Travel Smart
Honest, sourced guidance so you travel confident. Most of any country is calmer than the headlines suggest.
Safety
Countrywide advisory (Government of Canada)
Exercise increased cautionExercise a high degree of caution
Source: Government of Canada · Verified 2026-07-26
Antananarivo and Central Highlands
Exercise increased cautionCapital and surrounding highlands are broadly safe during daylight; petty theft and occasional robbery occur, especially in poorly lit areas at night.
Avoid: Avoid Anosibe district and isolated neighborhoods after sunset. Do not hike in hills around the city without a guide.
Common scams: Taxi overcharging, fake guides, counterfeit currency in street exchanges.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
East Coast and Rainforests
Exercise normal precautionsTourist areas including Toliara, Nosy Be, and rainforest parks are secure with normal precautions. Road conditions are poor but safe for experienced travelers.
Common scams: Overpriced 'official guides' at park entrances; verify with park offices directly.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
South and Southwest
Exercise normal precautionsToliara and southwest coast see few tourists but are generally secure. Banditry is rare on main roads; avoid remote areas after dark.
Avoid: Isolated inland tracks without local guides.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
4 zones rated separately against Government of Canada, UK FCDO. Oldest check on this page: 6 July 2026.
Emergency Contacts
Police
police
UK FCDO gives 17 from a landline and 117 from a mobile for police and ambulance emergencies. To reach a police station directly rather than the emergency line, the Foreign Office gives 19 from a landline and 119 from a mobile.
SourceAmbulance, via the police emergency line
ambulance
UK FCDO lists the same numbers for ambulance and police emergencies, 17 from a landline and 117 from a mobile. The number 112 is not what the Foreign Office publishes for Madagascar. Which one connects depends on whether you are on a landline or a mobile, so try both.
SourcePolyclinique d'Ilafy
hospital · Antananarivo
A private clinic in the capital, from the British Embassy list of medical facilities in Madagascar. Clinique et Maternite St Francois d'Assise on 00261 (0) 20 22 235 54 and the military hospital CENHOSOA on 00261 (0) 23 397 51 are the other Antananarivo options on that list.
SourceRegional facilities outside Antananarivo
hospital · Antsirabe, Toliara, Toamasina and Fort Dauphin
The British Embassy list covers more than the capital, which matters on an island this size. The first number is Clinique Medico-Chirurgicale Sante Plus in Antsirabe, the second the Centre Medical at Fort Dauphin. The same list gives Clinique Saint Luc at Toliara on 00261 (0) 20 94 422 47, Centre Medical Laperousse at Toamasina on 00261 (0) 32 40 019 62 and Hopital Principal Fianarantsoa on 00261 (0) 20 75 937 42.
Source