Live Your Best Lives
I wonder if you tourists still remember that in 2019, we enthusiastically organized a plan to explore the world on six continents.
From September to December, we traveled across six continents and 12 countries. We witnessed a rare aurora borealis explosion in Iceland, admired the dazzling lava fireworks from Mount Yasur in Vanuatu, photographed the breathtaking water planet in Botswana's Okavango Delta, and experienced Wong Kar-wai's spiritual home at Iguazú Falls in Brazil. Unfortunately, just as we had chosen our destinations for the second season of our 2020 adventure, the mask era hit. This long-awaited second season has taken four years to wait.
Last year, we enthusiastically revived this project. In 2025, we returned to exploring the world, with Africa as our first destination, and this time, Madagascar. Having just finished my trip, I've compiled this guide based on my real-life experience, hoping it will be helpful for tourists interested in visiting Madagascar.
Explore the world
Let’s watch a video first to feel the excitement here!
The difficulty level of this trip is much lower (focusing on safety). We have added island hopping to the May Day 2025 route, which provides more options for fun.
Visa on arrival!
For stays of less than 15 days, there is no visa fee, but an administrative fee of 10 euros must be paid; a visa for stays of 15-30 days costs 115,000 Ariary/35 euros/37 US dollars; a visa for stays of 60 days costs 135,000 Ariary/40 euros/45 US dollars.
Payment is required in cash and can be made in Euros, US dollars or Ariary.
Documents required for visa on arrival: 1. Passport with validity period of more than six months, 2. Round-trip air tickets.
Tips:
It should be noted that visa on arrival only accepts cash payment, so it is necessary to prepare US dollars in advance.
Dry season (April to October) and rainy season (December to March)
The eastern coastal areas have a tropical rainforest climate, which is hot and humid all year round, with an average annual temperature of 24°C; the central plateau areas have a tropical mountain climate, which is mild and cool, with distinct dry and rainy seasons, and an average annual temperature of 18.3°C.
Madagascar's time zone is East 3, which is 5 hours later than Beijing time.
1 USD = 4,524 Madagascar Ariary (exchange rate for reference only). Madagascar's currency is the Ariary (usually marked MGA or Ar). Visa or Mastercard dual-currency credit cards are accepted.
220V, using a European-to-French double-pronged plug. It's best to purchase a socket adapter online in advance. Electricity isn't widely available in rural Madagascar, so if you're away for an extended period or visiting remote areas, be sure to bring spare batteries and a flashlight (the voltage can be quite unstable).
Image source: @Explore the World team member Lao Jia
The national language is Malagasy, and the official languages are Malagasy and French.
According to the World Health Organization's list of countries with risk of yellow fever transmission and countries requiring yellow fever vaccination, neither Madagascar nor China is included in the list of epidemic countries. If the transit does not pass through risk countries, vaccination is not mandatory.
As the largest island in Africa and the fourth largest in the world, Madagascar has a coastline of more than 5,000 kilometers and beautiful scenery. Here you can enjoy rainforests, deserts, grasslands, mountains, karsts, plateaus and other landforms. You can also see nearly 5% of the world's animal and plant species, 80% of which are unique to the local area.
Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, is located on a plateau in the central and eastern part of the island. Its high altitude makes for a pleasant climate, unlike the often scorching heat of African cities. The streets here are narrow, bustling with traffic and pedestrians, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
The streets are lined with diverse architectural styles, ranging from traditional buildings with strong African influences to European-style buildings influenced by French colonialism. This blend of styles creates a unique cityscape. The streets are dotted with small shops and stalls selling a variety of specialty goods, such as wood carvings, handicrafts, and spices. When shopping, be sure to compare prices and bargain.
The fruits here are rich in variety and delicious, especially mangoes and bananas, which are sweet and juicy and leave a lasting aftertaste.
The locals really love sports and there are kids playing football everywhere.
Among the many attractions in Antananarivo, the Queen's Palace is undoubtedly the most representative one. It stands on Mount Adularu, the highest mountain in the city. It was built in the 19th century and incorporates European Baroque style. The main body of the inner palace is basically built of rosewood, and the outer walls are all made of granite, which is gorgeous and magnificent.
The fire in 1995 destroyed many wooden buildings and cultural relics inside the Queen's Palace, but after several repairs by the local government, it is now worth visiting. There are collections on display on the first and second floors, and there are rebuilt wooden pavilions in the back garden of the palace, all of which help us to see the former glory of this Queen's Palace.
Photography is not allowed inside the Queen's Palace, but we learned a lot from the guide's explanation. The picture above is our excellent guide Sami, who went to Beijing to study Chinese during his university years. He is very professional.
Before entering Baobab Avenue, you'll see a football field. The locals love playing football so much that it's practically a national sport. Regardless of the pitch or the availability of shoes, the ball is played with passion. Soccer fans are in luck!
The Avenue of the Baobabs (Allée des Baobabs) is free to enter. Four different species of baobabs line this approximately one-kilometer stretch. The most striking are the Grandidier Baobabs, towering into the sky, their lush branches and leaves adorning their summits. Their smooth bark seems unearthly, seemingly a world apart from us. Then there's the legendary "Lovers' Baobab," where couples toast with drinks and snap photos—a truly stunning sight!
The Avenue of the Baobabs at sunrise and sunset is incredibly atmospheric. The sky is tinged with orange-red, like a vast oil painting, and the baobabs, bathed in the morning and evening light, take on a warm and captivating hue. Their shadows are elongated on the ground, interwoven with the surrounding scenery to create a breathtaking scene. (We visited during the rainy season; a dry season would have yielded even more photos and allowed for aerial photography.)
