Practical Information - Madagascar - page 174

stoptoeat,butusuallydriveallnight.Iftheydostopduringthenightmostpassengersstay
in the vehicle or sleep on the road outside.
If you're prepared for the realities, an overland journey can be very enjoyable and gives
you a chance to get to know the Malagasy.
BY AIR Air Madagascar started its life in 1962 as Madair but understandably
changed its name after a few years of jokes. Most people now call it Air Mad.
See the map opposite for the current domestic routes. At the time of writing the cost of
flying from Tana to Toliara, Taolagnaro or Nosy Be (one way) was €205 (but remember
you can get 50% off domestic flights if you chose Air Mad as your international carrier).
Air Madagascar has a Boeing 767 for international routes, two 130-seat Boeing 737s for
flights to the larger cities and Nosy Be, smaller ATR 49-seater turbo props, and the little
19-seater Twin Otters for the more rural airstrips.
Often flights which are said to be fully booked in Antananarivo are found to have empty
seats when you reapply at the town of departure. Because you are still allowed to make a
reservationwithoutpayment,flightsalwaysappearfull.Thetrickistogototheairporttwo
hours in advance and put your ticket on the counter. The liste d'attente works on a first-
come-first-served basis and half an hour before the flight is due to leave they start filling
the empty seats, taking the tickets in order of arrival. Conversely, passengers with booked
seats who check in late will find their seats sold to waiting-list passengers. Always arrive
atleastanhourbeforethescheduleddeparture,andaddyourtickettothe'queue'oftickets
on the counter.
Handluggageshouldweighnomorethan5kg.Passengersshouldnotbesurprisedifthey
are weighed themselves before a Twin Otter flight. It's not that there's a tax on fat people;
they're just gathering data for take-off calculations.
There arenonumbered seats oninternal flights, andnotoilets inaTwinOtter! Although
no longer a requirement, you are recommended to reconfirm a day before departure.
Air Madagascar schedules are reviewed twice-yearly, in March and October, but are
subject to change at any time and without notice. Their website is regularly updated
( www.airmadagascar.com ).
Planes are not infrequently delayed or cancelled, but usually not without good reason.
Air Mad are exceptionally efficient at making arrangements for those stranded by a can-
celled flight. They will quickly arrange taxis, hotels and meals at their expense, and a re-
placement flight will usually be planned for very early the following morning.
BY BOAT The Malagasy are traditionally a seafaring people (remember that
6,000kmjourneyfromIndonesia) andintheabsence ofroads,their stable outrigger canoes
areusedtocoverquitelongseadistances.Pirogueswithoutoutriggersareusedextensively