Madagascar

[Tinte]

Air France is selling tickets starting 6. November and the prices have tripled in a week. Yes one can call me Jeff if I would by a ticket, but further more: according to my agent most of those flights will bee cancelnd anyway.

[Neddy69]

There's a Duchman, movie maker, who owns 3 restored R4 in a decent shape of 40 year old cars. He's one of the few to rent a car without driver. Majority will rent a 4 x 4 with a driver only.

Thanks. I heard. Met a Dutch couple back in Tamatave driving a lovely restored grey R4. This island is really like a big village. Almost every vazaha knows each other.

La Buse.

Who's planning for a one way ticket to isle rouge.

[Amadeuss]

Who's more into 44 and the good old Renault 4....

There's a Duchman, movie maker, who owns 3 restored R4 in a decent shape of 40 year old cars. He's one of the few to rent a car without driver. Majority will rent a 4 x 4 with a driver only.

[Neddy69]

I take the outlaw ()

With respect, you repeat your self and as for me as you might remember, I have been in Mada bevor. It is the matter whether I can travel or not and what Corona has made out of Mada its self. The first set up program will therefor appear rather on the boring side of possibility.

Tana - Toamasina by cotisse and back. No panganales canal etc.

Inspired ?

Tamatave? The best climate is now. October November. Relative low humidity. After December high humidity and loads of partially heavy rain and tropical cyclones. The Highlands should be very pleasant now as it is the onset of spring. The jacaranda will be in full blooms and Tana will look outright pretty at times minus the pollution and congestion.

La Buse.

[Neddy69]

Yes, I have read all your posts on this thread. I respect them enormously. I have even taken notes on your writings, and I do carry two passports, I have read several books on Mada. The Brant book is on my list. I am just saying that there are more than one way to skin a cat, or so they use to say. If I decided to stay for more than a year. A work permit would be useful. Another way would be to extend my visa and fly to the nearest country, perhaps on the mainland, stay for few days, weeks, or even months and fly back. We have never met, but the at my age the things, that I have lived through, is enough to make a book from. People say the place I live now is dangerous. JAJAJAJAJA. I was in Mexico. For most of COVID, lived with people that HAD COVID, and still I am around to talk about it. Trust me, I am not a person that has never left their own country before.

Just saying. No disrespect here.

Fair enough. So why you were asking about the climate. LOL. Way too expensive to fly to the mainland. Either Nairobi or Addis Ababa is costing you at least 600 $ return. What most Frenchman do is they fly to Reunion. Which is not exactly cheap either around 3 to 400 $. There's other ways. You can just bribe your way to visa extensions. I heard the going rate is 200€. It used to be every 3 months. Now every 2 months. So an expensive proposition. The above applies to normal times.

Through Covid I know a couple of people who spent more than a year on legal Visa extensions. But these times will come to an end soon. One way or the other it's costing you 100's of Euros if you insist to stay more than 3 months.

La Buse.

[Member #2001]

If you want information buy the Bradt and work through the WHOLE Madagascar subforum. Like I did. Then book a flight and go there. Spend 10.000 USD. Then you will on a par with the information and contacts I have. Why should I share everything for free. Pay me 100 $ an hour than you save yourself a couple of 1000 bucks.

This forum is not for lazy bums, who expect to get information which cost me 10 of thousands of dollars to obtain to be handed on a silver platter. I know how to get a work permit and a residence permit. If you don't follow the exact procedure you'll never get it. And no. That's not the official way. But if you read every post of mine very careful you'll eventually find it.

So start digging in the forum. Yes. Madagascar. You have to earn it to live there.

La Buse.

Yes, I have read all your posts on this thread. I respect them enormously. I have even taken notes on your writings, and I do carry two passports, I have read several books on Mada. The Brant book is on my list. I am just saying that there are more than one way to skin a cat, or so they use to say. If I decided to stay for more than a year. A work permit would be useful. Another way would be to extend my visa and fly to the nearest country, perhaps on the mainland, stay for few days, weeks, or even months and fly back. We have never met, but the at my age the things, that I have lived through, is enough to make a book from. People say the place I live now is dangerous. JAJAJAJAJA. I was in Mexico. For most of COVID, lived with people that HAD COVID, and still I am around to talk about it. Trust me, I am not a person that has never left their own country before.

Just saying. No disrespect here.

[Tinte]

Of course. LOL. But you'll suffer. Read some old travel accounts. When the French invaded in 1895:

25 killed in combat.

6,000 died of disease.

When Count Benyowski tried to establish a colony all colonists were dead within 6 months.

The island is best suited to pirates, fugitives, ex legionnaires, soldiers of fortune, outlaws. You'll feel like you're in paradise. Pussies stay at home.

La Buse.

I take the outlaw ()

With respect, you repeat your self and as for me as you might remember, I have been in Mada bevor. It is the matter whether I can travel or not and what Corona has made out of Mada its self. The first set up program will therefor appear rather on the boring side of possibility.

