Please use the comments facility below to submit updates to Madagascar (11th ed) that are relevant to more than one chapter/region. To comment on specific places/issues, please add your comment to the relevant chapter update page listed at Madagascar Updates.
To comment on other chapters visit the main Madagascar Updates page.
Daniel Austin said,
26 July 2015 at 11:42 am
Thanks for Ariel Jacobs for the following information: Mananara-Maroantsetra is 121km. Vohemar-Daraina is 52km; Daraina-Ambilobe is 110km; Diego-Montagne d’Ambre is 38km. Antsiranana to Joffreville takes at least two hours by taxi-brousse; they go to the station in the market alley just behind the Suffren hotel. Following security issues in late 2013, long walks are still not permitted in Montagne d’Ambre in 2015. The gîte is good and clean with flush toilets and showers; 10,000Ar. In Antsiranana there’s a new southern bus station 5 to 6km from town (1,000Ar by tuk-tuk). Prices at Suffren hotel: dbl 22,000Ar, fam 26,000Ar, with hot water 30,000Ar. Leong Hoi has foreign magazines but is otherwise uninteresting; Chez Maman is much better. Madahoufi is an alternative to the Score supermarket. Ambilobe to Antsiranana is slow-going now: more than 5hrs by taxi-brousse. Daraina to Ambilobe took over 7hrs in a very good 4×4. Lemurian Blanc’s renovations are nearing completion; price 30,000Ar. Fanamby’s Camp Tattersalli closed some time ago but may reopen soon. Ambanja doesn’t seem a ‘pleasant’ place, but it now has three or four cybercafés, a BNI and BOA, and a tourist office offering mangrove excursions. The road to Ambilobe is bad: 3hrs/6,000Ar. Hotel Ylang-Ylang seems run down (AC broken, no hot water, no Wi-Fi, uninviting shower); room 30,000Ar. They have a good shop downstairs. Ankarana’s campsites are closed till July each year. Chez Aurelian has been renovated and is very nice now with good showers, new tiles and electricity; 25,000–35,000Ar per bungalow and reasonably priced restaurant. Daraina: it’s an eyesore of destruction by gold-diggers. Tuesday is market day in Daraina with the special treat of Malagasy boxing, a savage entertainment with practically all the town as spectators. It’s a good idea to reserve a taxi-brousse ride in Vohemar in advance so you dont get stuck (not a great spot to sit on the roadside waiting). Vohemar-Daraina cost 10,000Ar; Daraina-Ambilobe cost 40,000Ar. Ambanja-Ankify collective taxi is 4,000Ar. Speedboat to Nosy Be is 12,000Ar. Hotel Royal Pacific is clean and friendly – good rooms with fan or ac for 20,000–30000Ar. Cyberchic is no longer the best internet place; Filems, a few doors north from Royal Pacific is much better. Lokobe is now a national park opened to the public and you don’t have to take a guide. Three circuits of 1–4hrs. I saw lots of lizards, nice frogs, some minor league birds and that’s about all. Open 08:00–16:00 for 10,000Ar; guides 12,000Ar. Mont Passot is wrongly mentioned as the highest point of Nosy Be but Lokobe is actually higher, as shown by the map in the guide. Icouldn’t find Roxy Cinema. Daraina cost 30,000Ar for guide and 10,000 for entry to the reserve. Nosy Be’s tourist information office has changed place and is now located at the Bazaar des Arts outside the city. You give two different distances for Mahajanga-Ankarafantsika: 108km and 114km; it’s actually 116km; you cannot do it in 2hrs by taxi-brousse anymore, more like 4hrs.
Daniel Austin said,
10 December 2014 at 1:41 am
Some words to consider adding to the index of future editions: bladderwort, bokiboky, carnivorous plants, chytrid fungus, Drosera, ploughshare tortoise, pochard, sundew, Utricularia, vontsira.
Geoffrey Humble said,
10 April 2014 at 11:53 am
May I please request that you add the Hotel Le Lac Vert’ to your accommodation guide in your next edition of Madagascar.
Its located in MANAKARA on the east coast. The accommodation consists of 6 bungalows which are fully equipped and very clean, 2 of them are very large – two double beds. As of MARCH 2014 was a very reasonable price of 50,000 ariary per bungalow irrespective of how many people. The proprietors are Jean-Michel and his wife Samthi who looked after me and other guests wonderfully for the 7 nights I stayed.They are very kind, helpful and attentive.My initial intention was to stay 4 days but didnt want to leave. They have a nice verandah type restaurant and food and choice of varios rum flavoured drinks were
excellent. Their full address is:
Lot 3D 134 Tanambao Ombimena, Manakara
I toured some of the other hotels/accommodations in MANAKARA and as far as i am concerned this has to be one of if not the best. The location is very quiet and tranquil and is just 1km/short walk from Manakara Bay. Their telephone nbr is (+261) 341991875 email: reservationlacvert@yahoo.com website lacvert.e-monsite.com I do hope you can accede to
my request. Its very rare i sing hotels’ praises, however,I think in this case its fully justified.
Louise Fox said,
6 April 2013 at 9:56 am
There is the option of a first class taxi bus ride between Tana and Mahajanga (AR80 000) and Tana and Tamatave. Leaves at a scheduled time, travels through the day and better quality vehicle.