TRAVEL
TIPS
| Driving |
TBA |
| Currency |
(MGF)
Malagasy Franc |
| Electrical |
220 Volts |
| Telephones |
Country
Code 261, City Code, Antananarivu 202+6D, Toamasina 205+6D,
Mahajanga 206+6D |
Climate:
Hot and subtropical climate, colder in the mountains. Rainy season:
November to March. Dry season: April to October. The south and
west regions are hot and dry. Monsoons bring storms and cyclones
to the east and north from December to March. The mountains, including
Antananarivo, are warm and thundery from November to April and
dry, cool and windy the rest of the year.
Cclothing:
Lightweights are worn during the summer on high central
plateaux and throughout the year in the north and south. Warmer
clothes are advised during evenings and winter in mountainous
areas. Rainwear is advisable.
Food
& Drink: In Madagascar eating well means eating a
lot. Malagasy cooking is based on a large serving of rice with
a dressing of sauces, meat, vegetables and seasoning. Dishes include
ro (a mixture of herbs and leaves with rice); beef and pork marinated
in vinegar, water and oil, then cooked with leaves, onion, pickles
and other vegetables and seasoned with pimento; ravitoto (meat
and leaves cooked together); ramazava (leaves and pieces of beef
and pork browned in oil); vary amid ’anana (rice, leaves
or herbs, meat and sometimes shrimps) often eaten with kitoza
(long slices of smoked, cured or fried meat). The people of Madagascar
enjoy very hot food and often serve dishes with hot peppers. Local
restaurants are often referred to as hotely.
The choice of beverages is limited. The national wine is acceptable.
Malagasy drinks include litchel (an aperitif made from litchis),
betsa (fermented alcohol) and toaka gasy (distilled from cane
sugar and rice) and ‘Three Horses’ lager. Non-alcoholic
drinks include ranon ’apango or rano vda (made from burnt
rice) and local mineral waters.
Shopping:
Handicrafts include lamba (traditional squares of cloth in various
designs and woven materials); zafimaniny marquetry, which is applied
to furniture, chessboards and boxes; silverwork such as mahafaly
crosses and vangavanga bracelets; jewellery made from shells and
precious stones; items woven from reeds, raffia and straw; antemore
paper decorated with dried flowers; and embroidery. All products
incorporating Malagasy flora or fauna (including dried flowers)
require export permits (see Duty Free section). Shopping
hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1400-1800.
Currency:
Malagasy Franc (Mgfr) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations
of Mgfr25,000, 10,000, 5000, 2500 and 1000. Coins are in denominations
of Mgfr250, 100, 50, 25, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1.
Credit
& debit cards: Visa, American Express, MasterCard
and Diners Club are accepted at the capital’s Colbert and
Hilton hotels. These and other cards have limited use elsewhere
in the country. Check with your credit or debit card company for
details of merchant acceptability and other services which may
be available.
Travellers
cheques:
These can be exchanged in banks and major hotels. To avoid additional
exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers
cheques in US Dollars or Euros.
Time:
GMT + 3.
Electricity:
Mostly 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are generally two-pin.
