Southeast Madagascar

Visas

15 day ($10) or 30 day ($37) Visa on arrival. You can get a visa before arrival which will save a bit of time going to multiple different windows for stamps at the airport - handy if trying to make connecting flights. For updates and latest news check

Getting There

Madagascar Airlines are incredibly unreliable and liable to change flight times with very little warning so avoid tight transfer itineraries and plan to stay overnight in Tana. Keep to weight limits (boardbag 20kg/carry on 5kg) unless you want a nasty surprise (€35/kg) at check in! Spending long hours in the capital's domestic airport is to be avoided. Flights to Fort Dauphin are the longest internally and get full, so book early for best price. Once there it is a short 20-30min taxi to most hotels (60k Ar/€12).

Antananarivo

This sprawling colonial city will probably be a brief necessity for most surf trips, thanks to the vagaries of the national carrier’s flight schedule creating the need to stay one or two nights between regional flights. Usually referred to as Tana, it is a bustling melting pot of ancient French cars, overloaded trucks, gleaming NGO or mining company 4x4s, motorbikes, bikes, carts plus throngs of crazily bold pedestrians and street dogs! Noisy, dusty and choking on its own diesel fumes, this is not a town for the faint-hearted. There are markets to wander if you don’t mind being hawked at every turn and the crumbling infrastructure of the colonial cobbles are ready to slip or trip the unwary. The airport transfer to and from Tana will set you back 60-80,000 ariary (12-16€) each way and take up to 60mins in daytime traffic.

Getting Around

Think of this as an adventure, give yourself ample time, book early (expecting changes!) and fly as much as possible, as the road system across the South is virtually non-existent. There are plenty of taxis and tuk-tuks you can strap your board to in and around Fort Dauphin, but Zebu cow carts are the local, extremely rudimentary, form of transport in rural areas. Taxi-brousses (local buses) travel between towns at about 15km/h (10mph) only departing when packed with people, not to a schedule. A 4WD with driver is the best and often the only reliable way of getting around to the further breaks like Evatra, however they are expensive (expect to pay about €75-100 a day plus fuel and food for your driver). Tuk-tuk to Vinanibe will set you back 50K (10€) at least.

Accommodation

Fort Dauphin (Tolagnaro)

This faded colonial outpost town is gradually growing with an influx of money from mining activity and infrastructure projects like the new wind farm at Ambinanibe. Fort Dauphin has changed dramatically in recent years and tourism is growing, with well-off Tana residents holidaying here. This has had the effect of pushing up prices somewhat, but also means that there is a greater range of accommodation available, local roads have improved and numerous restaurants and bars are more attuned to visitors tastes. Those on a budget should keep comfort expectations low with power cuts and internet connections being slow or non-existent.

SurfBornNaked.com are the premier surf school and surf tour operator and have a good setup with better equipment on the sand at Akuba Beach. Their accommodation options include bungalows at the Lavasoa Hotel or family-friendly AirBnB option.

Check pricey throwback colonial hotels like the Kaleta ($75-160) and Azura $70-120), which have swimming pools. Hotel La Croix Du Sud ($30) is favoured by tourists looking for affordable comfort. New hotels are being built on the Akuba beachfront.

Romantic hideaways like the Lavasoa Bungalows ($55-60) to budget hotels like the Petit Bonheur overlooking Monseigneur Baie (rooms $29 or $39), or the Gina Village in the heart of town (bungalows fr $25) so there is something to match all requirements.

Restaurants in town offer main courses for around $6-10 and the local beer is cheap. Try Yummy Snack for authentic local dishes. Just behind the surf shacks is Arrivage, a posh restaurant with some really good food at higher prices and decent wifi, which is a necessity since the mobile data is a bit unreliable.

Antananarivo

There are plenty of hotels and pensions to choose from but keep comfort expectations low, unless you are willing to pay around $30-50 per night. Try Le Pave at $20 and La Ribaudiere ($35) which has a much higher level of comfort, along with good food in the restaurant, serving both French and Malagasy dishes.

Activities

Madagascar or ‘the Great Red Island’ is a land like no other. The fourth largest island in the world, roughly the size of France, it has been isolated from Africa for over 150 million years resulting in 70-80% of the plants and animals found on the island existing nowhere else on Earth. The island is home to lemurs, brightly coloured chameleons, huge baobab trees, 1,000s of orchids and many other strange plants and animals. If you would like to experience the wildlife during your visit, the Andohahela National Park, the Berenty & Nahampoana Private Reserves and Lac Anony are all accessible by road (new tarmac to the southern reserves) and well worth a visit. Climb Pic St Louis the mountain behind Fort Dauphin for dramatic views or picnic at one of the many waterfalls in the area. From June – September keep your eyes open and you will see whales migrating along the south east coast and if you are lucky you will surf with dolphins or turtles who sometimes join in the fun.

