Best parks to visit in Madagascar
 

Hi everyone!

I'm planning a 2 weeks trip to Madagascar. Since the time will not be enough to see everything, does someone has first hand experience, which are the parks most worth visiting?

And I'm not sure yet if it's better to go with a private driver, or by self drive, any tips?

Also it seems hard to find the best tour operator, has anybody made good connections which he can recommend?

Thank you,
Sam

Hi Sam,
For budget-friendly parks with great wildlife and landscapes, check out Andasibe-Mantadia (easy access, lemurs), Ranomafana (rainforest), Ankarafantsika (birdwatching), and Isalo (canyons). Use local taxi-brousse for transport and hire guides directly at park entrances to save money.
Stay in guesthouses nearby to keep costs low. If you want, I can share contacts for reliable local guides.

Enjoy your trip!

Hi Sam,

For 2 weeks, I suggest visiting Andasibe-Mantadia, Ranomafana, and Isalo. Private drivers are generally better than self-driving due to road conditions. There are reliable local services that can connect you with trusted drivers and guides if you need help.

Happy planning!

Hi Sam,
I live in Madagascar myself, and for two weeks visit in the country, especially if your plane lands in Antananarivo, you may start the journey first in Andasibe , then in Mantadia. They are 5 hours far from the city. Afterward, you can continue the tour in the south, visiting Ranomafana or Isalo park, or Morondava to visit the Grand and Petit Tsingy, plus the Baobabs and Kirindy. Know that at the end of the trip you need to save about 2 days to reach the international airport back .

I think we will prefer either private driver or self drive before taxi brousse. Any tips where to get good price value for private rides? It would be nice to get the different transports in the country with one supplier to make it easier.

We will probably go for a private driver, it's surprisingly same price or even cheaper than a self drive 🤔.

I did a self-drive a couple months ago.

My first aim was to see some lemurs, after that my main aim was meeting some local artists who had some paintings available for sale.

So I drove to Andasibe, 3-4 hours east from the capital (Tana) and stayed at the Lemur Lodge. The road there is steep + windy in places and a bit rough in certain patches but overall decent for Madagascar.

I hired a guide for +/- USD 10 and after 90 minutes or so wandering through Park Misinjo we found some black lemurs high up in the trees, it was cool. Later we saw a few brown lemurs and a big Boa snake coiled up sleeping.

After that I drove back through Tana to Antsirabe in the south and the road is a nightmare.

I will probably return in December and might just try to find a driver with experience + a good machine. I had a capable Mitsubishi 4 x 4 but very expensive even for Africa and good luck getting the rental car firm to return your security deposit.

If you do rent a 4 x 4 it is essential that you drive in or out of Nana at off-peak hours. When I returned from Antsirabe on the Ampefy road on a Saturday at 6 PM, it took me 3 hours to go six km ;-)