When to visit Madagascar?
The west and northwest are year-round destinations but mid January to March is cyclone season on the east coast. The eastern rainforests have a high rainfall so the best times to visit are the drier months of May onwards or September to December.
Place Names
Madagascar is quite confusing in terms of place names as the guide books swop from the English name, for example, Perinet, to the Madagascan name eg Andasibe (Perinet) fairly indiscriminately. Sometimes the Latin name is also used.

In our proposals we tend to use the English names with the Madgascan names in brackets so that if you are reading a guide book or surfing the net, you can link up which area is which
Fitness Levels
Another thing to bear in mind is that ideally you should be reasonably fit. You experience Madagascar’s flora and fauna mainly by walking the forest trails, sometimes for some hours, sometimes in hilly terrain.
Can you go to the beach in Madagascar?
Some clients are wishing to combine Mauritius with Madagascar. Though this is perfectly possible – staying at a smart resort hotel on Mauritius and then visiting Madagascar for its wildlife, you should also consider ending your Madagascar safari with some time on the beach.

Many visitors tack on some days of relaxation at the end, at Nosy Be or Saint Marie with their gorgeous tropical beaches.

Nosy Be
Nosy Be is the largest of several beautiful islands off the northwest coast. This ‘Perfumed Isle’ is alive with the smells of vanilla, ylang-ylang and coffee. The more active can enjoy diving and snorkelling off the coral reefs or perhaps an excursion to Nosy Komba and Nosy Tanikely. Alternatively the Isle of Tsara Bajina matches the Seychelles for stunning island beauty – a palm-fringed desert island with lapping azure blue waters.  The bustling island markets are full of embroidered white lace, colourful sarongs and wooden carvings.
Ile Sainte Marie
Ile Sainte Marie is 50km long and 7km at its widest point. The only real town is Ambodifotatra - other small villages comprise bamboo and palm huts. The island is almost universally known as Sainte Marie and is almost a cliché of a tropical island with endless deserted beaches overhung by coconut palms, bays protected from sharks by coral reefs, hills covered with luxuriant vegetation and a relative absence of unsightly tourist development. Sainte Marie has a far less settled weather pattern that its island rival, Nosy Be. Cyclones strike regularly and you can expect several days of rain and wind all year round, but interspersed with calm sunny weather. The best months for a visit are from June to November.
And finally a couple of smaller points to remember:

How to get to Madagascar?
Visitors fly to the capital city of Tana from Johannesburg or Paris and also from the island of Mauritius. There are plans to also fly direct from Johannesburg to the resort area of Nosy Be.

Visas
Current information is that all nationalities can purchase a Madagasy visa on arrival in the country. Current costs are Euro 15 per person but please check with your local consulate to confirm these costs before you travel.

Health
Unlike its northern neighbour, Mauritius, Madagascar is in a high risk malaria-area and so anti-malaria precautions should be taken