Idyllic tropical beaches are what first draw many visitors to Madagascar. Still, this immense island also hosts a fascinating assemblage of exotic wildlife and a unique fusion of African and Asiatic cultures. Explore our list of the best things to do in Madagascar and see why you should consider this country as your next holiday destination.
Fianarantsoa’s hilltop old town is one of Madagascar’s most picturesque, with narrow lanes and views across the modern city and its rice fields. Fianarantsoa, the historic capital of the Haute Matsiatra Region, is Madagascar’s fifth-largest city, with a population estimated at around 200,000. Fianarantsoa’s main point of interest is HauteVille, whose characterful assemblage of sloping cobbled alleys and 19th-century buildings.
The old town’s main square is overlooked by the Cathédrale d’Ambozontany, an imposing brick-faced Catholic edifice. A popular overnight base or lunch stop in the vicinity of Fianarantsoa, Lac Sahambavy, is a pretty artificial lake surrounded by pine plantations and overlooked by the legendary Lac Hôtel.
To get to Fianarantsoa, you can take a taxi-brousse (shared taxi) from Antananarivo, which takes about 7-8 hours along RN7. If you’d prefer a more comfortable ride, hiring a private vehicle with a driver is another option. There are also domestic flights to a nearby airport, though they’re not always frequent. Many people stop by Fianarantsoa as part of a larger trip through southern Madagascar. If you're looking for the best way to enter the country, see our guide to getting to Madagascar.
The best time to visit is during the dry season, from April to October. The weather’s nice for walking around the cobbled streets of HauteVille, and the light is perfect for photos of the old buildings. If you’re planning to visit Lac Sahambavy, it’s a good time to see the area’s lush surroundings with clear skies.
Fianarantsoa, Madagascar © Pierre-Yves Babelon/Shutterstock
The Parc National Andasibe-Mantadia ranks among one of the best things to do in Madagascar for wildlife, boasting a good selection that collectively attracts more than 20,000 foreign visitors annually in recent years. The rainforest here is the main stronghold of the indri, which is renowned as Madagascar’s largest lemur.
The park also ranks as one of the country’s key ornithological destinations, with more than 110 species recorded, and it supports a wide variety of colorful orchids. Popular night walks along the main road through the forest offer a great opportunity to see nocturnal lemurs, chameleons, and an array of colorful tree frogs.
Andasibe-Mantadia is about a 3-4 hour drive east from Antananarivo. Most visitors book transport through a tour operator or their hotel. The road (RN2) is in decent condition compared to some of the others in Madagascar, so the drive is fairly easy. Many people stay in lodges near the park entrance, which makes it easy to head out for both daytime wildlife viewing and night walks to see nocturnal species. See our guide for even more Madagascar travel tips.
You can visit year-round, but September to December is the best time to go. That’s when wildlife is most active, and if you’re lucky, you might even hear the indri’s distinctive calls. It’s also the indri's breeding season, so there's a higher chance of spotting them. Try to avoid the rainy season from January to March, when the trails can get slippery and hard to navigate.
Lemur in Parc National d’Andasibe-Mantadia © worldclassphoto/Shutterstock
Île Sainte-Marie is a 222-sq-km (86-sq-mile) granitic island situated 7km (4 miles) offshore of the closest mainland peninsula. Officially known but seldom referred to as Nosy Boraha, the sliver-like island stretches almost 60km (36 miles) from north to south. It is nowhere significantly more than 5km (3 miles) wide, and its maximum altitude is a relatively modest 374 feet (114 meters ).
As is the case with Nosy Be, Sainte-Marie offers great swimming, snorkeling, diving, and whale-watching opportunities. While it lacks the spectacular volcanic scenery and lemur-filled forests of its western counterpart, it compensates by being less overtly touristy and considerably more affordable. This is home to what many consider to be Madagascar's best beaches.
To get to Île Sainte Marie, you can either fly from Antananarivo to the island’s small airport (about an hour’s flight) or take a boat from Soanierana-Ivongo, which takes 2-3 hours depending on conditions. Once you're on the island, you can rent a taxi or a motorbike to get around the 35-mile (60 km) long island.
