Madagascar: When to Go

The island's west and southwest get searingly hot during summer (November to March), which can make moving around a struggle, particularly if you're travelling by taxi-brousse (bush taxi). By contrast, the winter months in these regions are pleasant, with blue skies, cooler temperatures and essentially no rain. In the east and northeast, be prepared for rain and overcast skies at any time, although rain showers don't usually last long during the winter months. Between July and September the sea is too dangerous to travel by cargo boat.

Hotels, popular tourist attractions and all forms of transport, including planes and buses, fill up during European holiday periods, ie July to August, Christmas and Easter. Prices also go up at these times. The period between June and October is vanilla season on the east coast, so flights between towns such as Maroantsetra, Mananara and Antalaha often fill up far in advance.

Avoid January to March, when heavy rainfall in many areas of the country makes many roads muddy and impassable, limits outdoor activities and the risk of cyclones (particularly in the east and northeast of the country) is high.

Weather

Because Madagascar is so large, it experiences several climates simultaneously. For example, you could be pegged out on a beach in the southwest and a few days later be rugged up against the cold in the hauts plateaux . In general, the best time to travel in most areas is April and October/November. The only time you should avoid is January to March, when heavy rain can make many roads muddy and impassable, and when there's a high risk of cyclones in the east and northeast. The coolest time to travel is during the winter months (May to October), when the Central Highlands (including Antananarivo) can get cold, wet and windy, although it can still be hot and sunny in the west and southwest.

The west and southwest get searingly hot during the summer, but winter in these regions is pleasantly cool, with blue skies and little rain. Fort Dauphin can experience rain as late in the year as July. In the east and northeast be prepared for rain and overcast skies at any time; on the Masoala Peninsula and around Maroantsetra the wettest months are from July to September.