Exploring Madagascar's untamed beauty before it becomes Africa's next holiday hotspot

An island of contrasts, this Indian Ocean escape offers pioneering travellers everything from untouched beaches to exotic animals

Idyllic beaches of Nosy Iranja, one of several destinations to visit in Madagascar. Getty Images

On a list of experiences that travellers would most like to avoid, being stranded would likely be up there. But then again, that is also perhaps precisely the feeling responsible for visiting a destination such as Madagascar.

Located in the western Indian Ocean and adrift from continental Africa for more than 150 million years, the island is the the fourth-largest in the world, with a landmass larger than Germany and Spain combined, yet is a place still waiting to be explored.

Counting Indian Ocean holiday heavyweights the Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius as its neighbours, Madagascar remains relatively undiscovered. Between January and August this year, it received 126,421 visitors, according to the tourism authority. By comparison, the Maldives welcomed about 1.3 million tourists in the same time frame. This is likely down to Madagascar's geography and relative isolation, two things that have also seen the island blessed with a distinctive biodiversity – 90 per cent of its wildlife is not found anywhere else in the world.

Madagascar is also a landscape of contrasts – of the serene and the rugged, of natural wonders and urban grit. And that's something I experience almost immediately after landing at Ivato International Airport. With a journey time of seven hours from Dubai, including a 90-minute transit at Mahe airport in the Seychelles, my Emirates flight drops me on this unexplored island just before 2pm.

A 45-minute drive from the airport towards the city provides me with my first snapshot of Madagascar, a resilient nation on the move. It is an overcast day, and the dense, congested roads are thronging with cars, bikes, buses and transport mules. Lining them is a seemingly endless stream of brick and corrugated iron stalls, where traders sell everything from fresh vegetables to hubcaps and television satellite dishes. It's not quite the Indian Ocean island experience that many people might envision.

Antananarivo, also known as Tana, is the bustling capital of Madagascar. Getty Images

Looming on the nearby hilltops are remnants of Antananarivo – or Tana as the local's call the capital – and the city’s colonial French past, dating back to the 20th century. Weathered buildings, some now serving as residences and boutique hotels, display charming art nouveau balconies. More prominent symbols of that turbulent 64-year rule, ending with Madagascar's independence in 1960, are the soaring French church spires dotting the skyline – such as the neo-Gothic Andohalo Cathedral and the Faraohitra Church.

That painful past – marked by economic exploitation and, at times, violent suppression of local culture and tradition – as well as a promising future, converge on Avenue de l’Independance. Viewed as the heart of Antananarivo, the thoroughfare – with its arched walkways and arcaded buildings – was initially built by the French colonial administration as a projection of power. Given its name in the wake of Madagascar’s independence, it is now a thriving boulevard, with European-style cafes standing beside market stalls selling Malagasy fabrics including those used to make lambas – a colourful and versatile garment or cloth made from cotton or silk, and used for everything from weddings and funerals to swaddling new-born babies.

The mild aroma of toasted nuts and warm bread wafts from a makeshift canteen, drawing me in. There, I indulge in mofo gasy, a Malagasy staple. Made from fermented rice batter sweetened with a touch of sugar, this airy treat, cooked in cast-iron moulds, resembles a delicate pancake or muffin, and is a must-try for any visitor. For a bird's-eye view of Tana's vibrant blend of tradition and modernity, head to La Haute Ville, a sophisticated district only a 10-minute drive from Avenue de l’Independance. Perched atop the city's highest point, it offers breathtaking panoramas of the bustling streets below.

Two lemurs play on the thatched roof of a house. The primates can be seen at Madagascar's Lemur's Park. Alamy

As well as being the cradle of Madagascar's modern history, Antananarivo is also a good starting place to take in some of the country’s signature wildlife.

A 22-kilometre drive – which takes more than an hour due to heavy traffic – from Avenue de l’Independance brings us to Lemurs' Park. This wildlife sanctuary provides a semi-natural habitat for nine species of the primate and a guided tour brings me face-to-face with the impossibly cute creatures as they dart around shrubs and leap between branches. Most of the lemurs here were confiscated pets and authorities at the park work to reintroduce them to the wild. The park is also a botanical treasure – blending the hum of birdsong and the fragrance of pine trees and orchids. Look closely and you might even spot colourful chameleons blending into the surrounding branches.

Antsiranana, also known as Diego Suarez, is a must-visit for budding naturalists. A two-hour flight from Antananarivo, this port city is home to Amber Mountain National Park. Located on the northern-most point of Madagascar and 1,000km from the capital, this ecological wonderland is filled with lush rainforest boasting 75 species of birds, 25 varieties of mammals, and about 60 different types of reptiles. Amidst the dense greenery are rolling waterfalls, the most prominent of which are the Sacred Falls. Holding spiritual importance in Malagasy tradition, the edge of the falls here are sometimes lined with small gifts – from flowers to chocolates – and the lighting of candles to mark significant family milestones.

The Sacred Waterfalls in the Amber Mountains Park are just one of several beauty spots on Madagascar. Getty Images

For a glimpse of the future of Madagascar's tourism drive – the country is targeting 1 million travellers by 2028 – head to Nosy Be. Located north-west of the island and a 40-minute flight from Antsiranana, this island is the republic's most popular holiday escape at the moment and it's not hard to see why. Surrounded by the azure waters of the Mozambique Channel, it boasts a string of quiet beaches, coral reefs and calm coves. The rolling hills in the distance are home to a growing number of black pepper plantations, an aromatic spice that is growing a reputation as Madagascar's second-most sought after spice (after vanilla of course).

Mont Passot is a dormant volcano and the island's highest peak making it a great spot for taking in panoramic views and stunning sunsets. These vistas are also beautifully experienced from the water and travellers don't have to wander too far to track down an independent boat operator, several line Nosy Be’s beaches. We find our guide right by our hotel and for a very reasonable $50 fee, plan an early-morning cruise to Nosy Iranja, southwest of Nosy be.

Here, impossibly turquoise waters and sun dappled beaches await travellers who make the trip. Stepping off the boat, I feel like I've been transported into a default screensaver image on my computer. Strolling the powdery white sand and taking a dip in the warm, clear waters, it's postcard-perfect. Before getting back on the boat, I'm advised by one of the local guides to “take the walk". Nosy Iranja is made up of two islets linked by a 1.5 km sandbar that emerges at low tide. The so-called walk is an attempt to cross as much of the sandbar as is available, which, considering the morning tide during my trip, was only about 300 metres. But standing between these two remote islands with no internet connection or phone signal and flanked by the Mozambique Channel, I have rarely felt so untethered from the world. And boy, it never felt so good.