Travel Guides
nothing lonely about the planet
Republic of Madagascar
(Madagascar)
All things bright and beautiful and a little more besides.
Madagascar's forests are a shimmering, seething mass of a trillion stems and dripping leaves and slithering, jumping, quirky creatures out of nature's bag of tricks: lemurs, periwinkles and baobabs, aloes, geckoes, sifakas and octopus trees. Sadly, they are threatened by aggressive deforestation.
At a Glance
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Getting Around: |
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There are any number of ways to get around Madagascar, from air to zebu cart (a common form of transport in the back blocks); from pousse-pousse or rickshaw in the flatter towns to taxis-brousses (bush taxis) in the bush. Decrepit buses and sort-of-new minibuses are an alternative to the taxis-brousses between Tana and nearby towns, and they leave from the chaotic taxi-brousse stations. Taxis-brousses are the most popular and cheapest way to get around, and the term is generic to cover any form of public transport that is not a bus or minibus. They are often slow and break down, are overcrowded and sometimes dangerous, but are also usually great fun.
Because of the vast distances and the poor state of the roads, you may want to make some parts of your trip on 'Air Mad' as the national carrier is fondly known. It has an excellent network to over 60 cities and towns, and despite its nickname is a reliable carrier. It also regularly offers discounts of up to 20-30% on internal flights if you have used it to fly into the country. |
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Weather:
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Madagascar's lush coastal areas have that warm, wet tropical feel, with regular rain year round, while still managing a good amount of sunshine during the day. Temperatures on the coast are fairly moderate, usually peaking above 30°C (86°F) in summer with only slight seasonal fluctuation. The average temperature drops as you head inland to the central plateau, as does the amount of rainfall, except from December to March, which sees a very stormy wet season. This same period can get unbearably hot in the west/southwest.
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Content Source:
Lonely Planet
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