Lonely Planet Madagascar

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• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781786576026
• eBook ISBN: 9781788689595

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet's Madagascar is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Watch chameleons and lemurs in mountainous national parks, haggle like a local at the Marche Artisanal de la Digue, and snorkel incredible coral reefs - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Madagascar and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet's Madagascar: NEW pull-out, passport-size 'Just Landed' card with wi-fi, ATM and transport info - all you need for a smooth journey from airport to hotel Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics Covers Antananarivo & Around, Central Madagascar, The Desert, The Cape, Boeny Region, Tsiribihina River Region, Morondava Region, Nosy Be & Around, Ambanja Region, Antsiranana Region, Pangalanes Lakes, Tamatave & Around, Ile Sainte Marie, Baie d'Antongil & the Masoala Peninsula, and more The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Madagascar is our most comprehensive guide to Madagascar, and is perfect for discovering both popular and off-the-beaten-path experiences. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveler's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

Northern Madagascar

Nosy Be

Hell-Ville (Andoany)

Ambatoloaka

The West Coast

Islands Around Nosy Be

Nosy Komba

Nosy Sakatia

Nosy Mitsio

Ambanja Region

Ambanja

Ankify

Antsiranana Region

Diego Suarez (Antsiranana)

Baie des Français

Ramena

Les Trois Baies

Joffreville (Ambohitra)

Parc National Montagne d’Ambre

Réserve Spéciale Ankarana

Sava Region

Vohémar

Sambava

Andapa

Parc National Marojejy

Réserve Spéciale Anjanaharibe-Sud

Northern Madagascar

Why Go?

It’s as if Madagascar had conspired to provide a microcosm of its myriad travel experiences all in one place: here you’ll find the isolated Sava region with its wild coastline and vanilla-scented air, the relatively sophisticated city of Diego Suarez (Antsiranana) and the country’s premier beach destination, Nosy Be. Travellers will revel in the region’s diverse national parks while activity junkies will be spoilt for choice with everything from diving to kitesurfing.

You’ll find more sea-based activities than you’ll have time to try in Nosy Be, excellent seafood and idyllic scenery. It couldn’t be more different from the mainland – here arid plains are fringed with lush ylang-ylang, vanilla and coconut plantations, while parks large and small feature strange geological formations, rainforests and rare species.

The region also hosts some of Madagascar’s flagship cultural events, the Donia, Zegny’Zo and the Nosy Be Jazz Festival – unique chances to discover Malagasy artists.

When to Go

• Apr–Jun Festivals bring together artists from across Madagascar and the Indian Ocean.
• Oct–Dec Humpback whales make their annual visit to Madagascar and can be seen around Nosy Be.
• May–Nov Best access to the Tsingy Rouges and the western part of Réserve Spéciale Ankarana.

Best Places to Eat

A La Table d’Alexandre

A Tsara Be Restaurant

A Côté Jardin

A Karibo

Best Places to Stay

A Sakatia Lodge

A Hôtel Carrefour

A Hôtel Gérard et Francine

A Tamana Hostel

A Nature Lodge

Northern Madagascar Highlights

1 Parc National Marin de Nosy Tanikely Snorkelling off this tiny, palm-fringed island to spy turtles, clownfish and rays.

2 Parc National Marojejy Spotting the silky sifaka (a type of lemur) – or even one of the world’s smallest frogs.

3 Parc National Lokobe Watching black lemurs, boa co...

Table of contents

• Table of Contents
• Welcome to Madagascar
• Madagascar’s Top 10
• Need to Know
• What’s New
• Accommodation
• If You Like…
• Month by Month
• Itineraries
• Activities
• Family Travel
• Regions at a Glance
• Antananarivo
• Central Madagascar
• Southern Madagascar
• Western Madagascar
• Northern Madagascar
• Eastern Madagascar
• Understand Madagascar
• History
• Malagasy Life
• Arts
• Malagasy Cuisine
• Environment
• Wildlife Guide
• Parks & Reserves
• Directory A–Z
• Transport
• Health
• Language
• Behind the Scenes
• Our Writers