Madagascar: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Madagascar feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 76 written places.
Gentle, courteous and never in a hurry - mora mora, slowly slowly, is the national rhythm.
✓ Considered polite
- Ask your guide what is fady - local taboos differ village to village and people gladly explain
- Greet with Salama and a smile, addressing the eldest person first
- Haggle at markets with good humour - it is expected, but keep it friendly rather than fierce
- Carry small ariary notes - change for big bills is a constant struggle
✗ Better avoided
- Point at tombs with an outstretched finger - use a bent knuckle if you must gesture
- Photograph people, tombs or ceremonies without asking first
- Show impatience when things run late - schedules bend and pushing does not straighten them
- Walk through villages in beachwear - covered shoulders and knees read as respect
Worth knowing
- This is a cash economy in ariary - bring euros or dollars to exchange and expect cards to fail outside top hotels
- Tipping is appreciated rather than expected - round up at restaurants, around MGA 10,000-20,000 a day for guides
- French and Malagasy are the working languages - English thins out fast beyond tourist hubs
- Roadside hotely canteens serve big plates of rice and zebu for very little - lunch is the main meal
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.