MADAGASCAR | Bradt travel guide

TRAVEL GUIDE

Madagascar is unlike anywhere else on earth – and no guidebook knows it better. Now in its 14th edition, Bradt’s Madagascar is the most comprehensive and deeply researched guide to this extraordinary African island nation, written for independent travellers.

The world’s oldest and fourth-largest island, Madagascar is an unparalleled hotspot for biodiversity – four-fifths of its flora and fauna exist nowhere else on the planet, more than a fifth of the world’s primate species are found only here, and it is the only country where you can see wild lemurs. Geographically African yet culturally rooted in ancient Indonesia, and independent from France since 1960, this is an island of extraordinary complexity and wonder.

Thoroughly updated for 2026, this is the guide that has accompanied adventurous travellers on their Madagascar journey longer than any other. Whether you are planning a wildlife expedition through tropical rainforests in search of lemurs and a thousand species of orchid, a trek through the otherworldly landscapes of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, a diving or whale-watching trip off the shores of Nosy Be, a birdwatching journey among nearly 300 avian species or a backpacking adventure through remote southern villages, Bradt shows you how.

What makes this guide indispensable:

• Unmatched author expertise - written by Hilary Bradt, who first visited in 1976 and has returned roughly 35 times, and Daniel Austin, who has visited 30 times across 20 years and continues to spend several months a year on the island – unrivalled on-the-ground knowledge and fully updated for 2026
• Covers the whole island, including remote regions - from the capital Antananarivo and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ambohimanga to the iconic Avenude des Baobabs, the spiny forests of the deep south, the vanilla coast of the northeast, and the beach-fringed islands of Nosy Be
• Essential practical guidance - when to visit, how to navigate Madagascar’s challenging road network, cyclone season planning, malaria prevention and up-to-date health and safety advice – everything an independent traveller needs before they land
• Comprehensive and easy-to-use - detailed maps, town plans, around a thousand hotels and restaurants, and itineraries to suit all interests and budgets
• Built for every kind of traveller - whether you are a wildlife enthusiast, a scuba diver, a birdwatcher exploring Madagascar’s national parks, or an adventure seeker drawn to surfing, rock-climbing, caving, kayaking or mountain biking