Madagascar Travel Guide

The "outlying island" of Madagascar has many unique species given by nature, such as the world's largest and smallest chameleons, the world's largest bird, the elephant bird, and more than 70 species of lemurs and the ayeur that only exists in Madagascar. Bread trees and orchids are also treasures of Madagascar. The location of the world's second largest bay makes the coastline extremely beautiful, and you will find everything more beautiful here than in cartoons.

98% of the residents in the

are Malagasy (Malagasy, French: Malgache), the rest are Comoros, Indians, Pakistan, French, and about 50,000 overseas Chinese and Chinese. There are 18 tribes, large and small, in the country, mainly Imerina (accounting for 26.1% of the total population) and Betsimisaraka (accounting for 14.1%). People are accustomed to dividing the Malaysian people into two major tribes: Plateau people and Coast people. The Imerina people living in Antananarivo and Fianaranchu areas are collectively called Plateau people, and other coastal tribes are collectively called Coast people. The languages, cultures, customs and habits of each tribe are generally the same.

Malagasy is the national language and belongs to the Mala-Polynesian language family. French is officially spoken. The constitutional amendment passed in a referendum on April 4, 2007 stipulates that English is also the official language of Malaysia. Residents in remote rural areas mainly believe in superstitious and unorganized primitive religions, accounting for about 52% of the total population; residents in cities and nearby areas mostly believe in Christianity (Catholic and Protestant), with Christians accounting for 41% of the total population; in some areas in the north and southeast coastal areas, a small number of residents believe in Islam, accounting for about 5%. The Christian Church in Malaysia has a large number of believers and is well-organized, and many churches have been built by various masters across the country.

The best time to travel is a tropical rainforest climate, with hot and humid all year round, with an average annual temperature of 24°C; the central part has a tropical plateau climate, mild and cool, with an average annual temperature of 18.3°C; the western part has a tropical grassland climate, with drought and little rain, with an average annual temperature of 26.6°C. Generally speaking, Madagascar has two seasons. The dry season is from October to March of the following year, and the rainy season is from April to September. The best tourist season to Madagascar is from May to October.

Visa Notice: China citizens need to apply for a short-term tourist visa to travel to Madagascar. If they travel to Madagascar from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions or a third country, they can apply for a visa on arrival. The stay time depends on the situation, up to three months.

Entry and exit instructions When entering and exiting traffic carrying dutiable items and large amounts of foreign exchange, you must declare to the customs and go through corresponding procedures. According to Malaysian customs regulations, passengers carrying foreign exchange worth more than 10 million Ali (about 500 US dollars) when leaving the country must declare to the customs. If the value is less than 10 million Ali, they must not declare it, but they must present legal exchange documents during customs inspection.

At present, due to the unclear division of labor among various agencies within the Capital International Airport, the customs is very strict with foreign exchange exit management. It is recommended that passengers declare foreign exchange when entering the country and bring declaration forms or bank exchange documents for inspection when leaving the country. In addition, Malaysian Customs stipulates that anyone who brings rare animals such as lemurs or sun turtles out of the country, regardless of the number, will be sentenced to at least five years in prison.

Madagascar customs officers also like to ask for tips, or check tourists 'luggage through manual inspection and other methods to take the opportunity to ask for bribes. They advise tourists that what they carry when crossing customs comply with local regulations and regulations, and declare them when entering the airport. Regulations on carrying goods: Madagascar handicrafts, common handicrafts on the market, wood carvings, straw weaving, gemstones, and fossil products are basically allowed to leave the country, but different products have different regulations, such as mahogany or black wood carvings and fossil products require Exit permit.

Then when purchasing, please be sure to ask the handicraft manufacturer to provide it with it. The French name is "LAISSER PASSER " and not just an ordinary invoice. As for animal specimens, such as hawksbill turtles, crocodiles, chameleons, etc., as well as live wild animals, these are all first-class protected animals under the International Animal Protection Convention and are absolutely prohibited from being carried out of the country. If you venture through the border, you will face the risk of legal sanctions.

In addition, there are not no restrictions on gemstones. According to the current law, ordinary tourists are only allowed to bring up to 250 grams of gemstones (including processed jewelry) and 2 kilograms of processed vanilla out of the country under declaration. If this limit is exceeded, you will face the risk of prosecution and fines for smuggling.

transportation instructions, the mainland of China tourists generally have the following flight routes: After the direct flights are opened, the most convenient one is of course the direct flights from Guangzhou to Madagascar (stopping through Bangkok on the way). In addition, most accustomed guests will choose to come to Madagascar via Hong Kong-Mauritius. There are also many people who come to Madagascar via Fyeorburg (or Nairobi, Kenya), which has also become a choice for many people. They can also stay and travel on the African continent.

There are usually the following routes starting from the country: Beijing/Shanghai-Mauritius-Madagascar Hong Kong-Mauritius-Madagascar Guangzhou-Thailand (stay for 2 hours without leaving the customs)-Madagascar Tourists preparing to travel can choose the most affordable and convenient route to Madagascar.

Countries that open direct flights to Madagascar include: Europe: Paris, France, and Marseille. Operating airlines include Malaysia Airlines, Air France, and Reunion Air.

Asia: Bangkok, Guangzhou (opened in July 2009), operating airlines include Malaysia Airlines.

Africa: Kenya, South Africa, operating airlines include Malaysia Airlines, Kenya Airways, and South African Airways.

Indian Ocean island countries: Mauritius, Reunion, Comoros. Operating airlines include Malaysia Airlines, Mao Airlines, and Reunion Air.

