Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
by James Cameron. The rock cliffs near the palace became known as Ampamarinana (the
place of hurling) as Christian martyrs met their fate at the command of the queen.
There was no reason for the French to move the capital elsewhere: its pleasant climate
made it an agreeable place to live, and plenty of French money and planning went into the
city we see today.
IVATO AIRPORT
The airport has been modernised, with the international and domestic sections separated
by a long corridor. Each has its own restaurant. The main one, upstairs in the international
section, is quite smart with waiter service and a self-service buffet for 20,000Ar. In the do-
mestic area there is a simple café open from 06.00. As in all airports there are plenty of
(expensive) souvenir shops and money-changing facilities. There are also booths for the
three cellphone networks where you can buy a SIM card for your mobile phone for around
€1 (see
Click Here
).
ARRIVING
In the good old days Ivato was like the cottage of a wicked witch, seducing
innocent visitors through its beguiling doors. Once inside, only the good and the brave
emerged unscathed. Now (sigh) it is much the same as other international airports in the
developing world. On arrival the procedure is:
1 Fill in a landing card if you haven't already (usually these are handed out on the plane as
part of a little booklet about Madagascar). The questions are straightforward, but be
prepared to say where you'll be staying the first night.
2 If you already have your visa, join the left-hand immigration queue.
3 If you do not have a visa, head to the 'stamps for visa' kiosk and pay (see
Click Here
for
prices). The official will stick receipt stamps inside your passport. Then proceed to the
no-visa immigration queue, where your return flight tickets must be shown, and a visa
will be issued for the exact duration of your stay (maximum 90 days). At the time of
writing, in an effort to attract more tourism, visa fees are being waived for stays of up
to 30 days.
4 Your luggage should shortly arrive on the baggage carousel (if not, see
Lost luggage
op-
posite).
5 There are trolleys to take your bags through customs. Show your passport to the official
who will ask what is in your bags, but most tourists pass through without having to
open them up for inspection. After one final passport check, you're free.
