M A D A F O C U S - travel in Madagascar

19/10/2026

16/10/2026

Where art meets the extraordinary. Wim Tellier’s vision finds a breathtaking setting in the wild beauty of Isalo, Madagascar. ✨🇲🇬

11/10/2026

In Isalo, art, photography and Malagasy culture come together in an extraordinary creation. Belgian artist Wim Tellier, also the founder of the annual Focus Festival in Ankasy, has completed his largest artistic project to date: Project Transformation. The entire project was documented by photographer Hugo Van Beveren, whose images capture this exceptional achievement in the heart of Madagascar.

09/10/2026

When does the travel season in Madagascar actually end?🌦️
Spoiler: not at the end of October.😉

Yet I hear it far too often from tour operators and travel agents: "The rainy season starts in November, so we so we don't offer Madagascar during that period." Understandable, as that's what many guidebooks and online travel resources say. In practice, though, the picture is far less black and white.

Of course Madagascar has a rainy season. It just doesn't stick neatly to the calendar, and it doesn't look the same everywhere. Madagascar is vast and geographically incredibly diverse. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥. Where you go makes all the difference.

A few things I've learnt from experience:
𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 is, for us personally, one of the best months to travel. The warmth returns, the landscape turns lush and green again, the classic routes are much quieter and travel conditions are still excellent.

𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 gets warmer and more humid, and the chance of showers increases. That rarely means days of bad weather, however. Showers are usually short and localised, and in between you can travel perfectly well.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 are accessible all year round. If your clients don't mind the occasional heavy downpour late in the afternoon, they'll enjoy a very pleasant trip there even in the rainy season.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵, around Diego Suarez, receives relatively little rain during this period, which makes it a particularly strong option. Nosy Hara (📸see pic below), a tsingy island west of Diego Suarez, can be visited at any time of year, including November and December.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 calls for honesty: certain regions and routes become inaccessible during the rainy season. Roughly from mid-November to mid-May, we don't schedule any trips there.

👉With the right regions and local know-how, Madagascar remains a stunning destination in November and December too, with the added bonus of far fewer tourists.

So the curtain certainly doesn't fall at the end of October. The scenery just changes a little.🎭

Unsure about a specific period or region for your clients? Feel free to get in touch, I'm always happy to help.

04/10/2026

Merci Sam pour ces beaux mots et surtout pour ce magnifique buffet ! Nos invités ont été unanimes : un régal pour les yeux comme pour les papilles. 😊🧀

Ta passion se ressent dans chaque fromage et dans le soin que tu apportes à le présenter. Nous sommes heureux d’avoir partagé ce moment avec toi et d’avoir fait découvrir ton savoir-faire à nos proches.

Un grand merci d’avoir contribué à rendre cette première fête dans notre nouvelle maison si chaleureuse et gourmande !

Laurencia & Frank

22/09/2026

Some journeys you follow. Others you have to drive yourself. 😉

In May 2027, we’re heading out with a small group of 4x4s into one of the most remote and least-visited parts of Madagascar: Into the Forgotten West.

This isn’t a classic road trip. It’s a real self-drive expedition along remote tracks where very few travellers ever venture. From the Central Highlands towards Beanka and Maintirano, on to Antsalova and the Tsingy de Bemaraha, before returning to civilisation via the legendary Avenue of the Baobabs.

12 days. Maximum 6 vehicles. A support vehicle travelling with us. Plenty of dust, adventure, and a side of Madagascar that very few people get to experience.

And yes… I’ll be driving along myself. 😎

If you’ve ever wanted to discover Madagascar well beyond the usual routes, have a look at the full expedition here:

👇

Explore UNESCO-listed Tsingy de Bemaraha and the iconic Avenue of the Baobabs

18/09/2026

👋 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗱𝗴𝗲

This lodge sits on a hill along the RN7, 8 km south of Ambalavao, in the heart of the central highlands of Madagascar.

Overlooking mountains, rice fields and the local Betsileo life. 98% 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱, beautifully decorated and run with genuine love for this region. 🧡

The kind of place your travellers remember. Not for the luxury, but for the spectacular views from their airy room. For the fresh food from the colourful garden to enjoy after your adventurous walks.🥾

Halfway between Antananarivo and Toliara, it is also the perfect lunch stop on the RN7. Or the ideal base camp for all your adventures in and around Ambalavao.

Welcome!

📹©️ Betsileo Country Lodge

04/09/2026

🚙 Into the Forgotten West – A Madagascar Self-Drive Expedition | May 2027

Some roads take you somewhere. Others become the adventure.

In May 2027, we’re heading deep into one of Madagascar’s wildest and least-travelled regions on Into the Forgotten West — a true 4x4 self-drive expedition for travellers who would rather be behind the wheel than watching the adventure through a window.

Leaving the familiar routes behind, we’ll drive west across Madagascar through vast open landscapes, remote villages and some seriously adventurous terrain. Our route takes us via Tsiroanomandidy and the spectacular Beanka limestone massif towards Maintirano, Antsalova and the legendary Tsingy de Bemaraha, before eventually reaching Morondava and the iconic baobab country.

Expect rough tracks, river crossings, ferries, dust, mud, camping in remote places and days where the journey itself is every bit as important as the destination.

You’ll be driving your own 4x4, but you won’t be doing it alone. The expedition travels as a small convoy with professional local support and an assistance vehicle — giving you the freedom and excitement of self-driving while having the backup needed to tackle this remote part of Madagascar.

This isn’t a polished highway road trip. It’s a proper expedition.

And that’s exactly the point.

If you enjoy 4x4 driving, remote wilderness and the feeling of looking at a track ahead and thinking “Are we really going that way?” — the answer is probably yes. 😉

📅 Departure: May 2027
🚙 Maximum: 6 self-drive vehicles

👉 Discover the full expedition, itinerary and price here:
https://inspirationaladventures.com/adventure/into-the-forgotten-west-a-madagascar-self-drive-expedition

Want to know more?
Feel free to get in touch with me directly:

📧 [email protected]
📱 WhatsApp: +261 34 14 419 44

Explore UNESCO-listed Tsingy de Bemaraha and the iconic Avenue of the Baobabs