Madagascar is also a land of extraordinary cultural richness. It's a place where ancestors are as much a part of the present day as they are of the past; where in many areas custom takes precedence over the law and western-style religion is freely mixed with beliefs in sorcery and unparalleled funerary customs, which create tombs with Zebu cattle skulls and intriguing decorations – please ask permission before photographing these. The Malagasy - the name for the people of the island - are descended from Indonesians who arrived on the island only around 2,000 years ago with Arab and African influences arriving later. After a period marked by the presence of pirates along the eastern coast, Madagascar was colonized by the French in the late 19th century. Madagascar won its independence in 1960 and is today a democratic state. The French language today remains the only widely spoken European language, with most rural people outside of major cities speaking only their own regional dialect.

Madagascar is one of the world's poorest countries. The country's economy is based on agriculture, mining, fishing, clothes production and famously vanilla. The average Malagasy makes only around $1 US per day, while 70% of the Malagasy live below the world poverty line. Nearly half of Madagascar's children under five are malnourished and there has been an ongoing drought in the spiny desert for many years. Despite hardships the Malagasy are known for their hospitality and preference for debate over conflict.

Hazards & hassles

If you plan to spend time in Antananarivo or in Tulear it is best to avoid crowds and don’t go out too far from your accommodation at night. It is also best to avoid travelling at night in extremely remote rural areas, a good guide will be able to advise you.

Despite Madagascar being an extremely poor country, you will experience few hassles on land or in the water. Malagasy are famous for being friendly and accommodating and a polite refusal is all you usually need if you are being offered something you don’t want. Your belongings and safety are rarely at risk so long as you are sensible i.e. don’t leave things out for the taking or walk around alone after dark.

Do get up to date medical advice and all recommended travel inoculations as you don’t want to end up in a Malagasy hospital. There is malaria in Madagascar so you should take appropriate prophylaxis and cover up with spray and long sleeves/trousers in the evening. There are no mosquitoes once you get into the southern spiny desert but you will encounter them en route. Do ensure that you have good medical insurance that will evacuate you in case of emergency.

Despite having no recorded attacks on surfers anywhere around the island, Madagascar’s reputation for sharks comes from as few as 5 historical attacks and all in the surf-less north or on the east coast (Tamatave). The fact it is on the Mozambique Channel, home of the notorious salmon run, attracting all the big eaters like Great Whites, Tiger, Bronze Whalers and Zambezi/Bull sharks, should translate to nearshore danger, but the opposite is true. Thanks to commercial fishing operations on the east coast and efficient inshore local fishing practices in the SW, sharks have learned to avoid these areas and stay a good 30km+ offshore where there is plenty of food and less danger of being caught. However it is always best to have a local guide with you at all times and always follow the rules of surfing safely: no surfing with an open and seeping wound, no surfing at dawn, dusk or in murky water. Jellyfish and sea lice are an occasional hassle.

Handy Hints

If you can come in a group of 4 or 5 – this means that with a guide & a driver you will fit into one 4WD making travel more cost effective.

No surf equipment can be purchased and very little is available for hire in Fort Dauphin – in fact local surfers are always desperate for anything you can leave behind. If you can, bring a board to leave with one of the local surf associations for the locals to share - you will have friends for life! Bring at least one short and one longer board with you so you have something whatever the conditions. Your equipment should be able to withstand powerful conditions as sand bottom waves with the right swell and wind can make for strong conditions. Don’t forget spare leashes, fins and a ding repair kit.

If you want to travel on a budget, and you are hard core, bring a tent. This will also enable you to visit remote breaks where no accommodation is available.

If you don’t speak French, you may have difficulties as there are very few surf guides who speak good English. Book your trip in advance with www.surfbornnaked.com and you will be guided by Samson, the only British qualified surf instructor and lifeguard in Fort Dauphin. If you want to turn up and risk it, don’t get collared at the airport but ask for Samson, Flav or Tsilavo down on Akuba beach.

Malagasy culture is based around a number of ‘fady’ or taboos. These are numerous and vary depending on where you are in the country. For example, in Fort Dauphin it is considered extremely rude to touch another person’s head. It is important to understand the local fady and respect them – a good guide will ensure you don’t accidentally upset locals, especially if you plan to explore areas where tourists rarely visit.

Due to global pandemic, Visas, Getting There, Getting Around or Accommodation information and pricing may have changed. Always check Government Travel Advice before travelling.