32 Magical things to do in Madagascar

Be amazed by the colour of Lac Tritriva

Perfect to visit from Antsirabe, this beautiful lake is very impressive. You can do 2 different hikes; both will go around the lake, and they are both worth doing. You can have a great swim in the magical water. The hike around the lake has some good views of the lake. There can be children trying to sell stones to you, which can be a bit annoying. 

Price: Entrance fee is 10,000 ariary per person and a compulsory guide is, depending on the hike, at least 15,000 ariary for the group.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: A 1 hour drive from Antsirabe

How much time needed: 1 hour.

Have some unforgettable hikes in Tsingy de Bemaraha

Tsingy de Bemaraha is an unforgettable place to visit and should absolutely be on your itinerary in Madagascar. What you find here is only visible in Madagascar. There are several hikes to do, like the small and the big Tsingy. There are also lemurs to spot, and the hiking is fantastic in this area. This is one of my favorite places on the whole island. 

Price: Entrance fee is 55,000 ariary per person, and the cost of a compulsory guide depends on the hike.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: 8-hour drive north from Morondava to the city of Bekopaka, which is the main village to sleep in when visiting this park.

How much time needed: 2 Days.

If you want to know more about Tsingy de Bemaraha, check out:

Find the fossa in Kirindy Forest

Kirindy Forest is a small national park thathas some places to stay. It gives you the biggest chance to see fossas in Madagascar, although they are mostly around the ecolodge in the park. For the rest, you can find multiple lemurs in the daytime and att night. The hikes are very easy, as the place is flat and the trails are in a small part of the park.

Price: Entrance fee is 50,000 ariary per person, and a compulsory guide is, depending on the hike, between 50,000 and 70,000 for a small group.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: A 2-hour drive north from Morondava.

How much time needed: 1 Day.

If you want to know more about Kirindy Forest, check out:

See the famous Avenue des Baobabs

The most iconic view of Madagascar is the Avenue des Baobabs, which is stunning and a must-see when in this country. Come here before sunset, so you can walk the 250 meters past the trees and afterwards head to the grassland to see the incredible views of the unique trees. It can be crowded, but there will be plenty of space to take good photos and enjoy the great view. There is also a Baobab in Love, 20-minute drive further and close to Kirindy Forest, a sacred baobab.

Tourist occurrence: High

How to get here: 1-hour drive north from Morondava.

How much time needed: 2 hours.

Walk up to the chameleon at Tsaranoro Valley

Tsaranoro Valley is a beautiful place in Madagascar, and it is the perfect place to do some mountain climbing. The most popular hike is to go up to the chameleon on top of a mountain. During the hike, you will have many incredible views of the valley, including a nice river and some villages. This is not a wildlife location, but you can easily find some ring-tailed lemurs.

Price: Entrance fee is 10,000 ariary per person, and a compulsory guide to the chameleon is 70,000 ariary for a small group. 

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: A 2 -hour drive north from Morondava.

How much time needed: 5-7 hours.

If you want to know more about Tsaranoro Valley, check out:

Relax in Morondava

Morondava is a laidback village on the west coast of Madagascar. It is right next to the beach, and you can have a nice swim in it. There are a couple of restaurants and bars to choose from. It felt safe to walk here, but always ask the locals if it is possible. This is mostly a stop on the way to Tsingy de Bemaraha.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: 10 hour drive west from Antsirabe.

How much time needed: 1 Day.

Find birds and lemurs in Zombitse-Vohibasia national park

Zombitse is a small park next to the RN7 and has a dry forest ecosystem. Birding is the name of the game here, and we spotted different couas, Madagascar hoopoes, a sickle-billed vanga, owls, a cuckoo roller, and more. However, there are also some lemur species, as Verreaux's sifaka and Zombitse sportive lemur (see picture). The hikes are very easy, so you can have a nice stroll through this park.

Price: Entrance fee is 45,000 ariary per person, and a compulsory guide to the chameleon is 140,000 ariary for a small group. 

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: A 1-hour drive west from Ranohira and 3-4 hours drive east from Tulear.

How much time needed: 5 hours.

See different ecosystems in Isalo National Park

Isalo is one of the most famous national parks in Madagascar, and it gives you the opportunity to see many ecosystems and interesting natural sights on a hike. There are different parts to enter the park, and it gives many options to visit. There are chances to find several lemur, reptile, and bird species in the park. This is a must-visit in the country.

Price: Entrance fee is 55,000 ariary per person, and a compulsory guide is depending on the hike but will probably be more than 100,000 ariary per day.

Tourist occurrence: High

How to get here: A 5-hour drive east from Tulear or 5-hours drive south from Fiarantsoa.

How much time needed: 2 Days.