Tana - Toamasina by cotisse and back. No panganales canal etc.

Inspired ?

[Neddy69]

I thought I had I had seen the light this weekend. I was going to travel around Mada on a motorbike. At first it seemed like a great idea. The advantages are numerous:

1. No time constraints with flights / taxi-brousses. You can come / go whenever you like.

2. Ability to get off the beaten track and see places which you otherwise would not because of logistics.

2. Not having to backpedal to Tana every time but instead travel alternative routes around the country.

3. No suffering in crowded taxi-brousses.

4. No sweating. You are outside in open air.

Until I realised that the area I wanted to cruise in (Androy / Anosy) is largely a 'zone rouge' meaning they are part of the 1/3 of the country where there is near no government presence / authority and where Dahalo rustlers roam the countryside. The chances of us meeting them in the cities we visit are near zero but we tend to forget they are there.

Also there is a serious famine in the south now in the area between Tulear and Fort Dauphin. People are dying.

Don't worry. There's a madman who did the trip through the zone rouge on a BICYCLE and actually lived to tell the tale:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.eco...-road-of-tears

Actually what you plan is quite feasible as long as the route you choose is not too extreme. For example Tulear Morombe or even Morondave. But in dry season of course. To import your own bike is prohibitive. But there's an excellent Chinese bike which is sold under the brand name New Mada. Brand new I believe around 1000 $ new. I am not a biker myself. But I know plenty of bikers, mostly French men. Just avoid the too extreme tracks. I know of a French man who disappeared in the brousse with his bike never to be seen again.

La Buse

Who's more into 4×4 and the good old Renault 4....

[TailPipe]

I thought I had I had seen the light this weekend. I was going to travel around Mada on a motorbike. At first it seemed like a great idea. The advantages are numerous:

1. No time constraints with flights / taxi-brousses. You can come / go whenever you like.

2. Ability to get off the beaten track and see places which you otherwise would not because of logistics.

2. Not having to backpedal to Tana every time but instead travel alternative routes around the country.

3. No suffering in crowded taxi-brousses.

4. No sweating. You are outside in open air.

Until I realised that the area I wanted to cruise in (Androy / Anosy) is largely a 'zone rouge' meaning they are part of the 1/3 of the country where there is near no government presence / authority and where Dahalo rustlers roam the countryside. The chances of us meeting them in the cities we visit are near zero but we tend to forget they are there.

Also there is a serious famine in the south now in the area between Tulear and Fort Dauphin. People are dying.

[Neddy69]

Some people have skills that others find valuable. FWIW, not my first time in Africa. No need to be insulting. Just wanted to get some information. Respectfully.

If you want information buy the Bradt and work through the WHOLE Madagascar subforum. Like I did. Then book a flight and go there. Spend 10.000 USD. Then you will on a par with the information and contacts I have. Why should I share everything for free. Pay me 100 $ an hour than you save yourself a couple of 1000 bucks.

This forum is not for lazy bums, who expect to get information which cost me 10 of thousands of dollars to obtain to be handed on a silver platter. I know how to get a work permit and a residence permit. If you don't follow the exact procedure you'll never get it. And no. That's not the official way. But if you read every post of mine very careful you'll eventually find it.

So start digging in the forum. Yes. Madagascar. You have to earn it to live there.

La Buse.

[Neddy69]

After reading your fine reports I would have assumed you had a great time too.

Of course. LOL. But you'll suffer. Read some old travel accounts. When the French invaded in 1895:

25 killed in combat.

6,000 died of disease.

When Count Benyowski tried to establish a colony all colonists were dead within 6 months.

The island is best suited to pirates, fugitives, ex legionnaires, soldiers of fortune, outlaws. You'll feel like you're in paradise. Pussies stay at home.

La Buse.

[Tinte]

Exactly.


The common malgache shits.



La Buse.

After reading your fine reports I would have assumed you had a great time too.

[Member #2001]

Better stay at home in front of your TV and watch National Geographic. It's safe there. I see already you have ZERO clue. Working in Mada? As what? Pousse pousse driver?

If you overstay your visa you'll deported and land in jail. You have three months maximum.

La Buse.

Some people have skills that others find valuable. FWIW, not my first time in Africa. No need to be insulting. Just wanted to get some information. Respectfully.

[Amadeuss]

. Other than that Mada is garbage.

Your backyard also got a lot of garbage. No difference then to Mada.

(No one benefits from simply throwing stones at others whilst overlooking the fact that we ourselves sometimes sit in glass houses).

[Neddy69]

Don't be so scary to the easily faint heart People. Neddy! Health risk issues are just as they used to bee.

My agent just confirmed me a Air France flight for 1100 Euros that fits a low budget too.

Mora mora. Salama.

Inshalla.

Exactly. Health issues are just as they used to be:

Malaria.

Plague.

Cholera.

Typhoid.

Viral eye infection.

Syphilis.

Scabies.

The common malgache shits.

Just to name the few most common.

La Buse.