Madagascar

[TailPipe]

…And there's also a lot of nice cute SWs if you care to look. You just have to know the system…

La Buse.

I suppose you where talking about the slum areas. Do you mean in the bars?

[LuddeBoy]

Talk a lot but say nothing. That's what I mean.

Neddy69 is one of the best contributors here on African countries. Not EVERY post he makes can be full of wisdom and tips for newbies, I enjoy reading what he have to share and he have helped me immensely towards my African journeys.

[Neddy69]

A quick trip report on my expedition to Mada.

It was quite a short trip and I had a lot of non-mongering activities pencilled in so did not get to partake and explore as much as I would have liked, but still a bit of feedback. The trip started in Tana. I had only something like 35 hours there so only had a chance to visit one establishment. The infamous LE glacier. Visit was relatively early afternoon but still quite a number of options, though only one was anything above what I would call a 5 (and this was maybe a 6. 5). Good service though and stayed as long as I wanted (was actually hard to get rid of when it was time to leave). Around LE glacier itself to me felt relatively safe except a bit less so when it was time to leave and you have a girl with you. Then you are immediately looking like a target and get swarmed by cab drivers / touts. Around hotel Louvre where I stayed actually felt less safe to walk at night and you were constantly harassed by crowds of children and some adults everywhere you walk, but there were some good restaurants near to the hotel to get some great French food.

I had also a stay in Nosy Be. Flying up there from Tana. Flights are relatively expensive especially if you have a lot of luggage but time was not on my side so flying was the only option. I had around a week in Nosy Be. Taxi Be and the bars nearby had some good options, but it is a big shame there is nowhere with a decent crowd of girls in the afternoon. I found nowhere particularly good until around 11 pm at night (and it was rainy season so raining almost every night). The hotel I was staying in was nice but not well located for these bars, so you have a long tuktuk (if you can find a tuktuk near the hotel late at night in the rain) to get to / from the bars each night. Would do things differently if I returned to NOS. Either stay nearer the bars or try and line up a couple of long term girls to stay with you...

Finally a very apt description. You came at the worst possible time. The cyclone season where weather can be sketchy. Arrive with 3 months time and basic French and you might find paradise. Good report. Not like a number of others here who produce only waste of forum space. And you met one of the few Malagasy drama queens who took you for a ride. You probably made it very clear you pay 50 k ariary and she conveniently wanted 50 euros. Voila. That can happen in tourist areas.

La Buse.

[DonKey82]

A quick trip report on my expedition to Mada.

It was quite a short trip and I had a lot of non-mongering activities pencilled in so did not get to partake and explore as much as I would have liked, but still a bit of feedback. The trip started in Tana. I had only something like 35 hours there so only had a chance to visit one establishment. The infamous LE glacier. Visit was relatively early afternoon but still quite a number of options, though only one was anything above what I would call a 5 (and this was maybe a 6. 5). Good service though and stayed as long as I wanted (was actually hard to get rid of when it was time to leave). Around LE glacier itself to me felt relatively safe except a bit less so when it was time to leave and you have a girl with you. Then you are immediately looking like a target and get swarmed by cab drivers / touts. Around hotel Louvre where I stayed actually felt less safe to walk at night and you were constantly harassed by crowds of children and some adults everywhere you walk, but there were some good restaurants near to the hotel to get some great French food.

I had also a stay in Nosy Be. Flying up there from Tana. Flights are relatively expensive especially if you have a lot of luggage but time was not on my side so flying was the only option. I had around a week in Nosy Be. Taxi Be and the bars nearby had some good options, but it is a big shame there is nowhere with a decent crowd of girls in the afternoon. I found nowhere particularly good until around 11 pm at night (and it was rainy season so raining almost every night). The hotel I was staying in was nice but not well located for these bars, so you have a long tuktuk (if you can find a tuktuk near the hotel late at night in the rain) to get to / from the bars each night. Would do things differently if I returned to NOS. Either stay nearer the bars or try and line up a couple of long term girls to stay with you. Taxi Be was also the only place I took a girl from that I had an argument with about money. Every night of the trip I just paid what I felt was reasonable based on what I'd read on this group and never had any complaints, but on my last night in NOS had one girl try it on. Demanding 50 euros plus taxi fare and starting to yell and throw things around and threaten she's going to call some guys up to come over (all of this conversation via Google Translate didn't make things easier! Left a sour taste in the mouth. On the subject of sour mouths personal hygiene was quite an issue for about 50% of the girls I met on this trip which is not something I've encountered in other destinations.

A lot of the stay was in Diego so I had plenty of opportunities there. I'm more a fan of earlier night action so spent more time at La Vihinee than Taxi be (which again gets busy only late). Always managed to find something I liked each night but quality was not exceptional. I also hooked up with one girl that was working at the desk in the hotel I was staying in and another two who were massage girls in the beauty salons around Diego and those last 3 were probably the best of the trip for me with the exception of one Diego Taxi Be girl. Spent some time on the apps in all locations and there are plenty of pretty girls on there (much moreso in Tana than anywhere else) but very unreliable in terms of arriving when agreed and looking like their pictures so did not dabble too much.

Overall my impressions of Mada were that if you speak at least semi-fluent French and have a lot of time up your sleeve it can be a good option. It is also a good option if price is the most important factor to you. I saw plenty of French-speaking expats in the restaurants especially in Diego with very pretty girls who were 1/3 or less of their age and their weight, but these are not the sort of girls you will easily find around the notorious bars especially if you are only there for a short period or do not speak French. In short my feeling is the food is good, there is a lot of natural beauty in the country and a lot of women around for low prices, but there are other countries in Africa that I would return to before I return to Mada. As others on this forum have mentioned I would agree it is a country for advanced African mongers, especially so if you do not speak the language.

