Madagascar is a large country, and the climate therefore varies greatly from region to region. As Madagascar is located in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are the opposite of ours – which means that they have summer when we have winter. 

At the coasts, the climate is tropical and consequently warmer, while the Central Highlands have a temperate climate, which means that the temperatures here are often also lower than at the coasts. 

During the cyclone season (January-March), it is not recommended to travel to the eastern or northern part of Madagascar.  

The Central Highlands and Southern Madagascar can be visited throughout the year. 

The Central Highlands (with Antananarivo, Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Ranomafana National Park) 

The Central Highlands have a temperate climate, and it can get quite chilly in the evening and at night in the winter period. Day temperatures are around 20-30 degrees all year round – warmest in the summer period. 

Summer in the Central Highlands means rainy season, and heavy showers may occur. The region is usually not severely affected by any cyclones, and it can therefore be visited throughout the year.  

Southern Madagascar (with Isalo National Park, Toliara and Anakao) 

Southern Madagascar has a dry, tropical climate. It rains very little, and, when it does, it is most often between January and March. It is warm all year round, however, you should be aware that, even here, the evenings and nights can get quite chilly in winter, and it may be a good idea to pack a warm sweater.

You can travel to Southern Madagascar all year round.

Western Madagascar (with Tsingy Bemaraha) 

Western Madagascar has a dry, tropical climate. During the summer period, heavy rain showers may occur – the further north on the west coast you get – and many of the roads may consequently become flooded. It is therefore not recommended to travel to the northern part of Western Madagascar in the period December-March. The southern part of Western Madagascar can be visited throughout the year (see Southern Madagascar). 

Northern Madagascar (with Nosy Be) 

During the rainy season, Northern Madagascar is sometimes hit by cyclones. It is therefore generally not recommended to travel to Northern Madagascar in the period January-March. However, there may be areas where it rains significantly less. Temperatures are very pleasant throughout the year – both day and night. 

Eastern Madagascar (with Ile Sainte Marie)

Due to its size, the east coast of Madagascar is regularly hit by cyclones. The island is simply so big that it cannot avoid being hit by the cyclones. It is therefore not recommended to travel to Eastern Madagascar in the period December-March. The rest of the year, however, the climate is very pleasant with warm temperatures and not much rain.

As a UK citizen, you must be in possession of a valid passport. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your date of arrival in Madagascar.

UK citizens can stay in Madagascar for 15 days without a visa – however, you must pay an administrative fee of EUR 10 on arrival. For tours with a stay of more than 15 days, you must apply for a visa. This can be done either on arrival in Madagascar or online before departure via this link: https://evisamada-mg.com/en/home. The price is EUR 37 for a visa for stays between 16 and 30 days.

Before you start the actual visa application, we recommend that you carefully read the FAQ guide on the visa website. Please note that you must register as a user on the website before you can start the visa application.

When you start your visa application, you need to have the following documentation ready:

• Your passport
• Your credit card
• Your email address

Once your visa has been approved (it takes up to 72 hours), you will need to print it out and bring it with you on your tour.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months after your departure from Madagascar, and there must be two blank pages for entry and exit stamps in the passport.

You can check the visa rules on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website.

Madagascar – if you are travelling with children aged under 18 

If a child is travelling with only one parent, written consent is required from the parent who is not travelling with them in the form of an authenticated power of attorney and a signed copy of the passport. This also applies despite joint custody. The child must also bring a birth certificate translated into English. If one parent has died, a death certificate translated into English must be brought.

If the child travels without any parents, the same rules apply as those described above.

Please note that a letter of attorney is only valid when legalised by a public authority. In the UK, this can be done by the Legalisation Office. You can contact Citizen Services in your district or the local church office to get a birth certificate.

Prior to your departure, you can download our App here to find your travel documents and the contact details for TourCompass and our local partners.

We recommend that you download the WhatsApp app to your smartphone and add the phone numbers of our business partners. You can send messages and call them for free using the app when you have a Wi-Fi connection.

We recommend that you contact a medical specialist, your GP or an authorised vaccination clinic for information about vaccinations. You can also read more about the rules regarding travel vaccinations here.