Currency Note: Madagascar is a foreign exchange controlled country. The common currency is Ariary Malagasy Ariary (MGA), generally labeled Ar, or "Ali" for short. Currently, the denominations of Madagascar Ariari banknotes are 100 Ariari, 200 Ariari, 500 Ariari, 1000 Ariari, 2000 Ariari, 5000 Ariari, and 10000 Ariari. Tourists can exchange U.S. dollars or euros for Aliari at airports and banks.

Currently, ATMs of the Commercial Bank of Mauritius (MCB) in Madagascar can accept withdrawals and balance inquiries from UnionPay cards. Credit cards can be used in hotels or large supermarkets above Samsung. Visa credit cards are more applicable, and Mastercard can also be used. However, a certain handling fee may be charged. When using credit cards in Africa, you must pay attention to the swiping environment to prevent cards from being swiped.

Consumption level Malaysia's industrial foundation is weak, and its main industrial products and daily necessities are imported, which are expensive. The varieties of vegetables, fruits and seafood are relatively complete and the prices are reasonable. There are several large supermarkets in the capital, with sufficient supplies and a shortage of goods outside the capital. An ordinary youth hostel bed is about RMB 30-50 a night, a small hotel room is about RMB 100-150 a night, a light meal is about RMB 20-50, and a bottle of beverage is about RMB 3-5.

Communication and Internet Madagascar's national area code is 00261, mobile phone numbers have 10 digits in total, landline numbers have 7 digits, and landline numbers have a unified national area code of 020. For example, for example, the mobile phone number is 0331102222, and the overseas dialing is 00261-331102222 (that is, remove the "0" in front). Domestic dialing is 0331102222; landline number is 020-2264957, and overseas dialing is 00261- 20- 2264957; domestic mobile phone dialing is 020-2264957, and landline dialing is 2264957.

China mobile phones are compatible with local standards in Madagascar. Locals often choose Airtel mobile phone cards, while China mostly use Orange's services, making calls to China cheaper. In the case of Airtel, the cost of calling other Airtel mobile phone users in the capital for a 20-minute call is equivalent to RMB 60. Therefore, this is unimaginable for domestic users, and the network penetration rate of motors is also very low. There are problems of slow network speeds and frequent disconnection. Although hotels all have wireless WIFI, they can only guarantee the application of simple instant software such as WeChat and QQ.

网站图片位

Activities Celebrating the Circumcision Festival is an important custom and festival in Madagascar. Similar to other African countries, local people believe that boys must be circumcised shortly after birth so that they can become masculine later. Every year from June to September, adults will gather all male boys born during this period or not yet circumcised to perform the circumcised ceremony. People will sing and dance to celebrate. On a large scale, thousands of people will come to participate.

Medical advice Madagascar's sanitary conditions are backward, and some common diseases can be seen everywhere on the African continent, such as malaria, dengue fever, amoebic dysentery, etc. Local doctors have long lacked medicines, especially in remote villages. In Antananarivo, military hospitals and individual foreign clinics have better conditions, but the related costs are high and ordinary civilians dare not visit them. China expatriates generally bring their own small amounts of commonly used medicines. They have no medical treatment to diagnose minor illnesses. For serious illnesses, they can go to the China medical team for treatment.

When traveling, you should pay special attention to the morning and evening, prepare a good mosquito net, sleeping bag, insect repellent, and recommend long clothes and trousers all day long.

It is recommended that tourists who stay for more than 30 days should take the following precautions: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus, polio, typhoid, rabies, cholera, yellow fever, dengue fever, tuberculosis, plague, and AIDS.

Tap water is also not suitable for drinking unless it is boiled. Make sure the ice cubes in the drink come from bottled water and use bottled water for brushing your teeth. Therefore, it is recommended to carry more antibiotics and anti-diarrhea drugs, as well as anti-swelling drugs for mosquito bites. Medical facilities here are limited, and there is a French-run medical clinic in Antananarivo.

Tips

1. When traveling in Mada, you must wear light linen T-shirts, shirts, skirts and light casual shoes or sneakers according to the season. However, it is also relatively cold at night in the dry season, so thick coats and jackets are also very needed. Passengers traveling to the east and north for island tours must be prepared for sun protection.

2. Various service places, museums, visiting places, banks, etc. in Madagascar are generally open from 9:00 to 16:30 from Monday to Friday, and are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. The supermarket will be open from Monday to Sunday in the morning, and until 19:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday. It will be closed on Sundays and will be closed on legal holidays. The closer you are to important festivals, the worse social security will be, so pay attention to the safety of people and property during festivals, especially tourists in the capital of Madagascar.

3. Voltage: Madagascar's civil electricity is 220 volts alternating current; the power outlet is French standard with double-ended round plugs. Electricity is widespread in the capital, but power outages are frequent during the rainy season.

4. Tip: Usually 500- 2000 Ar. for carrying luggage, If a driver + guide stays with you for more than 4 hours, the satisfaction level will be 10,000 - 25,000 Ar. per day; guides in national parks will usually be 3,000 - 15,000 Ar. Depending on the duration of company, the difficulty and your satisfaction. There is no 20% tax charged for dining in the hotel restaurant; however, if it is not a hotel restaurant, if two people eat, the tip usually ranges from 2,000 to 6,000 Ar. If there are more people, you will give more. Taxi drivers may not give them if the service time is less than 1.5 hours. Of course, you can also prepare some dollar or euro banknotes to pay for tips.

5. Postcards sent from Madagascar to China cost about RMB 20 and 8000Ar. It takes about 20-30 days to reach China. The address can be filled in all in Chinese, as long as it is marked with the sentence "to China."