Madagascar is a picturesque island located in East Africa. Despite the fact that the local nature and culture are preserved almost in its original form, the infrastructure, including transport, of Madagascar develops in step with the times.
The level of transport development in the country
The economy of this island state is classified as developing. Most of the enterprises of Madagascar are engaged in agriculture, fishing and growing spices and spices. To date, the tourism industry is also one of the main sources of economic growth. Therefore, the Government of Madagascar pays special attention to the development of transport, including:
- aviation;
- railway;
- public;
- taxi services and car rental.
The state of roads on the island can not be called unambiguous. The central motorways are in excellent condition. Absolutely the opposite situation is with the roads connecting small settlements. Currently, there is active road construction, therefore, before you fly to Madagascar, you should make inquiries and study the road map.
Air transport of Madagascar
The most optimal and fastest way to travel around the country are airplanes. Air transport on the island of Madagascar is well developed. On its territory there are 83 airports of different scale. This allows you to easily navigate the country and the nearby islands. The largest, therefore the busiest, airport of the island of Madagascar, is Iwato , located 45 km from the capital.
The main carrier company is Air Madagaskar. In addition to it, airplanes of Turkish, Australian and European airlines land at the airports of the island of Madagascar.
Railway transport in Madagascar
The total length of railways on the island with a track width of 1000 mm is 850 km. Their construction began in 1901 and lasted only 8 years. Most of the railway transport of the Republic of Madagascar is under the management of Madarail. In her department is listed:
- 673 km of railways;
- 28 railway stations;
- 300 bridges;
- 35 tunnels;
- 17 diesel locomotives;
- 260 wagons.
The rest of the railways (177 km) is run by another company - FCE, or Fianarantsoa-Côte-Est.
Public transport in Madagascar
The easiest and cheapest way to travel around the island is by bus. At each airport or train station in Madagascar, you can find a timetable for urban transport routes. Especially popular here are taxi cabs - minibuses, accommodating up to 25 passengers, and taxi-be - their counterparts, but designed for 9 people. With their help you can go around the whole island and explore every corner of it.
Taxi and car rental in Madagascar
Inside cities it's easiest to go by taxi. Only thus it is necessary to consider, that here work both licensed, and private carriers. Tariffs for them are significantly different, so the cost of the trip should be known in advance.
Car rental lovers should take care of rent before coming to the country. This type of transport is not very popular in the Republic of Madagascar. Rent a car can only be in major resort centers or travel agencies. And sometimes it's cheaper to rent a car with a driver who is well-oriented on local roads. Owners of such companies also provide the opportunity to rent a motorcycle or a bicycle, on which you can tour all the city attractions .
On the island there is another unusual form of transport, called pusi-pusi. He moves by the efforts of a single man, who pulls a two-wheeled structure designed for 1-2 passengers. Accordingly, this means a low speed, but also is much cheaper than a traditional taxi.
How to get to Madagascar?
This island state is remote from the African continent by almost 500 km. That is why many tourists still wonder how to get to the island of Madagascar. To do this, it is sufficient to use the services of European or Australian airlines. From the CIS countries, it's easiest to fly a flight from Air France, making a transfer in Paris. In this case, before the plane lands at the airport of the island of Madagascar, will have to spend in the air for at least 13-14 hours.