Best Time To Travel
Upon when travelling to Madagascar depends a lot on what you want to do, which region you like to travel to, which wildlife you like to encounter, driving on dirt paths or staying on asphalted roads. What may be the best time for one region, may not be so for another. Generally speaking, Madagascar is a year-round destination, with a rainy season from late November through April, sometimes involving cyclones mostly affecting the north-eastern coast of Madagascar.
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, it is no surprise to say that it is an island of contrasts, rain forests in the east and northeast coast suggesting rain fall all year long, spiny forest in the south and south western coast with almost no rain at all as the trade winds blowing from the Indian ocean lose their moisture to the east coast and the highlands and dry deciduous forests along the west coast with marked dry and wet season. The high plateau with heights around 1000 meters, mostly farmlands, and peaks over 2000 meters, is the most affected region by the seasons; during the rainy season, rice fields are lush green and during the dry season the fields are fallow, the time of the traditional brick making out of the mud in the former rice fields.
Rainy Season, November - April
The rainy season during the Austral Summer is humid and hot at the coasts and warm in the high plateau.
The rainy season does not mean that it rains from morning to evening. It is more common to rain in the late afternoon and night mostly accompanied by thunder storms especially in the mountainous central highlands. The mornings are mostly sunny with sparkling blue skies and the coloured sunsets are breathtaking ; one shall not forget it’s the rain that clears the sky. It’s the rain that keeps the rainforests alive, that makes the rice fields of the highlands green and it’s the rainy season that gives us spectacular sunsets.
The rainy season is also the almost tourist free experience with low season rates, but for how long, as more and more people are discovering the positive sides of the luxuriant rainy season. Nevertheless, if you shall travel during this period, you shall be flexible to changing your itinerary in case a cyclone is forecasted to make landfall in the area you are traveling to. It does not happen often, but it can. When Cyclones hit the Malagasy coast and ravage their way inland, they bring a lot of rain which could break down bridges or sweep away roads and riverbanks and making travel extremely difficult, that’s when we change itineraries to not spoil your precious holidays. Cyclone forecast is helping us tracking it days ahead and gives us enough time to make decisions to keep you at bay.
Wildlife
The baby lemurs born in October by now have gained some confidence in themselves and are adorably jumping around and playing with their friends and siblings while exploring the vicinity but still clinging to their mothers’ fur as they swing through the trees. Here they will stay to about March, gaining day by day more confidence on their way to adulthood.
Lemurs are visible throughout the year, yet they are easier to spot and observe during the long summer days from December to March, when they have longer periods of activity. Chances to observe nocturnal lemurs are increasing significantly when the nights are clear of rain and the temperatures high.
The first rains predict to bring the time of plenty, it’s a time of courting, mating and spawning among the reptiles and amphibians. If you're into wildlife, not worried about getting caught in a shower and can cope with the warm and humid climate the next months are bringing with, you certainly will be rewarded by the flora and fauna, just make sure you pack waterproof clothing.
Landscape & Agriculture
November and December in the highlands are marking the time when men farmers begin preparing the rice fields, plowing and flooding rice paddies for the women to transplant seedlings. End of December to beginning of year, women start with planting the rice in the flooded rice paddies. Yet it still takes a few weeks until the landscapes of the highlands are starting to change from brown to lush green.
Adventure & Safari
There certainly are no-goes during the rainy season like river fording or driving off-road over swamp areas or visiting canyons and most caves for safety reasons, a risk of flash-flooding should never be disregarded. Therefore, hotels and parks in areas affected by rain are mainly closed as there is almost no passing through.
Hiking & Trekking
Hiking and trekking can be carried out year round in regions accessible during the rainy season. Beware of high average daily temperature and the risk of sun burn and carry enough water.
Generally speaking, if you are hiking or climbing to the peaks of Madagascar you will need warm layers no matter in which season you travel.