Madagascar is one of the very well-known destinations, so I thought it was very popular and also developed. But I was wrong. It's nowhere near the same or similar to Mauritius or Reunion, which are only a short flight away. Madagascar is a destination for more advanced travelers who want to experience a real and very poor country in Africa, don't mind moving long distances (not far, but time consuming), want to see beautiful nature and many endemics of flora and fauna. It's not exactly easy or cheap to get here, and even inland transfers are not exactly cool, fast, convenient or cheap.
Yet I have managed to find a great alternative for those who want to see as much of Madagascar as possible and not leave often up to a hundred thousand crowns behind, as in the case of a visit with a CK. Of course, it depends on what one expects. If you just want luxury, relaxation, beaches, then there is the famous island of Nosy Be. But I must warn you. This place has nothing to do with Madagascar except geographical assignment. My trip could be described as "Authentic Madagascar for advanced adventurers".
Practical pre-trip advice:
- Electricity - relatively no problems in the capital, the further away from the centre the more problems may increase. In the more remote villages, diesel generators run and shut down later at night. In some villages off the roads there is no electricity at all.
- Drinking water - for a European, it is virtually non-existent except in bottled form. They have PET bottles everywhere, price around €1/1.5 litre
- internet - the better accommodations have Wifi available, it often goes down and you need to be reminded (outside of town they work on local 3G hotspots from SIM cards). Mobile signal is relatively good in populated areas.
- vaccinations - none are strictly necessary, at least hepatitis is recommended
- ATMs - they are in major cities, so be sure to withdraw well in advance as paying by card is more of a coincidence. You can't pay by card at petrol stations either! Most ATMs are also local card only, so you won't get a choice there. The only sure thing is Societe Generale, a French bank, which fortunately has quite a few branches here.
- Bargaining - no need to haggle in markets or shops, prices are usually fixed and no haggling. However, it's good to know the average price and not get ripped off by dodgy traders who take advantage of the rich tourist.
On the first day we leave our place of residence in Brno, early in the morning by bus to Vienna airport, where our big journey begins. The first flight is with the low-cost airline Wizzair to Abu Dhabi, Arabia.
We didn't plan to stay long in Abu Dhabi. The only place we wanted to stop was the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, considered the largest shrine in the UAE.
We then moved on to Dubai, where we had a quick dinner and a look at the Burj Khalifa, still the tallest building in the world. Late in the evening, we moved to the airport where we continued on.
In the morning we flew to Ethiopia, where we had only a quick transfer for our last flight to the capital of Madagascar - Antananarivo. In the afternoon we managed only local acclimatisation, a trip to a lookout over the city, some quick shopping and a choice of hotel for the first night of our stay. There are more expensive hotels on offer (around €60 per night for two), but also cheaper ones (around €20 per night). Our driver had several options on offer so there really was something for everyone to choose from. We ended up choosing the happy medium to acclimatise gradually.
This day was marked by a move to the east, to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. In the morning we went to the supermarket to get some basic things for the trip (a carton of bottled water, a knife, a fruit bowl, etc.). Not that there aren't stores along the way, but both the price is usually higher and the availability is limited. The journey was horrendous and endless. We couldn't even count the number of broken down cars (mainly trucks) due to the condition of the road.
We had our own "guide/driver" who drove us around the whole time, helped us find accommodation and also possibly choose a restaurant or so-called buffet where we stopped for lunch or dinner. It may sound too fancy, but the price of a local's work is not well priced and basically the whole service, including the car rental, cost about what you would rent a car for at the airport rental agency. Except here we had a 4x4 jeep, which you could drive off the main road, and more importantly - there are so many potholes and bumps in the roads that we wouldn't have had time to look around while driving. And we wouldn't have the nerve to do it at all.
On the way, we visited Butterfly Park, not far from our destination. We didn't see a single butterfly, but we did see countless chameleons, a crocodile, some snakes and frogs found in the local rainforest.
