Madagascar travel guide

Lonely Planet once described Madagascar as "the fourth largest island in the world. With its diverse flora and fauna and unique scenery, Madagascar presents a new world for tourists and provides an excellent choice for those who want to visit unusual attractions. " I believe that most people's initial impression of Madagascar comes from the animal park in the DreamWorks cartoon Madagascar. 10.6 billion years ago, it unexpectedly left the African continent and was isolated from the world. Unique natural conditions, diverse landforms and complex climatic environment have created a unique ecosystem and created this magical island. This "laboratory created by God" has nearly 5% of the world's animal and plant species, 80% of which are endemic to the region. This is an active natural museum.

How to get to Madagascar? At present, there are no direct flights from China to Madagascar, but they usually transit through Mauritius, and of course there are flights from Istanbul, Seychelles, Abu Dhabi, Kenya and even South Africa and France. No matter where they cross the border, good prices are king. Generally speaking, it is normal for an economy class ticket from Chinese mainland to Malaysia to be around 78,000 to 1 10,000. Of course, if you book air tickets a few months in advance, there are also three or four thousand round-trip special tickets, and there are more special tickets departing from Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

The airport entering Malaysia is very small, because there are few flights every day (including their domestic routes), so it will take a long time and be chaotic when going through the immigration formalities. After paying the landing visa fee, everyone will be surrounded by a big customs counter three floors away, and they can get their passports when they arrive. The current cost in landing visa (2065438+August 2006) is 27 euros or 30 dollars. In addition, there is no need to use vaccines to prove entry.

Regarding the currency exchange rate, Malaysia's currency name is "Ariary" and the RMB exchange rate is about 1 RMB: 450 Ariary. When we have a stack of Ariari in our hand, how can we quickly and conveniently know how much it is worth? Let me teach you a simple method. Remove three "0s" from Ariari and multiply it by "2.2", which is the approximate value of RMB. For example, if three "0s" are removed from Ariari, which equals 3 and then multiplied by 2.2, then 6.6 is the approximate value of RMB.

Quote Ali Ali's paper money has only seven denominations:100,200,500,1000,2000,5000, 10000. By the way, before 2005, Malaysia used Madagascar francs (no longer used), which was exactly 1: 5 with Ali Ali, that is, 1000 Ali equals 5000 francs. People in Malaysia sometimes quote in francs, so you have to ask clearly. If you don't understand, you will pay five times the price.

Friends who often travel abroad for bank withdrawals and currency exchange withdrawals should know that Huaxia Bank's UnionPay debit card is very easy to use. You can withdraw cash from overseas once a day, without any handling fee, but the handling fee of foreign banks may be inevitable, and a Malaysian bank named "BFV-SG" just doesn't charge any handling fee (there are many outlets), but each withdrawal can't exceed 400,000 Ali, which is equivalent to RMB 880 yuan. So if you want to withdraw more cash at a time without handling fees, you'd better bring more Huaxia cards.

At the same time, public security has to be mentioned. Antananarivo, the capital of Malaysia, is not safe. After all, it is one of the least developed countries, especially at night. It is recommended not to carry a lot of cash, including gold and silver jewelry.

If you want to change money, I suggest using dollars or euros. The exchange rate is ok, but the RMB exchange rate is very poor. Just change some money at the airport and take the bus, mainly relying on the bank to withdraw cash.

Credit cards are almost useless in Malaysia, mainly in cash, and so is China.

As for prices, Malaysia is one of the least developed countries in the world, with a per capita GDP of US$ 300-400. Full-time nannies earn about 150-200 RMB per month, and skilled motorcycle assemblers earn about 400-450 RMB per month. It is conceivable that the price in Malaysia must be low. What level will it be? A banana is 20 RMB, a Malaysian meal (fish, chicken or beef bibimbap) is 5 RMB, and the local bus fare is about 50 RMB to 1 yuan, and the average hotel is about 100 RMB per night from 50 yuan. So traveling in Malaysia is about 4000 RMB a month, including all expenses, but excluding round-trip international air tickets. Of course, this is based on the cost of poor travel. We only take local long-distance minibuses to and from various towns and scenic spots, stay in cheap hotels or inns, and only eat Malaysian food? So the cost of this thing varies from person to person, and everyone can only make a reference. (This data is obtained from the experience of 20 16 and is for reference only. )

About Language Malaysia has two official languages, French and Madagascar. But to be honest, Malagasy is still widely used. After all, working people don't have much education, many people don't know French, and few people know English. Therefore, it is suggested that every visitor to Malaysia should be fully prepared. On the one hand, he has to learn a few commonly used French (especially words and sentences asking about prices and numbers), on the other hand, he has to learn a few commonly used Malagasy languages, and he has to make good use of expressions and gestures to communicate.

