Madagascar Travel Guide

Having once described Madagascar as “the fourth largest island in the world, Madagascar’s diverse flora and fauna and unique landscapes present a whole new world to visiting tourists, for those who wish to visit unusual sights Offering an excellent choice.” I believe most people’s first impression of Madagascar comes from the animal paradise in DreamWorks Animation’s “Lonely Planet.” 160 million years ago, it accidentally left the African continent and became isolated from the rest of the world. Its unique natural conditions, diverse landforms, and complex climate environment create a unique ecosystem that creates this magical island. This "laboratory of God's creation" houses nearly 50% of the world's plant and animal species, 80 of which are unique to the local area. It is an active natural museum.

How to get to Madagascar?

Currently there are no direct flights from China to Madagascar. Usually you transfer from Mauritius. Of course, there are also connections from Istanbul, Seychelles, Abu Dhabi, Kenya, and even South Africa and France. No matter where the connection is, good quality and low price are king. Under normal circumstances, the price of a round-trip economy class ticket from mainland China to Malaysia is around 7,800 to 10,000 pounds. Of course, if you book your air tickets a few months in advance, there are also special prices of 3,000 to 4,000 yuan for a round trip, and there are also many special prices for flights departing from Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

Current Location Malaysia’s airports are small. That's because there are only a few flights a day (including their domestic routes), so immigration takes a long time and is quite confusing. After you pay the fee for your visa on arrival, the large customs counters on three floors in the conference room surround you, waiting for your name. When you arrive, you can get your passport. The fee for a visa on arrival is currently (August 2016) 27 Euros or 30 US dollars. In addition, entry is not dependent on proof of vaccination.

About entry

Exchange rate The name of Malaysia’s currency is “Ariary”, and the exchange rate with RMB is approximately 1 RMB: 450 Ariary. When we have a stack of arias in our hands, how can we quickly and easily know how much the RMB is worth? I'll teach you a simple method. First remove three "0"s and then multiply by "2.2" to get the approximate value of RMB. For example, 3,000 arias, remove three "0"s and multiply by 2.2, then 6.6 is the approximate value of RMB.

Quote Ali Ali has only seven denominations of banknotes: 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000. What's more, before 2005, Malaysia used the Madagascar franc (no longer used), which was exactly 1:5 with Ali Ali, that is, 1,000 Ali is equal to 5,000 francs. Malaysians sometimes quote prices in francs, so you have to ask clearly. If you didn't know, you'd be paying five times the price.

About currency

Friends who often go abroad or travel abroad for cash withdrawals should know that Hua Xia Bank’s UnionPay debit card is very easy to use. It can withdraw cash once a day overseas for free, but handling fees from foreign banks may be unavoidable. A bank in Malaysia called BFV-SG happens to be free (with many branches), but each withdrawal cannot exceed 400,000 Ali, which is about the same. So if you want to withdraw more cash at once and avoid handling fees, it is best to bring more Hua Xia cards.

Security At the same time, it must be mentioned that the security in Antananarivo, the capital of Malaysia, is not good. After all, it is one of the least developed countries. Especially at night, it is recommended not to carry large amounts of cash, including gold and silver jewelry.

Exchange If you want to exchange money, I recommend using US dollars or Euros. The exchange rate is okay, but the RMB exchange rate is very poor. You can just exchange some money at the airport to buy a car, and you have to withdraw cash from the bank.

Swiping credit cards is almost useless in Malaysia, mainly cash. This is the case in China.

About bank cash withdrawal and currency exchange

Malaysia is one of the least developed countries in the world, with a per capita GDP of 300-400 US dollars. A full-time nanny’s monthly salary is about 150-200 RMB, and a skilled motorcycle assembler’s monthly salary is about 400-450 RMB.

So it is conceivable that prices in Malaysia cannot be high. What level will it be? A banana costs two cents and a Malaysian meal (fish, chicken or beef bibimbap) costs five yuan. A bus ticket in the city costs about 50 minutes to 1 yuan, and a typical hotel ticket costs 50 yuan to about 100 yuan a night. Therefore, traveling in Malaysia for a month will cost about 4,000 yuan, including all expenses, but not including round-trip international air tickets. Of course, this is based on the cost of budget travel. You can only take local minibuses to and from various towns and attractions, stay in cheap hotels or inns, and eat Malaysian food. Therefore, the cost of this thing varies from person to person and can only be used as a reference. (This data is based on experience in 2016 and is for reference only)

About prices

Malaysia has two official languages, French and Malagasy. But let’s be honest, Malagasy is widely spoken. After all, the working people do not have much education, many do not speak French, and few speak English. Therefore, it is recommended that every tourist going to Malaysia should be fully prepared. On the one hand, he needs to learn a few commonly used French words (especially words and sentences for asking about prices and expressing numbers). On the other hand, he needs to learn a few Malagasy words commonly used in Malaysia and make good use of expressions and gestures to communicate.

