapple and lychee in season. Wash everything thoroughly with bottled water before you eat it.

Coffee: Roadside cafés often serve it over-roasted with condensed milk. The local tea, scented with vanilla, is usually the better bet.

Nights: The first rule is never to be on the highway after dark. The roads are broken up and the robbery risk climbs sharply once the light goes.

Pickpockets: Tana's thieves are extremely skilled. Do not wear gold and do not pull out your phone in a market crowd.

Documents: Police check passports at road posts frequently. Carry the original, stay polite and stay calm and it takes a minute.

Village patrols: In remote areas order is kept by local militias known as dina. If you see men with spears at night, they are guarding cattle.

Crocodiles: Rivers in the west hold dangerous reptiles. Ask local people whether a spot is safe before you get anywhere near the water.

Malaria: Use DEET repellent and sleep under a net. If you develop a fever, get a rapid test at a clinic straight away rather than waiting.

Hygiene: Use hand sanitiser constantly. Local medicine is weak, so it is far easier to avoid a stomach infection than to treat one.

Begging: Children will often ask for sweets. Do not hand out coins as you walk, since it creates a scrum and encourages the habit.

Fady: This is the system of local taboos. In one village pork is forbidden, in the next it is whistling. Always listen to what your guide tells you.

Mora mora: The island's motto translates as "slowly, slowly". Food can take an hour and a bus will wait half a day for one passenger. Relax into it.

Ancestors: The dead matter more than the living here. Tombs are built more lavishly than houses, and graves are treated as sacred places of power.

Elders: Village elders hold real authority. If you want to pitch a tent in the forest, find the head of the community and ask first.

Religion: Christianity is woven together with older beliefs. Sunday church is the main social event of the week for most people.

Greetings: The ritual exchange of "how are you" matters. Handshakes should be soft, without any crushing grip.

Photos: Ask permission before photographing people. In markets you may be asked for a small coin in return for a good shot.

Silk: The local cloth is coarse and canvas-like. Items made from it are expensive because everything is woven by hand on a loom.

Operators: Telma has the widest coverage and Orange is strong in the cities. Buy a SIM at the airport on arrival; you only need your passport.

Internet: 4G exists in Tana and on Nosy Be and nowhere much else. Signal drops in and out along the highways and disappears entirely in the jungle.

Tariffs: Data packages are cheap. Topping up is easiest with scratch cards, which every corner shop sells.

Power: In the provinces electricity runs on a schedule. Carry a power bank and charge it the moment you see a working socket.

Wi-Fi: Budget hotels either have none or have something unusably slow. Tethering from your phone on a local SIM is simpler.

Language: French gets you through the cities; in villages you are down to gestures. English is spoken only by guides and staff at the expensive lodges, so a translation app with French downloaded offline is worth having.

Messaging: WhatsApp and Telegram are the main channels. Most accommodation questions get settled by text message rather than phone call.

Maps: Download offline map data before you set off. Live navigation will fail you on the road, thanks to signal gaps and slow speeds.

English	Malagasy	Pronunciation
Hello	Manao ahoana	ma-NOW a-HOO-na
Thank you	Misaotra	mi-SOW-tra
Please	Azafady	a-za-FAD
How are things?	Inona no vaovao?	EE-noon noo vow-VOW
Very good	Tsara be	TSA-ra beh
Slowly, slowly (slang)	Mora mora	MOOR-a MOOR-a
Foreigner	Vazaha	va-ZA
Lemur	Gidro	GEE-droo
How much is it?	Ohatrinona?	oo-a-TREE-noon
Too expensive	Lafo be	LA-foo beh
I don't understand	Tsy azoko	tsee a-ZOO-koo
Where is the toilet?	Aiza ny WC?	AY-za nee vay-SAY
Yes	Eny	EH-nee
No	Tsia	TSEE-a
Water	Rano	RA-noo
Food	Sakafo	sa-KA-foo
Delicious	Matsiro	ma-TSEE-roo
Beer	Labiera	la-bee-EH-ra
Goodbye	Veloma	veh-LOO-ma
Friend	Namana	na-MA-na
Help!	Vonjeo!	voon-ZEH-oo
A little	Kely	KEH-lee

Navigation: Maps.me knows forest paths that Google has never heard of. It is essential kit for hiking after lemurs.

Medical kit: Pack rehydration salts, antibiotics and strong sun cream. Local pharmacy stock can be counterfeit or long expired.

Footwear: You need boots with a stiff sole. The rock at Tsingy is sharp as a blade and the jungle can be very slippery.

Clothing: Trousers and long sleeves protect against branches and malarial mosquitoes. A fleece earns its place for highland nights.

Torch: A head torch is not optional. Night walks in the forest and blackouts in hotels are both routine parts of the trip.

Souvenirs: Buy spices and vanilla at the northern markets. If you are taking stones or wood out, ask the seller for a receipt.

Copies: Keep passport scans in the cloud and a couple of paper copies with you. Leave originals in the safe rather than carrying them around.

Cash: Bring euros in small denominations. Nobody in a village can break a hundred, and you will not see change from one.