If you want to know more about Isalo, check out:

Find ring-tailed lemurs in Anja Community Reserve

Anja is the best place in the world to find ring-tailed lemurs. It is the only lemur species living in this small reserve, which is managed by the locals. There are many ring-tailed lemurs, and not spotting them is almost impossible. There are also many chameleons to find, and you can have great views of the sunset on the rocks. The park is small, and the hiking trails are not large.

Price: Entrance fee is 20,000 ariary per person, and a compulsory guide is depending on the hike, but the highest is 128,000 ariary.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: 30-minute drive from Ambalavao.

How much time needed: 2-3 hours

Visit cute factories in Ambalavao

To be honest, this is nice for small stops, but it should not be on top of your experiences in Madagascar. We visited a paper factory, where they showed how they made paper, and that turned out to be more interesting than expected. The silk factory was also interesting to see the creation process, and you can purchase something if you want to.

Price: Free, but a tip is recommended.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How much time needed: 30 minutes per factory.

See the old city of Fiarantsoa

The old city of Fiarantsoa is worth visiting for a walk to see the cool old buildings, churches, and great views of the city. This is a colonial centre, and it is totally different from all the other parts of the country. This is a nice thing to do, but it will probably not be the highlight of your trip. 

Price: Free, but a guide is recommended and will cost around 60,000 ariary for a group.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How much time needed: 1 hour

Find some tea plantations at Sahambavy

Sahambavy has some nice tea plantations to visit for a short time. You can just go there and see the different plants, where some will be harvested and others are still pretty green. I was here on a Sunday, so there were no people working here, unfortunately. This is a nice short stop. There is a hotel with a lake next to it very close by.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How much time needed: 1 hour

Find lemurs in Ranomafana National Park

Ranomafana is a fantastic national park consisting of huge rainforest. There are waterfalls, many lemurs, and other wildlife. The golden bamboo lemur (see picture) is the species only found in Ranomafana, and it is easy to find them here. There are several trails, and on all of them, wildlife can be found. This is a beautiful area.

Price: Entrance fee is 55,000 ariary per person, and a compulsory guide has a maximum rate of 150,000 ariary.

Tourist occurrence: High

How to get here: A 6-hour drive from Antsirabe or 1.5-hour drive from Fiarantsoa.

How much time needed: 1 Full Day.

If you want to know more about Ranomafana, check out:

Stroll around in Antsirabe

Antsirabe is a nice colonial city where you can walk around and head to the former train station or walk around in the lovely neighborhoods. There are many lovely buildings, and sometimes it can be a bit chaotic. Antsirabe is also a city where many routes to touristic sights start. It is likely that you will come across this city on your trip.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: A 4-5 hour-drive from Antananarivo.

How much time needed: Half a day.

Spot wildlife in Andasibe area

There are several parks in this area that you can visit. There are many species to find here, but the most important one is the indri indri (see picture). In the area, there are 6 different diurnal species and also some nocturnal species, although there are some differences between the parks. The parks are different and are all worth visiting.  

Price: Different prices for all parks (see Andasibe page)

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How to get here: A 3-4-hour drive east from Antananarivo.

How much time needed:  2 Days

If you want to know more about Andasibe, check out:

Feel alone in Ankarafantsika National Park 

Ankarafantsika is an overlooked national park in Madagascar, but it is a fantastic park with a great canyon (see picture), a lake with crocodiles, and many lemurs. There are several hikes, which are totally different, and it is worth visiting at least 2. Also, the night tour here can lead to spotting many nocturnal lemurs. The trails are pretty flat, but the heat can make the hikes tougher.

Price: 55.000 ariary for park entry, and depending on the hike, the amount is between 55.000 and 90.000 ariary per hike.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: A 8-10 hour drive north from Antananarivo.

How much time needed:  1-2 Days

If you want to know more about Ankarafantsika, check out:

Swim with whale sharks at Nosy Be

From September until December, whale sharks are around the waters of Nosy Be. You can go on an excursion where you can swim with these gentle giants. They do not harm you, so don't be afraid. There is also a chance to find other large marine animals like dolphins, manta rays, and almost guaranteed sea turtles (you probably have to make a snorkeling stop at Nosy Sakatia to find them). I went with Baleine Rand'eau, which was absolutely fantastic. Salakav' Diving is another organisation, that offers whale shark tours. This was one of my favorite things to do in Madagascar.

Price: Baleine Rand'eau offers her tours in euros, which is €65. 

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How to get here: Nosy Be is reached by plane from parts of the country or by boat from Ankify. 

