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Madagascar Tourism
The island can be divided into three main parts: the East Coast, a narrow coastal strip abutting the steep slopes of the North-South mountain range, home of the rain forest; the Central Highlands, averaging 2500 to 4500 feet in altitude and culminating at 9430 feet, decorated with immense rice fields; and the West Coast, home of the baobabs and thorny forest. Coral reefs fringe a portion of the coast. Most plants and animals found in Madagascar exist only there.
Thirteen million Malagasy inhabit Madagascar. Exactly how and when the early Malagasy discovered and settled the island is not known. They have a dual Indonesian and African origin, attested by their physical features, language, agricultural practices, and customs. In spite of their diversity, they are united by a common language, rooted in the ancient Malayo-Polynesian, ancestor of the tongues spoken in the vast area bounded by Hawaii, the Tuamotu and Madagascar. The modern language has been enriched by words imported from Bantu tongues, Swahili, Arabic, English and French.
"Ny havany efa maty no ataoan'ny Malagasy hoe: Razana." This quote from the philosopher Rahajarizafy comes from a passage extolling his compatriots' cult of the ancestors. The profound veneration of the Malagasy for their ancestors, the closeness of the former to the latter, are an extraordinary trait. This attachment to the ancestors coupled with a deep love and respect for their children, this orientation toward both the past and the future, seems to give the Malagasy a serene tranquility and sense of continuity in life.
Travelling in Madagascar is not for everybody.
The most ancient road is not yet 100 years old and tourism is a very young industry. Many conveniences available and expected in heavily-travelled places like Greece or Japan simply do not exist. If you insists on exact schedules, well-planned itineraries and plush accomodations, if you want to be able to hop on the next plane or place an urgent long-distance phone call, this country is not for you.
However, if you are flexible and looking for the unexpected, if you want to meet an extraordinary people, then go and discover this fascinating island! You will certainly agree with the characterization made by world-explorer Dervla Murphy: "Apart from the Tibetans, I have never travelled among a people as endearing as the Malagasy." You will become attached to the country, verifying once more the Malagasy proverb: "They who drink the water from the Manangareza river always come back to Madagascar".
Thirteen million Malagasy inhabit Madagascar. Exactly how and when the early Malagasy discovered and settled the island is not known. They have a dual Indonesian and African origin, attested by their physical features, language, agricultural practices, and customs. In spite of their diversity, they are united by a common language, rooted in the ancient Malayo-Polynesian, ancestor of the tongues spoken in the vast area bounded by Hawaii, the Tuamotu and Madagascar. The modern language has been enriched by words imported from Bantu tongues, Swahili, Arabic, English and French.
"Ny havany efa maty no ataoan'ny Malagasy hoe: Razana." This quote from the philosopher Rahajarizafy comes from a passage extolling his compatriots' cult of the ancestors. The profound veneration of the Malagasy for their ancestors, the closeness of the former to the latter, are an extraordinary trait. This attachment to the ancestors coupled with a deep love and respect for their children, this orientation toward both the past and the future, seems to give the Malagasy a serene tranquility and sense of continuity in life.
Travelling in Madagascar is not for everybody.
The most ancient road is not yet 100 years old and tourism is a very young industry. Many conveniences available and expected in heavily-travelled places like Greece or Japan simply do not exist. If you insists on exact schedules, well-planned itineraries and plush accomodations, if you want to be able to hop on the next plane or place an urgent long-distance phone call, this country is not for you.
However, if you are flexible and looking for the unexpected, if you want to meet an extraordinary people, then go and discover this fascinating island! You will certainly agree with the characterization made by world-explorer Dervla Murphy: "Apart from the Tibetans, I have never travelled among a people as endearing as the Malagasy." You will become attached to the country, verifying once more the Malagasy proverb: "They who drink the water from the Manangareza river always come back to Madagascar".
