Communications

Internet

There are many Internet cafes in both Tana and Toliara, but none in Ifaty where you’ll be staying (most volunteers travel to Toliara on Friday or Saturday for internet). Prices are reasonable although connection speeds can vary (around 200 Ariary per minute). In Toliara, ReefDoctor has a discounted rate at Prilimite Ganivala, which is one of the easiest to find and has a reasonably reliable connection.

Telephones

Malagasy telephone numbers consist of a two digit area code followed by a five digit number, both of which must be dialled even if you are making a local call.

When passing on Malagasy landline numbers to friends and family at home, they will need to dial:
00 - the international dialing prefix in most countries
261 - the Madagascar country code
20 - the prefix for all Malagasy landlines (not required for calls between Madagascar landlines)
and the phone number you are using

For mobile numbers you do not need the 20 or the leading 0 of the mobile number, e.g: 0320 630555 becomes 00 261 320 630555.

International calls can be made from hotels and public phone boxes, but they are expensive - £2 / min from phone boxes and more in hotels (though you can get family and friends to call you back in a hotel).

To use public phones you need to buy phone cards, which are available at La Poste, Agence d’Accueil Telecom and at some shops and hotels.

Mobile phones

Mobile phones are a better option for calling home and mean that you can communicate with friends in Madagascar. You can buy Malagasy SIM cards in Tana and Toliara for around 15,000 Ariary (£4) but make sure that you get an Orange SIM card (the only western line rental provider in Madagascar) as other networks have no coverage in Ifaty.

In order for your mobile to accept a Malagasy SIM card it must be unlocked. This can be done at home or in Madagascar but only with newer phone models. Alternatively you can purchase a phone and SIM card package for around 250-300,000 Ariary (less than £15) when you get here.

Malagasy phones and SIM cards are pay-as-you-go services, and credit can be topped up very easily using charge cards, which range from 2,000 - 40,000 Ariary and are available for many shops in towns and in Ifaty. International calls on a Malagasy SIM card cost around 2,000 Ariary per minute and are much cheaper than public phones.

You can also send and receive text messages quite cheaply but they are unreliable - do not be surprised if friends or family say they did not get your message, or you do not get theirs.

If you are using your mobile to call a Malagasy landline you will need to add 020 to the front of the seven digit number.

If you do buy a mobile phone in Madagascar it will not work outside Madagascar, so pass it on to friends or sell it to ReefDoctor for new Research Assistants to buy.

Post

While you are with us it is possible to have post delivered to you c/o the IH.SM in Toliara. However, be aware that it can take anything up to 3-4 months for mail to reach Toliara, so if you’re joining us on a six week visit…

Letters and postcards are normally quicker and arrive within 2-3 weeks, but packages can take a long time and have been known to never arrive!

If you are asking people to post things to you while you are with us ensure that packages are kept small and do not include expensive items. If you need something posted to you urgently, use a courier service.

The address to use is:
ReefDoctor
c/o IH.SM - Institut Halieutique et des Sciences Marines
University de Toliara
Route du Port, Mahavatse 1, B.P. 141, Toliara (601), Madagascar

Letters and postcards that you send can suffer the same delays, but will usually arrive at their destination before you leave us. We do not recommend sending packages or anything of value through the post.

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