Please be aware of the rules about yellow fever – especially if you are entering via another country where yellow fever is present. Some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination upon entry. Your vaccination certificate should therefore always be carried with you in your hand luggage when you travel.

Please read our general travel terms and conditions carefully, as these are part of the agreement terms for tours purchased at TourCompass. Tours purchased from us are covered under the “Package Travel Act”.

Click here to read our travel terms and conditions.

All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it.
Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate click here.

We always advise you to obtain comprehensive travel insurance when heading off on your dream holiday. It is also highly recommended to acquire cancellation insurance for extra protection. 

Click here to proceed to our page on insurance, where you can read more about our recommendations.

The currency in Madagascar is called Ariary. On https://www.xe.com/, you can always see the exact exchange rate. 

Common credit cards such as Visa and Mastercard can only be used at a few hotels and in a few souvenir shops, so it is absolutely necessary to exchange money. This is best done at the airport on arrival, and our partner will help you with this. Bring EUR, which is the easiest currency to exchange. 

Tipping is welcome and commonly used, but it is not a requirement.  If you have had a good experience with a guide or received extra good service at a restaurant, leaving a small tip is welcome, but it is completely voluntary. 

The following is an indicative level: 

• Guide/driver: 20-30,000 Ariary per person per day (approx. EUR 6)
• Piccolo: 5,000 Ariary (approx. EUR 1)
• Maid: 5,000 Ariary (approx. EUR 1)
• Local guides in the national parks: 10,000 Ariary (EUR 2)
• Restaurants: 5-10% of the total bill. 

At the vast majority of our destinations, we are able to take allergies, as well as allergens or preferences into account when it comes to food, however it is important that you inform us of this when you book the tour.

Our programmes are based on full board excl. beverages. You should be aware that, in most places in Madagascar, breakfast is so-called ‘petit déjeuner’ (due to the French connection) – i.e. bread, croissant, juice and coffee. It is possible to buy eggs if you wish

Madagascar has 220 volt. 2-pin plugs are used, as in France.

Wi-Fi is available in most hotels. However, you should be aware that the connection may be unstable.

The guide will also be able to share an Internet connection with you, so that you can, for example, send messages via WhatsApp or read the news while you are in the car. If you need to stream films, you should instead buy a local SIM card. This can be done on arrival in Antananarivo, and our partner can help you with this.

Make sure you pack all your important and indispensable things in your hand luggage. This applies to items such as passports, visas, vaccination cards, travel documents, insurance documents, credit cards, money, computers, mobile phones and cameras, as well as information about your health and vital medicines.

Visit to Ranomafana: If you are going to Ranomafana, we recommend that you pack long socks and long trousers due to the risk (albeit minimal) of leeches.

Visitors are not permitted to bring plants, seeds, fruit and other plant products into the UK from their travels outside the UK, unless they are accompanied by a plant health (phytosanitary) certificate. These rules also apply to smaller quantities of plants and plant products.

Read more about the rules here.

Please note that this tour is not generally suitable for people with impaired mobility. Please contact us for information about your options in relation to your specific needs.

Most airlines have electronic tickets (e-tickets).

It is important that you check your name for spelling errors, as the name on the reservation must be exactly as it appears on your passport. If your name needs to be corrected, please contact us as soon as possible. Please note that this may incur a fee from the airline.

The airline will assign you a seat on the plane at check-in. If you have specific wishes regarding where you sit on the plane, you can make a seat reservation yourself on the airline’s website or in their app. Please note that most airlines require payment for a seat reservation.

It varies when airlines open for seat reservations, but as a general rule, you can book seats from the time of booking and up to 48 hours before departure.

We also point out that the airline has complete control over all seats on the plane and that they are therefore entitled to make changes to the reservation at any time.
If you do not make a seat reservation before departure, the airline will assign you a seat at check-in.

Your passport and your booking reference, which appears on your itinerary, are required to check in.

We recommend that you download the airline’s app on your phone. In the app, there is an option for online check-in, which typically opens 24 to 48 hours before departure. The app also allows you to stay informed of any flight changes and other important information about your flight.

Please note that the flight times may have changed in relation to those listed on the travel itinerary you received when you booked your holiday. It is always the flight times in the airline’s app or on the airline’s website that apply.

