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Madagascar

Safety

Safety in Madagascar
What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?

People’s Opinions

  1. I was with a team in Kombinat, an area of the city of Tirana. We did have an incident of being harassed by a man who clearly did not like us Americans helping at the church we stayed at. Be aware at all times and watch out for pick-pocketers. Did have a few incidents of kids grabbing on and reaching for pockets and straps of backpacks.

Health

Health in Madagascar
Any special health concerns?

People’s Opinions

  1. Comments

Visa Info

Visa Info in Madagascar
Do you need one? Where did you get it? Cost? Resources/sources:

People’s Opinions

  1. It cost us $27 per person to enter into Madagascar from the airport. They accepted USD.

Currency Info

Currency Info in Madagascar
Name of currency? Where can you exchange money?

People’s Opinions

  1. Comments

Communication

Communication in Madagascar
Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?

People’s Opinions

  1. Do not expect great wifi anywhere. We found a couple of places (Banana Split), but it was pretty rare and did not work great.

Transportation

Transportation in Madagascar
What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.

People’s Opinions

  1. Our ministry host paid for busses to pick up our squad from the airport (we had all squad month). The rest of the time we would walk, take public busses, and taxi’s. The cheapest taxi’s were vans. People are pretty small in this country and expect to fit five or six people across an isle of a school bus. They use wooden boards to create middle seats. Also, they don’t seem too concerned about pollution which made a lot of us feel sick being in Tana. If you don’t get in fast enough, they will leave some of you behind. Be careful sitting by windows, people will take your things/grab you from the outside. And the roads are pretty bad, so it takes quite a while to get anywhere- especially when there is traffic!                                         

Culture

Culture in Madagascar
Anything Racers need to be aware/respectful of? Suggestions/Recommendations?

People’s Opinions

  1. This is a very beat around the bush culture. From something as small as if my shorts were appropriate to avoiding telling us that the restaurant we chose was associated with sex trafficking, it will take everything for them to say what they need to. They also do not make plans for the future. Discussing anything too far in advance was hard for the people we ministered to. 

Shipping / Mailing

DHL | Madagascar

Shipping / Mailing in Madagascar
Company used and contact info? How did you get packages to them?

People’s Opinions

  1. Some of my teammates tried to mail souvenirs home on our second to last day. They used DHL, but it’s very corrupt and they had to go back the next day to pick it up. If you can, do not send things from any of their mailing systems.

Tips

People’s Opinions

  1. Use discretion when taking clothing to a laundry mat. Some of our team sent their clothes to a cleaners and had to pay $8 (USD) a person. (They had originally been told a lower price.) Some of their clothes also came back shrunk. It would probably be best to do laundry where your contact suggests and not to try to find a place on your own.

Additional Info

Additional Info in Madagascar
Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?

People’s Opinions

  1. Madagascar is a very spiritually heavy country. Pray hard every day, before and after ministry. Pray before you sleep. If you’re in constant prayer it will make all the difference.