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We took our little tent with us. We did that to be able to stay at the national parcs. There is a good reason to stay overnight since Malagasy wildlife tends to be nocturnal. There are often more species of animal busy at night then during the day. Seems like all the animals are waiting for the light to go out to start hunting , searching for food and above all -----to make some noise.
If you go camping at montagne d'Ambre it get quit cold at night and especially near the morning. Not only the animals start making noise at night , there was also a hard wind coming from nowhere. So you'll need to bring some gear to seal your tent for sure.
We also camped at the reserve special de l'Ankarana , but tent there were installed and the climate was much nicer , even warm at night. Leave a Comment
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Let me explain! I didn't had any good walking shoes. Well I did , but they were not suitable for all purposes... I had the perfect shoes for walking long distances in Belgium , but not for Madagascar.
You'll need some shoes with serious ridges under it. I was walking this cave at Ankarana - it wasn't like the once I visited before , - no electricity , no wooden stairs making it easier - I lost grip , because of my shoes and I went a couple of meters down. Everybody was scared up. lol But I used my knees as brakes.
Well now I come to think of it. You also need some gear to wash out wounds. To disinfect wounds for sure , and to be able to cover them during night. You'll also need something to soften those wounds. On knees they tend to burst open every time you...
I added a picture from my knee - YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT IT!!!
YOU CAN LEAVE THAT PICTURE CLOSED. Leave a Comment
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Concerning water... the water in Madagascar looks very clean. But it is safer for you to buy bottled water. We also made it an habbit if we stayed in a hotel to fill a bottle with water from the tap , and ad some purifier in it.(to brush our teeth)
Pay attention , there are different kinds of purifier. The best one is a bit more expensive , you'll need to wait for 20 minutes to make sure that all the bacterias are killed - and the more expensive one contains a substance that keeps the water free of harmful bacteria.
If you go camping for several days and you are not able to take bottle water , you'll need this for sure. A little bottle of purifier can make 1000 liters of water safe for you.
NOW , not all regions in Madagascar have clean water in abundance. In the north that clean water for a large city like Diego Suarez or Antsiranana (100 000 people) is depending on the 'lac verte' - green lake in the national parc montagne d'Ambre. You are in a national parc...how do you feel about using soap and detergents , and how about toothpaste?
To my modest opinion , it might be best to use it as little as possible and to pay some attention if you buy the products. Bio-degradeble toothpaste is availeble in our western shops. It is up to you to make that decision. Leave a Comment
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July, August, September, bring 1-2 jumpers, pull-overs.. A K-Way windbreaker and sometimes, warm pajamas for cold nights in highlands.
Anti-malaria medecines. Prior to your trip to Madagascar, take anti-malaria treatment, have yourself correctly vaccinated against C Hepatitis. Anti-tourista medecines. Ask your tropical specialist as it seems that malaria strains in Madagascar resist to ordinary anti-malaria medicines..
Syringe needles are always in short supply in some areas. So, bring yours (as many as you can, in order to not use/ share used needles). Risk: HIV and C Hepatitis.
Special films for humid areas. Special equipment for your scuba-diving pics! Also bring some material (cover) to protect equipment from waterspills, dust when cruising or going through dusty areas.
Solid boots for trekking, climb hills. Thick socks. Sun block creams (especially high SPF ones) as light is strong over there. A hat for sensitive skins and preliminary preparations for "sunbathers". A cotton scarf (like a chech) to cover your mouth & nose from the dust: very useful in winter when it's dry & dusty & you are having a fun trek on dirty roads. Now, to pack light, you could buy the hat, the cotton scarf upon your arrival in Tana. OK, you can check pic2... lol
Extra tip for who intending to walk dusty areas !!! Bring Eucalyptus essential oil (Local brands such as Homeopharma & Bioaroma have a wide range od essential oils - see Shopping tips for addresses) as you'll need them to regularly "clean" your nostrils from dust. Also, very convenient to counter those light colds, sore throats....
For lense-wearers, bring extra-units of your lenses and cleaning products. I am not sure shops there do have those in constant assortment. Leave a Comment
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If you go to Madagascar , take a cover with you for your luggage.
That cover should be waterproof. When you take a taxi brousse they will transport your luggage on the roof. We noticed that they cover the stuff themselves when we came from Mantadia-Andasibe since it is very likely to rain. But there is another reason. Madagascar seems to be covered with very fine , red dust. That dust finds it way everywhere - even in the trunk of a closed 4x4. I didn't covered my luggage then , and I should have done that. I didn't expect it to find my bags. (when we arrived in Paris , we only realised how dirty we were. I had our clothes washed before returning , but still , traces of that dust ...) Leave a Comment
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Take all your old stuff and leave it there. People often don't have any decent clothes and will be very happy with anything you have to offer. If you don't know who to give it to, look for and elderly person. They are higly respected and will make a wise decision. Leave a Comment
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Bag that travels along easily in small planes.
No need for special electricity plugs. They're the same as in northern European countries (Netherlands, Germany...)
Clothing:
Something longsleeved for evenings (mosquitos), as well because November evenings are cool (12-18 Celsius).
Shoes:
these get really dusty and dirty. If you mind that, take along some polish!
Weather Gear:
thought it would rain but it didn't much. And the hot weather lets you dry quickly. So my rain jacket wasn't needed.
- injection needles for when you need injections there (security against Aids)
- medication against diarrhoea
- medication against dehydration
- Anti mosquito stuff
- A lotion against swollen legs/feet during long flights
- It's of great importance to use malaria pills and to take them meticuously. If you get malaria once, you will suffer from it your whole life. I took Lariam, which for me had no side effects.
Dutch website about malaria
Take extra batteries for camera's and all the film you think you need.
A thin pareo is fine as a towel on the beach. Dries quickly after drying off. You can buy them anywhere for about 50.000 MFG (about 6 USD) - plastic shoes for when you go swimming. Be careful not to step on sea urchins.
Drink at least one glass of coca cola each day for indigestion.
Food
Usual fare is rice with every meal of the day. Continue to eat lightly after your return, stomach will have to adjust back. Breakfast is French, lunch and dinner are both cooked meals. Lots of seafood and zebu which is the local cow.
PHOTO: on the road to Tuléar, families were doing laundry near a pool of water. The children, if they weren't helping, played, sang and danced. Leave a Comment
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Just pack some ballpoints to share with the local childern. They can highly appricate these gifts. Sometimes the whole village was around us when we gave these pen away! Leave a Comment Other Contact: Youre local grocery store
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Backpack
My best investment ever-pair of hiking boots
raincoat kag in a bag
shorts
teeshirts
longsleeve shirt
trousers
best tip-take things to gives to kids, photos, freebies out of cereal boxes etc
everything you need, all medications, maybe syringes remembering its a third world country so if you need injection they may not have clean needles
malaria tablets-unfortunately its larium
zoom camera essential for the close up shots of the cute lemurs
swimming custume
snorkle and mask
travel light! Leave a Comment
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ANTI-MALARIAL PROPHYLACTICS... which you need to start taking a couple of weeks before your trip. In Madagascar the chloroquin-resistant strain of malaria is prevalent, so a drug called 'lariam' is often prescribed. Personally, I had a bad experience with lariam -- in some people it can affect the liver and make one sick -- so I would recommend asking your doctor what all your options are. Leave a Comment
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