How much time needed:  8 hours

Have a day trip in Nosy Be at Lokobe national park 

Lokobe National Park is the best place on Nosy Be to find lemurs and other wildlife. You get here by pirogue. The most convenient way to get here is to book a tour. There are three species of lemurs here, of which I spotted all, even 2 of them are nocturnal. Black lemurs (see picture), Nosy Be sportive lemurs, and Claire's mouse lemur can be spotted besides chameleons, birds, snakes (the best place to find Madagascar tree boas) and other reptiles. This is a lovely day trip when in Nosy Be.

Price: Tours are mostly around 150,000 ariary, including lunch, transport, guide, and park entrance.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: Lokobe is reached by a 20-minute drive from Hell-Ville to Ambatoxavavy, where you have to take the pirogue for 40 minutes to the park.

How much time needed:  6-8 hours including transport, lunch and the park entrance

Relax at the beaches of Nosy Be

Nosy Be is a very nice island to spend a couple of days on. There are some excursions to do (as I mentioned), but a relaxing day is a nice thing to do as well. There are multiple good beaches and nice hotels around the island, where sunrises and sunsets also occur. The paradise-like beaches are absolutely worth a visit on your trip to the island. 

Tourist occurrence: High

How to get here: Nosy Be is reached by plane from parts of the country or by boat from Ankify. 

How much time needed:  1 Day

See the whole island at Mont Passot

This is probably not the highlight of the country, but it was a nice trip to have a great view of Nosy Be. You can take a taxi ride here, and this trip goes to a less popular area of the island, so you can see this on the way here. The walk up to the viewpoint is 5 minutes and pretty easy. There are 3 viewpoints that are worth having a good look. This is a nice short stop on the island.

Price: 15,000 ariary, excluding transport.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: Around a 1-hour drive from Hell-Ville.

How much time needed:  30 minutes, including the hike.

Visit the Tsingy of Ankarana National Park

Ankarana National Park is the second park (after Tsingy de Bemaraha) with a lovely Tsingy (see picture), which is a fantastic sight. Besides, does this park include a bat cave and are there chances of seeing different species of lemurs and other wildlife. There are some good hiking trails, and you can choose between different levels. This is a fantastic park to see the great beauty of nature.

Price: 70,000 park entrance per person, and, depending on the hike, a compulsory guide fee for the group.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: Around a 2.5-hour drive from Diego Suarez (Antsiranana) or 4 hours from Ankify.

How much time needed:  1 Full day.

If you need more information about Ankarana, check out:

Be amazed by the Red Tsingy

This is a great stop between Ankarana and Diego Suarez, or Amber Mountain. The sandy rocks are very impressive, although smaller than other tsingy, The red colour is unforgettable to see, and because it is sand, it will happen slowly. There is a nice trail that brings you past all the rock formations in the area. There are great viewpoints, which you will pass as well. The Tsingy is maybe less impressive than the real Tsingy in Ankarana and Bemaraha, but it is still worth visiting. Please do not touch the rock formations, as they are easily broken.

Price: 25,000 ariary per person and no guide needed. 

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: Around a 2-hour drive from Ankarana or 1.5-hour from Diego Suarez (Antsiranana).

How much time needed:  1 Full day.

Enjoy the Flora in Amber Mountain National Park

Amber Mountain National Park is a great national park, where the flora is impressive. There are so many different species of plants, and many of them are endemic to the region. Besides, you can find many species of chameleons (even very small Brookesia), many birds, and 2 species of diurnal lemurs. There are nice waterfalls and lakes to visit as well. 

Price: 55,000 park entrance fee per person, and, depending on the hike, a compulsory guide fee for the group.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: A 1-hour drive from Diego Suarez

How much time needed:  1 Full day.

If you need more information about Amber Mountain, check out:

Have a stroll through colonial Diego Suarez

Diego Suarez, or Antsiranana, is a colonial city in the far north of Madagascar. There are several old and interesting buildings throughout the city centre. Besides, there are a lot of bars, shops, and restaurants to have a good time at. The sea is never far, and the city can be a main destination to head to different interesting areas like Amber Mountain or the Emerald Sea.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: A 6-hour drive from Ankify and reachable from different parts of the country by plane.

How much time needed:  1 Day.

Find incredible colours at the Emerald Sea

Take a boat tour from Ramena to this absolute paradise. The sea has some different colours and they are all beautiful and visible from the moon. Most trips will make a stop for snorkeling (gear is often provided), and there were so many colourful fish. For the rest, you have lunch on the small island, and you can have a relaxed couple of hours. This is a great day trip from Diego Suarez.

Price: Most trips are around 100,000-120,000 ariary per person.

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: 20-minute drive from Diego Suarez to Ramena and around a 1-hour boat ride to the Emerald Sea

How much time needed:  Around 6-7 hours.