The next day we were waiting for the national park, the rainforest, where mainly Indri Indri lemurs live. Thanks to the local guides, we found them relatively quickly and easily, saw them and, most importantly, heard them. To set the record straight. In any national park or attraction, everyone must have a local guide who knows the local environment, history and secret places not to be missed. The price for tourists is quite high for the ratio of local prices (around 10-30 euros per group), for locals the price is about a tenth. Entrance to the NP is then charged separately, usually around 10-20 EUR per person.
In the afternoon we had a long drive back to the capital, from where we started our journey to the south of the island the next day.
On the way to the southern part of the island we stopped in Ambatolampa, a town famous for the production of clay pots and other accessories or decorations. Along the way the countryside became more mountainous and the buildings became much poorer. In the afternoon we reached the end of today's route, the town of Antsirabe, but we didn't stay long and managed to climb Tritriva Lake, one of the three famous local lakes. The road was already completely unpaved and the village poorer and poorer. So we made the local children happy and gave them small trinkets. Their smiles and gratitude were worth it!
The sixth day was again more of a crossing day, although on the way we saw beautiful rice fields known mainly from Vietnam (SAPA region). It is very similar and photogenic here! Unfortunately, villages here are often not only without electricity, but often without water, which locals have to carry in jerry cans sometimes several kilometers away.
On the seventh day we arrived in another rainforest called Ranomafana. The road here is new, located near the turn off the main national road running from north to south. The village is very pleasant, although already quite well known to tourists (we even met Czechs here!). There are opportunities to try local food, browse the market or go for a swim in the pool. Or just watch how the locals live, how they wash in the river, do their laundry a little higher up and brush their teeth a little higher still.
It's time to move on. We've been driving through an increasingly dry environment. There were nice terraces of rice and other vegetables around the river. Natural irrigation is used to the maximum here. Stopped in the town of Ablalavao where we had the opportunity to see how scarves, dresses, carpets and more are made by hand in a small workshop. A little further on again is a workshop where paper is made by hand.
I was particularly looking forward to this day. The plan was to visit Isalo National Park, where unique rock formations can be seen, and a full-day trek with a picnic lunch including lemurs and an afternoon swim in a natural swimming pool set into the rocks.
The next day we arrived at the sea. After a few days of traveling, the final destination is approaching. Tulear is not a pretty town, but you can still withdraw from an ATM and shop in a supermarket. In the villages, this will no longer be an option. We continue further north along the coast past the fishing village of Ifaty to the next village of Mangila, where there are many hotels and accommodation, and opportunities to go snorkelling at the coral reefs or the Baobab Park.
On this day we went out to sea on a small catamaran, where we had the opportunity to explore the underwater world. You only need to go on a really good day, when it is not windy and therefore there are no big waves or underwater currents. For lunch we were transported to the village of Ifaty, where we bought fish of our choice from the fishermen and made an amazing pinknik under a palm tree on the beach.
It's time to move on. But we didn't want to leave the sea yet. So we headed south from Tulear, where the asphalt road ends completely. After a few kilometres we reach the Sarodrano peninsula, where we find paradise in no-man's land.
Unfortunately, our journey is slowly coming to an end and it's time to head back north. We are staying for the night again at Isalo National Park, in the village of Ranohira.
The next day we basically just drove back to the capital. In the evening we arrived in the village of Ambositra, where we went for a walk to the local market.
Next dream we arrived back north to the capital. We checked in and got some dinner. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to do any more than that.
We used the penultimate day to visit Lemur Park, which is about 30 km west of Tana. There are many species of Lemurs here, as well as a small botanical garden, huge bamboos and palm trees.
The last day in Madagascar is just a matter of moving to the airport and waiting for the flight. The way back is via Ethiopia again, but not back to Dubai, but to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
One day in Jeddah was probably enough. Instead of pleasant 22-26 degrees, suddenly 37°C and no shade. We walked around the colonnade, but after noon we had to duck into the mall for some local goodies. After that we just headed towards the airport and back to Europe.
We did not return directly to Brno, but to Budapest, where we took one more day to acclimatize and walk around the city. We took in the main sights, the colonnade along the Danube, and in the afternoon we took the train to Brno.
