Madagascar vacations & safaris

In Madagascar, you can see wildlife found nowhere else on Earth, hike through lush rainforest, visit marine parks, or relax on white-sand beaches. Steep cliffs, pristine jungle, and a wild coastline combine to make the scenery dramatic, while the absorbing culture is a product of the island’s rich history and relative isolation. Most of all though, Madagascar’s wildlife is the biggest draw.

You could combine time spotting wildlife in one of the national parks with a riverboat cruise to learn about local life, or a challenging hike though otherworldly rock formations. Alternatively, you could visit coastal marine parks on the untouched coastline, stroll along powdery beaches without seeing another soul, or relax by the pool with lemurs swinging in the trees above you.

In Madagascar, you can stay in beachfront boutique hotels, historic homesteads, rustic guesthouses, and small forest camps. In general, places to stay here tend to be more simple than in our other Africa destinations, but we’ve found the best hotels and most characterful guesthouses in the most popular places you’d visit.

For example, you could stay in a luxury tented camp at the foot of steep cliffs, an ecolodge on a forest-fringed bay, or in a historic boutique hotel. Along the coast, you could opt to stay in a simple stone rondavel, a wooden villa, or a private thatched lodge overlooking the beach.

For more ideas, browse our collection of places to stay in Madagascar.

Madagascar is an enormous island, and most visitors make their way to Masoala, Ranomafana, or Isalo national parks, Berenty Reserve, or the islands of Nosy Be and Ile Ste Marie. Most visitors arrive in the capital Antananarivo, then choose to explore either the north or the south of the island.

Masoala National Park is the island’s largest protected area, and its pristine rainforest and wild beaches offer absorbing trekking and wildlife viewing. Andasibe National Park is a great place to spot indri, the largest of Madagascar’s lemurs, while Ranomafana National Park is known for its golden bamboo lemurs.

You can hike through a cinematic landscape of jagged limestone karsts and needles in remote Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, see towering baobab trees in Moramba Bay, and finish an island circuit with some time relaxing on the powdery sands of Ile Ste Marie or Nosy Be.

In Madagascar you’re likely to see a wide variety of lemurs, including sifakas, indris, ring-tailed lemurs, mouse lemurs, and aye-ayes, as well as fossa, chameleons, geckos, vivid frogs, and more than 285 bird species. Madagascar is megadiverse, and with the wildlife here evolving in isolation, about 80% of the species are found nowhere else on Earth.

The parks and reserves teem with lemurs swinging between the trees, civet, and mongooses rustle through the understory, and on closer inspection you’ll find bizarre-looking insects climbing tree trunks.

Of the nearly 300 bird species, 100 are endemic, including couas, vangas, and Madagascan red owls. Along the coast, you can spot humpback whales in waters home to 3,000 fish species, as well as manatees and dugongs. To learn more about what you might see and where you might find it, take a look at our guide to Madagascan wildlife.

It takes around 21 hours to fly from Toronto, Canada to Madagascar. From Vancouver, the journey takes around 23 hours.

The time zone in Madagascar is UTC+3 hours. Daylight Savings Time is not observed.

The best way to get around Madagascar is either by car or by plane. Generally, people tend to fly around the north and drive in the south. In northern Madagascar distances are huge and roads poor and for this reason it’s best to fly. Air Madagascar has a network of flights, all of which originate in Antananarivo and radiate to the major towns and islands.

You’ll be met at the airport by your guide with a 4x4 — or even a boat — ready to head off to parks, reserves, or private islands. We’ll provide a private vehicle and driver for all car journeys in the south, and if you’d like to explore the coastline, yacht charter is a surprisingly affordable option.

Canadian citizens don’t need a visa to visit Madagascar for stays of up to 15 days. If you plan to stay longer, 30- or 60-day single entry visas can be bought on arrival.

Speak to your doctor about vaccine advice for Madagascar and ensure you’re up to date with the recommended vaccinations for your home country. You can also check the suggested vaccinations on the Government of Canada - travel vaccinations website.

Malaria is a risk throughout Madagascar. Speak to your doctor for advice about which antimalarial medication you should take.

The best way to reduce your risk of catching malaria is to avoid mosquito bites. Wear long, loose clothing that covers your arms and legs, apply a repellent with 50% DEET, and use a mosquito net if sleeping in an unscreened room. It’s best to take repellent with you in case there’s a local shortage.

Your passport must be valid for six months after the date of your departure from Madagascar and have a minimum of one unstamped double page free.