Technically Madagascar is a part of Africa, but any body who has visited this gorgeous island will tell you that it is surely unique in itself. Divided from the mainland by the Indian ocean Madagascar has evolved not only its own eco system with some animal and plant species that are totally unique to the Madagascar but also has a culture that is pretty much different from any on the mainland of Africa. Recently with the immense effort put in by the authorities of Madagascar in the improvement of the tourism infrastructure of the island the tourist traffic has immensely increased making it one of the hot travel destinations of the continent.
Although the stature of Madagascar as a travel destination has increased quite a bit in the last decade but there are not many direct flights available for Antananarivo the capital of the country, instead you will have to take a cheap flight to Johannesburg in South Africa then a connecting flight to Ivato airport of the Antananarivo city. The only direct flight available for Europe is either with Air France that flies two flights per week from Ivato to Paris or the Air Madagascar that has just started a few flights for Europe. There are quite a few hotels in the city that can offer you world class facilities at a lower price if you compare it with the rest of the region. The best option will be to make a reservation online or at least from the airport rather than wandering in the city.
As mentioned earlier the eco system of Madagascar is unique to it and is a global heritage in itself as the island has more than 700 species of plants and bushes that you will not find any where else in the world. The best place to observe these plants is the dense forest of Morondova which has got the fame in the world because of its carnivorous plants that can trap and eat even an adult and fully grown small bird. The best way of exploring the forest is by taking a seasoned guide with you and spending a couple of nights out in the forest. There are no resorts in the forest so do not forget to take your own camping equipment with you.
The beaches of Madagascar is also a great attraction of the place as they have the whitest and the softest sand that you will ever find in the continent of Africa as they resemble more to the beaches of the Indian ocean islands like Maldives rather than to beaches on the mainland. There are enough deserted places along these long beaches to get a full body tan and the new resorts built along them are providing world class services. If you are a scuba diving enthusiast then you will find the waters along the coast a perfect place to dive. The island of Madagascar was a paradise for the pirates of the Indian Ocean and the ship wrecks of these pirates can still be seen in its waters providing a great diving experience.
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