Madagascar is not a wealthy, well developed country. While the island is not plagued with famine or civil strife, the United Nations Development Programme still ranks Madagascar #149 our of 175 countries on the Human Poverty Index (A composite index measuring deprivations in the three basic dimensions captured in the human development index—a long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living).
Travel in Madagascar is not easy -- roads are in poor condition and the country lacks much of the infrastructure required for traditional tourism. Thus it is important that you are well prepared before heading off on your Madagascar adventure.
Below you will find some suggestions as to what you might want to bring on your journey. Bear in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive -- it's merely some of the things you should think about before going on your trip.
Vaccinations / Shots / Immunizations
Due to my travel in other areas I have already been vaccinated for a number of potential conditions. Before going to Madagascar you should check with both your doctor and the CDC. You may want to consider the following vaccinations especially if you are planning to be in the country longer than 30 days or will be spending time in rural areas (some of these vaccinations require a booster shot especially if it has been a few years since your last shot. Check with your doctor that your are up-to-date!).
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Tetanus
Polio
Typoid
Rabies (feral/half wild dogs carry the disease in Madagascar)
Cholera (check with your doctor)
Other Medications
Malaria is an issue in Madagascar. Malarial mosquitos are most active at dusk and daybreak so cover up and use repellent at those times. Bring a mosquito net for protection as you sleep. Bring repellent.
Your doctor will probably advise you to take a malaria prophylaxis like Mefloquine (Larium) or Malarone.
Almost all pictures on this site were taken with a Konica Minolta
Recent articles
Madagascar fires mapped with Google Earth in real-time Every year as much as one-third of Madagascar, one of the planet's most biodiverse islands, goes up in flames. Now a new tool gives scientists the ability to monitor and track Madagascar's fires in real-time through the Internet.
UNESCO lists rainforest parks of Madagascar as Heritage sites (7/2/2007) UNESCO has listed six rainforest parks in Madagascar as World Heritage sites. The announcement comes as the Indian Ocean island nation has moved aggressively to protect its biologically-rich forests from further degradation.
Conservation is saving lemurs and helping people in Madagascar (5/7/2007) Madagascar, an island nation that lies off the coast of southeastern Africa, has long been famous for its unique and diverse species of wildlife, especially lemurs--primates found nowhere else on the planet. In recent years, the island country has also become world-renowned for conservation efforts that are succeeding in spite of extraordinary pressures from a poor population that relies heavily on forest burning for basic subsistence. A large part of this success is due to the early efforts of Patricia Wright, a primatologist who has been working in the country for more than 20 years. Wright led the effort to launch the country's leading protected area and helped Madagascar become a leading global example of conservation despite its economic adversity.