Regarding water and food, there are few industrial enterprises in Malaysia. Of course, the enterprise facilities of electricity and water purification can't be expected, and water and electricity cuts are commonplace. In some remote areas, drinking water source is a big problem. Malaysian people have to draw water in the Yellow River to drink, and food such as meals and snacks will have some gravel. Because of the lack of water, various sanitary conditions are often not guaranteed. It is normal for a group of flies to walk around you in a general restaurant. Similar scenes are similar to slums in India, except that India has rich areas, while Malaysia does not. They are all slums. So what should we do?

1. Drinking pure mineral water every day is slightly cheaper than China;

2. Friends with poor gastrointestinal adaptability go to a good hotel restaurant for dinner, and the price is actually ok. About 25-40 RMB can get a meal; 3. Bring some simple cookers from China, use local materials, buy some in the market and process them yourself;

About Malaysia's Special Dishes, Snacks, Fruits and Special Meat There is an animal in Malaysia called a tumor cow, which has a sarcoma on its back, but it actually functions like a "hump". The tumor cow is not only a farm tool, a means of transportation, but also a delicacy on the table. Generally, when we go to a local Malaysian restaurant, we can eat beef with tumor, and the price is the same as chicken and fish. There are beef skewers on the barbecue stall at night, which are cheap and a few cents a string.

Special drinks Malaysian restaurants usually provide a special drink when eating, which is actually made by soaking burnt crispy rice in hot water. This kind of "burnt rice water" tastes bitter, and it is ok to drink it (at least it is a clean and free water source). White foreigners jokingly call it "Madagascar coffee".

Other snacks in Malaysia include fried dough, fried coconut milk rice noodles, fried bananas, fried vegetable cakes, boiled or fried cassava and so on. And the price of each one is around a few cents.

Malaysian fruits are really cheap. A banana or an orange is on average 20 yuan, and a 1 kg Sakyamuni or coconut 4 yuan, but there are few kinds of fruits, mainly bananas and oranges.

About Traffic Overview Malaysia is the fourth largest island in the world and the largest island in Africa, but there is no expressway in such a big country, and even the normal national roads are very narrow, so it is good that two cars don't collide when they meet. Therefore, only a few places can occasionally see buses. Common buses and long-distance buses in Malaysia are minibuses. They are called taxi-buses, and they look like large commercial vehicles like Iveco and Transit, which are very common in China. Of course, they are absolutely packed with seats and people. A row of four seats can seat seven people (five adults and two children).

Long-distance buses and long-distance bus stations in Malaysia are also quite chaotic. The first time you go, you will be shocked. Small, messy and dirty, there is no unified management. Car companies are scattered in a market, and you don't know which one to look for. There are still many people around asking where you are going. You must not answer at this time, or you will be taken by him to buy expensive tickets. You still have to go to the office one by one to ask about the departure and price. All prices are negotiable. This is the culture of Malaysia. Some people will ask you for a baggage fee tip. You can't give it at all, just ignore it. I really want to give it 200-500 Ali.

The difference in road conditions in Malaysia is surprising. The main road is in disrepair, so the two cars can barely meet each other. There is a thick layer of gray sand on the roads in many towns. Every time a vehicle passes by, the air pollution index definitely breaks the table!

As for the transportation in Tanana (airport, long-distance bus station), there are two kinds of public transportation to and from Tanana Nafo Airport, one is the airport minibus (10000 Ali, equivalent to 20 RMB), and the other is the public minibus outside the airport to the city (500 Ali, equivalent to/kloc-0 RMB). The price of taking a taxi from the airport to downtown is too high. I didn't take a taxi. I suggest you make more counter-offers.

Long-distance passenger transport Antananarivo mainly has two large long-distance bus stations, the northern passenger station and the southern passenger station. Round trip to Morondawa or Tullier is at South Station; Round-trip Tamatave, NosyBoraha, Majunga, NosyBe and Antsiranana are all in the North Station.

There are minibuses in Platthana, which are very crowded, and it's even worse in rush hour. The only advantage is that it is cheap, generally 1 to about 2 RMB.

