Madagascar

[GabrielSilva]

Hi everybody!

I do not advise anybody for taking any short cuts by taking boats especially cargo or fishing boats the risk for sinking is enormous and they are generally overloaded and lack many times appropriate lights night time as I have seen it outside the port of Antalaha on their way to Tamatave! I was amazed by the fury of the ocean and those tiny boats are are a nut shell at the mercy of the whims of the ocean so be careful!

Apart of that, even if you are an olympic swimmer and survive the ocean the sharks will be delighted by your swimming skills and there are plenty of them especially around Tamatave or elsewhere around this beautiful island!

Regarding the airlines Air Kenya has a good reputation but consider the fact that any stop over in the African mainland may demand the need for yellow fever vaccination from the destination authorities, do not forget this issue if you do not want to take any shots in Africa you can get it at Gatwick airport, just ask the British Airways personel as I did in my last trip to Nigeria many years ago!

Grretings,

Gabriel

[Trevor2522]

A little research turned up Air Austral www.air-austral.com for €836 from Paris (CDG) to Nosy Be return, with a change of planes in Réunion. Add about €150 to get from London to Paris. Saves €378 overall. This route would cut out the capital and Air Mada entirely, and necessitate only a day's overland trip by taxi brousse to reach Diego from Nosy Be. www.corsairfly.com flies to Antananarivo from Paris Orly and is a little cheaper than Air France.

Malagasy Phrases http://mylanguages.org/malagasy_phrases.php

[Trevor2522]

The airport shuttle (Navette) service for Tana ends at 8 pm. After that you're looking at 30-40,000 Ariary for a taxi.

http://www.travelmadagascar.org/CITI...transport.html

Madasmile only does tours, plus regular bus services to Tamatave and along the East coast. AFAIK there are no premium or luxury bus services from Tana to Diego, which takes 30 hours.

Thanks for the wake-up call over highway robberies! In rural Africa this a risk: large deserted areas and transportation without security guards (why waste a valuable sardine-seat just to protect a vazaha?). There are no coastal ferry services. And chartering fishing vessels opens up tourists to the risk of robbery too.

So you're left with Air Madagasar's expensive monopoly on domestic flights. I looked at flying Air Mada from Europe to earn the 50% discount off domestic flights. In high season it doesn't work because their long-haul fares are so high. Only chance to benefit is in low season or to fly from a cheaper hub like Bangkok.

In winter it's actually cheaper to fly Air France then pay Air Mada the full domestic fare to get to the North! Even then Air France won't let you change dates on their cheapest tickets. Kenya Airways and Air Mauritius are possibly cheaper but these are poor airlines. So from London I'm looking at €1000 on Air France plus €364 Tana-Diego return. No wonder most mongers go to Pattaya: the net fare is half if flying via the Persian Gulf!

[Polarix]

Hi,

You can save money if you pick up the shuttle operated by Adema (Aeroport de Madagascar). Ticket cost only 10. 000 ariary. Taxis fares are 30. 000 ariary.

They drop you in any good hotels in downtown. For your return call one day before leaving.

Pol

[Jazz123]

Yes, buying 2 seats is possible and recommended. But be prepared to hold your ground. Taxi-brousse travel is slow, cheap and people are usually packed in like a sardine can!

Two seats is the way to go. Best choice is the seats next to the driver. Second best is the row behind the driver where there is more leg room than the following rows.

Book your seats at the station a day or two before you actually travel; I did that and it worked very well.

I also used this company http://www.madasmile.com/ from Tana which was very convenient; they pick you up at your hotel which saves you a lot of hassle and potential waiting time a the station. It costs more than regular taxi brousses but since there is more room you don't need 2 seats.

[Polarix]

About Hotels in Tana : I advise HOTEL ANJARY!

You can book them from abroad if you need I can next time provide the necessary contacts they will send you a confirmation once you book within short notice to your e mail.

They are very price worthy, located near the center, they have a panoramic restaurant where you can see the whole city at the top floor (I guess 7th floor) and a massage parlour beside the restaurant.

This is suitable for romantic dinners and the prices are very affordable.

The Hotel is girl friendly as almost all hotels in this country the price is around 50. 000 Ar (18 euros) but the standard is good with individual showers and toilets and very important : discreet safeboxes ineach wardrobe in your room with plenty of space for your valuables including your laptop.

They can also arrange for your pick up at the airport for the price of 30. 000 Ar and the driver will wait for you with your name tag stamped with the Hotel logotype!

I also have contacts of very reliable, educated, service minded, friendly and above everything very honest taxi drivers in Antananarivo if you need just tell me next time.

[GabrielSilva]

Dear Travis,

Last topic the overland trip to the North!

I do not really advise you that! For the first the rainy season is about to start quite soon, this means that many roads canbe closed especially the secondary ones. For instance some of this rods are a pain in the ass, I ll give you the exemple of Vohemar.Ambilobe leading to Diego a distance of 90 kms can take 6 hours in optimal conditions!

Go figure when it rains! Another aspect is the risk for eventual robbers! This has happened and will continue to happen.

Now the north has been safer then the south but bear in mind that an overland trip from Tana to Nosy Be or Diego or elsewhere in the north has in the plateau areas between the capital and Ambondromamy scarce villages along side the road which provide suitable places for any eventual robbery ambushes!

Any guy can by mobile phone from any taxi brousse station report Vazas on the road to a specific direction especially if you are carrying valuable stuff such as expensive cameras or other things, so beware!

I also know that most taxi brousses and Truck drivers normally travel in convoys to deter this eventual situations, but my sources and I have a lot of people that travel through this areas have told me that one should always consider this risk even travelling day time especially in the plateau areas in the central massifs of VAZOBE, but the risk has beeen much higher in the southern areas of Madagascar around Tulear, Morondava or Fort Dauphin.

