Madagascar travel advice

There are a number of airlines flying in to Madagascar, but domestic flights are only available through Air Madagascar.  Due to Air Madagascar not publishing their flight schedules until 6 months before the flight date, we are unable to recommend exact flight routes and dates at this time.  The information below is a guideline and will be updated as and when the information becomes available to us.

Updated 11 November 2011

Start and finish times

North Madagascar

General Surveyor expeditions to the North of Madagascar begin at Mariarano village at 1600hrs on the start day and finish at 10am at Nosy Be airport on the finishing day.

For dissertation/thesis students visiting the North of Madagascar the expeditions begin at Mariarano village at 1600hrs on the start day and finish at Mariarano village at 0800hrs on the finishing day.

Two routes are available to get to the North Madagascar site.  You can fly internationally in to the capital Antananarivo (Tana for short), and then get domestic flights onwards.  For General Surveyor expeditions this would mean a flight to Mahajanga at the start, a flight from Mahajanga to Nosy Be between the terrestrial and marine weeks and then a flight from Nosy Be back to Tana at the end.  For dissertation students this means a return flight to Mahajanga to get you there at the beginning and back at the end.  The alternative route is to get your international flight directly in to Nosy Be, and then get a return flight to Mahajanga, which works for both General Surveyors and dissertation students. 

It is difficult to quote exact prices for the internal flights as the schedules are not yet available, but as at the time of writing for a single person booking (not necessarily the same price as groups) the costs are around £120-160 for a single one-way for the internal Madagascar flights. 

International and internal flights can be booked through STA on the email address or phone number below, but you can also check with other agents to see if they can book flights for you.  A package will also be available through STA for any hotel bookings and transfers needed to get you from your international flight to Mariarano village.

South Madagascar

General Surveyor expeditions to the South begin at Ifotaka village at 1600hrs on the Saturday, and finish at 0800hrs on a Friday at Antananarivo airport.

Research assistants and dissertation students in the South of Madagascar start on the Saturday at 1600hrs in Ifotaka village, and finish at 0800hrs in Ifotaka village.

For General Surveyor expeditions you can get your return flight anytime after 11am on the day your expedition finishes.  For research assistants and dissertation students your departing flight will need to be the day after your expedition ends, and you will need to verify that you allow enough time to get the returning domestic flight back to Tana. 

STA travel: 0871 468 0668 or opwall@statravel.co.uk

Booking flights and Internal Travel

From the UK/Ireland
For the last few years the majority of volunteers have booked through the dedicated Opwall booking service at STA Travel (0871 468 0668 or email opwall@statravel.co.uk). STA Travel offer group flights at competitive prices negotiated directly with the major airlines specifically for Operation Wallacea. It is always worth checking prices with a couple of other travel agents and STA have agreed to match prices on like-for-like fares.  You can book the flights by just paying a small deposit with the balance due 10 weeks before you fly. However, fares are not guaranteed until you pay the full sum. It is therefore in your interests to pay the full fee for your flights as soon as possible.   

If you book through the dedicated team at STA you can book your international and internal flights in-line with your expedition start and end dates.  However if you book you international flights with another agent, you will likely need to purchase your internal flights seperately.  To do so you can contact Avia Reps (the UK agents for Air Madagascar) on 01293 596666.

From North America

For US volunteers check out http://www.statravel.com/opwall or call STA Travel on (877) 777-8717 for some cheap flight deals. However there is no exclusive deal with STA Travel, so you are best advised to shop around for well priced flights. If you find any good deals tell us about them! You can do this by contacting the US office on (973) 920-0487. Don’t forget to post good flight deals on the Op Wall US Facebook Group.  

Both US and Canadian volunteers can book their internal flights through Air Madagascar by emailing Denzil on nyc@airmadagascarna.com, or by calling (212)279 0147 or (212) 279 0756.

Accommodation outside expedition dates

Accommodation bookings can be made for Antananarivo, Mahajanga, Nosy Be and Fort Dauphin through STA, or directly with a travel agent.   

Travel insurance

We have purchased Medical and Repatriation cover to a value of £1 million each on behalf of all our volunteers and staff to ensure they are correctly covered. The cost of this is met by us and provided to you free of charge within the overall cost of your expedition. If you want to obtain additional insurance (eg loss of baggage, flight cancellation) then you would need to take out an additional insurance policy either when you purchase your flights or from another insurance provider.

Visas

The Madagascan Embassy in the UK has recently closed, so visas in advance for those travelling from the UK are no longer available.  As of 23.02.2011 visas can be issued on arrival in Madagascar for up to 90 days. 

US, EU, and Canadian passport holders can get a visa on arrival in Madagascar for 30 days.  At present this is free, but in previous years there has been a charge. 

Money

You will need enough spending money (in Malagasy ariary, the local currency) to cover personal on-site expenditure i.e. sweets, drinks, washing etc. However you will not need very much, because all of your food and drink is provided by Opwall, so you only need to think about how much you will be spending on sweets and drinks.  

Please make sure that you get cash at the ATM at the airport in Antananarivo, because there are very few opportunities to withdraw cash after this. We advise against bringing travellers cheques because you will have virtually no opportunity to change them.  If you do want to bring cash there is a changing office at the airport that can change US dollars, Euros, or GBP.

Unfortunately the ATMs only give large denominations (notes of either 5,000 or 10,000 MA), and so if you are planning on buying any sweets or gifts when (for example) you pass through the villages on the way to and from the site, you will need small change.  

The expedition costs cover all the accommodation and food costs from the start to the end of the official expedition, transfers between sites, on-site dive training and participation in any of the research projects or training courses. The costs paid to Operation Wallacea do not include:

• Costs of international flights to Madagascar
• Any hotel, food, or transport costs outside the official expedition "Start" and "End" dates.
• For diving projects - Purchase of PADI Open Water Crew Pack with PIC (£55 or £52 for purchases of ten or more, if bought through us) - this can be ordered here. 
• Dive equipment rental - this can be arranged in advance from Reef Divers for £36 a week.
• Any insurance cover beyond medical and evacuation cover
• Spending money
• Please also consider arranging a contingency fund to cover any emergencies, and check with your bank that your card will work in Madagascar if you plan on using it.

Remember to carry all personal documents and cash safely in a concealed money belt

Cultural Advice

In general, the Malagasy culture is very relaxed, and volunteers should have no problems. However, as is the case wherever you are travelling, try to remember that, particularly in remote areas where the locals very rarely see non-Malagasy people, the impression that you make will likely be a lasting one. Treat all locals with respect and courtesy, and behave in a responsible manner. Excessive drinking is seriously frowned upon, and no drinking is allowed outside the camp at the Mariarano village.