Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Malagasy people are very child-friendly although facilities typically are not.
Travelling with children in Madagascar should not be undertaken lightly, but with the
right preparation it can be a fun and rewarding experience.
Family travel needn'tbreakthebank.Under-5stravel freeon
taxi-brousses
.Ondo-
mestic flights, under-2s go free and under-12s get a 33% discount. Many places offer
discounts for children and most hotels have family-size rooms costing not much more
than a double.
Highchairs and cots are generally only found in top-end establishments and not
commonly outside of Tana. But you will always find staff to be accommodating - of-
fering to store baby formula in the chef's fridge or helping to organise a babysitter.
Imported supplies such as baby food, nappies (diapers) and wipes are available in
supermarkets in Tana. Jumbo Score also stocks baby carriers, bottles, clothing and
other accessories, but they are generally rather poor quality. Don't rely on finding any
of these goods outside Tana.
Ex-patsLenandSonjadeBeer,wholiveinTanawiththeirthreeyoungsters,advise
stocking up well on snacks before a trip (although safe bottled water is available
everywhere) and point out that kids often get car sick on the winding roads of the
highlands - so bring travel sickness tablets and keep plastic bags to hand.
If you'll be walking in national parks, it is useful to have some means of carrying
young children when they get tired. 'Even in towns, strollers are almost entirely use-
less - much better to invest in a good kid carrier/backpack to tote your little one
around the island. And if you plan to travel by car, you will want to bring a car seat'
(Kyle & Monika Lussier).
Always take care to protect children adequately from the sun, keep them hydrated,
usemosquitorepellent,andbringamozzienetfornighttime(thoseprovidedbyhotels
are often snagged or ripped) especially if your infant is too young to take malaria pro-
phylaxis. Hotels will help you find a doctor if you need one, but for serious emergen-
cies keep in mind that you may need to return to Tana to find reliable medical care.
Finally, Len and Sonja note that their children do not enjoy being called
vazaha:
'you need to prep kids on the fact that they will look different and be stared at'.
...AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE ROBBED
Have a little cry and then go to the po-
lice.Theywillwritedownallthedetailsthensendyoutothechiefofpoliceforasignature.
It takes the best part ofa day,and will remind youwhat a manual typewriter looks like, but
you will need the certificate for your insurance. If you are in a rural area, the local author-
ities will do a declaration of loss.