About language

Malaysia has almost no industrial enterprises. Of course, corporate facilities such as electricity and water purification cannot be counted on. Water and power outages are commonplace. In some remote areas, drinking water sources are a big problem. Malaysian people have to fetch water from the Yellow River, so snacks, snacks and other foods will have very little gravel. Due to the lack of water, various sanitary conditions are often not guaranteed. A swarm of flies will circle around you, which is normal in ordinary hotels. A similar scene is similar to the slums in India, except that India has rich areas, but Malaysia does not. They are all slums. So what should we do?

1. Drink pure mineral water every day, the price is slightly cheaper than in China;

2. Friends with poor gastrointestinal adaptability can go to good hotels and restaurants to eat, and the price is actually not bad. You can have a meal for about 25-40 yuan; 3. Bring some simple cooking utensils from home, use local materials, buy some in the market and process them yourself;

About water and food

Special meat There is an animal in Malaysia called Zebu, which has a sarcoma on its back. In fact, it functions like a "hump." Cows are not only a farming tool for Malaysians, but also a means of transportation and a delicacy on the table. Usually when we go to local Malaysian restaurants, we can eat zebu beef. The price is the same as chicken and fish. In the evening, there is beef skewers at the barbecue stall, which are cheap and only cost a few cents per skewer.

Specialty drinks Malaysian restaurants usually offer a special drink when dining, which is actually made by soaking burned crispy rice in hot water. This kind of "burnt rice water" has a rather bitter taste, but once you get used to it, it's okay (at least it's a clean and free water source). White foreigners jokingly call it "Madagascar coffee."

Special snacks Other snacks in Malaysia include fried dough sticks, fried coconut rice balls, fried bananas, fried vegetable cakes, boiled or fried cassava, etc. The price of each snack is about a few cents.

Fruits in Malaysia are really cheap. A banana or an orange costs 20 cents on average, and a 1kg Sakyamuni or coconut is 4 yuan. However, there are very few types of fruits, mainly bananas and oranges. .

About Malaysia’s special dishes, snacks and fruits

Traffic situation Malaysia is the fourth largest island in the world and the largest island in Africa. However, such a large country does not have highways. Even normal national highways are narrow. The two cars met without colliding, which was good. Therefore, there are only a few places where you can occasionally see buses. The common buses and long-distance buses in Malaysia are minibuses. They're called taxi-buses, and they look like the large commercial buses like Iveco and Transit that are common in China. Of course, they are absolutely packed, with four seats in a row that can seat seven people (five adults and two children).

Long-distance buses and long-distance bus stations in Malaysia are also quite messy. You will be surprised when you go there for the first time. It's small, messy and dirty, with no unified management.

All the car companies are scattered in a market, and you look confused, not knowing which one to look for. There are still many people surrounding you asking where you are going. You must not answer at this time, otherwise he will lead you to buy high-priced tickets. You still have to go to the office one by one to ask about the departure price. All prices are negotiable. This is Malaysian culture, some people will ask you for tips for carrying your luggage. You can give them away and leave them alone. If you really want to give it to them, 200-500 Ali will be enough.

Road conditions in Malaysia are surprisingly bad. The main road was in disrepair and the two cars could only barely meet each other. There is a thick layer of gray sand on the roads in many cities and towns. Every time a vehicle passes by, the air pollution index is absolutely ridiculously high!

About transportation overview

There are two types of airport shuttle buses to and from Antananarivo Airport, one is the airport minibus (10,000 Ali, equivalent to 20 yuan), and the other There are buses and minibuses to and from the airport (500 Ali, equivalent to 1 yuan). The price from the airport to the city is too high. I didn't call. I suggest you make more counteroffers.

There are two main long-distance bus stations in Antananarivo, the northern bus station and the southern bus station. Commuting to and from Morondava or Tulil is at the South Station; commuting between Tamatave, NosyBoraha, Majunga, NosyBe and Antsiranana is at the North Station.

There are public minibuses in Tana, which are extremely crowded. It gets even worse during the peak period. The only advantage is that it is cheap, usually around 1 to 2 yuan.

Taxi prices are okay. Not expensive. Generally, there is no need to use a meter, so you must negotiate the price. If you don’t want to bargain, just wait and cry.

