Madagascar or Tanzania?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 10 20
UNESCO listings among them 2 6
Cost level Budget Mid-range
Busiest month in our write-ups July June
Currency Ariary (MGA) Tanzanian shilling (TZS)
Plugs and voltage C, E - 220 V D, G - 230 V
Everyday languages Malagasy, French Swahili, English
Driving side right hand side left hand side
Region Eastern Africa Eastern Africa
Capital Antananarivo Dodoma
Madagascar
Gentle, courteous and never in a hurry - mora mora, slowly slowly, is the national rhythm.
What we have written up
- Andasibe and the Lemurs forest
- Antananarivo Haute Ville old town
- Ifaty and the Southwest Reef beach
- Ile Sainte-Marie island
- Isalo National Park national park
- Malagasy Cuisine dish
Worth knowing before you go
- 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
Tanzania
Pole pole - slowly slowly - is advice and identity; Swahili courtesy opens everything.
What we have written up
- Bagamoyo old town
- Kilwa Kisiwani ruins
- Kondoa Rock Art Sites archaeological site
- Lake Manyara National Park lake
- Mafia Island island
- Mahale Mountains National Park national park
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash US dollars (newer bills) plus cards cover most travel
- Park fees are premium - the Serengeti is worth every cent
- The migration is in Tanzania roughly November to July - opposite calendar to Kenya's Mara
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.