If you’re planning on whale watching, the best time to visit is from July to September, when humpback whales gather in the waters around the island. For beach days and snorkeling, it’s ideal to go between September and December when the weather is dry and the water’s clear.
A trip to Sainte Marie Island is one of the best things to do in Madagascar for diving and snorkelling © Charles-Henry THOQUENNE/Shutterstock
Réserve Spéciale de Nosy Mangabe protects Antongil Bay’s largest island, a lovely forested protrusion that rises to a summit of 1090 feet (332 meters) above the surrounding turquoise waters.
Visiting the island between July and September is one of the best things to do in Madagascar for whale watching. During this time several thousand humpback whales gather in Antongil Bay to breed, and they can frequently be seen breaching and lob-tailing. Day visits or overnight camping trips to Nosy Mangabe must be arranged through the national park office in Maroantsetra. The secluded nature of this island makes it a popular destination for Madagascar honeymoon itineraries.
To get to Nosy Mangabe, you’ll need to take a boat from the town of Maroantsetra. You can’t visit on your own, so everything has to go through the national park office. The ride across Antongil Bay takes about 45 minutes to an hour. Some people go just for the day, but you can also camp overnight—most tour operators have gear available, though it’s a good idea to double-check that ahead of time.
July to September is a good window if you want to catch humpback whales in the bay—they migrate here during those months and can sometimes be seen from shore or during the boat trip. If hiking is more your thing, April through November is drier and easier to manage on the island’s trails. That said, this part of Madagascar is known for its rain, so it’s smart to be prepared for showers no matter when you go.
Gecko, Nosy Mangabe, Madagascar © Artush/Shutterstock
The main attraction close to Maroantsetra, situated about 12 miles (20 km) further east, is the Parc National de Masoala, which protects the forests and mountains on the spectacular Masoala Peninsula. Unbreached by roads, Masoala is one of Madagascar’s best national parks and the largest, with a total area of 927 square miles (2,400 sq km), and a key component of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Rising from a succession of stunning uninhabited beaches to a series of tall peaks, the park protects an extraordinary diversity of wooded and wetland habitats. It is an important stronghold for several localized birds.
Getting to Masoala takes a bit of coordination. First, you’ll need to fly into Maroantsetra from Antananarivo. From there, it’s a boat ride—anywhere from 2 to 4 hours depending on which part of the park you’re headed to. Boats can be arranged through tour operators or the park office. There are no roads going into the park, so the only way in is by water. That isolation is part of why it still feels so untouched. Getting around Madagascar can be difficult at times, but it's always worth it in the end.
Between September and December, the weather tends to be drier, which makes hiking more manageable and wildlife easier to spot. That period also lines up with whale season in Antongil Bay. Just keep in mind this is a rainforest, so even in the “drier” months, it can still rain. January through March is usually the wettest stretch.
Beach in Masoala National Park, Madagascar © Dennis van de Water/Shutterstock
Madagascar’s most popular beach destination, Nosy Be, is a lush tropical island renowned as one of the best things to do in Madagascar for its relaxed ambience, agreeable year-round weather, superb diving, and cuddlesome black lemurs.
Nosy Be’s reputation as a tourist trap isn’t entirely unjustified, and things do tend to come across as pricey by comparison to the Malagasy mainland, but there is far more to the island than just another stock tropical beach resort.
Scenically, it’s a fantastic place, with a backdrop provided by the volcanic cones of the Mont Lokobe and Mont Passot.
Nosy Be is pretty straightforward to reach. There’s an international airport (Fascene Airport) with direct flights from Europe and nearby African cities, plus daily domestic flights from Antananarivo. You can also take a ferry from Ankify on the mainland—it takes around 1 to 2 hours depending on conditions. Once you're on the island, it’s easy to get around by taxi or rental car.
