Madagascar Transportation Tips by ATLC

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: Air France (from Paris 3 times a week) or Air Madagascar (also from Paris).

Note: Air Madagascar does not seem to fly anymore. The planes were taken back by the company that owned them after the presidential elections in 2002. Seemed the rent wasn't being paid.

Transportation used by locals: rickshaw, taxi brousse.

And for those Malagasy that are better off: Air Madagascar and 4x4's with chauffeur.

The rickshaw is called a pousse pousse in Mada. French for 'push push' thought 'tirer tirer' (pull pull) might be more correct!

Leave a Comment

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Air Madagascar: when you fly to Sainte-Marie, expect this kind of plane, a Twinotter (photo). No meals, just some sweets. The flight is about an hour from Antananarivo and not as uncomfortable as you might expect.

Air Madagascar is also nicknamed: AIR MAD !

Leave a Comment

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Car/Motor Home
Getting TO/AROUND: This was our transport in and around Antananarivo. came with chauffeur/bodyguard. I saw some car rentals though these beauties were privately owned.

Leave a Comment

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Car/Motor Home
Getting TO/AROUND: But this is a more local way of getting around: taxi brousse... twelve of us (10 in the back) + 2 in front + driver and all our luggage on top. If you're travelling with taxi brousse, just count on it that a 25 km. drive will take you about 3 hours due to the bad roads (sand and dirt roads).
But it is an adventure in itself!

Sainte Marie (Nosy Boraha) is only a small island but it took us 2 hrs to get from the airport to the hotel.

We drove 23 km. north from Tuléar (in the south) and that took us 3 1/2 hrs. Because the taxi broke down about 5 times during the trip!

Leave a Comment

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Ship/Boat
Getting TO/AROUND: Well...VT doesn't allow for 'tiny boat' as a Category, so Ship it is. These dugout boats are called pirogues. Some with sails, some ...these were fun to get into. The ones on the picture are actually quite stable.

Leave a Comment

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: Now you're probably thinking what is a pack of Tuc doing here. I hope you are familiar with these renowned salty biscuits. If not, fly with Air Mad and you'll know because you get a whole pack on each internal flight, together with a big bottle of soda pop.
At first it was strange, then it became hilarious as we discovered you do get them on every flight. And then we were actually looking forward to it. I'll never eat Tuc again without thinking about those scary little Air Mad planes which turned out to be flown and landed in the most secure and stable way!

Leave a Comment