Madagascar Travel Blog | Wildlife, Lemurs & Luxury Lodges

Madagascar is an island off the east coast of Africa – an amazing place to see truly unique wildlife found nowhere else on Earth.

Before I go any further, we need to talk about the roads. They are something to behold! If you think your local town has bad potholes, you haven’t experienced pot holes! Madagascar is to potholes what the Himalayas are to mountains!

Whether you want to experience lemurs that call out like whales, lemurs that dance across the ground in front of you, or chameleons that you might (or might not) see – Madagascar has it all.

Unfortunately there are no direct flights to Madagascar so you’ll have to do a one-stop flight which go from airports such as Gatwick or Heathrow, with layovers in major international hubs. We chose to do a stop over in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and flew into the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo.

Antananarivo (Tana)

The capital of Madagascar, locally known as Tana, is a bustling hub where all roads seem to meet. You’ll likely spend a couple of days here before moving on to your next destination – and again before flying home.

After a short stay in Tana, we moved on to Andasibe, on the east side of the island. The area is in the hills, so it’s much cooler here than the capital. We trekked through lush forests with a fabulous local guide – she moved through the forest like a mountain goat – in search of lemurs!

One highlight was Lemur Island, part of the Vakôna Private Reserve (near Andasibe). It’s a small island with an incredible range of lemur species.

We also visited a reforestation project, where we learned about the challenges Madagascar faces from deforestation. We even took part by planting six trees to help the reforestation effort. From there, we returned to Tana and flew to Toliara, in order to get to our next destination.

Berenty – staying at Berenty Lodge 

If you’ve ever seen The Gangs of Lemur Island on tv, a wildlife documentary about lemurs, this is where it was filmed. It took us around four hours to drive from the airport to Berenty, mainly thanks to the poor road conditions. Honestly, a rollercoaster at Blackpool is smoother! At one point, we even stopped for a photo, I stood in a pothole that came up to my waist!

Berenty Lodge is one of Madagascar’s oldest protected reserves. You’ll spend most of your time exploring the private wilderness on foot, where residents include multiple species of lemur, fossas and eye-catching birdlife.

We ended our trip with a touch of luxury at Anjajavy le Lodge, a remote peninsula on Madagascar’s north-western coast. With no roads

in or out, the lodge is only accessible by private plane, adding to its sense of exclusivity. Deeply committed to conservation, Anjajavy offers pristine beaches where wildlife quietly watches you relax, before putting on a little dance performance as they run down the beach.

Practical Information

Currency: Malagasy Ariary (a closed currency). You’ll need to exchange money at the airport. Many hotels prefer Euros or sometimes US Dollars. 

If using local currency, a calculator helps there are lots of zeros!

Tipping: Appreciated but not expected.

Languages: Malagasy is the main language, but French is widely spoken, and some English.

Useful Words:

Salama – Hello

Veloma – Goodbye

Misaotra – Thank you

Azafady – Please

Mora Mora – Slowly, slowly

Madagascar is generally safe to travel to, but occasional unrest can occur. Check gov.uk for up-to-date travel advice, and stay alert in large crowds or busy areas.

I hope that you have found this little snapshot of Madagascar interesting, if it’s somewhere that you think you would like to go, then get in touch with Helen and I’m sure she will be able to plan an amazing holiday for you.

By Nici

Interested in Madagascar?

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