Madagascar - September (1 Viewer)

TonyC

Well-known member

• Mar 25, 2004

• #1

I'm thinking about a trip to Madagascar but the flights seem horrendously expensive. Apart from Air France and Air Madagascar are there any other scheduled flights there ?

Also is the end of September too late for Whale watching - we'll spend a few days on Ille St Marie for a rest and hope to see some Whales.

Anyone been to Berenty - is 2 nights there too much, or about right ?

Is there anywhere else within easy drive of Antananarivo apart from Perinet & Mantadia - we'll probably spend a week in this area.

 

pinkpigeon

Well-known member

• Mar 26, 2004

• #2

Hi Tony,

I've not been to Madagascar myself, but had friends who went from the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. As far as I remember air France and air Madagascar are the only options from the UK. I think it is the same price or maybe even cheaper to fly via Mauritius! My flight to Mauritius was about £500 and the flight on to Madagascar from there is about £200.

Hope thats of some help. If you go that way you might even bump in to the beautiful pink pigeon on your way through Mauritius. :0

PP

 

pinkpigeon

Well-known member

• Mar 26, 2004

• #3

oh and for planning a trip seriously recommend the Brandt travel guide to Madagascar. My friends found it very usefula nd it has lots of stunning photos of lemurs and ground-rollers etc included.

PP

 

Steve G

RAINBIRDER

• Mar 26, 2004

• #4

There used to be flights from South Africa -might be worth checking as a flight from UK to South Africa then on to Antananarrivo might work out cheaper.

 

TonyC

Well-known member

• Aug 20, 2004

• #5

Off in a couple of weeks - Air France seemed to be the only alternative from Manchester. Air Mad involved some weird connections using British Midland via London and wasn't a lot cheaper. If we combined airlines, then you have to reclaim your baggage in say Paris and check in all over again.

Another query - is it best taking Euros or US Dollars cash. We will take some Euro travellers cheques but I think money changing will be tricky. We've paid for most things up front, but what would be the best currency for tips etc ?

 

G

gusford

Well-known member

• Aug 20, 2004

• #6

TonyC said:

Off in a couple of weeks - Air France seemed to be the only alternative from Manchester. Air Mad involved some weird connections using British Midland via London and wasn't a lot cheaper. If we combined airlines, then you have to reclaim your baggage in say Paris and check in all over again.

Another query - is it best taking Euros or US Dollars cash. We will take some Euro travellers cheques but I think money changing will be tricky. We've paid for most things up front, but what would be the best currency for tips etc ?

Click to expand...

I used French francs 10 years ago. Check a Lonely Planet guide for Africa - it will advise - no need to buy it, just browse in Waterstones.

 

TonyC

Well-known member

• Aug 25, 2004

• #7

The latest Lonely Planet guide is about 3 years out of date ! The Brandt Travel Guide is more up to date and suggests Euros.
Also the Madagascar Tribune homepage quotes currency exchange rates with Euros followed by US Dollars, then Yen so I guess Euros are a good bet.

 

Didier Godreau

Well-known member

• Aug 25, 2004

• #8

Berenty is a great place !

Hello Tony,

you must stay 2 days or more if you can in Berenty :

very special place with many endemics : plants, trees,
lemurs and ... birds !! ( many couas )

The main problem in Madagascar is the great distance between
birding sites : you must take planes because the roads
are really bad !!

cheers,
Didier

TonyC said:

I'm thinking about a trip to Madagascar but the flights seem horrendously expensive. Apart from Air France and Air Madagascar are there any other scheduled flights there ?

Also is the end of September too late for Whale watching - we'll spend a few days on Ille St Marie for a rest and hope to see some Whales.

Anyone been to Berenty - is 2 nights there too much, or about right ?

Is there anywhere else within easy drive of Antananarivo apart from Perinet & Mantadia - we'll probably spend a week in this area.

Click to expand...

 

B

Bill Jesson

Member

• Jun 22, 2007

• #9

Car Hire

Any information on car hire (with driver) ? We're hoping to go in October, but attempts to contact listings in the Lonely Planet Guide have lead to nothing.
Thanks
Bill

 

Arbu

Well-known member

• Jun 22, 2007

• #10

Was curious, so I did a search on kayak.co.uk for a return flight from 6-21 September. Flights from London via Paris start at £1211 (with Air France), and flights from Paris start at £741 (with Air Austral). Crazy. Air Austral look perfectly OK to me. So book flights/Eurostar to Paris separately and you'll get a much better deal.

 

A

albatross02

Well-known member

• Feb 20, 2008

• #11

Flights

Hello,

I looked also for flights, but I want avoid Paris Charles de Gauille ( belongs to 5 worst airports of the wourld means paper foreign policy ) and want avoid Air France because there unreliability.
SAA is member of Star Alliance. A flight from Frankfurt to Tana costs around 1000 Euro and You get miles in every case for Miles and More account. I found it under www.flysaa.com .
Somehow this page shows no flights from London to Tana.
If I look at staralliance homepage for flight Frankfurt - Tana, they show my flights via Southafrica and via London + Southafrica.
But not flights London - Tana, very strange.

Best regards
Dieter

 

crabplover

Well-known member

• Sep 6, 2008

• #12

I've just returned from Mauritius and Madagascar. I can supply anyone with up to date prices etc also have lots of contacts including english/french/native speaking driver for hire, good and not so good hotels etc. I hope to put a trip report together but am really busy at moment.
If however anyone wants to contact me privately I can forward the info onto them if anyone is going soon.
Just got to sort the 100gb of photo's now !

 

A

Andy Musgrove

Well-known member

• Oct 19, 2008

• #13

Anyone going to Madagascar soon?

Hi all

Was lucky enough to spend a few days in Madagascar recently, visiting Perinet/Mantadia on the back of a conference in the capital. We used top guide Patrice who is really excellent, and we said we'd like to send him an MP3 player with the bird songs loaded on. I don't really want to post it as he felt it wouldn't get to him safely.

So if anyone is going to Madagascar soon, and will be visiting Perinet/Mantadia (and you really must try to get Patrice or his brother Maurice!) then please let me know and I'll send you an MP3 player to pass on to him. Will be great for him and his efforts to look after the superb forest birds there, and moreover it will be good for you because you'll hopefully get to see more birds as a result.

Cheers

Andy Musgrove
(pm me or contact at the BTO)

 

M

mathewwhite154

Member

• Jul 19, 2013

• #14

What I know is...

I am gathering document from forum and the agency in Madagascar who is very helpful ([email protected]). You can get there through Paris (Airfrance, Corsair and AirMadagascar). Via Reunion, Air Austral. Via South Africa (Airlink sa). Via Mauritius (Air Mauritius). Via Kenya (Kenya Airwas). You can choose according to your position and timing.

The local Operator don't take in charge of the international flight. The fetch at the airport since your arrival and assist you all the way along. Then, you can cutdown your budget by asking cheap but clean and safe hotel, and attend local restaurant, etc.
I am afraid to miss Berenty as I plan to go until the south around toliara. Not enough time and budget (snif!). Perhaps, you can try to ask the agency for any information you need. Don't count on their website (www.sobeha.net), it's so simple with basic information. Send them straight a mail!!!