Getting to Toliara and Ifaty

For information on flights to Toliara visit our Flights section. If you are planning to travel to Toliara by another method, the following should give some idea of times and prices.

Hired vehicles

It is possible to hire 4x4 vehicles and smaller vehicles (taxis can be hired for day trips) for taking trips around Madagascar or for travelling between Toliara and Tana. The cost of hiring a 4x4 divided between four people is cheaper than going by plane from Toliara to Tana and it’s a great opportunity to see the countryside. Strict regulations for car hire mean that in most instances your vehicle will come with a driver.

Madabus

Madabus is a private company offering mini-bus transport between Madagascar’s major cities. It is more expensive that public taxi-brousses - and quicker and more comfortable - but is still significantly cheaper than flying. The buses have air conditioning and comfortable reclining seats.

Buses from Tana to Toliara depart on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from Toliara to Tana on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The full journey takes about 18 hours and costs about £35 / € 50 / US$61 / 124,976 Ariary. Buses leave at around 6:00am.

If you prefer to break up the journey and see more of Madagascar on your trip you can stop at Antsirabe. Abositra, Fianarantsoa, Ambalavao and Ranohira along the way at no extra cost.

Due to bad road conditions services between Tana and Toliara do not run in the months of February and March, but you should check services if you are arriving in December or January as weather conditions can result in cancelled services at this time of year.

To find out more or make a reservation visit http://www.madabus.com

Public taxi-brousse

If you prefer a more rough and ready ride you can choose to take one of the public taxi-brousses. These come in many different shapes and sizes from mini-bus vans (typical on the Tana to Toliara route) to large camion trucks or small flatbed trucks (usually for shorter routes or on less well travelled roads).

While it is significantly cheaper than Madabus - a third of the price on the Tana to Toliara trip - the vehicles are less comfortable and the possibility of breakdowns increases. It also takes closer to 24 hours to make the trip from Tana to Toliara in one go, our record is 52 hours so be prepared and always give yourself plenty of time if you have a deadline for your travel.

However, public taxi-brousses are more frequent (usually at least one a day and often more) than Madabus services and if used to make a long journey in short legs offer the chance to meet local people and get a better feel for Malagasy life. For long trips you book your place and it shouldn’t get too crowded.

To travel to Toliara on a public taxi-brousse you’ll need to leave Tana from the Southern Taxi-brousse Station at Anosibe, which is a bus or taxi ride from the centre of town. If you are doing the journey in reverse arriving at Anosibe does mean running the gauntlet of drivers wanting your fare to the centre of town.

Arriving in Toliara

If you arrive in Toliara by plane we will meet you at the airport and bring you to the Sax-Aphone Hotel in town (unless you are arriving early to stay in Toliara prior to joining us). If you are coming by Madabus or public taxi-brousse make sure you have a hotel booked as you may be arriving late at night. If so, take a taxi to your hotel - it should cost approx. 4,000 Ariary (20,000 FMG) at night. If you experience delays in any part of your trip, please let us know on +261 320 77 99 54.

Transport in Toliara

Once in Toliara you main transport options are taxis and pousse-pousses. Taxis have a fixed price for any journey and the price list is usually on the sun visor of the front passenger seat. Ask to see it if you are unsure. Normal daytime rates are 3,000 Ariary (15,000 FMG) but prices do change due to the fluctuating price of fuel. Remember, if you ask the taxi to stop at any point along the way you will have to pay for two journies not one.

In general you are safe in taxis and drivers are helpful if you’re not sure exactly where you are going, although often they are not sure either! For travelling around at night we recommend that you use taxis.

Pousse-pousses are a very old form of transportation and are similar to the rickshaws of India. All Madagascar’s towns and cities (except Tana) have pousse-pousses though their size, design and carrying capacity differ regionally with Toliara pousse-pousses being the biggest (able to take two people comfortably and 200kg in weight) and the most colourful.

Though the concept of this form of transport seems very imperialistic and demeaning to the guys pulling you along, the local population use this form of transport, as it is the cheapest way to get around. Also, the pousse-pousse drivers rent the pousse-pousses and if they do not make enough money forfeit them and are unable to make a living. This is obvious when they are continually asking you to hire them with shouts of “pousse” whenever you pass by.

The standard rate for a trip (of about 15 minutes duration) is 500 Ariary (2,500 FMG) or double for a longer ride. However, most drivers will ask you - a foreigner or ‘vazaha’ - for more. While we ask you not to over pay for rides (drivers have been known to ask for twice the cost of a taxi), think about giving a small caddeaux (tip) if the driver agrees to take you at this price - it is only about 15 pence.

We advise against taking pousse-pousses at night unless there is a group of you together. Also, pousse-pousse drivers want your custom and will often say they know your destination when they do not - try to make sure you have a general idea of where you are going.

Joining us in Ifaty

Ifaty is about 27km north of Toliara and you will be joined by a member of the ReefDoctor team on your first trip to the ReefDoctor camp. Taxi-brousses to Ifaty leave in the morning at around 9am and are usually flat-bed trucks with seats down the sides of the back. Bags are carried on the top of the taxi-brousse so remember to keep valuables and money in a smaller bag that can keep with you.

There are few restrictions on the number of passengers so you may find a child on your knee and a chicken under your seat - they can make the Tana to Toliara taxi-brousses seem like luxury! The journey usually takes about an hour but there is always the possibility of a breakdown, which can extend that by anything up to six hours!

The taxi-brousse costs 2,000 Ariary (10,000 FMG) and you may be asked to pay extra for bags carried on top if you have a lot. You will also be asked for caddeaux by the people that load your bags - it is up to you to decide but if you do, try to make sure you don’t over tip - between 100 and 500 Ariary is fine, depending on the number of bags you have.

You should also be aware that Ifaty is a district and includes the tourist village of Mangili just north of us. At the taxi-brousse station most locals assume that a foreigner will be going to Mangili, even if you say Ifaty. Taxi-brousses to Mangili take a slightly different route and while it is possible to walk from the main road, it is a long way if you have luggage with you. On your first visit, we will try to ensure that you the taxi-brousses that are local to us.

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