Madagascar is one of the very well-known destinations, so I thought it was very popular and also developed. But I was wrong. It's nowhere near the same or similar to Mauritius or Reunion, which are only a short flight away. Madagascar is a destination for more advanced travelers who want to experience a real and very poor country in Africa, don't mind moving long distances (not far, but time consuming), want to see beautiful nature and many endemics of flora and fauna. It's not exactly easy or cheap to get here, and even inland transfers are not exactly cool, fast, convenient or cheap.
Yet I have managed to find a great alternative for those who want to see as much of Madagascar as possible and not leave often up to a hundred thousand crowns behind, as in the case of a visit with a CK. Of course, it depends on what one expects. If you just want luxury, relaxation, beaches, then there is the famous island of Nosy Be. But I must warn you. This place has nothing to do with Madagascar except geographical assignment. My trip could be described as "Authentic Madagascar for advanced adventurers".
Practical pre-trip advice:
- Electricity - relatively no problems in the capital, the further away from the centre the more problems may increase. In the more remote villages, diesel generators run and shut down later at night. In some villages off the roads there is no electricity at all.
- Drinking water - for a European, it is virtually non-existent except in bottled form. They have PET bottles everywhere, price around €1/1.5 litre
- internet - the better accommodations have Wifi available, it often goes down and you need to be reminded (outside of town they work on local 3G hotspots from SIM cards). Mobile signal is relatively good in populated areas.
- vaccinations - none are strictly necessary, at least hepatitis is recommended
- ATMs - they are in major cities, so be sure to withdraw well in advance as paying by card is more of a coincidence. You can't pay by card at petrol stations either! Most ATMs are also local card only, so you won't get a choice there. The only sure thing is Societe Generale, a French bank, which fortunately has quite a few branches here.
- Bargaining - no need to haggle in markets or shops, prices are usually fixed and no haggling. However, it's good to know the average price and not get ripped off by dodgy traders who take advantage of the rich tourist.
On the first day we leave our place of residence in Brno, early in the morning by bus to Vienna airport, where our big journey begins. The first flight is with the low-cost airline Wizzair to Abu Dhabi, Arabia.
We didn't plan to stay long in Abu Dhabi. The only place we wanted to stop was the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, considered the largest shrine in the UAE.
We then moved on to Dubai, where we had a quick dinner and a look at the Burj Khalifa, still the tallest building in the world. Late in the evening, we moved to the airport where we continued on.
In the morning we flew to Ethiopia, where we had only a quick transfer for our last flight to the capital of Madagascar - Antananarivo. In the afternoon we managed only local acclimatisation, a trip to a lookout over the city, some quick shopping and a choice of hotel for the first night of our stay. There are more expensive hotels on offer (around €60 per night for two), but also cheaper ones (around €20 per night). Our driver had several options on offer so there really was something for everyone to choose from. We ended up choosing the happy medium to acclimatise gradually.
This day was marked by a move to the east, to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. In the morning we went to the supermarket to get some basic things for the trip (a carton of bottled water, a knife, a fruit bowl, etc.). Not that there aren't stores along the way, but both the price is usually higher and the availability is limited. The journey was horrendous and endless. We couldn't even count the number of broken down cars (mainly trucks) due to the condition of the road.
We had our own "guide/driver" who drove us around the whole time, helped us find accommodation and also possibly choose a restaurant or so-called buffet where we stopped for lunch or dinner. It may sound too fancy, but the price of a local's work is not well priced and basically the whole service, including the car rental, cost about what you would rent a car for at the airport rental agency. Except here we had a 4x4 jeep, which you could drive off the main road, and more importantly - there are so many potholes and bumps in the roads that we wouldn't have had time to look around while driving. And we wouldn't have the nerve to do it at all.
On the way, we visited Butterfly Park, not far from our destination. We didn't see a single butterfly, but we did see countless chameleons, a crocodile, some snakes and frogs found in the local rainforest.
