Madagascar: travel information
How to get to Madagascar
Air traffic
Since Madagascar is an island, the easiest way to reach the country is of course by plane, whereby travelers from abroad will land at the international airport of Antananarivo (Ivato). Airlines that fly to the island include Air Madagascar, Air France, Air Mauritius, Aeroflot and Inter Air. Air Madagascar and Air France offer flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Antananarivo. CorsAir offers flights from Paris Orly Ouest to Madagascar. Other international destinations are Johannesburg (South Africa) and Bangkok (Thailand).
Ferry connections
There are 18 seaports in Madagascar. The largest are Toamasina and Mahajanga, with Toamasina being by far the most important seaport in Madagascar. About 70% of Malagasy shipping freight traffic is guaranteed through it.
Travel in the country
Air traffic
Because of the mostly extremely poor road conditions, air traffic in Madagascar was already of great importance in the 1950s. 58 of the approximately 400 airfields were served by scheduled flights. Today it is the state-owned Air Madagascar, which offers a total of around 40 destinations in Madagascar. There are domestic flights to all major cities in Madagascar. The almost 60 landing strips make the Malagasy domestic flight network one of the largest in the world.
Bus
Bush taxis and collective taxis operate between the provincial cities in Madagascar. The bush taxis cover longer overland distances and run regularly.
Railways
There are four railroad lines in Madagascar, which together form an approximately 1,030 km long rail network. After rail transport had been operated for a long time by the state Réseau national des chemins de fer malagasy, rail transport was privatized in 2003 and “leased” to the Madarail company for 25 years. The Tananarive-Côte-Est line connects Antananarivo with the seaport Toamasina, and the Fianarantsoa-Côte-Est line connects the Betsileo capital with Manakara.
Shipping
There are numerous waterways in the country, but due to their natural characteristics they are mostly more suitable for canoes and are therefore hardly important for travelers who do not only want to be on the water locally. The Betsiboka is an exception; it can be shipped over a length of 80 kilometers.
Rickshaws (pousse-pousse)
In the cities themselves there are often vehicles that are pulled by animals or even people. These are rickshaws, which are called pousse-pousse in the country. This is the country’s usual means of transport for shorter distances, with which the poor Madagascans earn their living.
Roads
Madagascar’s road network covers around 50,000 kilometers and carries most of the domestic traffic. About 5,300 kilometers of it are paved. Unpaved roads are difficult or impossible to drive in the rainy season. The most important Malagasy overland routes include Route Nationale N ° 1, which runs back and forth between Antananarivo, Lac d’Itasy and Tsiroanomandidy, as well as the economically important Route Nationale N ° 2, which connects the port of Toamasina with Antananarivo. Route Nationale N ° 4 is also important for domestic traffic; it runs between Antananarivo and Mahajanga.
Rental cars
In Madagascar you can get the usual rental cars. However, due to the volume of traffic and the driving style of the Madagascans that takes getting used to, driving by car is strongly discouraged.
International license plate
According to Abbreviationfinder, Madagascar’s international license plate is:
| RM |
Tourist Office in Madagascar
Office National du Tourisme de Madagascar
Lot IBG 29C Antsahavola
PO Box 1780
101 Antananarivo
Tel: 00261 – (0) 20 – 226 6115
Email: ontm@moov.mg
www.madagascar-tourisme.com
Madagascar: entry and exit regulations
Currency
The national currency of Madagascar is the ariary.
- Local currencyUp to 1,000 MAG can be imported. The local currency may not be exported.
- Foreign currenciesThere is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that can be imported, but must be declared. The export is limited to the declared, imported amount.
Import and export of goods
The import rules are very strict. Duty-
free imports for people over the age of 18:
1 liter of alcohol, 25 cigars or 500 grams of tobacco or 500 cigarettes.
Clothing and everyday items can be imported.
Jewelry and valuable electronic devices must be declared upon entry.
Perfume may not be imported duty-free.
Certain precious and semi-precious stones, fossils and fossils from Madagascar may not be exported or not exported without the corresponding accompanying documents.
The import and export of weapons, ammunition or explosives is strictly prohibited.
In addition, the import and export of to Washingtonhe species protection law forbade protected plants and animals. Violation can result in substantial penalties.
Souvenirs
Country-specific Malagasy goods are wood carvings, handmade paper, Malagasy musical instruments, leather and wickerwork, embroidery with folk Malagasy motifs and woven fabrics, mohair carpets and jewelry made of semi-precious stones and silver.
Travel medicine, vaccinations and warnings
Infectious Diseases
In Madagascar, the following infectious diseases are to be expected in Germany and Central and Northern Europe:
- Malaria: There is a significant risk of malaria in the country all year round, including in the cities. About 80% to 90% of infections occur with the very dangerous malaria tropica, the rest with malaria tertiana.