If you need more comfort try to make a deal with the driver to seat at the front if you choose to travel by road!

If you fly AIR MADAGASCAR from abroad this means long haul you get a 50% discount in their domestic network destinations and a return trip that normally costs around 280 Euro from TANA to Diego or Nosy Be or Sambava becomes half the price thus around 140 Euros. I think this a bargain compared to all the hassle you might get by travelling by road! But if you are going for adventure and do not carry valuable stuff with you, then hit the road!

It can certainly provide a lot of fun if you make some short stop overs on your way to the north.

Air Madagascar has a call center that can assist you with any help, besides you are allowed to carry 10 extra kgs of travelling gear / luggage with them from abroad without any additional cost.

I have enjoyed travelling with them and have made a lot of documentary films from my flights into different towns in Madagascar, they have always been reliable and professional and the airliner has had an agreement programe for the maintenance of their aircraft with the german LUFTHANSA and have had a good safety record for the last decades!

Hope this report has given you the necessary information.

Otherwise if anything is missing I ll always be available!

Greetings from Sweden.

Gabriel

[GabrielSilva]

About Hotels in Tana : I advise HOTEL ANJARY!

You can book them from abroad if you need I can next time provide the necessary contacts they will send you a confirmation once you book within short notice to your e mail.

They are very price worthy, located near the center, they have a panoramic restaurant where you can see the whole city at the top floor (I guess 7th floor) and a massage parlour beside the restaurant.

This is suitable for romantic dinners and the prices are very affordable.

The Hotel is girl friendly as almost all hotels in this country the price is around 50. 000 Ar (18 euros) but the standard is good with individual showers and toilets and very important : discreet safeboxes ineach wardrobe in your room with plenty of space for your valuables including your laptop.

They can also arrange for your pick up at the airport for the price of 30. 000 Ar and the driver will wait for you with your name tag stamped with the Hotel logotype!

I also have contacts of very reliable, educated, service minded, friendly and above everything very honest taxi drivers in Antananarivo if you need just tell me next time.

[Vahaza Be]

Yes, buying 2 seats is possible and recommended. But be prepared to hold your ground. Taxi-brousse travel is slow, cheap and people are usually packed in like a sardine can!

[Trevor2522]

Thanks for your answers Gabrielsilva. The North & North-East are very remote so I would be interested to know how you get around there. Does buying 2 seats (for 1 person) in a taxi-brousse improve comfort? I don't have problems posting here but it's wise to copy your post in case of loss. Here are some links to maps of the ethnic groups.

http://www.1uptravel.com/worldmaps/madagascar11.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Et...gascar_Map.png

http://www.wildmadagascar.org/people/ethnic_groups.html

[GabrielSilva]

I do not know yet if the others have gone through to be honest I have never experienced in this site anything similar, since I came back from Madagascar I have noticed that this site has become more unstable at least with my reports. Let us hope it works this time!

Covering the last topics :

All hotels are girl friendly if you show respect and do not disturb the other guests or personel!

The best girls is up to what you like like colour of skin, features, there are about 18 ethnical groups in Madagascar!

In general I find all malagasy women friendly and low profile, around the capital there is a predominence of Merina with their typical Micronesian features, this means Asian features, quite sweet faces slim body types they are the majority of the population around the capital and the high plateau territories, they have been the rulers of Madagascar for the last centuries with few exceptions!

Most women employed in the governmental and civil services are from this group especially AIR MADAGASCAR and national TV.

If you like darker afro types you better head for the coast line from West to East and North, there you may find different groups like the SAKALAVA, TSIMIHETY, BETSIMISARAKA etc!

I personally find the BETSIMISARAKA women very gentle, tender, lovingful and understanding, they seem to get very well along with us VAZAHA (foreigners)! I am married to a TSIMIHETY. But my wife has some Betsimisaraka friends all married to french nationals up in the north in Sambava and Antalaha and they all seem quite happy with each other and some have even got kids!

About the police they are not as annoying as in other countries, they might check up your pappers when you drive, like your drivers license. No big hassle try always to be gentle with them if you drive if they have a checkpoint. Show them your pappers they usually never ask you for money. But I think they are doing you a service by being on the road. You never know one day you might need them for any kind of reason. Your car can breakdown they can assist you. If you buy them a drink and some cigarettes are always welcomed!

I do not see this as a bribe, but just some appreciation for guarding the road from potential robbers! Unusual at the north, but is more likely to happen inthe center and southern parts of the country especially around TOLIARA and FORT DAUPHIN beware this areas!

I will come back tomorrow for the other topics, hope this one goes through!

Grretings from Sweden.

Gab

[GabrielSilva]

Hi,

Something strange is going on here. I tried for 4 different times submit aninfo that someone here asked for I take my time and when I am about to submit it it does not go through implying that I amnot logged into the site, despite my name is no bar above saying that I am logged in. Go understand this!

I have notice since they changed the layout of this site the whole thing seems more unstable somehow!

Gab

[Tomasb]

The New York Times travel section of Sunday December 19th had an interesting travel article about Mad. Including the cover photo of a beach. Obviously, it did not cover our hobby but it had some good tips on dining, hotels, beaches, and viewing the different wildlife.

[Latin]

There is a club (Tahiti) next to the Hotel Diamant in Antsirabe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hKJyFHCpMc

Easy pick-ups most nights.

Thank you Vahaza be this is not my favourite option but if I can't find anything on the day this is a good option!

Veloma

[GabrielSilva]

Hi Trevor,

I have tried 3 times to provide you with the info you needed and I am quite frustrated that something has gone wrong whike trying to post it or submit it. The hole thing seems very unstable! I shall wait until tomorrow to see if the info went through otherwise I shall write again but this is rather annoying!

Greetings,

Gab