The weather stays pretty consistent throughout the year, with less rain than most other parts of Madagascar. July through November is usually the driest stretch, so it’s a great time for beach days. If you’re hoping to see whales, plan for sometime between August and November. And if you’re around in May, the Donia Festival brings music and cultural events across the island—it’s a lively time to be there.
Nosy Be, Madagascar © Roel Slootweg/Shutterstock
Arguably the most iconic scenic landmark anywhere in Madagascar, the Allée des Baobabs is a 30-minute drive northeast of Morondava. It is a short stretch of road lined on either side by around two dozen Grandidier’s baobabs, the highest of which stands about 30m (98ft) tall. The avenue is best visited at dusk when the smooth trunks of the trees glow orange-brown in the golden light.
Not to be confused with the Parc National de Kirindy-Mitea, the Réserve Forestière de Kirindy is a small, privately managed conservancy and research center that runs about 65km (39 miles) north of Morondova. Kirindy is renowned as the most reliable site for seeing the fossa, Madagascar’s largest carnivore.
You’ll want to base yourself in Morondava to reach both of these spots. You can get there by domestic flight from Antananarivo, or by road if you're up for a long haul—it’s around 8 to 10 hours by car. Allée des Baobabs is an easy trip from town, just about 30 minutes northeast by car. Kirindy is farther—around 40 miles (65 km) north—and takes about two hours on a rough, sometimes rutted track. You’ll need a 4x4 for that one. Most people book a driver or go with a local guide to make it easier.
April through November is the dry season, and that’s the most practical time to visit. The road to Kirindy is easier to manage then, and wildlife tends to be more active. If you're heading to Allée des Baobabs, try to time it for sunset—the light makes the trees stand out in a way that’s hard to describe but easy to appreciate. In Kirindy, November is a good time to catch a glimpse of the fossa, some of the most iconic of Madagascar's wildlife.
Allée des Baobabs and Kirindy Private Reserve © aaabbbccc/Shutterstock
Hard to get to, but worth every ounce of effort for the extraordinary expanses of weirdly eroded limestone pinnacles, cut through by winding rivers. Parc National des Tsingy de Bemaraha was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with the bordering Réserve Naturelle Intégrale des Tsingy de Bemaraha.
The centerpiece of this vast protected area is the world’s largest ‘stone forest’, the so-called Grand Tsingy, a labyrinthine karstic formation that stretches almost 100km (60 miles) from north to south. Its jagged black limestone pinnacles are incised with neat linear valleys to resemble endless rows of city blocks when viewed from the air.
Getting to Tsingy takes some advance planning. Most people leave from Morondava in a 4x4 with a local driver, and the trip includes a river crossing by ferry at the Tsiribihina. Depending on road conditions, it can take anywhere from one to two days to get there. Travel during the rainy season is especially difficult, so this is one of those trips that’s usually done as part of a tour, just to make logistics simpler.
The park is open from April to November, and it’s basically shut the rest of the year due to the roads becoming impassable. If you want more manageable weather, aim for May through August. It’s cooler and better for hiking across the jagged rock formations. Even during busy months, the area stays fairly quiet just because of how remote it is.
Tsingy de Bemaraha, Madagascar © T.Sahl/Shutterstock
The evocative rockscapes of the Parc National de l’Isalo include all manner of otherworldly eroded strata and spine-like formations dotted with jagged peaks and balancing rocks and support a wealth of suitably bizarre succulents. The park is also a stronghold for the Bismarck palm, a tall, fire-resistant, large-leafed endemic, while the streams that run through its deep, shady canyons feed ribbons of riparian woodland.
A short dirt track runs north to La Fenêtre de l’Isalo, an elevated rock arch that offers spectacular and very photogenic views, especially at sunset. Heading on towards Toliara, dusty Ilakaka past Ranohira has mushroomed from a hamlet of half a dozen houses to a bona fide boomtown since the discovery of sapphires there in 1997.
Isalo is right off the RN7 between Fianarantsoa and Toliara, so it’s pretty accessible by car or taxi-brousse. The nearby town of Ranohira is where most people stay. It’s small but has everything you need. From there, you can set up hikes with local guides or through the park office, depending on how much ground you want to cover.
