Madagascar evokes images of dancing lemurs and entertaining animals mostly from the popular movies of the same name. The world’s fourth largest island does have a unique selection of wildlife as 90 percent is endemic and found nowhere else.

But the atmosphere is far from happy as the majority of the inhabitants of this third world country lives on less than two dollars a day.

In the 1800s the country was ruled as a monarchy until it was taken over as a French colony. This is why French and Malagasy are official languages. In 1960, Madagascar gained independence and has had a difficult time establishing a stable government.

Though tourism is a main source of revenue, it is undeveloped and hampered by poor infrastructure and the quality of the services and establishments. Though Air Madagascar was delayed or canceled four out of five times I flew with them, Antananarivo is still a decent transit hub to other countries. After a tour through Lesotho, I drove to Johannesburg to fly directly to Madagascar, my 112th country. Then I used the country as a base to visit the Comoros and Seychelles.

Despite the poverty and underdevelopment, the country offers some unique sights and extraordinary properties that attract people from all over the world.

Antananarivo

Known as “Tana” the capital of Madagascar is also the largest city with over 2 million inhabitants. For tourists, this is usually the hub for the main sights. Unfortunately the city is not that pleasant to explore as it has extreme traffic jams and crime issues. I definitely did not feel safe walking through many areas even during daytime.

Rova of Antananarivo
The most historic and important sight to visit is the royal palace complex at the top of the hill overlooking the entire city. These grounds were where the rulers stayed in the 17th-19th century. Unfortunately a controversial fire destroyed the palace in 1995. Restorations have been underway though the palace itself is still not opened to visitors at the time of my visit.

Guides at the entrance are a bit pushy, but don’t be afraid to be firm if you do not want a tour. They are not required.

Ambohimanga
The spiritual palace or Rova is perched at the top of a hill about 30 kms north of the capital. This UNESCO World Heritage Site dates back to the early 1600s to the Merina kings.

This is an interesting historical half-day trip to get away from the chaotic city. I hired a car and driver from the hotel to visit.

Lemurs’ Park
Possibly the most popular attraction in the city, Lemurs Park is located on the river bank in the outskirts of Antananarivo. Traffic can be hellish to get to here, but it’s worth it for an unclose visit with furry critters.

The private park has been in operation since 2000 and has knowledgeable guides to introduce and help stop the 9 different lemur species mostly freely roaming around. There are some tiny nocturnal species kept in cages. They don’t really let you get closer than 3 meters though plenty of staff are feeding the lemurs, so they are quite domesticated.

Lake Anosy
This lake in the center of the city was created to provide hydraulic power for factories. The center island displays an Angel statue from 1927 commemorating the Malagasy soldiers that perished during World War I.

The Soarano Train Station
At the end of L’Avenue de l’Indépendance, this station simply called “Gare” is popular with expats and tourists. Inside are several small boutiques and a relaxing cafe with a clever repurposed train car used as a toilet.

Nosy Be

Nosy Be in Malagasy appropriately means “big island” as it is Madagascar’s most developed tourism area and the only place in the country where luxurious all-inclusive resorts can be found.

From Antananarivo, I took a roundtrip flight with Air Madagascar to reach the Royal Beach Hotel for a few days of relaxation.

Andasibe-Mantadia National Park

This rainforest is home to many endemic and endangered species and has been listed as a World Heritage Site in 2007.

To visit the park, I organized a car from my hotel for the 3 hour plus drive from Antananarivo. The road was quite scenic with views of lush farmlands and mountains. With one night in a lodge in the middle of the rainforest, I was able to explore the rainforest and the creatures that call it home.

Vakona Forest Lodge Private Park

The private run park of this lodge was a great experience. Visitors can visit after purchasing a pass from the reception. The “island of lemur” has extremely friendly Common brown lemurs and Black-and-white ruffed lemurs. The guides will give you bananas and fruit to feed the critters which will jump all over you. In the end, you may feel that the lemurs are more in control than you are.

There is also a Crocodile Park with a small lake full of crocs. They also have some snakes, birds, ducks, and small mammals in a zoo like setting. At the end of the tour you can explore the tiny museum which has a huge crocodile pelt hanging on the wall.

Parc Villageois V.O.I. M.M.A.
This community run park is a great place to spot the Indri, the world’s largest lemur. After a small entrance fee, a guide will take you around the park to spot lemurs, chameleons, and other endemic species. A great little park to visit for up close encounters with local wildlife. I’d recommend going early to be able to hear the call fo the Indri.

Overall Madagascar offers some incredible wildlife experiences in beautiful settings with their endemic species, but poor infrastructure and the monopoly of Air Madagascar can pose some travel annoyances. Definitely a memorable visit and a true adventure. I look forward to visiting again one day!

Next up is Comoros!