The next day we were waiting for the national park, the rainforest, where mainly Indri Indri lemurs live. Thanks to the local guides, we found them relatively quickly and easily, saw them and, most importantly, heard them. To set the record straight. In any national park or attraction, everyone must have a local guide who knows the local environment, history and secret places not to be missed. The price for tourists is quite high for the ratio of local prices (around 10-30 euros per group), for locals the price is about a tenth. Entrance to the NP is then charged separately, usually around 10-20 EUR per person.
In the afternoon we had a long drive back to the capital, from where we started our journey to the south of the island the next day.
On the way to the southern part of the island we stopped in Ambatolampa, a town famous for the production of clay pots and other accessories or decorations. Along the way the countryside became more mountainous and the buildings became much poorer. In the afternoon we reached the end of today's route, the town of Antsirabe, but we didn't stay long and managed to climb Tritriva Lake, one of the three famous local lakes. The road was already completely unpaved and the village poorer and poorer. So we made the local children happy and gave them small trinkets. Their smiles and gratitude were worth it!
The sixth day was again more of a crossing day, although on the way we saw beautiful rice fields known mainly from Vietnam (SAPA region). It is very similar and photogenic here! Unfortunately, villages here are often not only without electricity, but often without water, which locals have to carry in jerry cans sometimes several kilometers away.
On the seventh day we arrived in another rainforest called Ranomafana. The road here is new, located near the turn off the main national road running from north to south. The village is very pleasant, although already quite well known to tourists (we even met Czechs here!). There are opportunities to try local food, browse the market or go for a swim in the pool. Or just watch how the locals live, how they wash in the river, do their laundry a little higher up and brush their teeth a little higher still.
It's time to move on. We've been driving through an increasingly dry environment. There were nice terraces of rice and other vegetables around the river. Natural irrigation is used to the maximum here. Stopped in the town of Ablalavao where we had the opportunity to see how scarves, dresses, carpets and more are made by hand in a small workshop. A little further on again is a workshop where paper is made by hand.
I was particularly looking forward to this day. The plan was to visit Isalo National Park, where unique rock formations can be seen, and a full-day trek with a picnic lunch including lemurs and an afternoon swim in a natural swimming pool set into the rocks.
The next day we arrived at the sea. After a few days of traveling, the final destination is approaching. Tulear is not a pretty town, but you can still withdraw from an ATM and shop in a supermarket. In the villages, this will no longer be an option. We continue further north along the coast past the fishing village of Ifaty to the next village of Mangila, where there are many hotels and accommodation, and opportunities to go snorkelling at the coral reefs or the Baobab Park.
On this day we went out to sea on a small catamaran, where we had the opportunity to explore the underwater world. You only need to go on a really good day, when it is not windy and therefore there are no big waves or underwater currents. For lunch we were transported to the village of Ifaty, where we bought fish of our choice from the fishermen and made an amazing pinknik under a palm tree on the beach.
It's time to move on. But we didn't want to leave the sea yet. So we headed south from Tulear, where the asphalt road ends completely. After a few kilometres we reach the Sarodrano peninsula, where we find paradise in no-man's land.
Unfortunately, our journey is slowly coming to an end and it's time to head back north. We are staying for the night again at Isalo National Park, in the village of Ranohira.
The next day we basically just drove back to the capital. In the evening we arrived in the village of Ambositra, where we went for a walk to the local market.
Next dream we arrived back north to the capital. We checked in and got some dinner. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to do any more than that.
We used the penultimate day to visit Lemur Park, which is about 30 km west of Tana. There are many species of Lemurs here, as well as a small botanical garden, huge bamboos and palm trees.
The last day in Madagascar is just a matter of moving to the airport and waiting for the flight. The way back is via Ethiopia again, but not back to Dubai, but to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
One day in Jeddah was probably enough. Instead of pleasant 22-26 degrees, suddenly 37°C and no shade. We walked around the colonnade, but after noon we had to duck into the mall for some local goodies. After that we just headed towards the airport and back to Europe.