The taxi fare is ok, not expensive, and generally you don't hit the meter, so you must make a counter-offer. If you don't want to make a counter-offer, just cry.

Rickshaw by the way, many big cities and towns in Malaysia have all kinds of light vehicles, such as rickshaws, rickshaws, human tricycles, electromechanical tricycles and so on. Locals call them "pouse-pouse". They are clingy and will stare at you for a long time. If you really want to buy it, remember to bargain. The price can be really cheap.

Regarding the sim card for network communication, when traveling in Malaysia, it is often found that WIFI is not available (not available 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. Domestic mobile phone systems used to be available. Airtel and Telma have similar coverage rates. If you just make a phone call, the charges for both are around 8- 10 Alibaba /s; But to surf the Internet, Airtel is better, with more choices of packages and convenient opening. Sim cards are available at airports and in business halls in urban areas (including many small towns). You need a passport to buy it, and each card is about 2000 Ali Ali. Rechargeable cards can be bought in convenience stores, supermarkets, gas stations and other places. Sim card is called puce locally, and recharge card is called credit.

The area code of Madagascar is 0026 1. Mobile phone number *** 10 digits, TELMA starts with 034, AIRTEL starts with 033 and ORANGE starts with 032. The landline number is 7 digits, and the national unified area code is 020.

For example, the mobile phone number is 033112222, and overseas dial 00261-33112222 (that is, the previous "0" is removed). The landline number is 020- 1234567, overseas call is 0026 1-20- 1234567, domestic call is 020- 1234567, and landline call is 1234567.

Due to the limitation of economic conditions, most hotels in Malaysia cannot be found on international hotel websites (booking, agoda, etc.). ), especially some affordable hotels. For friends who are traveling in poverty, it is also a good way to ask someone directly to find out where there is a suitable hotel.

Conditions In some budget hotels in remote areas, there is no hot water shower, but there is a big water tank in the bathroom with a spoon, which can be bathed with cold water. Many white foreigners jokingly call it "Madagascar bath". Another reason for this bathing method is that the tourist season in Malaysia is from June to 165438+ 10 every year, which is also a dry season. It is also good to give you some clean water to wash yourself. When you stay in Malaysia, you should also remember to do a good job of mosquito prevention. If you have a mosquito net, you must use it. Don't really regret being bitten by mosquitoes.

About Folklore Although Malaysia is poor, its people are generally kind and hospitable. Every time you walk on the road, there are always many people who take the initiative to say hello to you. Of course, children will be more enthusiastic because you look different from them.

There is a rule in Malaysia that you can't point your forefinger or middle finger at others. It will be considered impolite.

Men in Malaysia usually greet each other by clapping and boxing, while women are less exposed to sexual etiquette.

Malaysia is a Catholic country as a whole. On Sundays, people go to church, so shops, restaurants and markets in the streets are closed, and supermarkets in big cities are only open until 5 pm. If you need to eat at this time, you can only choose Chinese food, because only Chinese restaurants are open all year round.

On bargaining culture, prices in Malaysia are generally cheap, but ordinary people always want to earn more money. Therefore, when traveling in Malaysia, you must not believe any quotation, even if it is very cheap fruit, you must bargain unless you already know the price of a local commodity or service.

Generally, there are: hotel prices, local bus tickets, products sold in supermarkets, scenic spots tickets and related tour guide fees, regular restaurant meals;

Generally, you can bargain: fruits, vegetables, food condiments sold in other markets, gifts and souvenirs from small shops, roadside snacks, long-distance fares, taxi fares, charter fares and driver fees.

About thieves, liars and police thieves

Thieves in Malaysia are mainly distributed in big cities or tourist towns, such as Tana and Mulongdawa, and a careless bag is gone. Smartphones are the favorite of Malaysians and thieves. Be sure to protect your mobile phone and bank card. Believe me, you can hardly imagine how to survive in Malaysia without it. Of course, your passport being stolen is also a big deal. Remember to have a photo backup and find the embassy to solve it in time.

deceiver

Although Malaysia is poor, the people are happy every day, so most people won't lie to you unless they really make a mistake. However, if you really trust everyone, then I can only hehe. Anyone who does business with you may be a liar. Common tricks in Malaysia are:

1. I lied to you that it was a long drive and persuaded you to pay the local people more than twice the fare;

2. Say that your luggage is overweight, so you have to charge for it. As a matter of fact, your ticket price already includes the baggage fee.

Many people are around you, asking where you are going and whether you want to take a long-distance bus. If you answer, I will take you to a car to buy a ticket, and then he can draw it. You must pay more.

