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If you are like me and like cream in your coffee, bring a small jar of creamer from home. They did not have coffee creamer (in 1996 anyway) in the hotels we stayed in. In some places they had milk or cream in a pitcher but it was questionable because of lack of refrigeration or which animals it came from! Some places had canned milk but you weren't usually sure.
A good reason to go to Madagascar is to see wild animals. You sometimes have to do some effort to find them. However , lucky you!! There is one species of animal that will do an effort to find you. An all time favorite of many who traveled the tropical rainforest : LeechesAfter the rain , they are wainting for you to pass by and find a cozy spot on your skin where they can suck themselves full of blood. Your donation is highly appreciated since that is what they need for breeding. Here you can find some tips if you want some as pets.Seriously - HERE you can find a way to remove them. Sorry I don't have a picture of one , since Frederik was always so fast removing them , I didn't had a chance. For some reason they liked him better then me. I had quit ordinary clothes on while he had expensive adventure gear....whatever.
There is a whole world of creatures and bacteria waiting for you....under the water level. They are just waiting for you to get in and it is the only thing why they are born. **sigh** I know you can get some serious deceases by swimming in Stagnant water. Bacteria got all the time in the world to develope here , zebus are willing(?) victims to transport all kinds of nasty animals , worms etc.But it was so hot , and we were so dirty , and we walked for so long...so I did swim in sort of stagnant water. up till now I feel fine , 5 weeks after. My surroundings still say I look good and is responding normal to me so I guess I didn't take too much risk. lolOK serious now. There are some serious risks involved. There are deseases you don't want to get. So get advice from locals or if you got one , your guide. He'll know if it is safe or not. Don't swim in water that looks dirty , is visited by...
Most books will advise you not to eat salads. Why? Because a salad is washed with water and the bacteria in that water will cause travelers diarrhea. About 50 procent of all travelers in Madagascar are estimated to get travelers diarrhea during one stage of their journey in Madagascar. This inconvenient thing happens because of the change of food and/or bacteria whe are not used to get exposed at. Said that...it is more or less logical to be carefully.I can't imagine myself not eating fresh veggies , since I love salads. And the starters on Madagascar , especially the salads did taste like I never had them before. It is hard to find out what you will be getting - Salade du chef - what's in the name. But it ware crispy baked zebu meat and salty shrimps with a fantastic dressing , good tasting tomatos and...The point is , I did eat salads and fruit during our complete journey. And we did...
I feel a bit like the nasty aunt that spoils the fun writing this. But somebody has to do the job. There are tour operators , guides etc and independent travelers who feed wild animals in order to get them closer etc. And yes , I must admit , it is a fun idea and even I would buy 10 kilo of banana's and take them into the national parcs. BUT that has serious consequences and I like to tell you about them. -a lot of lemurs don't have banana's on their natural diet. They are fond of it but they don't digest it too well. (it is like humans and chocolate - chocolate is fine - 2 bars a day can be handled - but from half a kilo a day our health is in serious danger - Believe me!)-lemur groups who are on tour operators way on a regular bases and get feeded are much larger then natural groups , social disturbed behavior is one of the consequences.(I know it is the easy way to find the animals ,...
Avoid to drink water except the one that cames in a CLOSED mineral water bottle. Avoid also drinks with ice, vegetables , etc. At some hotels and restaurants there is no danger. It's up to you to decide...
While packing your luggage, pay attention to have a key for your hand luggage or other system that noone can open. This happened to me in 1995. While entering the plane, I was asked to send my hand luggage to the hold. Arriving in Tana, I was not able to pick my luggage the day I arrived (Friday).When I picked it on Monday, half of my hand luggage disappears. Well, the bag was there but half empty... My camera, my calculator, a 200 ml bottle of perfume, a silk scarf (a gift from my best friend), a walkman (a gift as well)... they left there belts, books, CDs.Solution: do not accept to send your hand luggage in the hold unless you are sure that none can open it. If crew personnel insists, just tell the story I told you... to show that you know the danger. It seems that other persons experienced that as well.The initial solution is, however, to have a normal size hand luggage (read...
Do not come to Madagascar unless you make sure that you bring enough cash, travellers checks, a Visa or Mastercard. Other bank cards are useless in Madagascar. There are some ATM's, mainly in Tana, where you can get cash with your Visa. To get money with your Mastercard you will have to go inside the bank. You will have to leave your card there and come back about 3 hours later to pick up your money. Banks can only be found in the larger cities so a lot of the time, especially if you go off the beaten track where there are no banks, you are carrying around a lot of money. Vola be.In Malagasy Vola means Money and Zebu, it is the same word.
Child prostitution is a major problem in Madagascar and we found some disturbing evidence of this.Post cards for sale in certain hotels showing girls aged 9-10 with the words 'My name is...., I am 9 1/2 years old and I live in Tana' Picture cards of young boys in swimming trunks, again with similar wording.Bars with large pictures of children on the walls, mainly pre-teen girls with very little clothing.Hotel restaurants full of fat French ex-pat males slobbering over locals girls who looked no older than 12!Walking along the beach at Ifaty we are approached by girls as young as 6, leaning back seductively whilst spreading their legs, asking 'you want picture?'
Having been out in a pirogue, coming back to land is an unpleasant experience. With the tide being out, we have to abandon the boat and wade back to shore and as the bottom is covered with sharp shells, we are recommended to keep our sandals on. We sink to the ankles in horrible sludge and my feet become stuck. One of my sandals gets left behind when withdrawing my foot and I spend ages digging with my bare hands in the awful muck to retrieve it - Amjad breaks his flip flops and has to discard them and risk walking barefoot. He cuts his soles badly.
Hotel Tamboho Antananarivo
32 Opinions
La Varangue Antananarivo
1 Review and 29 Opinions I spent three nights in this very pleasant hotel in Tana. The location is excellent,. right around...
Hotel Royal Palissandre Antananarivo
1 Review and 47 Opinions Le Royal Pallisandre is a very good quality hotel in the heart of the city. The rooms and public...
Reviews and photos of Madagascar attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Madagascar sightseeing.
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Q: Has anyone used Desire Travel Tours and had problems just before arriving? I'm 12 days from departure to Madagascar from Kenya...
A: I think you may be jumping to bad conclusions too quickly. I have been a tour director for several decades, and have a pretty good handle on most operators. It is...
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