We did not return directly to Brno, but to Budapest, where we took one more day to acclimatize and walk around the city. We took in the main sights, the colonnade along the Danube, and in the afternoon we took the train to Brno.
itinerary by Jiri Hosek
Madagascar is one of the very well-known destinations, so I thought it was very popular and also developed. But I was wrong. It's nowhere near the same or similar to Mauritius or Reunion, which are only a short flight away. Madagascar is a destination for more advanced travelers who want to experience a real and very poor country in Africa, don't mind moving long distances (not far, but time consuming), want to see beautiful nature and many endemics of flora and fauna. It's not exactly easy or cheap to get here, and even inland transfers are not exactly cool, fast, convenient or cheap.
Yet I have managed to find a great alternative for those who want to see as much of Madagascar as possible and not leave often up to a hundred thousand crowns behind, as in the case of a visit with a CK. Of course, it depends on what one expects. If you just want luxury, relaxation, beaches, then there is the famous island of Nosy Be. But I must warn you. This place has nothing to do with Madagascar except geographical assignment. My trip could be described as "Authentic Madagascar for advanced adventurers".
Practical pre-trip advice:
- Electricity - relatively no problems in the capital, the further away from the centre the more problems may increase. In the more remote villages, diesel generators run and shut down later at night. In some villages off the roads there is no electricity at all.
- Drinking water - for a European, it is virtually non-existent except in bottled form. They have PET bottles everywhere, price around €1/1.5 litre
- internet - the better accommodations have Wifi available, it often goes down and you need to be reminded (outside of town they work on local 3G hotspots from SIM cards). Mobile signal is relatively good in populated areas.
- vaccinations - none are strictly necessary, at least hepatitis is recommended
- ATMs - they are in major cities, so be sure to withdraw well in advance as paying by card is more of a coincidence. You can't pay by card at petrol stations either! Most ATMs are also local card only, so you won't get a choice there. The only sure thing is Societe Generale, a French bank, which fortunately has quite a few branches here.
- Bargaining - no need to haggle in markets or shops, prices are usually fixed and no haggling. However, it's good to know the average price and not get ripped off by dodgy traders who take advantage of the rich tourist.
On the first day we leave our place of residence in Brno, early in the morning by bus to Vienna airport, where our big journey begins. The first flight is with the low-cost airline Wizzair to Abu Dhabi, Arabia.
We didn't plan to stay long in Abu Dhabi. The only place we wanted to stop was the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, considered the largest shrine in the UAE.
We then moved on to Dubai, where we had a quick dinner and a look at the Burj Khalifa, still the tallest building in the world. Late in the evening, we moved to the airport where we continued on.
In the morning we flew to Ethiopia, where we had only a quick transfer for our last flight to the capital of Madagascar - Antananarivo. In the afternoon we managed only local acclimatisation, a trip to a lookout over the city, some quick shopping and a choice of hotel for the first night of our stay. There are more expensive hotels on offer (around €60 per night for two), but also cheaper ones (around €20 per night). Our driver had several options on offer so there really was something for everyone to choose from. We ended up choosing the happy medium to acclimatise gradually.
This day was marked by a move to the east, to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. In the morning we went to the supermarket to get some basic things for the trip (a carton of bottled water, a knife, a fruit bowl, etc.). Not that there aren't stores along the way, but both the price is usually higher and the availability is limited. The journey was horrendous and endless. We couldn't even count the number of broken down cars (mainly trucks) due to the condition of the road.
We had our own "guide/driver" who drove us around the whole time, helped us find accommodation and also possibly choose a restaurant or so-called buffet where we stopped for lunch or dinner. It may sound too fancy, but the price of a local's work is not well priced and basically the whole service, including the car rental, cost about what you would rent a car for at the airport rental agency. Except here we had a 4x4 jeep, which you could drive off the main road, and more importantly - there are so many potholes and bumps in the roads that we wouldn't have had time to look around while driving. And we wouldn't have the nerve to do it at all.
On the way, we visited Butterfly Park, not far from our destination. We didn't see a single butterfly, but we did see countless chameleons, a crocodile, some snakes and frogs found in the local rainforest.