- Schistosomiasis
- Cholera – however, there is only a risk of infection for travelers who come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food
- Intestinal infections from contaminated food or water, including amoebas, lamblia, salmonella, shigella, worm infestation and all kinds of viruses and bacteria
- Hepatitis A and B
- Polio, polio
- Plague – over 500 people died from the disease between 2010 and 2017
- Filariasis
- tetanus
- rabies
- Typhoid – however, there is only a risk of infection for travelers who come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food
Recommended vaccinations
when traveling to Madagascar are recommended vaccinations against the following diseases:
- Diphtheria – a vaccination against diphtheria should always exist, also in the home country.
- Hepatitis A and B
- Polio, polio – vaccination against polio should always exist, also in the home country
- Tetanus – a vaccination against tetanus should always exist, also in the home country.
- Rabies – but only for high-risk travelers who can come into contact with the vector animals.
- Typhoid – but only for travelers who can come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
Compulsory vaccination
For all persons older than one year and coming from a yellow fever infection area designated by the WHO, there is a compulsory vaccination against an illness with yellow fever.
Yellow fever vaccination of children
in most countries where yellow fever r vaccination is required, this also applies to children over the age of one year in some countries from six months. It should be noted that vaccination against yellow fever had a number of side effects, such as encephalitis. Around two-thirds of those affected were children under six months. Therefore, under no circumstances should children under this age be vaccinated. But children under one year of age should also not be vaccinated if possible. If in doubt, yellow fever infection areas must then be avoided. Any vaccination against yellow fever may only be carried out in specially authorized yellow fever vaccination centers!
Malaria prophylaxis
When traveling to Madagascar, it is advisable to take a prophylaxis against malaria. If the side effects seem questionable to you, you should at least carry a “stand-by preparation” with you so that you can start taking the therapeutically active drug immediately if you suspect a malaria infection.
Madagascar: Diplomatic missions
Visit Countryaah for a full list of Madagascar embassies and consulates in each country around the world.
German representations in Madagascar
Embassy in Antananarivo
101, Rue du Pasteur Rabeony Hans (Ambodirotra)
PO Box 516
101 Antananarivo, Madagascar
Tel: 00261 – (0) 20 – 222 3802/03
Email: info@antananarivo.diplo.de
www.antananarivo.diplo.de
The German embassy in Madagascar is still responsible for:
- Comoros
- Mauritius
Austrian representations in Madagascar
The Federal Republic of Austria does not have an embassy in Madagascar, but is represented by an honorary consulate. The embassy in South Africa is responsible
Embassy in South Africa
1109, Duncan Street, Brooklyn
Pretoria 0181
Tel: 0027 – (0) 12 – 452 9155
Email: pretoria-ob@bmeia.gv.at
www.aussenministerium.at/pretoria
The Austrian Embassy in South Africa is still responsible for:
- Botswana
- Lesotho
- Madagascar
- Mauritius
- Namibia
- Swaziland
Honorary Consulate in Antananarivo
c/o Landis Madagascar SA, 7, Rue Elysée Ravelontsalama
Ambatomena, Antananarivo 101
Tel: 00261 – (0) 20 – 223 5737
Email: dieter.kohl@landismg.mg
Representations of Madagascar in Austria
The responsible embassy is the embassy in Berlin.
Honorary Consulate in Vienna
Pützleindorfer Straße 96
1180 Vienna
Tel: 0043 – (0) 1 – 478 1522 0
Email: konsulat.madagaskar@vienna.at
Swiss representations in Madagascar
Embassy in Antananarivo
Frantsay 77
101 Antananarivo
Madagascar
Tel: 00261 – (0) 20 – 226 2997
Email: ant.vertretung@eda.admin.ch
www.eda.admin.ch/antananarivo
Representations of Madagascar in Switzerland
Embassy in Geneva
Avenue de Riant Parc 32
1209 Geneva
Tel: 0041 – (0) 22 – 740 1650
Email: ambamadsuisse@bluewin.ch
www.madagascar-diplomatie.ch
Consulate General in Zurich
Kappelergasse 4
8022 Zurich
Case postale 2517
Tel: 0041 – (0) 1 – 212 8566
Email: info@madagascar.ch
www.madagascar.ch
Tourist Office in Madagascar
Office National du Tourisme de Madagascar
Lot IBG 29C Antsahavola
PO Box 1780
101 Antananarivo
Tel: 00261 – (0) 20 – 226 6115
Email: ontm@moov.mg
www.madagascar-tourisme.com
