What to pack for Madagascar

Pack for three climates and one weight limit. From June to August the highlands are cold at night (Antsirabe averages lows of about 7 °C in July), the west and south stay close to 30 °C by day, and in the eastern rainforest it can rain in any month. So bring layers and a rain jacket, light long sleeves and a sun hat, shoes with real grip, a head torch, insect repellent and your malaria tablets, a dry bag, a European two-pin adaptor, a power bank and some euros in cash. Then fit it into one soft bag of 20 kg or less, plus 5 kg in the cabin, which is the domestic economy allowance on Madagascar Airlines. Through-tickets can have different rules, so check yours.

Match the bag to the route, especially if it includes a domestic flight.

Start with the bag: 20 kg in the hold, 5 kg in the cabin

Madagascar Airlines' domestic economy allowance in October 2026 was one checked bag up to 20 kg and one cabin bag up to 5 kg. A partner airline's through-ticket can carry a different checked allowance. Use the limit printed on your ticket and pack to the smallest allowance across the journey. Extra weight can only be bought at the airport on the day, and only if the plane has room.

Each of the three trips featured below has a domestic flight in it. None includes the ticket, but we can book it for you:

• Classic South, 11 days: ends with the flight from Tulear back to Antananarivo.
• West Adventure, 10 days: ends at Morondava airport.
• Northern Madagascar, 11 days: starts with the morning flight from Antananarivo to Diego Suarez.

A soft bag or a rucksack copes with dirt tracks and small planes better than a hard case on wheels. Power banks and spare batteries go in the cabin, never the hold, under IATA's rules, and so should your medicines. Five kilos fills fast, and the airline's FAQ lists an additional small accessory of up to 2 kg. Check your own ticket before treating camera gear as extra. Fly in your boots anyway.

Clothes for the regions and the months

• The highlands, June to August. Antananarivo, at about 1,280 m, averages about 11 °C at night in July, and Antsirabe, at about 1,500 m, about 7 °C, with mild days around 20 °C. Bring a fleece or a light down jacket, and something warm to sleep in.
• The eastern rainforest, any month. Madagascar National Parks says Andasibe has no true dry season and that showers come even in the dry months. Its own advice for visitors includes hiking shoes, light clothes that cover you, a waterproof jacket, a fleece and an umbrella. Andasibe and Ranomafana both have leeches after rain, so tuck your trousers into your socks.
• The west and the south. Hot. Morondava averages about 29 °C by day even in July and 31 to 32 °C from October to April, and Tulear is much the same. Loose, light long sleeves and trousers do more against sun and mosquitoes than shorts. Add a wide-brimmed hat and swimwear for hotel pools and a coastal stay.
• The north. A windproof layer earns its place at the Three Bays. Add a warmer layer for the forest at Montagne d'Ambre rather than packing only for the coast.

In the forest, neutral colours beat white and bright ones. Leave camouflage at home: wearing it is an offence in Madagascar, Canada's travel advice says, and you risk detention and a fine. Pack for a week, not the whole trip, and wash as you go. Our month-by-month guide has the weather for each region.

What to wear in villages, towns and churches

Canada's advice is to dress modestly, on some beaches too, and Rough Guides suggests long trousers and sleeves for visiting rural villages. In practice that means shoulders and knees covered in villages, markets and churches, and swimwear kept for the beach and the hotel pool.

A sarong or pareo works as a village cover-up, a beach towel or another layer on a cold morning. Ask before you photograph anyone, and keep your distance from tombs unless your guide says otherwise. Our travel tips explain fady, the local taboos.

Malaria, mosquitoes and the sun

The CDC says malaria transmission is rare in Antananarivo and occurs throughout the rest of the country, and recommends preventive tablets for the rest of the country. Pack the whole course your clinic gives you. The CDC also advises a repellent with at least 20% DEET, clothes that cover you between dusk and dawn, when malaria mosquitoes mainly feed, and permethrin on clothes, never on skin. The mosquitoes that spread dengue bite by day, so keep the repellent on at noon too.

For the sun, bring a hat, sunglasses and high-factor sun cream. It's fiercest on the boats and on Isalo's plateau, where there's little shade. Our guide to vaccinations and malaria covers the jabs and the tablets.

A basic medical kit and your prescriptions

Some prescription drugs may not be available in Madagascar, Canada's advice says, so bring enough of yours for the whole trip, in their original packaging, with copies of the prescriptions. The CDC suggests a spare supply in case of delays, and warns that medicines bought abroad can be substandard or fake. Add:

• Diarrhoea tablets and oral rehydration salts.
• Painkillers, an antihistamine and bite cream.
• Plasters, blister pads and antiseptic.
• Travel-sickness tablets for the winding mountain roads.
• A filter bottle or purification tablets, since tap water isn't safe to drink, the UK Foreign Office says.
• Tampons or a menstrual cup, because tampons are hard to find locally.

Take travel insurance that covers medical evacuation. Our safety guide explains why.

Money, power and your phone

• Euros in cash. Madagascar runs largely on cash, and the cash machines in the larger towns cap each withdrawal and sometimes run dry, so we'd bring euros as a back-up. On our trips the park fees, local guides and breakfasts are already paid, and your cash goes on other meals, drinks, tips and shopping. Our money guide has the rates and limits.
• A plug adaptor. Sockets take round two-pin European plugs, types C and E, at about 220 to 230 volts and 50 Hz. From the UK, Ireland or North America you need an adaptor. Chargers marked 100 to 240 V need nothing more. Anything rated for 110 V alone needs a converter as well.
• A power bank. Power cuts are common. Charge up while the power's on.
• A phone that isn't locked to one network. A local SIM needs your passport to register. Signal is patchy in the parks and on back roads, so download offline maps. WhatsApp is usually the fastest way to reach us.

Binoculars and cameras

Binoculars are on Madagascar National Parks' own list for Andasibe, for watching animals at a distance. Lemurs often sit high in the canopy, and many birds never come close. Birders should see our birdwatching page.

In the national parks the lemurs are wild and keep their distance. That's the point, and a long lens or a patient guide is what gets you the shot. Bring spare batteries and memory cards, keep the camera sealed on the dusty western tracks, and never photograph military or government sites, which is banned.

What to leave at home

• A drone, unless you have the paperwork. Check the current registration and flight-authorisation requirements with Aviation Civile de Madagascar before packing one. Inside a national park, ask the park as well.
• Plastic bags. A 2017 decree bans thin plastic bags across Madagascar. Bring a cloth bag, and a filter bottle so you aren't buying bottled water every day.
• Expensive jewellery and watches. Canada advises against wearing expensive jewellery or showing signs of wealth.
• Sweets and pens for children. We'd rather you didn't hand them out. If you'd like to give something, ask us about a school or a community project on your route.

Not sure what the nights will be like on your route in your month? Send your dates on the booking page or ask us on WhatsApp, and a real person in Antananarivo replies, usually within 24 hours.