Hi everyone! I wanted to share my experience in Madagascar from last year, in case it helps anyone planning a trip.
Flights
We departed from Milan and flew into Antananarivo with Air France (layover in Paris).
We left from Nosy Be with Ethiopian to Milan (layover in Addis Abeba).
We also took Air Madagascar twice, to move from Antananarivo to Tulear and from Antananarivo to Diego Suarez.
RN7 route – 6 days
We did a classic RN7 route from Tulear back to Antananarivo. We decided to go with a local driver/guide, which I highly recommend—it makes everything much easier and smoother. Here’s roughly what we did:
- Flight to Tulear → drive to Isalo (~6h), overnight in Isalo
- Isalo National Park (full day), overnight in Isalo
- Isalo → Anja Reserve (~4h), visit → Fianarantsoa (~2h), city visit → Ranomafana (~3h), overnight Ranomafana
- National Park (day + night visit), overnight Ranomafana
- Ranomafana → Ambositra (~4h), visit artisan workshops → Antsirabe (~3h), overnight Antsirabe
- visit Antsirabe → transfer to Antananarivo (~4h), overnight near the airport
For this part we relied on a local driver (Tiaray Rakotoson, tyyraka1@yahoo.fr) and had a great experience, he's very reliable and knowledgeable so i highly recommend him.
Diego Suarez to Nosy Be - 3 days
Then we flew to the north for a completely different landscape and vibe.
- Flight from Antananarivo to Diego Suarez Visit Diego Suarez, night in Diego Suarez.
- Amber Mountain National Park + Red Tsingy, overnight near Red Tsingy
- Transfer to Ankarana → visit the park (grey tsingy), overnight near Ambilobe
- Transfer to Ankify (with a stop at a plantation) → boat to Nosy Be
For this part we went with a local tour operator (MadaAbc Tours) and they had great guides, were well-organized, and did very good accommodation choices.
Relax in Nosy Be – 6 days
We ended the trip with some beach time in Nosy Be. Stayed for 6 nights at La Parenthese. Did two excursions: Nosy Iranja and Nosy Sakatia The rest of the time was just relaxing.
Final thoughts
- The trip was fantastic, Madagascar is a fantastic country with the most amazing people.
- Getting a driver/guide is 100% worth it
- Roads are long and slow, so don’t underestimate travel times
- The north and south feel like two different countries and both very worth it. However, thinking back, I think it’s better to focus only on just one part of the country, just because of how difficult was the logistic of transfer between the north and south. I personally would choose the south, more authentic and wild, but this is just personal taste.
Happy to answer any questions if you’re planning something similar!