Africa > Madagascar

Riding holidays across the Island of Madagascar

Horse riding through Madagascar is a truly unique experience. Horses were once a rarity, but breeders, fascinated by the success of racetracks worldwide, crossed mares with imported thoroughbred English stallions to create the unique race that can currently be ridden on the island, the Anglo-Arab-Berber-Malagasy. Madagascar offers a spectacular variety of landscapes through which to ride - semi-arid desert plains, lush sub-tropical forests, mountains and plateaus, deep canyons, rice fields and mangrove forests. At the town and village stops, you will be greeted with warmth and curiosity from locals who may still find horses, and their riders, something of a novelty! Whilst discovering the island of Madagascar on horseback and wild camping out in the diverse scenery, you will encounter flora and fauna, such as the famous lemurs and comet orchid as well as the distinctive African Baobab trees.
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From the horse’s mouth

  • Riding the Red Isle
    September 2024 Rebecca aged 32
    A fantastic adventure, wonderful long canters past incredible scenery, and an amazing way to experience the culture and people of Madagascar! Sea Biscuit was my horse, he was completely push button, very easy to ride and very laid back. He was about 14,3hh, all the horses were quite small and very slight. There was... Read all
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  • Riding the Red Isle
    September 2024 Natasha aged 49
    Highly recommended. I'd do the West Coast trip if I have more holiday time but would probably opt for another country because there are so many to explore I rode Sianara - very small pony but tough and bombproof
    More about this trip
  • Ride from the highground to Madagascar's East Coast
    September 2022 KSENIA aged 41
    I highly recommend this trip to anyone looking for a fast-paced and exciting adventure. Terrain is rough at times, so be prepared for that! But horses are sure-footed and very willing. I felt completely safe going at faster speeds. Food was excellent and the host made sure to give us a chance to try as many different... Read all
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  • Ride from the highground to Madagascar's East Coast
    September 2022 Veronica aged 48
    I have ridden in nearly 20 different countries across the globe, from India to Chile and a lot in-between. BUT Madagascar is different. Having the privilege to see it from a saddle and at times from a blazing one is the dream coming true! All those children in the world running behind you - in Madagascar there are... Read all
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  • Ride from the highground to Madagascar's East Coast
    August 2019 Jane aged 58
    An extraordinary adventure in a starkly beautiful part of the world giving insight to both the high plains and the east coast (and the odd lemur!) from a viewpoint few will be able to experience. André's team were fantastic from start to finish and the horses I rode were fit, fun and so up to the job. Very special! I... Read all
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  • Riders following a trail along the mountain
    Explore Madagascar's East Coast in the saddle
  • A lemur sitting on a branch in Madagascar
    Interact with a variety of lemur species unique to the island!
  • Landscape of Madagascar's East Coast
    Enjoy the scenic views of Madagascar's East Coast
  • Riders allowing the horses to drink from Lake Itasy
    Explore the region around Lake Itasy
  • Beautiful landscape of the Malagasy countryside
    Experience the rich diversity and beauty of the Malagasy countryside
  • A road in Madagascar with Baobads on each sides
    Ride along the famous Baobabs
  • Rider enjoying the view alongside his horse in Madagascar
    Contemplate the plains of Antananarivo on a riding holiday in Madagascar
  • Man carrying a rider and guiding the horse through a river in Madagascar
    An eventful ride through Madagascar!
  • A horse resting by a lake in Madagascar
    Watch the locals go about their daily routines!
  • Riders going through a town in Madagascar
    Meet the locals and learn about their culture on this riding holiday

Visa & Health

Formalities

Please refer to your home country's Foreign Office website for up-to-date information. This section predominantly refers to UK citizens, and advice can vary depending on your nationality. Although we endeavour to keep this section updated, requirements can change quickly, and your home country's Foreign Office website takes precedence.

You can buy a 30, 60 or 90-day tourist visa on arrival at the airport. Make sure an entry stamp is recorded in your passport. A tourist visa has a maximum validity of 3 months and isn’t extendable.

Alternatively, you can apply for an e-visa on the official Malagasy e-visa website before you travel:
https://evisamada.gov.mg/en/

Make sure that your visa is valid for the period and purpose of your journey. Overstaying may lead to detention and deportation.

Your passport must have at least 6 months’ validity remaining on your date of entry into Madagascar. You should have at least 2 blank pages in your passport on arrival.
You will be asked for evidence of onward or return travel at check-in in the UK and on arrival in Madagascar.
There’s no Embassy of Madagascar in London.

Advice for visa application

The information provided by Equus Journeys can evolve and are given for indicative purposes only.

For up-to-date information, please visit:

Addresses of consulates

Health

There is no risk of yellow fever in this country, however, there is a certificate requirement.Under International Health Regulations, a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers over 9 months of age arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission and for travellers having transited for more than 12 hours through an airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.