The next day we were waiting for the national park, the rainforest, where mainly Indri Indri lemurs live. Thanks to the local guides, we found them relatively quickly and easily, saw them and, most importantly, heard them. To set the record straight. In any national park or attraction, everyone must have a local guide who knows the local environment, history and secret places not to be missed. The price for tourists is quite high for the ratio of local prices (around 10-30 euros per group), for locals the price is about a tenth. Entrance to the NP is then charged separately, usually around 10-20 EUR per person.
In the afternoon we had a long drive back to the capital, from where we started our journey to the south of the island the next day.
On the way to the southern part of the island we stopped in Ambatolampa, a town famous for the production of clay pots and other accessories or decorations. Along the way the countryside became more mountainous and the buildings became much poorer. In the afternoon we reached the end of today's route, the town of Antsirabe, but we didn't stay long and managed to climb Tritriva Lake, one of the three famous local lakes. The road was already completely unpaved and the village poorer and poorer. So we made the local children happy and gave them small trinkets. Their smiles and gratitude were worth it!
The sixth day was again more of a crossing day, although on the way we saw beautiful rice fields known mainly from Vietnam (SAPA region). It is very similar and photogenic here! Unfortunately, villages here are often not only without electricity, but often without water, which locals have to carry in jerry cans sometimes several kilometers away.
On the seventh day we arrived in another rainforest called Ranomafana. The road here is new, located near the turn off the main national road running from north to south. The village is very pleasant, although already quite well known to tourists (we even met Czechs here!). There are opportunities to try local food, browse the market or go for a swim in the pool. Or just watch how the locals live, how they wash in the river, do their laundry a little higher up and brush their teeth a little higher still.
It's time to move on. We've been driving through an increasingly dry environment. There were nice terraces of rice and other vegetables around the river. Natural irrigation is used to the maximum here. Stopped in the town of Ablalavao where we had the opportunity to see how scarves, dresses, carpets and more are made by hand in a small workshop. A little further on again is a workshop where paper is made by hand.
I was particularly looking forward to this day. The plan was to visit Isalo National Park, where unique rock formations can be seen, and a full-day trek with a picnic lunch including lemurs and an afternoon swim in a natural swimming pool set into the rocks.
The next day we arrived at the sea. After a few days of traveling, the final destination is approaching. Tulear is not a pretty town, but you can still withdraw from an ATM and shop in a supermarket. In the villages, this will no longer be an option. We continue further north along the coast past the fishing village of Ifaty to the next village of Mangila, where there are many hotels and accommodation, and opportunities to go snorkelling at the coral reefs or the Baobab Park.
On this day we went out to sea on a small catamaran, where we had the opportunity to explore the underwater world. You only need to go on a really good day, when it is not windy and therefore there are no big waves or underwater currents. For lunch we were transported to the village of Ifaty, where we bought fish of our choice from the fishermen and made an amazing pinknik under a palm tree on the beach.
It's time to move on. But we didn't want to leave the sea yet. So we headed south from Tulear, where the asphalt road ends completely. After a few kilometres we reach the Sarodrano peninsula, where we find paradise in no-man's land.
Unfortunately, our journey is slowly coming to an end and it's time to head back north. We are staying for the night again at Isalo National Park, in the village of Ranohira.
The next day we basically just drove back to the capital. In the evening we arrived in the village of Ambositra, where we went for a walk to the local market.
Next dream we arrived back north to the capital. We checked in and got some dinner. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to do any more than that.
We used the penultimate day to visit Lemur Park, which is about 30 km west of Tana. There are many species of Lemurs here, as well as a small botanical garden, huge bamboos and palm trees.
The last day in Madagascar is just a matter of moving to the airport and waiting for the flight. The way back is via Ethiopia again, but not back to Dubai, but to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
One day in Jeddah was probably enough. Instead of pleasant 22-26 degrees, suddenly 37°C and no shade. We walked around the colonnade, but after noon we had to duck into the mall for some local goodies. After that we just headed towards the airport and back to Europe.
We did not return directly to Brno, but to Budapest, where we took one more day to acclimatize and walk around the city. We took in the main sights, the colonnade along the Danube, and in the afternoon we took the train to Brno.
