A traditional meal in Madagascar usually contains one main dish of meat, poultry or fish with a side dish of vegetables, accompanied by a bowl of ro (a mix of herbs, leaves and rice). Malagasy cuisine is known for being quite flavourful despite being prepared in a simple manner without much spice.

If you like fish, something you must try in Madagascar is the famous dish of fish in coconut sauce which is served in coastal areas. Fish, generally grilled, is served accompanied by vegetables and pasta, with the country’s typical spicy sauce. This typical dish of Madagascar consists of chicken and rice.

What to eat in Madagascar? Top 9 Most popular Malagasy Dishes

• Meat Dish. Varenga. Madagascar.
• Bread. Mofo gasy. Madagascar.
• Vegetable Soup. Lasopy. Madagascar.
• Dessert. Bonbon coco. Madagascar.
• Rice Dish. Vary amin anana. Madagascar.
• Chicken Dish. Akoho sy voanio. Madagascar.
• Stew. Romazava. Madagascar.
• Side Dish. Laoka. Madagascar. Africa.

RICE RICE RICE! No matter who you are or where you go, you can’t escape being served rice with every meal while in Madagascar. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, rice is a staple. Typically, breakfast will be last night’s rice reheated with lots of water to turn it into a sort of rice pudding, minus the sugar, called Sabeda.

Sakay (Madagascar hot sauce) Malagasy dishes are themselves rarely served hot or spicy. If you enjoy spice and heat, you must ask for it by name, or ask for it more generically as hot sauce. Every restaurant ought to have its own home-made version of sakay, the orange-hued chili-ginger-garlic hot sauce.

Crime is widespread in Madagascar. Armed gangs are known to commit home invasions and kidnappings, and to stalk areas where foreigners congregate. Robberies and break-ins, often violent, occur, especially in and around Antananarivo, but also in rural and isolated areas.

Madagascar is a relatively cheap destination. The most expensive part of visiting Madagascar is usually the flights. In 2017, well-known travel blogger, Nomad Matt reported that although “getting to the country is expensive, once you are there everything is incredibly cheap”.

Average Rent In Madagascar One-bedroom in a city center: $250 or so per month. One-bedroom outside of a city center, $90 or so per month. Three-bedroom in a city center: $860 or so per month. Three-bedroom outside a city center: $615 or so per month.

How long is the flight to Madagascar? An average direct flight from the United Kingdom to Madagascar takes 30h 55m, covering a distance of 5668 miles.

The National Travel Health Network and Centre and WHO recommend the following vaccinations for Madagascar: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever, rabies, polio and tetanus. Recommended for most travellers to the region, especially if unvaccinated.

There are no direct flights to Madagascar from North America. The commonest solution from the east coast is usually a flight to Europe on Air France or on Kenya Airways’ partner KLM, followed by flights as described above from London or Paris.

The best time to visit Madagascar is from April to October. This dry season brings fewer rain showers, meaning optimal conditions for observing animals, hiking and participating in water sports activities.

Madagascar has a tropical maritime climate that is influenced by altitude, the monsoons and proximity to the sea. The highlands have a temperate climate with warm, rainy weather from mid-September to April and cooler temperatures from May to early September.

All travelers to Madagascar need a visa. Tourist visas are valid for up to 90 days. Business visas are valid for up to 5 years. Business visas for stays longer than 90 days must be obtained through the Madagascar embassy in the US.