April to October is usually the most comfortable time to explore, since it’s dry and the trails are easier to walk. It can still get hot during the day, so early mornings and late afternoons are better for hiking. If you’re sticking around for sunset, La Fenêtre de l'Isalo is a popular viewpoint.
Parc National d’Isalo, Madagascar © Dennis van de Water/Shutterstock
The Baie de Sainte Luce, also known locally as Manafiafy, is one of the most beautiful and isolated stretches of coastline anywhere in Madagascar. This remote bay’s main terrestrial attraction is the Sainte Luce Reserve, an Australian-initiated community-based project founded in 2009 to conserve one of the rarest habitats in Madagascar.
Also known as the Ambatoatsignana Forest Zone, the reserve incorporates 17 pockets of east-coast littoral forest. Guided walks into the largest of the reserve’s forest blocks (Sector 9) can be arranged out of the rustic Antanosy village of Manafiafy, which is also renowned for its powerful local shaman and as a center of traditional mangaliba music.
To get here, you'll first fly into Fort Dauphin (Tolagnaro), which has domestic flights from Antananarivo. From there, it’s a 2–3 hour drive to Manafiafy village. The road isn’t fully paved, so it can be a bit bumpy—but that’s part of what keeps this place feeling wild and remote. Most people arrange a ride through their guesthouse or lodge, since public transport doesn’t really reach this far.
April through December is usually the driest stretch, which makes getting around easier. If you’re hoping to see sea turtles nesting on the beaches, plan for October to December. The forest is worth exploring any time of year, though keep in mind that trails can get muddy between January and March.
Canoes in Sainte Luce, Madagascar © Pierre-Yves Babelon/Shutterstock
The Parc National de la Montagne d’Ambre is Madagascar’s oldest national park, established in 1958. Swathed in a liana-draped tangle of rainforest, the park is also studded with ancient volcanic craters, six of which enclose small emerald-green lakes, and is traversed by several mountain streams and associated waterfalls. It can be explored along a trail network offering several day-hiking variations.
One of the best things to do in Madagascar is to hike one of the shorter trails in the park. They are more rewarding for wildlife simply because they leave more time to stop and search for smaller species, but the longer trail takes you to some worthwhile scenic spots.
This park is about 18 miles (30 km) from Diego Suarez (Antsiranana), a city that’s easy to reach from Antananarivo by plane. From Diego, it’s roughly an hour by taxi or private car. Some travelers base themselves in Diego, but Joffreville is a quieter option right near the park entrance. There are a handful of guesthouses and small lodges in the area (learn more about places to stay in our guide to Madagascar accommodation).
If you're wondering what to do in Madagascar when it's too hot, this can be a good option. Because of the park’s higher elevation, it stays cooler than the lowlands and is pleasant year-round. That said, April to November tends to be drier, which helps with hiking conditions.
Amber Mountain National Park, Madagascar © Shutterstock
Although lemurs and other terrestrial endemics tend to hog the limelight, Madagascar—as might be expected of a tropical island surrounded by myriad coral reefs—.. It holds the world's third-largest coral reef system. Coral reefs off the coast of Madagascar are renowned among snorkelers for supporting a dazzlingly kaleidoscopic menagerie whose numbers include surgeonfish, damselfish, clownfish, parrotfish, and devil’s firefish.
Nosy Be is widely regarded to be the best place in Madagascar for viewing marine wildlife, thanks to its profusion of offshore reefs and a wide choice of well-equipped dive and boat operators. Other good sites include the reefs on either side of Toliara, Île Sainte-Marie, Baie de Sainte Luce, and Plage de Ramena near Diego Suarez.
If you’re looking to dive, Nosy Be is the most straightforward place to start, with plenty of local dive centers to choose from. There are also dive bases in Toliara (Tuléar), Île Sainte-Marie, and Diego Suarez. These spots usually handle transport to and from dive sites, so once you’re there, things are pretty simple. It’s a good idea to go with a dive operator that prioritizes safety and takes care around the reef.
