The best time to visit Madagascar

The best time to visit Madagascar is generally from July to October when it’s quite dry and mild – though much depends on the reason for your trip.

The Central highlands are cold and wet between May and October, but these months are ideal for exploring Madagascar’s arid southwest, where summer temperatures (November to January) are unbearably hot.

July to December is the best time to visit Madagascar for wildlife, with baby lemurs on display from October, birds breeding between September and December, and humpback whales arriving at Ile St Marie in July and August.

Rainy season in Madagascar is January to March, with cyclones likely in February.

Madagascar’s central highlands and north coast can get extremely wet in January all the way through to March with the cyclones of February making the start of the year well-worth avoiding although, accommodation will be cheaper and there will certainly be fewer tourists.

April still finds a few storms but on the main this is the start of Madagascar’s dry season with plenty of lush green foliage making April or May the best time to visit, especially for surfers.

Visiting Madagascar in June and July is perfect for watching baby lemurs as well as humpback whales on Ile Sainte-Marie, and birdwatchers will want to hang around until August and September to catch the abundance of endemic and migratory species.

Madagascar’s iconic ring-tail lemurs are born in October and a visit to national parks, such as Isalo, lets you see these cuties up close, particularly now it’s cooler in the southwest.

Temperatures begin to soar in the southwest during November and December with rains returning to Antananarivo, the central highlands and the north of Madagascar.

December is definitely the

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