Rickshaws By the way, many big cities and towns in Malaysia have a variety of light vehicles, such as rickshaws, rickshaws, human-powered tricycles, electromechanical tricycles, etc. Locals call them "pouse-pouse". They are clingy and will stare at you for a long time. If you really want to buy, remember to bargain. The prices can be really cheap.

About Thane’s transportation (airport, long-distance bus station)

When traveling in Malaysia, SIM cards often encounter the problem of not being able to find available WIFI (not even in many hotels). If you don’t buy a SIM card, you may lose contact at any time for a long time. There are three communication service providers on the island, Telma, Airtel and Orange. China's mobile phone system used to work. Airtel and Telma have similar coverage. If you just make phone calls, the charges for both are around 8-10 Ali/second; but for Internet access, Airtel is better, with many packages and easy activation. SIM cards are sold at airports and at business offices in urban areas (including many small towns). You need a passport. Each card costs about 2,000 Ali. Recharge cards can be purchased at convenience stores, supermarkets, gas stations, etc. The SIM card is called puce locally, and the recharge card is called credit.

The telephone area code of Madagascar is 00261. The 10-digit mobile phone number starts with 034 for TELMA, 033 for AIRTEL, and 032 for ORANGE. Landline numbers are 7 digits, and the national unified area code for landline numbers is 020.

For example, the mobile phone number is 03311222, the overseas dialing number is 00261-3311222 (that is, the leading "0" is removed), the domestic dialing number is 033111222; the landline number is 020-1234567, and the overseas dialing number is 00261- 20-1234567, domestic mobile phone number is 020-1234567, landline number is 1234567.

About online communication

Due to economic constraints, most hotels in Malaysia cannot be found on international hotel websites (booking, agoda, etc.). ), especially some affordable hotels. For poor friends, it is also a good way to find a suitable hotel in the local area.

Conditions: Some budget hotels in remote areas do not have hot water showers, but the bathroom has a large water tank with a spoon in the water tank, which can be used for bathing with cold water. Many white foreigners jokingly call it the "Madagascar bath." Another reason for this way of bathing is that the tourist season in Malaysia is from June to November every year, which is also the dry season and there is a great shortage of water. Just give you some water to wash yourself. When staying in Malaysia, remember to take precautions against mosquitoes. If you have a mosquito net, be sure to use it. Don’t really regret getting malaria from a mosquito bite.

About hotel accommodation

Although Malaysia is poor, the people are generally kind and hospitable. Every time you walk on the road, there are always many people taking the initiative to say hello to you. Of course, kids will be more enthusiastic because you look different than them.

The country has regulations that horses cannot point at others with their index or middle fingers, as it will be considered impolite.

In Malaysia, men usually greet each other by clapping and punching, while women have less formal contact.

In general, Malaysia is a Catholic country. On Sunday, people go to church, so all the shops and restaurants on the streets are closed. Supermarkets in big cities are only open until 5 pm. At this time, if you need to eat, you can only choose Chinese food, because only Chinese restaurants are open all year round. .

About folk custom

Malaysian prices are generally cheap, but people always want to make more money. Therefore, when traveling in Malaysia, you must not believe any quotation, even if it is very cheap fruit, you must negotiate the price, unless you already know the price of a local product or service.

Generally include: hotel prices, city bus tickets, products sold in supermarkets, attraction tickets and related tour guide fees, meals in regular restaurants;

Generally include: fruits, vegetables , food seasonings sold in other markets, gifts and souvenirs from small shops, roadside snacks, long-distance fares, taxi fares, chartered fares, and driver fees.

About the culture of bargaining

Thieves

Thieves in Malaysia are mainly found in big cities or major tourist towns, such as Tana, Mulundawa, etc. The bag was lost accidentally. Smartphones are a favorite among Malaysians, and certainly among thieves. Be sure to protect your mobile phone and bank cards. Believe me, it’s hard to imagine how you can survive in Malaysia without mobile phones and bank cards. Of course, having your passport stolen is also a big deal. Remember to have a backup copy of your photos and contact the embassy promptly.