Timing depends on where you’re headed. Nosy Be tends to have the clearest water between April and December. Around Île Sainte-Marie, visibility is best from September to December. If you’re hoping to see whale sharks, plan for a trip between October and December near Nosy Be. Water temperatures stay warm—usually between 77–86°F (25–30°C)—so you may not even need a wetsuit.
Whitetip reef shark © Shutterstock
Madagascar ranks among the world’s most alluring ornithological destinations. True, the national checklist of almost 290 species is relatively modest for a tropical island of considerable size. Furthermore, by comparison to most parts of mainland Africa, Madagascar’s birdlife seems to maintain a strangely low profile, partly because most species are unusually silent.
Amply compensating for these caveats, however, is the island’s unusually high level of endemicity, which embraces at least four families. 36 genera and 105 species were found nowhere else in the world, along with another two families and 20 species shared only with the islands of the Comoros or Seychelles.
Madagascar’s a good place to look for birds you won’t see anywhere else, and you don’t have to go too far to find them. Andasibe-Mantadia, Ranomafana, and Isalo National Parks are all accessible by road from the main cities, and you can easily visit them as part of a larger trip. If you’re interested in getting deeper into bird territory, trips to the Masoala Peninsula or the spiny forests in the southwest can be arranged through birdwatching tours. A guide is definitely helpful — a lot of the endemic species stay pretty quiet and hidden, so having someone who knows where to look makes a big difference.
The best time to go is during the breeding season, from September to December, when birds tend to be more active and easier to spot. Migratory birds show up around this time too, so you’ll get a wider variety. Mornings are usually best — it gets hot later in the day, and bird activity drops off.
Weaver bird, Madagascar © Pixabay
One of the most exciting things to do in Madagascar is to visit the Croc Farm. Set on an attractively landscaped slope run through by a clear paved footpath, this active crocodile farm supports free-ranging populations of Coquerel’s sifaka and several aquatic birds. Open-air cages house a variety of tortoises, snakes, chameleons, and other reptiles, as well as a rather unhappy-looking fossa.
The footpath ends at a small lake overlooked by a stilted wooden viewing platform from where you’ll see some fearsomely ginormous Nile crocodiles showing off their daunting dentition. Amenities include a restaurant specializing in crocodile-meat dishes and a good craft shop.
The Croc Farm is just outside Antananarivo, around 15 minutes from the airport. It’s easy to get to by taxi, and a lot of people visit before or after their flight. It’s close enough to other nearby attractions that you can easily fit it into a day around the city. There are clear signs, and it’s well-known with both tourists and locals, so it’s straightforward to find.
If you're wondering what to do in Madagascar when the weather turns, this is a good option. It’s open all year and works well as a rainy-day backup if you’re looking for something to do indoors. Mornings are usually quieter if you want to avoid crowds.
Crocodile Farm © Shutterstock
Réserve d’Anja was designated by the government in 1999 and opened to visitors two years later. Protecting a pocket of natural forest and a small heart-shaped reservoir at the base of an imposing domed granite inselberg, this community reserve was created to protect a population of ring-tailed lemurs.
Guided walks are best undertaken in the early morning or late afternoon, when these enchanting monkey-like creatures tend to be most sociable and active, often sunning themselves on the rocks or coming to the reservoir to drink.
Réserve d’Anja is just off the RN7 highway, about 8 miles (12 km) south of Ambalavao. Most people visit as part of a longer trip between the central highlands and the south. You can get dropped off at the entrance by a taxi-brousse, or set up private transport if you’re coming from a nearby town. Since the reserve is run by the local community, your visit helps support the area directly.
Head there in the early morning or late afternoon if you want to catch the ring-tailed lemurs when they’re moving around. The dry season (April to November) is a bit easier for walking, especially if you’re climbing around the granite rock formations. Guides will take you on a walk through the reserve, and they usually share info about both the animals and the conservation work going on. You can get great photos pretty much any time of year.
Anja Reserve in Madagascar © Shutterstock
written by
Mani Ramaswamy
updated 08.05.2025
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