Madagascar is one of the very well-known destinations, so I thought it was very popular and also developed. But I was wrong. It's nowhere near the same or similar to Mauritius or Reunion, which are only a short flight away. Madagascar is a destination for more advanced travelers who want to experience a real and very poor country in Africa, don't mind moving long distances (not far, but time consuming), want to see beautiful nature and many endemics of flora and fauna. It's not exactly easy or cheap to get here, and even inland transfers are not exactly cool, fast, convenient or cheap.
Yet I have managed to find a great alternative for those who want to see as much of Madagascar as possible and not leave often up to a hundred thousand crowns behind, as in the case of a visit with a CK. Of course, it depends on what one expects. If you just want luxury, relaxation, beaches, then there is the famous island of Nosy Be. But I must warn you. This place has nothing to do with Madagascar except geographical assignment. My trip could be described as "Authentic Madagascar for advanced adventurers".
Practical pre-trip advice:
- Electricity - relatively no problems in the capital, the further away from the centre the more problems may increase. In the more remote villages, diesel generators run and shut down later at night. In some villages off the roads there is no electricity at all.
- Drinking water - for a European, it is virtually non-existent except in bottled form. They have PET bottles everywhere, price around €1/1.5 litre
- internet - the better accommodations have Wifi available, it often goes down and you need to be reminded (outside of town they work on local 3G hotspots from SIM cards). Mobile signal is relatively good in populated areas.
- vaccinations - none are strictly necessary, at least hepatitis is recommended
- ATMs - they are in major cities, so be sure to withdraw well in advance as paying by card is more of a coincidence. You can't pay by card at petrol stations either! Most ATMs are also local card only, so you won't get a choice there. The only sure thing is Societe Generale, a French bank, which fortunately has quite a few branches here.
- Bargaining - no need to haggle in markets or shops, prices are usually fixed and no haggling. However, it's good to know the average price and not get ripped off by dodgy traders who take advantage of the rich tourist.
On the first day we leave our place of residence in Brno, early in the morning by bus to Vienna airport, where our big journey begins. The first flight is with the low-cost airline Wizzair to Abu Dhabi, Arabia.
We didn't plan to stay long in Abu Dhabi. The only place we wanted to stop was the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, considered the largest shrine in the UAE.
We then moved on to Dubai, where we had a quick dinner and a look at the Burj Khalifa, still the tallest building in the world. Late in the evening, we moved to the airport where we continued on.
In the morning we flew to Ethiopia, where we had only a quick transfer for our last flight to the capital of Madagascar - Antananarivo. In the afternoon we managed only local acclimatisation, a trip to a lookout over the city, some quick shopping and a choice of hotel for the first night of our stay. There are more expensive hotels on offer (around €60 per night for two), but also cheaper ones (around €20 per night). Our driver had several options on offer so there really was something for everyone to choose from. We ended up choosing the happy medium to acclimatise gradually.
This day was marked by a move to the east, to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. In the morning we went to the supermarket to get some basic things for the trip (a carton of bottled water, a knife, a fruit bowl, etc.). Not that there aren't stores along the way, but both the price is usually higher and the availability is limited. The journey was horrendous and endless. We couldn't even count the number of broken down cars (mainly trucks) due to the condition of the road.
We had our own "guide/driver" who drove us around the whole time, helped us find accommodation and also possibly choose a restaurant or so-called buffet where we stopped for lunch or dinner. It may sound too fancy, but the price of a local's work is not well priced and basically the whole service, including the car rental, cost about what you would rent a car for at the airport rental agency. Except here we had a 4x4 jeep, which you could drive off the main road, and more importantly - there are so many potholes and bumps in the roads that we wouldn't have had time to look around while driving. And we wouldn't have the nerve to do it at all.
On the way, we visited Butterfly Park, not far from our destination. We didn't see a single butterfly, but we did see countless chameleons, a crocodile, some snakes and frogs found in the local rainforest.