Liars

Although Malaysia is poor, people are happy every day, so most people will not lie to you unless they are really wrong. However, if you really believe everyone, then I can only laugh. Everyone you do business with is probably a liar. Common tricks in Malaysia are:

1. Lie to you that the drive is far and persuade you to pay twice the local fare;

2. Say your luggage is overweight, you There is a fee for this. In fact, your ticket price already includes baggage fees;

3. Many people surround you and ask you where you are going and whether you want to take a long-distance bus. If you answer, he will take you to the car office to buy a ticket, and then he can draw it, and you will definitely pay more;

5. Suppose you go from departure station A all the way to national park B, and then When you arrive at the seaside town C, the staff at station A will tell you that there is no bus to station B going to C. It is recommended that you buy a ticket from A to C in advance. They will meet you at station B one day, but the fact is that once you really pay, no one will meet you. Please believe me, blood lessons!

4. The fake tour guide will pester you, deceive your trust, know that you are eager to join the tour, and then quote a high price and ask you to pay back some of the price. You thought it was cheap, so you hurriedly joined the group, only to find out later that your price was twice as expensive as other group members.

Police

Malaysian police can be seen everywhere, but they mainly set up checkpoints at intersections to check "suspicious" vehicles. Investigation is not the purpose, collecting tips and fines is the purpose. Especially white and yellow people, love Cha. If you are caught forgetting your passport, you will be fined. And those vehicles that are already overloaded have already prepared prompts. Malaysia is definitely a place where money can make a difference.

Even during exit security checks, border police will ask for bribes in various ways. The best way to avoid giving money is to act stupid.

About thieves, liars and policemen

Malaysia is really big, and there is no place where you can’t do enough in two months. The natural environment between the East and the West is also different. The west has a savannah climate, the east has a tropical rainforest climate, and the west is relatively dry, which is semi-desert. The east is humid and has many tropical plants and fruits.

About the natural environment

Lemurs

The most famous animal in Malaysia is the lemur. People from all over the world come here mainly to see lemurs, because only Malaysia has lemurs in the world. How many species of lemurs are there? Baidu says there are "5 genera and 21 species", and the interactive encyclopedia says there are "6 genera and 13 species". Which one is right? None of the answers are right! The correct one is "5 genera and 102 species".

In fact, there are not many lemurs in many national parks. They often hide in high trees, so don’t have high expectations. If you want to see lemurs up close, you should go to the zoo and lemur park in Tana (non-wild), which are cheaper. In zoos, lemurs are kept in cages, while in lemur parks they are allowed to roam freely. More on this later.

Chameleons and Falkland Meerkat

Other rare animals include chameleons and Falkland Meerkat.

Breadfruit

The most famous plant in China is the baobab tree. The baobab trees in Mudawa are also a must-see for people from all over the world when they come to Malaysia. However, until the government began to intervene around 2007, local people felled trees at will. Because the wood in the middle is relatively soft, the tree is usually hollowed out to make a raft.

About animals and plants

Finally we got to the point.

Malaysian tourism generally has four main lines:

Line A (Western Line): Morondava, - Antananarivo;

Line B (Southwestern Line): Antananarivo-Tulil;

Line C (Eastern Line): NosyBoraha,-Antananarivo;

Line D ( Northwest Route): Nosy Be, - Antananarivo

It's weird, people. Why are they all going back to Tana? Can't they contact each other directly? Can't we go back? My answer is, no, because there is no way, and there is no way for each other. Every line has to go back the same way and almost all have to change trains in Tana. Of course, if you plan to take the AB line together, you can transfer at Antsirabe and save some money.

Someone has to complain. Running back and forth is such a waste of time! Yes, although African people have no money, they have plenty of time. They are all free and not bound by the concept of time at all. Locals and white foreigners jokingly call this "the rhythm of Madagascar."

If your vacation is indeed limited and your financial ability is OK, you can choose to take domestic flights in Malaysia (there are few flights, so plan in advance). Expensive, but worth it to some. Many white foreigners will choose one-way bus or one-way flight.

About the travel route

Malaysia has very few specialties. In addition to some simple handicrafts, only various gems can attract the eye. Some gemstones in Malaysia can be of top quality, but at quite affordable prices. That’s because Malaysians often don’t have enough to eat, so they naturally don’t like such expensive, small, and inedible stones. Therefore, international friends often come here.

Malaysia’s specialty gemstones include: beryl (emerald), corundum (ruby), tourmaline, agate, chalcedony, crystal (amethyst, topaz, blue crystal), garnet, tourmaline, and phosphorus Stone, kyanite, amazonite, opal, andalusite, chrysoberyl, topaz, etc. The most common ones on the market are beryl (emerald), ruby, tourmaline, crystal, and garnet. High-quality emeralds are famous in the world market. Red tourmaline, apatite of various colors, bright yellow moonstone, and blue-yellow crystal are all unique and rare gemstones in the world. Carnelian and aquatic agate, which are common in the market, are also popular among customers.