Baobab trees are incredibly long-lived, surviving for hundreds or even thousands of years even in harsh environments like the African savanna. They are considered a "sacred tree" by locals and, due to their drought-resistance, are also known as the "Tree of Life." Their extensive root systems absorb large quantities of water during the rainy season, storing it in their thick trunks. During droughts, many animals and humans rely on them for precious hydration.
Many local women carry baskets on their heads, and the baskets are full of baobab fruits. The fruit tastes slightly sour and tastes like bread or nuts. It is rich in vitamin C.
Tips: Domestic flights in Madagascar aren't as convenient as you might think. Flights are limited, tickets are highly sought after, and Madagascar Airlines is capricious and often cancels flights for no apparent reason. Be sure to book your tickets in advance. We booked several months in advance and were lucky enough to secure tickets from Antananarivo to Morondava.
In Morondava, besides the magnificent baobab trees, I was also deeply impressed by the offshore fishing village of Betania, which requires a 15-minute ride on a local dugout canoe. It's said that the fishermen here go out to sea every morning and don't return until dusk, while their wives wait eagerly on the shore, awaiting their husbands' safe return. Their simple, unpretentious lifestyle evokes a unique sense of tranquility and warmth.
Most of the houses here are made of wood and thatch. In the center of the village, there's a small market filled with a variety of fresh seafood and local specialties, all at very affordable prices. As we walked along, we saw the real life of the coastal residents of Madagascar. Children played and laughed in the streets, while elderly people sat in doorways, chatting leisurely, their faces beaming with smiles. Although their lives were not rich, they possessed simple happiness and satisfaction.
Kimony Beach is a must-see, as it is pristine and pure. You may also have the opportunity to see local fishermen hunting and other rich cultural activities.
Local women all apply sunscreen made from baobab bark for sun protection and beauty purposes.
When you think of Africa, you probably think of popular images like the Kenyan migration. But for animal lovers, Madagascar is the ultimate safari destination!
Whether it is watching star species such as lions, elephants, and giraffes or the great animal migration, they are all relatively common. However, all wild lemurs, the world's largest and smallest chameleons... only live in Madagascar. 80% of the unique species here are rare and exotic animals.
I highly recommend you visit Parc National d'Andasibe-Mantadia, which is the largest in the area in terms of both size and reputation. It is also one of the five earliest nature reserves established in Madagascar, with rich and representative species. There are 14 species of lemurs living here, as well as 15 species of mammals, 50 species of reptiles (including the largest chameleon on the island), more than 100 species of birds, various insects and colorful butterflies.
Madagascar is home to over 100 species of lemurs, and you can find 100% of the world's lemur species here.
The most famous of them is the largest existing short-tailed lemur (Indri). Adult short-tailed lemurs can reach 1 meter in length. They like to make heart-wrenching calls in the early morning, which can be heard 3 kilometers away.
The short-tailed lemur's call is like a loud speaker.
Our itinerary also included a visit to Lemur Island, where you'll witness the distinctive "meditation" posture of ring-tailed lemurs. As the sun rises and its rays bathe the grass, many of them find a comfortable spot, legs together, heads held high, arms outstretched facing the sun, quietly enjoying the sunlight. Their expressions are as adorable as if they were engaged in a devout practice.
It is said that lemurs do this to heat their bodies evenly and drive away the cold at night. At the same time, the ultraviolet rays in the sunlight can promote their digestion and physiological development.
The lemurs we saw on this trip↓
As night falls, the rainforest seems shrouded in a mysterious veil. Silence reigns, broken only by the occasional chirping of insects and calls of nocturnal animals. We cautiously navigate the trails, armed with flashlights, and spot many small animals we haven't seen during the day.
A tiny chameleon rested quietly on a leaf, its body color blending in with the surroundings. Without careful observation, it would be difficult to detect its presence. As we approached, its eyes moved rapidly, watching us warily, and then slowly changed its body color, trying to blend in with its new surroundings.
In addition to chameleons, we also spotted some nocturnal animals: a tree frog, its skin vibrantly colored, resting quietly on a tree trunk, like a beacon of light in the darkness.
A mouse lemur, its eyes gleaming in the darkness, scurried through the branches and out of sight.
During nighttime rainforest excursions, you might also see the Madagascar moon moth. These moths only live for about a week, so they race against time to find a mate and reproduce. Once they emerge from their cocoons, they stop eating. While they possess mouths and internal organs, they're largely useless. They're beautiful yet fragile creatures.
This tropical rainforest is like a huge treasure trove, containing countless secrets and surprises.
Madagascar is one of the countries with the richest biodiversity. There are about 150 species of chameleons in the world, and about half of them are found in Madagascar.
The colors of chameleons with different genetic species are different. 99% of the time, they are their natural color and do not change color, the only difference is the transition between light and dark.
Butterfly Valley, also known as Chameleon Farm, has a superior natural environment and specialized breeding, making it an animal base camp. You can see more than 20 species of chameleons here, as well as geckos, lizards and insects of various shapes.
Chameleons typically range in length from 15 to 25 centimeters, but there's a rare species on the island of Madagascar that's less than 3 centimeters long, the size of a fingernail, and doesn't change color. Their leaf-like color and tiny size camouflage them from predators.
“What you’ll regret is never what you’ve done, but what you wanted to do but didn’t do.” When I really took the first step to explore the world, I found that there are always novelties and surprises waiting for us to discover.
This trip to Madagascar has ended perfectly. Will you come next time?
