Madagascar

[Golfinho]

I would like to know as well. Currently travel to Tana from the west coast of Canada takes 2 back to back 10 hour flights and runs about 1500+ euros return. Ouch!

1500 return is a price you ought to jump at.

The Air Mada flights nonstop roundtrip from Paris are under one-thousand, some days seven-hundred USD. The one I took recently outbound was subcontracted out to a Portuguese carrier and had a one-day date change, otherwise nice flight and nowhere near full.

Don't waste a thought on someone obsessed with the cheapest possible experience, live your life.

[Neddy69]

I would like to know as well. Currently travel to Tana from the west coast of Canada takes 2 back to back 10 hour flights and runs about 1500+ euros return. Ouch!

Ok. It's my sweet secret. It's from a southern EU airport. With good ol' Air France. I must say I'm totally flexible when it comes down to flight days. As long as it's the most direct route. I'm not taking round trips via Mauritius or other BS. Even french expats are shocked if I tell them the prices I pay. I always fly the max permitted time. 3 months that is. So different days are different prices. I always take the pure flight price without all the add on BS. Especially Opodo are the masters of BS add ONS.

A secret that I ready divulge is the time. As I previously mentioned forget July and August. My usually cheapest flight periods are: Oct to Jan. Or Apr to June. Check these dates. And to mention I spend always time with my flight search machine Kayak. I check almost daily. It's down to luck. These flights are long gone of course.

La Buse.

Who never paid more than 650€ and always on Air France to isle rouge.

At south Easter you're of course disadvantaged from Canada.

[SouthEaster]

I would like to know as well. Currently travel to Tana from the west coast of Canada takes 2 back to back 10 hour flights and runs about 1500+ euros return. Ouch!

[LoveEastAsia]

Who just booked a flight to isle rouge for 517. Return that is.

Hello,

Such a nice price may I ask you from where and which airways.

Thanks.

[Amadeuss]

What I saw was what the Cotisse rode on. The stretch of the road nearest Tana -- dual carriage -- is at least finished eliminating a bottleneck. What you saw is a drawing board fantasy, the kind we believe when we ride on them.

Madagascar Road Connectivity Project (P166526) is confirmed and the financing of 140 Mio US $ done by International Development Association (IDA) through the WorldBank. In question is the contractor (from China or Egypt).

If the Chinese contractor gets it, assume its done in 3 years. If its done by the Egypt group, perhaps it will become a Pyramid?

[Golfinho]

What you saw is only repair work. There is a new highway planned. 260 km different to the existing road, to be build by an Egypt company. How fast? Who knows.

What I saw was what the Cotisse rode on. The stretch of the road nearest Tana -- dual carriage -- is at least finished eliminating a bottleneck. What you saw is a drawing board fantasy, the kind we believe when we ride on them.

[Neddy69]

What you saw is only repair work. There is a new highway planned. 260 km different to the existing road, to be build by an Egypt company. How fast? Who knows.

Yes. There's a multi lane highway under construction. When I was in Tana in 2019 I saw Earthworks under construction. Judging that probably 70% of the construction budget disappears in somebody's pocket. I'd say 30 years is a fair estimate.

La Buse.

[Neddy69]

I went from Antananarivo to Morondava and Ambositra by taxi brousse and was very positively surprised by the quality of the roads. The rest of thee country may be completely different though. The best thing about traveling by bus was making friends with locals.

I used the road from Antsirabe to Morondava in 2019. This one is fairly new. Only a couple of years old. Then it starts to deteriorate. In every rainy season parts of the road are washed away. Eventually it degrades until there's only potholes which the Taxi Brousse negotiates with Max speed of 30 kmpH. Arrive in Madagascar with plenty of time. 3 months. Time is irrelevant. The most important is to arrive alive. Not fall victim to Road traffic accidents or street robberies by Dahalo.

La Buse.

Who just booked a flight to isle rouge for 517€. Return that is.

[Amadeuss]

Two weeks ago, I had to go overland Tamatave to Tana as flight availability at the moment was extremely problematic. The road was in terrible condition; the route took nine hours. Chinese road construction work was in progress, with a long way to go. The thing is that when this road is eventually completed, parts of it will already be falling apart and need repairing. Just the way things are here.

What you saw is only repair work. There is a new highway planned. 260 km different to the existing road, to be build by an Egypt company. How fast? Who knows.

[Golfinho]

The lack of infrastructure seemed extreme to me. If you do decide on Mada, maybe do Nosy Be, fly to Antananarivo, the take a bus to Tamatave on mostly good roads. Also it might be fun to also visit Ansirabe by bus from Antaninarivo. I loved the highlands that I saw except for the capital which looks mostly like a dump.

Two weeks ago, I had to go overland Tamatave to Tana as flight availability at the moment was extremely problematic. The road was in terrible condition; the route took nine hours. Chinese road construction work was in progress, with a long way to go. The thing is that when this road is eventually completed, parts of it will already be falling apart and need repairing. Just the way things are here.

[Geo Explorer]

The lack of infrastructure seemed extreme to me. (...) take a bus to Tamatave on mostly good roads. Also it might be fun to also visit Ansirabe by bus from Antaninarivo.

I went from Antananarivo to Morondava and Ambositra by taxi brousse and was very positively surprised by the quality of the roads. The rest of thee country may be completely different though. The best thing about traveling by bus was making friends with locals.

[Taiwan Laowai]

Hi,

On different posts here I have read that Africa beginners should go to Kenya and more experienced Africa travelers should go to Madagascar.

What are the reasons for that? I get that in Kenya they speak English which makes the language barrier go away. But what are the reasons beyond that?

Some reason I could imagine of would be:

- Madagascar is larger, hence more difficult to travel around.

- much more expensive flights from Europe.

- less tourism, hence less infrastructure.

Stuff like corruption and safety I don't consider, as I don't believe that Kenya is safer than Madagascar.

What else am I missing? Is it the girls attitude?

The lack of infrastructure seemed extreme to me. I was lucky to have an experienced wingman with me from start to finish. But combine the very formidable language barrier with almost everyone unless you know French, lack of A / see on the coasts outside of the main cities of Tamatave and Nosy Be, extremely questionable roads on a lot of the island, etc. I went to Kenya 15 years ago and the infrastructure was much worse back then. But Madagascar in 2020 was a lot worse. If you do decide on Mada, maybe do Nosy Be, fly to Antananarivo, the take a bus to Tamatave on mostly good roads. Also it might be fun to also visit Ansirabe by bus from Antaninarivo. I loved the highlands that I saw except for the capital which looks mostly like a dump.

[Kalamaris87]

Hi,

On different posts here I have read that Africa beginners should go to Kenya and more experienced Africa travelers should go to Madagascar.

What are the reasons for that? I get that in Kenya they speak English which makes the language barrier go away. But what are the reasons beyond that?

Some reason I could imagine of would be:

- Madagascar is larger, hence more difficult to travel around.

- much more expensive flights from Europe.

- less tourism, hence less infrastructure.

Stuff like corruption and safety I don't consider, as I don't believe that Kenya is safer than Madagascar.

What else am I missing? Is it the girls attitude?

[Tinte]

Yes that lake is fady too, to swim in .

First of all in decency and respect of the culture. How ever strong they follow this rules them self nowadays can bee in question but does not matter. But one thing for sure, if you brake the rules they likely looking for cash.

[Tinte]

There are lots of videos of jumping and swimming in the lake. However, I asked the driver and the Guide as I was thinking about things like that. They said: No problem.