Suppose you want to go all the way from the starting point A to the National Park B and then to the seaside town C. The staff at Station A will tell you that there is no train to C in bilibili, so I suggest you buy a ticket from A to C in advance. They will come to B to pick you up one day, but once you really pay the money, no one will pick you up. Please believe me, the lesson of blood!

The fake tour guide will pester you, gain your trust, and know that you are in a hurry to join the group, so he quoted a high price and asked you to lower the price a little. You thought it was cheap, but you joined the tour group in a hurry, only to find that your price was twice as expensive as that of other tour group members.

police

Malaysian police can be seen everywhere, but they mainly set up checkpoints at intersections to check "suspicious" vehicles. Checking is not the purpose, but collecting tips and fines is the purpose. Especially white people and yellow people, they love to check. Once you forget to bring your passport, you will be fined. And those vehicles that have been seriously overloaded have already prepared tips. Malaysia is definitely a place where money can make the mare go. Even when leaving the country for security check, the border police will ask for bribes in various ways. The best way to avoid giving money is to play dumb.

As for the natural environment, Malaysia is really big. It's not a two-month trip, and the natural environment between East and West is not quite the same. The western climate is savanna, the eastern climate is rainforest, and the western climate is relatively dry, that is, semi-desertification. The east is wetter and there are more tropical plants and fruits.

About animals and plant lemurs

The most famous animal in Malaysia is the lemur. People from all over the world come here not far from Wan Li mainly to see lemurs, because only Malaysians have lemurs in the world. How many kinds of lemurs are there? Baidu said "5 genera and 2 1 species" and interactive encyclopedia said "6 genera 13 species". Which one is right? The answer is none! The correct one is "5 genera, 102 species".

In fact, there are not many lemurs in many national parks. They often hide in tall trees, so don't expect too much. If you want to observe lemurs closely, you should go to the zoo and lemur park in Tana (not wild), and the price is relatively cheap. Lemurs in zoos are kept in captivity, while lemurs in parks are kept in captivity. It will be introduced in detail later.

The chameleon and the Falklands _

Other rare animals are chameleons and the Falkland Islands.

breadfruit tree

The most famous plant in Malaysia is baobab. The baobab tree in Mulongdawa is also a must-see spot for people from all over the world to come to Malaysia. But before the government began to intervene in 2007, local people cut down at will. Because the middle wood is soft, the trees are generally hollowed out to make rafts.

Finally, the point about the tourist route came.

Tourism in Malaysia generally has four main lines:

Line A (West Line): Antananarivo-Morondawa;

Line B (Southwest Line): Antananarivo-Thurell;

Line C (East Line): Antananarivo-Nosibolaha;

D Line (Northwest Line): Antananarivo-Nosibe

Everyone will be surprised. Why are they all going back to the tower? Can't they just go to each other? Can't we not go back? My answer is, no, because there is no road, we can't get through each other. Every line has to go back the same way, and almost all of them have to change trains at Tana. Of course, if you plan to take the AB line, you can transfer at Anzilabe, which will save you some money.

Someone is going to complain, it's a waste of time to go back and forth! Yes, although African people have no money, they have enough time. Everyone is very leisurely, and there is no constraint of the concept of time at all. Both locals and white foreigners call this "the rhythm of Madagascar".

If the holiday is really limited and affordable, you can choose to take domestic flights in Malaysia (fewer flights, plan ahead). Although it is expensive, it is still worthwhile for some people. Many white foreigners will choose a one-way car or a one-way plane.

There are few special products about Malaysia. Except for some simple handicrafts, only various gems can attract people's attention. Some gems in Malaysia can reach top quality, but the prices are quite affordable. That's because Malaysian people often don't have enough to eat, and naturally they are not interested in this expensive, small and inedible stone. Therefore, international friends often come here.

The characteristic gems in Malaysia are: beryl (emerald), corundum (ruby and sapphire), tourmaline, agate, chalcedony, crystal (amethyst, topaz and sapphire), garnet, tourmaline, apatite, kyanite, Tianhe stone, opal, andalusite, emerald and topaz. The most common products on the market are beryl (emerald), ruby, tourmaline, crystal and garnet. Emerald with good quality enjoys a high reputation in the world market. Red tourmaline, apatite of various colors, bright yellow moonstone and blue yellow crystal are all unique and rare gems in the world. Common carnelian and aquatic agate on the market are also guests' great love.