Enjoy the surprisingly good local kitchen 

The food of Madagascar is, although simple, surprisingly tasty. Rice and zebu are the name of the game here, and the most famous dish is ramozava. Pizza, fish, and chicken dishes are also very popular here. It is always fantastic to taste some local dishes at local restaurants. You can also have haute cuisine in some restaurants throughout the country, like:

• Mad zebu in Belo mer Tsiribihina
• Tsara be in Diego Suarez
• Marais in Antananarivo (see picture). This is my favorite and the food was extremely good.

Have a nice walk in Maroantsetra

Hidden in the northeastern part of the country, Maroantsetra is the perfect getaway to Masoala, Farankaraina, and Nosy Mangabe national parks. The city is laidback, and many cultural things are happening. Head to some small creeks to find tomato frogs (they are very red), but be aware that their skin is poisonous. Stay here before you enter the tropical rainforests. 

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: Almost only reachable by a 1-hour flight from Antananarivo on a Monday. Also, you can rent a private plane. There are uncomfortable, long boat rides from East Madagascar as well. 

How much time needed:  Overnight stay, day before and after the flights.

Try to find the weird Aye Aye in Farankaraina

Farankaraina is a gorgeous rainforest in Antongil Bay, which is famous for its night walks. During the night walks, you can find aye ayes, which occur in many places in Madagascar, but everywhere it is extremely rare to find them, except here. There is a good chance of finding them, and as well as other night lemurs like the greater fat-tailed lemur (see picture). No animal is guaranteed, but this is your shot in Madagascar for aye ayes. Also, the day walks are nice and give you a good chance to see bamboo lemurs and white-fronted brown lemurs. 

Price: Difficult to say, as it is mostly part of a Masoala trip.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: 2 hour by boat from Maroantsetra through lovely nature.

How much time needed:  1 Day and night. 

If you need more information about Farankaraina, check out:

See the biggest park of Madagascar at Masoala national park

Masoala National Park is a fantastic rainforest next to a gorgeous beach. The extremely green forest is very stunning, and hiking through it is an absolute treat. The hikes can be a bit difficult, but you will have a great time. The most important lemur to find is the red-ruffed lemurs, which are endemic to this park, and when you will come here and you hopefully (probably) see them in the forest. There are more lemurs present, and you can find them on day and night hikes. Birding is very good here as well, tenrecs are pretty common, and a marine part is also present. The park is difficult to reach but absolutely worth visiting. 

Price: Difficult to say, as it is almost always in combination with hotel visits and with other parks in the area.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: 2 hour by boat from Maroantsetra by going out on sea

How much time needed:  3-4 days.

If you need more information about Masoala, check out:

End a Masoala week at Nosy Mangabe

Another jewel in the Masoala area is Nosy Mangabe, an island in the area full of wildlife. There are 5 species of lemurs here, and the black and white ruffed lemur and the aye aye are the eye-catchers, although the aye aye is difficult to find. There are easy and rough trails and all trails, give chances to find wildlife. There are also some nice beaches around the island. A sleepover is very basic, but it gives great opportunities to enjoy this scenery at its best.  

Price: Difficult to say, as it is mostly part of a Masoala trip.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: 2 hour by boat from Maroantsetra through lovely nature.

How much time needed:  1 Day and night. 

If you need more information about Farankaraina, check out:

Find a local party or concert 

Throughout the country, there are concerts and cultural events. Unfortunately, I missed a lot of them, besides a concert in Maroantsetra. This is a perfect way to get to know the locals and understand the culture of Malagasy people. I can't give other examples unfortunately, but when in Maroantsetra, check with locals what is happening in Janel Park.

Go cultural at the royal hill of Ambohimanga

The royal hill of Ambohimanga is a hill with the Kings Palace on top, close to Antananarivo. You see 2 different small palaces, and there are some good views of the palace and the area. You can hire a guide, which I recommend, because otherwise there is little information, and you can ask the guide how long you want it to be. 

Price: 10,000 ariary per person (and additional 2,000 for photos).

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: A 1-hour drive from Antananarivo city centre.

How much time needed:  1 hour. 

Things I have not done, but could be interesting

• Marojejy National Park (find silky sifakas and have good hikes)
• Berenty National Park (ring-tailed lemurs and best chance for dancing sifakas)
• Ile Saint Marie (beautiful island)

• Analamerana Special Reserve (Perriers sifakas)

• Sahamalaza National Park (blue-eyed black lemurs)

Final Thoughts 

Madagascar is an overlooked country, as other countries in the area are more popular. Nature is fantastic and diverse, with many different ecosystems and endemic species. Lemurs are so interesting and fun to watch, and almost every national park has some species, often both nocturnal and diurnal species. Tourism is very low here, and that makes travelling through the country so special. This is a country that should be on every nature enthousiast's bucket list.

If you want to know more about Madagascar, check out: