Madagascar or the Republic of Madagascar is one of the most favourite tourists’ destinations due to various attractive locations that are found here. She is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa and is the forth largest in the world. The island holds an astonishing 20 million people who speak the Malagasy language as well as French though English is becoming more widely spoken. You can get here by Air Madagascar through the capital, Antananarivo or by private luxurious cruise ships through Toamasina.



Madagascar’s beautiful green land hosts quite a number of impressive national parks and nature reserves. In Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, undisturbed forests, lakes and mangrove swamps are home to a variety of rare and endangered birds and lemurs. The Rocky landscapes and limestone uplands are fascinating with their large peaks with a mass of limestone needles. Don’t miss Ampefy, a volcanic region with spectacular waterfall and geysers or Perinet, a nature reserve that is home of the indri (a tail-less lemur) and many species of orchid. The rich fauna in Madagascar has greatly contributed to the ever rich landscape and the ever growing wild vegetation in the Ivolina Zoological Park and Botanical Gardens contains every kind of vegetable species from the eastern forests.

The main centres of Nossi Be, Nossi Lava, Toliara and lle Ste-Marie offer beautiful white sand beaches and coral reefs. For those interested in deep sea diving, scuba diving centres are located on the north and west coasts. You can try waterskiing or sailing at Ambohibao (Lake Mantasoa), Antsiralse (on Andraikiba Lake) and Ramona. River- rafting can be done in the Highlands and on the East Coast. Another popular site worth your time is the capital’s national monument, the Queen’s Palace and associated Royal Village or Rova. Enter the threshold of the Ambohimanga, the birthplace of the Malagasy state. The citadel’s structure reveals her heritage as an important Merina stronghold. Enjoy the views in the Hauts Plateau, a chain of rugged, ravine-riven mountains that run from north to south down the centre. How about a glimpse at Madagascar’s second highest mountain, Tsiafajovona? It’s found in the country’s main industrial centre, Antsirabe. The town has a thermal spa and is surrounded by volcanic hills that are dotted with crater lakes.

Accommodation in Madagascar consists of an extensive hotel network especially in the capital Antananarivo, Nossi Be and Toamasina and also in Majunga, Ifaty and Tamatave. Recent developments have opened good-to medium standard accommodation as well as classified accommodation, group and youth lodging. Hotels range from 1 to 5 stars and a secondary system of ravinala (travelers’ palms) is used for more rustic accommodation.

If you love eating then Madagascar welcomes you. Madagascar cooking is based on a large serving of rice with a dressing of sauces, meat, vegetables and spicy seasoning. Many people here enjoy hot food and often serve dishes with hot peppers and many of the desserts are flavoured with vanilla. Local restaurants are often referred to as hotely. There are a few discos, sometimes with bands and solo musicians. Casinos can be found at Antananarivo, Toamasina and on Nossi Be. There are also cinemas and theatres, and touring theatre groups perform local plays throughout the country. Souvenirs vary from handicrafts made from traditional cloth and silverwork such as crosses and bracelets, jewellery made from shells and precious stones as well as items woven from reeds, raffia and straw.

Madagascar prides at her diverse culture and her isolation makes the island country a spectacular getaway for travelers.