Difficulties of travelling around Madagascar

Naomi Coleman, from our own Travel Team, lived and worked in Madagascar for several months, and shares her valuable first-hand experience of travelling around the island:
“Years before I went, I watched the Madagascar episode of the BBC’s World’s Most Dangerous Roads. Perhaps this prepared me a little for what I was going to experience, but it still surprised me how time-consuming road travel was in Madagascar.

The roads are generally terrible and journey times are very unpredictable. As I was travelling with local people, I spent a lot of time at taxi brousse stations waiting for the buses to be loaded with luggage and livestock. Once everything was strapped to the roof we could get on. After leaving the station, it was anyone’s guess what time we would arrive at our destination. You definitely have to be patient and prepared for delays as they are inevitable. On a trip from Mahajanga to Antananarivo I was told two hours into the journey that the mini bus would not make it all the way so we had to turn around and go all the way back to where we came from to swap buses!

In Madagascar, the longer the time you have to travel, the better; don’t go for a week. Many people underestimate the size of the island. It is over 2,000km from north to south (which is a similar distance from north of France to south of Spain)! It is an incredible country to explore, the best adventure I have ever been on, but you do need to be patient and prepared.”

What do I need to pack?

The most important thing to pack when travelling in Madagascar is your patience, and we’d also suggest a pack of cards, a fully charged e-reader or books, and a cushion. Depending on your itinerary you are likely to spend at least several hours on the road each day, across uneven terrain. Road travel is the best way to experience rural Malagasy culture, with frequent stops along the way, but it‘s often bumpy and exhausting.

That covers your wants. For your needs, it’s safest to assume you’ll struggle to find them in Madagascar, so bring plenty of medicine, hygiene products and suncream with you. Wind-up torches are very useful for coping with an unreliable power supply – most villages are completely dark after sundown – and some travellers choose to leave them behind as a gift on departure. A solar power bank is also handy to charge devices.

“Be prepared for long drives on the road, but the destinations are worth it. Don't expect luxury in every hotel, some have comedy plumbing systems or limited electricity availability. Bring gaffa tape, bungy cords and tow rope – we used them all! Recognise that the itinerary may not be accurate. In general travel times were longer and the time at destinations therefore shorter than the itinerary suggested.”
- Paul Shepherd

“Be realistic in your expectations regarding the country and its facilities (roads / accommodation / service / food etc) and also your physical ability to undertake road travel and walks in extreme heat. While the fantastic guide did his utmost to explain such matters and help people through it was clear that several travellers simply failed to understand what to expect in a third world country and just how difficult travel in particular can be on hopeless roads.” - Ross Hamilton

“Take loo paper and a torch and a travel towel and a swimming costume. Get there at least 24 hours early as you'll have a very early start and a very long journey straight away. If you want luxury then this holiday is not for you. The travelling is very slow and tiring. It was good, but it was not a relaxing or a feel-good holiday. It was more of an eye-opening holiday.” - Sally Payne

“Be prepared for long drives in 4 x4 vehicles which are punctuated by stop offs all designed to give you the full experience of Madagascar. Take simple items to give away, torches (villagers live in total darkness when night falls) candles, playing cards and small balls for the children.” - George Bannister