mauritius & madagascar?
 

i'm planning a trip to mauritius (if i'm lucky enough to get flight tickets) in early july for 2wks. considering whether i should spend some days in madagascar.

any views on feasibility and desirability? i hope for more than a beach holiday. would love some cultural stuff and photo-ready sights.

which part of the islands should i stay for convenience?

ttt

Madagascar is a large and fascinating island, and you couldn't do it justice in just a few days. Have you considered combining Mauritius with Reunion? Relatives enjoyed this combination a few years ago. Another option, to include beach and culture, would be to combine Zanzibar with a trip to nearby Chumbe.

I'm only replying because other folk who know more than I do seem to be away!
Personally, I wouldn't go to Madagascar for the resort experience. Nosy Be is a very popular beach resort to be sure, but I believe that's because it's less expensive than other resorts, but otherwise lacking in Malagasy culture. I've heard that there are some very nice low key beach spots on the west coast that sound more like what you're after. I visited a nature reserve south of Mahajanga (nowhere near the beach) in July of last year and the weather was very warm despite the fact that it is their winter.

thanks for the replies.

reunion island looks interestiing. is it convenient enough to go by boat (from where?)? hope that it's a reasonable split to spend 1wk each in mauritius and reunion.

for mauritius, which part of the island shall i stay - eg port louis, belle mare etc?