The next day we were waiting for the national park, the rainforest, where mainly Indri Indri lemurs live. Thanks to the local guides, we found them relatively quickly and easily, saw them and, most importantly, heard them. To set the record straight. In any national park or attraction, everyone must have a local guide who knows the local environment, history and secret places not to be missed. The price for tourists is quite high for the ratio of local prices (around 10-30 euros per group), for locals the price is about a tenth. Entrance to the NP is then charged separately, usually around 10-20 EUR per person.
In the afternoon we had a long drive back to the capital, from where we started our journey to the south of the island the next day.
On the way to the southern part of the island we stopped in Ambatolampa, a town famous for the production of clay pots and other accessories or decorations. Along the way the countryside became more mountainous and the buildings became much poorer. In the afternoon we reached the end of today's route, the town of Antsirabe, but we didn't stay long and managed to climb Tritriva Lake, one of the three famous local lakes. The road was already completely unpaved and the village poorer and poorer. So we made the local children happy and gave them small trinkets. Their smiles and gratitude were worth it!
The sixth day was again more of a crossing day, although on the way we saw beautiful rice fields known mainly from Vietnam (SAPA region). It is very similar and photogenic here! Unfortunately, villages here are often not only without electricity, but often without water, which locals have to carry in jerry cans sometimes several kilometers away.
On the seventh day we arrived in another rainforest called Ranomafana. The road here is new, located near the turn off the main national road running from north to south. The village is very pleasant, although already quite well known to tourists (we even met Czechs here!). There are opportunities to try local food, browse the market or go for a swim in the pool. Or just watch how the locals live, how they wash in the river, do their laundry a little higher up and brush their teeth a little higher still.
It's time to move on. We've been driving through an increasingly dry environment. There were nice terraces of rice and other vegetables around the river. Natural irrigation is used to the maximum here. Stopped in the town of Ablalavao where we had the opportunity to see how scarves, dresses, carpets and more are made by hand in a small workshop. A little further on again is a workshop where paper is made by hand.
I was particularly looking forward to this day. The plan was to visit Isalo National Park, where unique rock formations can be seen, and a full-day trek with a picnic lunch including lemurs and an afternoon swim in a natural swimming pool set into the rocks.
The next day we arrived at the sea. After a few days of traveling, the final destination is approaching. Tulear is not a pretty town, but you can still withdraw from an ATM and shop in a supermarket. In the villages, this will no longer be an option. We continue further north along the coast past the fishing village of Ifaty to the next village of Mangila, where there are many hotels and accommodation, and opportunities to go snorkelling at the coral reefs or the Baobab Park.
On this day we went out to sea on a small catamaran, where we had the opportunity to explore the underwater world. You only need to go on a really good day, when it is not windy and therefore there are no big waves or underwater currents. For lunch we were transported to the village of Ifaty, where we bought fish of our choice from the fishermen and made an amazing pinknik under a palm tree on the beach.
It's time to move on. But we didn't want to leave the sea yet. So we headed south from Tulear, where the asphalt road ends completely. After a few kilometres we reach the Sarodrano peninsula, where we find paradise in no-man's land.
Unfortunately, our journey is slowly coming to an end and it's time to head back north. We are staying for the night again at Isalo National Park, in the village of Ranohira.
The next day we basically just drove back to the capital. In the evening we arrived in the village of Ambositra, where we went for a walk to the local market.
Next dream we arrived back north to the capital. We checked in and got some dinner. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to do any more than that.
We used the penultimate day to visit Lemur Park, which is about 30 km west of Tana. There are many species of Lemurs here, as well as a small botanical garden, huge bamboos and palm trees.
The last day in Madagascar is just a matter of moving to the airport and waiting for the flight. The way back is via Ethiopia again, but not back to Dubai, but to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
One day in Jeddah was probably enough. Instead of pleasant 22-26 degrees, suddenly 37°C and no shade. We walked around the colonnade, but after noon we had to duck into the mall for some local goodies. After that we just headed towards the airport and back to Europe.
We did not return directly to Brno, but to Budapest, where we took one more day to acclimatize and walk around the city. We took in the main sights, the colonnade along the Danube, and in the afternoon we took the train to Brno.