Travellers should be up to date with routine vaccination courses and boosters as recommended in the UK. These vaccinations include for example measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and diphtheria-tetanus-polio vaccine.

There is a high risk of malaria in Madagscar: atovaquone/proguanil OR doxycycline OR mefloquine recommended. There is also a risk of dengue in this country, and all travellers should avoid mosquito bites.

The following vaccines in this section are recommended for most travellers visiting this country: Hepatitis A, Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid.

For up to date information please visit:
https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/country/134/madagascar

Insurance

It is a condition of your booking with Equus Journeys that you have travel insurance which covers you for the riding activities to be undertaken. Your travel insurance should cover you for medical expenses and repatriation. Your guides will require your travel insurance details before they allow you to ride and may refuse to let you ride if you cannot provide them. You should take your insurance documents with you.

Voltage

In Madagascar the power plugs and sockets have two pins. The standard voltage is 127 / 220 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. British citizens require an adapter.

Budget and money

Official currency: ariary (MGA).
1 GBP = 4708 MHA (January 2019)

Visa cards are accepted in Madagascar. Mastercards are not always accepted.

Telephone and jetlag

Local time: GMT+3
Phone code: +261

Country information

Socio-economical data

Madagascar has been inhabited by human beings for the relatively short period of about 1,300 years. Language and culture point unequivocally to Indonesian origins, but there is no empirical evidence of how, why, or by what route the first settlers came to the island. The major foreign communities are French, Comorian, Indian and Pakistani, and Chinese, although emigration in the late 20th century significantly reduced their populations. There has been no significant emigration of Malagasy peoples abroad.

History

Archaeological investigations in the 20th century indicated that human settlers reached Madagascar about 700 CE. Although the huge island lies geographically close to Bantu-speaking Africa, its language, Malagasy, belongs to the distant Western Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family.

Much of Madagascar was populated by internal migration before the beginning of the 16th century, giving the theretofore empty lands their tompontany (original inhabitants, or “masters of the soil”).

The Malagasy Republic became independent in 1960, after a brief period as an autonomous republic in the French Community from 1958. Between 1972 and 1975 Madagascar was under military rule. Socialist political and economic reorganization was instituted in 1975, and a new constitution was implemented later that year for the renamed Democratic Republic of Madagascar.

Geography

Madagascar, island country lying off the southeastern coast of Africa. It is the fourth largest island in the world, after Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo. Madagascar is located in the southwestern Indian Ocean and is separated from the African coast by the 250-mile- (400-km-) wide Mozambique Channel.

Madagascar consists of three parallel longitudinal zones—the central plateau, the coastal strip in the east, and the zone of low plateaus and plains in the west.

The hot, wet season extends from November to April and the cooler, drier season from May to October. The climate is governed by the combined effects of the moisture-bearing southeast trade and northwest monsoon winds as they blow across the central plateau. The trade winds, which blow throughout the year, are strongest from May to October. The monsoon, bringing rain to the northwest coast of Madagascar and the plateau, is most noticeable during the hot, humid season. The wind blows obliquely onto the west coast, which receives a moderate amount of precipitation annually; the southwest, which is protected, remains arid.





People, culture and traditions

Capital: Antananarivo (Tana)
Official languages: Malagasy, French
Government: Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic
Total area: 587,041 km2
Population: 2016 estimate - 24,894,551
GDP: 2017 estimate - $40,055 billion (total)
Currency: Malagasy ariary (MGA)

Useful words

Yes: èny/èka
No: tsìa
Hello: Salàma
Hello/How are you?: Manào ahòana ianào
Mister/Madam: Tòmpoko
Excuse me/Please: Azafàdy
Thanks (a lot): Misàotra (indrìndra)
Good/bad: tsàra/ràtsy
I am fine: Salàma tsàra àho
Welcome: Tònga sòa
Goodbye: Velòma
I don't understand: Tsy àzoko
Do you speak English: Mahày mitèny anglisy vè ianào ?

Choosing the right riding holiday

Choosing the right riding holiday

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. Its located in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. Madagascar is home to thousands of animal species, but especially known for lemurs, which are found nowhere else in the world: in fact, 90% of the wildlife in Madagascar is only found there. This diverse island is home to lush rainforests, beaches, reefs and mangrove forests – a hint to why the wildlife is so diverse.

The capital, Antananarivo, is well known for its “Avenue of the Baobabs”, a dirt road lined by these massive centuries-old trees. There are six different Baobab species on this magnificent island, more than 100 species of Lemur and an array of chameleons that cannot be matched. Seeing lemurs whilst out riding is a magical and entertaining moment that you won’t forget. French and the local language Malagasy are widely spoken on the island.

The climate is marked by its cool and dry winters, from May to October, and mild, rainy summers, from November to April. During the cooler seasons, the temperature rarely falls below 10 °C and in the hot season, it rarely tops 30 °C, making it the perfect choice for a riding holiday.