Shopping
Overview
Among the most popular souvenirs are handicrafts such as lamba (traditional squares of woven fabric with different patterns), zafimaniny wood inlays, silverwork such as Mahafaly crosses and Vangavanga bracelets, gemstone or shell jewellery, handmade paper, Malagasy musical instruments and folk embroidery. Hand-painted pictures, carvings and small sculptures are also nice souvenirs. Materials such as reed, raffia, sisal, palm leaves, bamboo, straw or baobab bark are used to make all sorts of practical wicker and wicker products such as bags, mats, baskets, hats and fans. There are regular markets in all larger towns, on which you will find not only fresh fruit and vegetables but also numerous spices such as cloves, pepper, cinnamon, chili and ylang-ylang. The original Malagasy real vanilla is particularly popular with tourists. Bargaining is common in the markets, especially when buying souvenirs. Prices can often be negotiated down by 10-15%. However, one should not exaggerate with trading and always think of the poverty of the people who have to support their families with the income. In the big cities there are also supermarkets that sell goods for everyday needs. chili and ylang-ylang. The original Malagasy real vanilla is particularly popular with tourists. Bargaining is common in the markets, especially when buying souvenirs. Prices can often be negotiated down by 10-15%. However, one should not exaggerate with trading and always think of the poverty of the people who have to support their families with the income. In the big cities there are also supermarkets that sell goods for everyday needs. chili and ylang-ylang. The original Malagasy real vanilla is particularly popular with tourists. Bargaining is common in the markets, especially when buying souvenirs. Prices can often be negotiated down by 10-15%. However, one should not exaggerate with trading and always think of the poverty of the people who have to support their families with the income. In the big cities there are also supermarkets that sell goods for everyday needs. Bargaining is common in the markets, especially when buying souvenirs. Prices can often be negotiated down by 10-15%. However, one should not exaggerate with trading and always think of the poverty of the people who have to support their families with the income. In the big cities there are also supermarkets that sell goods for everyday needs. Bargaining is common in the markets, especially when buying souvenirs. Prices can often be negotiated down by 10-15%. However, one should not exaggerate with trading and always think of the poverty of the people who have to support their families with the income. In the big cities there are also supermarkets that sell goods for everyday needs.
- Top-engineering-schools: Provides detailed population data for major cities of Madagascar. Also covers geography information including rivers, mountains, lakes, and national borders.
Opening hours
Mon-Sat 08.00-18.00 (usually closed between 12.00-14.00).
annotation
Goods that contain parts of the Madagascar flora or fauna (this also includes dried flowers) sometimes require a separate export license. Items that fall under the Washington Convention on Endangered Species, such as crocodile skin, ostrich eggs, shells, untreated ebony or orchids may not be exported. When buying precious stones, you should definitely have a certificate issued, otherwise they may not be exported.
Nightlife
Introduction
Madagascar is known for its rather quiet nightlife. Many Malagasy go to bed early and get up before sunrise, especially in rural areas the streets are swept empty by 9 p.m. at the latest. There are a few discos and pubs in the capital, Antananarivo, but the nightlife options are very limited in most other towns. Often there is only one restaurant where you can at least have a drink, but alcohol is relatively expensive in Madagascar. In the more touristy areas, such as Toamasina, there are some hotels that have a nightclub or at least a bar. On the island of Nosy Bé, there are numerous bars and restaurants along the nearly two-kilometer-long sandy beach of Madirokely, where there is a lively hustle and bustle until late at night. In many larger cities you will find cinemas and theaters as well as a surprising number of karaoke bars. Performances by local theater groups and traditional dance performances take place all over the island. Live bands and solo musicians also tour the country. The Malagasy music, which is characterized by African influences and is very rhythmic, invites you to dance along. The rhythms differ depending on the region, for example the music from the highlands has a more delicate rhythm in the middle of the country, while the music in the north tends to play strong and fast rhythms. The dances also adapt to the respective rhythm.
Culinary
Overview
In Madagascar, eating well means eating a lot; portions are generous and Malagasy cuisine is hearty and bold. Usually there is a large portion of rice with various sauces, meat, vegetables and hot spices. The preparation of the rice varies, for example, it is fried in fat as rice cakes (Ramanonaka) or boiled to a pulp with plenty of water for breakfast. About a dozen different types of rice are used. Spicy food is popular and most dishes are seasoned with fiery hot peppers. In Madagascar, also known as Vanilla Island, many desserts are made with vanilla.
Regional specialities
Ro (beef and pork marinated in vinegar, water and oil, then cooked with greens, onions and pickles and seasoned with pimento) Ravitoto (a stew of meat and leafy greens) Ramazava (leafy greens, beef and pork chunks, stir-fried ) Vary amid ‘anana (rice, leafy greens or herbs, meat, and sometimes shrimp), often eaten with kitoza (long slices of cured or salted meat).
Useful information
Local restaurants are referred to as hotely.
Tip
A 10-15% tip in restaurants is common. Tipping is also common in Chinese and Vietnamese establishments.
Regional drinks
Made in Madagascar are litchel (lychees aperitif), betsabetsa (a type of beer made from sugar cane) and toaka gasy (distilled from sugar cane and rice), as well as Three Horses Pilsner. Non-alcoholic drinks include ranon ‘apango or rano vda (a rice drink) and local mineral water.
Minimum age for consumption of alcoholic beverages
In Madagascar, you can drink alcohol from the age of 18.
Culture
Religion
52% adherents of native religions, 41% Christians and 7% Muslims.
Social Rules of Conduct
General: Fadys (local taboos), set by the elders of the village community, regulate daily life in Madagascar. Sacred places are also called fady, which are sacred to the Malagasy and therefore taboo for foreigners, such as graves or certain natural shrines such as revered ponds or trees. You should find out about existing fadys from people who know the area, especially outside of the larger cities, and you should definitely respect them. Attire: Casual attire is appropriate, though more elegantly dressed guests may be expected in upscale hotels and restaurants. Swimwear belongs on the beach. Appropriate manners: Invitations to private houses are rather rare. In some areas it is still customary today (as far as the costs of this action allow) to invite an ancestor to the village festival and dig him up for this purpose so that he can be present in person. Later he is dressed in new shrouds and buried again. This ritual (known as Famadihana) shows the people’s adherence to ancestral traditions. Adultery and pedophilia are forbidden by law and punishable by heavy imprisonment or fines. Since it cannot be ruled out that foreigners are sometimes deliberately placed in a compromising situation, it is advisable to be particularly careful when in contact with young girls and women. Photographing: Military or police installations may not be photographed the same applies to security-related facilities such as airports, bridges or government buildings. People should be asked before being photographed.
Climate
Best travel time
Hot and subtropical climate, cooler in the mountains. Rainy season: November – March. Dry season: April – October. In the south and west it is hot and dry. The monsoon rains in the east and north bring storms and hurricanes between December and March. In the mountains, including Antananarivo, it is warm and thundery between November and April, otherwise dry, cool and windy.
Country data
Phone prefix
+261
Area (sq km)
587041
Population
27,691,018 (Source: homosociety)
Population density (per square km)
41
Population statistics year
2020
Main emergency number
117
