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Trip planning & travel advice |
For detailed information on travel and tourism to Madagascar, see the books section for recommended travel guide books. Below are a few key excerpts from the Bradt Travel Guide to Madagascar regarding tour operators, airlines and visas.
Tour operators
A number of operators offer trips to Madagascar, either as package itineraries or tailor-made tours. Among the most experienced are Rainbow Tours and Reef & Rainforest. For further suggestions, see the African Travel & Tourism Association (ATTA).
Those interested in group travel may like to know that Anglo-Malagasy Society Secretary and travel writer Daniel Austin often leads small-group tours to Madagascar, typically with a focus on the island's wildlife.
Those interested in group travel may like to know that Anglo-Malagasy Society Secretary and travel writer Daniel Austin often leads small-group tours to Madagascar, typically with a focus on the island's wildlife.
AirlinesThere are no direct flights to Madagascar from the UK. Air France flies from several UK cities via Paris a few times a week. Kenya Airways is generally a cheaper option with flights from London Heathrow via Nairobi, but sometimes with long layovers. Ethiopian Airlines offers another route via their hub in Addis Ababa through to Tana or Nosy Be. Although generally a more expensive option, South African Airways is a reliable operator to Johannesburg, from where you can connect to Tana or Nosy Be with their regional partner Airlink. The last single-stop option from London is via Mauritius with Air Mauritius but this can entail a lengthy stopover. Turkish Airlines offers a comfortable alternative route from various points in the UK via Istanbul four times a week at surprisingly competitive rates, but note that the plane makes a brief stop in Mauritius before reaching Tana. As of September 2024, Emirates offers scheduled flights from Dubai, via a stop in Seychelles.
Travelling from elsewhere in Europe: In addition to Air France, Air Madagascar also flies direct between Paris and Tana, taking 10½ hours – sometimes with a stop in Marseille. From most other European countries, it is necessary to transit via one of the aforementioned hubs (Paris, Istanbul, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Mauritius or Johannesburg). From Italy, Neos operates weekly flights direct to Nosy Be from Milan, but only during the high season. Travelling from other Indian Ocean islands: The airlines and tourist boards of the Indian Ocean islands are co-operating increasingly closely, and have been expanding flight links across the region in recent years. Air Austral connects the main four Malagasy airports with Réunion. Air Mauritius also flies to Tana from Mauritius. Air Austral subsidiary Ewa Air has routes from Mayotte to a few cities in Madagascar. Within Madagascar, domestic flights are mostly operated by Air Madagascar subsidiary Tsaradia. VisasVisa rules are the same for all nationalities. Every foreign tourist requires one and they are easy to obtain at the airport on arrival, although if you prefer you can get it in advance of your trip at the Malagasy embassy in your country (this option may be more expensive). Electronic visas are starting to be phased in with a view, ultimately, to replacing the visa-on-arrival system entirely. If you decide to get an e-visa in advance, be sure to use the official website evisamada.gov.mg as there have been convincing fake versions created to scam the unwitting tourist!
There are four categories of tourism visa: up to 15 days (introduced Sep 2022) for €10/US$10; up to 30 days (115,000Ar/€35/US$37); up to 60 days (135,000Ar/€40/US$45), and up to 90 days (reintroduced Aug 2024) for €50/US$55. If obtaining the visa on arrival, the fee is payable in cash in euros, dollars or ariary. These visas are single-entry so, if you exit the country, it will be necessary to obtain a new one on re-entry. Tourism visas of longer than 90 days are not available. Shorter-term visas can be extended up to the 90-day maximum once in Madagascar by going to the Ministry of the Interior or elsewhere at any police commissariat. This typically takes around 24 hours and requires four passport photos, a photocopy of your bank card or foreign exchange receipt, a photocopy of your return flight ticket, two photocopies of your passport, and a fee of 80,000Ar in cash. |
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