Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THECURRENCY
Madagascar'scurrency has always been difficult to cope with. Here is
an extract from an account written over a hundred years ago: 'The French five-franc piece
is now the standard of coinage in Madagascar; for small change it is cut up into bits of all
sizes. The traveller has to carry a pair of scales about with him, and whenever he makes a
purchase the specified quantity of this most inconvenient money is weighed out with the
greatest exactness, first on his own scales, and then on those of the suspicious native of
whom he is buying.'
Soitisperhapsnotsurprisingthat,inkeepingwiththistraditionofconfusingforeigners,
and its own people, the currency was changed in 2003. The franc malgache (FMG) was re-
placed by the ariary. Only larger towns and tourist centres have fully adapted to the 'new'
currency; in rural areas the locals still quote prices in the old FMG. One ariary is equal to
5FMG.
Banknotesincirculationrangefrom100Arto10,000Ar.Smallerdenominationcoinsex-
ist down to 1Ar, although tourists rarely encounter these.
EXCHANGERATEANDHARDCURRENCIES
The ariary floats against hard curren-
cies and the exchange rate changes frequently. For this reason many upper-range hotels
quote their prices in euros.
Exchange rates in November 2010:
£1 = 3,200Ar
€1 = 2,750Ar
US$1 = 2,000Ar
HOWMUCHWILLITCOST?
Theairfare isthemostexpensive partofyourtrip.Once
there, you will find Madagascar a relatively cheap country. Travel by
taxi-brousse
, and
eat and sleep like the locals, and you can keep your costs down to about £15/€20/US$30
per day for a couple. Note that couples can travel almost as cheaply as singles, since most
budget and mid-range hotels charge by the room (with double bed).
However, fuel is expensive in Madagascar, with petrol prices equivalent to those in
Europe, so car hire is costly, especially since you normally have to hire a driver as part of
the deal. Costs also mount up if you are visiting many national parks or reserves, where
you have the park permit fee plus the cost of a guide.
The easiest way to save money on a day-to-day basis is to be sensible about where you
buy bottled water: a bottle of Eau Vive may cost 5,000Ar or more in smart hotels, but
1,000Ar in a shop (likewise for beer). Use a water bottle and purification tablets (bring
herbal tea bags to make it taste nicer) to avoid this expense entirely (but unfortunately
there's no similar solution for beer!).
