Morondava, Madagascar
Morondava is a bustling city on the west coast of Madagascar. This is the perfect place for a relaxing holiday with many beautiful and safe beaches for swimming, as well as a convenient transfer from the capital.
Note: according to allcitypopulation, the population of Madagascar is 28.43 million (2021).
Most hotels and apartments are located in the Nosy Kely area.
How to get to Morondava
From the country’s capital, Antananarivo, there are direct daily flights by Air Madagascar, 1 hour on the way, cost 225,000 MGA. In addition, there are flights from Morondava to Tulear (200,000 MGA) and Moromba (180,000 MGA). You can also get from the capital by land, but it will take at least 12 hours.
Morondava has good water links with the southern villages. Every week, local wooden pies are sent to Moromba. And new high-speed ferries run to the village of Belo-sur-Mer twice a week, the journey takes 2.5 hours, the cost is 50,000 MGA.
The whole city can be walked slowly in half an hour. You won’t need a taxi here, except to get to the airport, which is a few kilometers from the center (10,000 MGA).
Weather forecast
The dry season is the best time to visit the resort, when the temperature is +27 °C, and at night – +14…15 °C, and the water is as warm as in the Mediterranean – +24 °C. In the summer, during the rainy season, the city becomes very dirty and humid – not the best months for a holiday on the coast.
Entertainment and attractions Morondava
It is here that the unique Avenue of the Baobabs with thousand-year-old trees is located. From Morondava it is convenient to make trips to the fishing village of Belo-sur-Mer (Belo sur Mer) or to the Kirindi forest.
Tulear, Madagascar
The resort area of Tulear in the southwest of the island is notable for its desert landscapes covered with thorny bushes. Tuléar itself is a “white city”, dusty and deserted, with colonial-style houses, and in combination – the end point of the route on the RN7 highway. It is here that the beautiful beaches of the bay of St. Augustine and Ifaty are located.
There are as many as three ATMs in Tulear, which, however, only accept Visa cards.
How to get to Tulear
The city has an airport where planes from the capital land daily, the journey takes 1 hour, the cost is about 550,000 MGA. From here you can also fly to Fort Dauphin (Fort Dauphin, an hour in flight, 600,000 MGA) 3 times a week and to Morondava (1.5 hours on the way, 800,000 MGA).
From the country’s capital, Antananarivo, buses also run to Tulear. The beaches of St. Augustine, Anakao and Beheloka can be reached by boat of the company La Compagnie du Sud (tel. 944-37-21), fare from 80,000 MGA. In addition, local boats (the so-called pirogues) float to the villages north and south of Tulear.
To move around the city, it is most convenient to use a taxi, the fare starts from 2000 MGA per person, at night it is much more expensive: 15,000 MGA. Trade is appropriate.
The beaches of Tulear
In the bay of St. Augustina, which is located south of the resort, has almost untouched sandy beaches and an interesting coral reef. All hotels on this coast offer diving and snorkelling services.
North of Tulear is the resort area of Ifaty, which combines the beaches near the villages of Ifaty, Mangili and Madio Rano. Sandy beaches are only in the north of Ifaty. There are also excellent conditions for snorkeling and diving, especially with sharks. In July and August, migratory whales can be seen swimming past the Mozambique Channel. In the east of the resort area is the Reniala Nature Reserve, where you can see hundreds of bird species and ancient baobabs.
Ifaty is located 22 km north of Tulear. You can get here by taxi, which depart daily from the northern station (6:00-12:00). Fare 19,000 MGA, hour on the way. The transfer offered by hotels will cost 27,000 MGA, a taxi from Tulear – 60,000 MGA.
Diving in Tulear
In the coastal waters of Tulear, a 250-kilometer coral reef stretches. It is home to 250 species of corals, 750 species of fish, sea turtles, dolphins, humpback whales, whale sharks and an ancient fish species – coelacanth, which appeared 70 million years ago. This reef is one of the most popular diving spots on the island.