[Golfinho]

Well. I enjoy myself. What about you? I found good friends. I never suffered from a lack of imagination. It's very simple. Madagascar is not for every one. Take it or leave it. You can do all things you can do at home as well. Except skiing. If you don't feel comfortable with Malagasy culture und Malagasy people. Stay at home. Wherever that is..

As long as you have the cash to keep yourself in friends, Laissez les bon temps rouler.

[Kako123]

Boredom? Hmm hmm.

What's 'boredom' got to with anything? Boredom is a consequence of a lack of imagination -- only. In Mada, after a brief enough while you see there's the base and basic: ride a bit on a minvan, get yourself fed and fellated and call it an adventure. You can even talk yourself into thinking you're a pirate or something for all the fun you're having. Keep it real.

[Neddy69]

What's 'boredom' got to with anything? Boredom is a consequence of a lack of imagination -- only. In Mada, after a brief enough while you see there's the base and basic: ride a bit on a minvan, get yourself fed and fellated and call it an adventure. You can even talk yourself into thinking you're a pirate or something for all the fun you're having. Keep it real.

Well. I enjoy myself. What about you? I found good friends. I never suffered from a lack of imagination. It's very simple. Madagascar is not for every one. Take it or leave it. You can do all things you can do at home as well. Except skiing. If you don't feel comfortable with Malagasy culture und Malagasy people. Stay at home. Wherever that is.

La Buse.

[Golfinho]

Boredom and loneliness are part of a real traveler. All others are mere tourists.
La Buse.Tourists don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going. " Paul Theroux.Your true traveler finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the symbol of his liberty his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but..

What's 'boredom' got to with anything? Boredom is a consequence of a lack of imagination -- only. In Mada, after a brief enough while you see there's the base and basic: ride a bit on a minvan, get yourself fed and fellated and call it an adventure. You can even talk yourself into thinking you're a pirate or something for all the fun you're having. Keep it real.

[Tinte]

To the glorifying version.

Well to me, there has been much thought and told about subject but to me its utter nonsense as it led in consequence to the early death of the 69 released song singing protagonist.

Watch out, you are in Mada. Freedom is a mostly unknown subject to locals and me as a traveler, a stray dog wants to spend a drink and a chat witch you.

[Neddy69]

Boredom and loneliness are part of a real traveler. All others are mere tourists.

La Buse.

Tourists don't know where they've been, travelers don't know where they're going. " – Paul Theroux.

"Your true traveler finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the symbol of his liberty – his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure."

― Aldous Huxley.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

– Neale Donald Walsch.

La Buse.

[Golfinho]

And tastes are different too.

It was interesting to see wich one of the expats made it brillant and wich one are fallen, by the chosen system.

Clear to me, the cheap ones fail. You need constant good amount of cash and all the time and connection to "home" and the opportunity to leave at any time.

The real problem besides, danger ist not to get bored after a wile. You need a real purpose there.

A purpose? Just sit on a local minivan for half-an-hour, then get off and walk around some other streets for a while and you've had yourself a real adventure: same-same, but different. Reality is: there really isn't anything to do beyond the base and basic levels.

[Tinte]

And tastes are different too.

It was interesting to see wich one of the expats made it brillant and wich one are fallen, by the chosen system.

Clear to me, the cheap ones fail. You need constant good amount of cash and all the time and connection to "home" and the opportunity to leave at any time.

The real problem besides, danger ist not to get bored after a wile. You need a real purpose there.

[SouthEaster]

We all thank you for your many useful contributions to the Madagascar forum. Hang on. Wait a.

Minute.

[MadDin19]

Yes. For all my fans out there. I survived 4 months in Tana. Right smack in the city center. Around me people getting mugged all the time. LOL. I keep saying Tana offers the best urban survival training there is. It offers an abundance of girls. How to find them? Very easy. At the supermarket for example. At Pizza La Gastronomy. By walking around in weekends in Rue Independence where girls in pairs promenade to pick up boys. Case in point. Yesterday I was approached in the evening by four girls to pay them some cheap street food. We had a great laugh and I took the number of one of them. Since four months I explore another quarter of town every weekend which includes slum areas. I take public transportation. Taxi Be that is. It's only 600 MGA. And more often than not there's a hot girl in the bus. Strike up a conversation, smile and take the number for a future date. I also go to local Karaoke clubs. Great fun. So you can pick up anywhere. Anytime. Essential of course. Basic French and a smile and laugh. Of course you need to be time millionaire. Most people pass through Tana in a hurry. I was forced to stay also to finalize my paperwork for my residencia. Now it's only waiting game. While I avail myself to the carnal delights Tana offers. And there's also a lot of nice cute SWs if you care to look. You just have to know the system. And in my preferred Slum Area I can pick up girls fare 20 k MGA ST. But if you go in there with shorts and Hawaii shirt you probably will be mugged after 100 meters in broad day light unless you know the rules and the dress code.

La Buse.

Talk a lot but say nothing. That's what I mean.

[Kako123]

I take public transportation. Taxi Be that is. It's only 600 MGA

La Buse.

Yes, yes you are a legend man! I don't remember seeing any vazaha taking taxi be in Antananarivo?? Haha.