We recommend that you arrive at the airport to check in at least two hours before departure. It is a good idea to check the airport’s website for the latest updates.

We use many different airlines for our destinations. You can check the exact rules for hand luggage and checked baggage on the airline’s website or in their app.

We recommend that you pack your things in soft bags, as they are easier to fit into the car than hard suitcases 

You should also make sure that you carry all important and indispensable items in your hand luggage. This applies to, for example, passport, visa, plane tickets, insurance documents, credit cards, money, camera, but also any information about your health condition and vital medication. 

If your luggage is delayed, please contact the staff in the luggage reclaim area to report your missing luggage.

It is important that you have your luggage receipt when completing your PIR (Property Irregularity Report).

Please note that you must not leave the luggage area at the airport until you have completed the report.

In the event of delayed luggage, we ask you to contact our partner, who will ensure that your guide/driver waits for you.

Should any changes occur in connection with your flight reservation before departure, we will of course contact you to let you know.

Should your flight be delayed after check-in, the airline is responsible for rebooking your flight. They will typically book the next possible flight and arrange any meals and accommodation if necessary.

Our partner checks for any changes in arrival times and will naturally still wait for you, even if your flight is delayed.

If, due to a delay or cancellation, the airline books you on another flight number after you have arrived at the airport, please contact us on TourCompass’ emergency number.

Immigration:
When you arrive at your final destination, you will go through immigration, where your passport and any entry documents and visas are checked. In many places, you will be required to provide fingerprints, and a photo of your face will also be taken for biometric recognition. You may also be asked questions about your travel plans in the country and possibly where you are staying.

Customs:
Once you’ve cleared immigration and picked up your luggage, you will head through customs. If you have nothing to declare, you can go through “nothing to declare”. If, on the other hand, you have something to declare, it is important that you go through “declare”. It’s your own responsibility to check the customs regulations that apply in the country you are travelling to.

When you come out into the arrivals hall at the airport, you will be met by a guide/driver holding up a TourCompass sign with your name on it, who will make sure you get safely to your hotel.

In the unexpected event that you cannot find your guide/driver, please contact our partner on the emergency number which appears on the travel documents.

Normal check-in is typically from 2 pm, and you cannot therefore count on getting your room earlier. If you’d like to check in early, this can be arranged for a fee when you book the tour.

When you check in, the receptionist will generally register your credit card and may reserve an amount. This is not an additional fee, but customary at hotels to ensure payment of any consumption from the minibar and the like. When you check out, the amount will be automatically released if you have not made use of this.

It is very normal for hotels to take a copy of your passport. In some places, this is a requirement of the local authorities.

Check-out is normally by 10 am. If you’re not travelling until the afternoon or evening, you can have your luggage stored until it’s time to leave. If you would like a late check-out instead, this can be arranged for a fee when you book the tour.

Be aware that hotels in Madagascar often do not have a very informative website, and you cannot always rely on the pictures you see on the various websites. If you google the hotels we use, you may also find that they have only been awarded a single star, whereas the reality is quite different. We and/or our partner have visited all the hotels we use ourselves to ensure that the standard is as it should be.

In the event of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather, blocked roads or otherwise, it may be necessary to change the order of sightseeing tours and attractions in your itinerary.

It may also be necessary to reorganise the itinerary of the tour itself to obtain available accommodation in the hotels, which are often quite small in Madagascar. Of course, you will still experience all the highlights that are included in your programme. 

The distances in Madagascar are great, and even though most roads are adequate, there may be large regional differences. The tours in Madagascar take place in either 4-wheel drive cars or minibuses with good suspension, air conditioning etc. You should be aware that there can be long driving days on the tours, but the cars and buses are comfortable, and there are good opportunities to buy snacks along the way.  

We provide a 24-hour emergency hotline, allowing you to contact us at any time if something unexpected occurs during your tour. You will also be sent the telephone numbers and emergency telephone numbers of our partners at the destination. In some cases, it may be easiest and fastest to contact our partners due to time differences, if, for example, you find yourself in a situation where your pick-up for an excursion or transfer is more than 15 minutes delayed.

Our livelihood depends on satisfied guests, and we would therefore very much like to hear from you after your return home. Send us an email at info@tourcompass.co.uk or call us on tel.: 01279 704 135.